While Week 3 of the fantasy basketball season included two double-digit game days, there’s just one during Week 4, with Wednesday featuring 12 games. Monday and Friday are nine-game slates, and Sunday has an eight-game schedule. The light game day for Week 4 will be Thursday, with just three games, and three of the six teams in action will have played the night before. Let’s take a look at the Week 4 schedule breakdown and a few of its key storylines.
Week 4 Games Played
4 Games: ATL, CHA, CLE, DAL, GSW, LAC, LAL, MIL, NOR, ORL, PHX, POR, SAC, SAS, UTA
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3 Games: BKN, BOS, CHI, DEN, DET, HOU, IND, MEM, MIA, MIN, NYK, OKC, TOR, WAS
2 Games: PHI
Week 4 Back-to-backs
Sunday-Monday (Week 4): DET, MIL, MIN
Monday-Tuesday: UTA
Tuesday-Wednesday: BOS, DEN, GSW, MEM, NYK, OKC, SAC
Wednesday-Thursday: ATL, CLE, PHX
Thursday-Friday: None
Friday-Saturday: CHO, LAL, MIL, MIN
Saturday-Sunday: None
Sunday-Monday (Week 5): CHI, DAL, LAC, NOR
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Week 4 Storylines of Note
– The 76ers are the team to avoid during Week 4.
Philadelphia, which played two back-to-backs during Week 3, has another rough schedule for Week 4. Nick Nurse’s team plays only twice, Tuesday and Friday, meaning there won’t be any opportunities for fantasy value on the weekend or on the lone light game day in Week 4 (Thursday). That could bode well for Joel Embiid and Jared McCain, who remain under minutes restrictions, and Paul George may be able to return from offseason knee surgery. However, it isn’t guaranteed that anything will change for those three players.
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Also, fantasy managers won’t get as much value out of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe or Kelly Oubre Jr. that they did during Philadelphia’s four-game Week 3. And the schedule split for Week 4 is such that dropping a fringe fantasy option after Tuesday’s action won’t do managers much good, unless they’re certain that said player won’t help them on Friday.
– Detroit, Miami and New York are also off on Saturday and Sunday.
In addition to the 76ers, the Pistons, Heat and Knicks won’t have games scheduled for the final two days of Week 4. That won’t impact the team’s respective stars in terms of fantasy value, but someone like Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart (if healthy) or Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. may not be worth holding onto after Friday’s games. However, Detroit, Miami and New York all play on Monday to begin Week 5, with the Pistons having a Monday/Tuesday back-to-back.
– Fourteen teams, including the Warriors, Lakers and Bucks, play three games between Wednesday and Sunday.
Each of these teams will have to navigate a back-to-back at some point during Week 4. Golden State has a Tuesday/Wednesday back-to-back, which could be an issue for a few of their players beyond Al Horford. The Lakers end Week 4 with a Friday/Saturday back-to-back, which impacts Luka Dončić among others, and that doesn’t take into consideration LeBron James‘ potential return from sciatica.
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As for the Bucks, they also end with a Friday/Saturday back-to-back. Giannis Antetokounmpo has dealt with left patellar tendinopathy recently, and that has the potential to be a reason to keep him on the sideline for a game. The teams that will be busier at the end of the week are worth sifting through for potential value, and three (Atlanta, Cleveland and Phoenix) are active on Thursday, the lightest day of the Week 4 schedule.
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– How many games will the Clippers have Kawhi Leonard for?
Leonard sprained his left ankle during the Clippers’ November 3 loss to the Heat and has missed the last three games. The Clippers play four games during Week 4, starting with the Hawks on Monday, and they’ll end the week with a Sunday/Monday road back-to-back against the Celtics and 76ers. Nicolas Batum has been Leonard’s replacement in the starting lineup, but to say he’s provided minimal fantasy value as a starter would be generous. Even John Collins, who had the look of a player who could be more valuable when the Clippers are shorthanded, has not provided much value over the last week. Derrick Jones Jr., who was already a starter, may be the one to consider if Leonard’s status for the start of Week 4 is in doubt.
– Are fantasy managers looking at another extended absence for Jalen Green?
After a stellar Suns debut on November 6 against the Clippers, Green appeared to aggravate the right hamstring injury that sidelined him during the first quarter of Saturday’s rematch. He couldn’t put much weight on the leg, and the Suns guard could be in for another extended absence. If so, this would likely mean a return to the starting lineup for Ryan Dunn, who played 20 minutes off the bench on Saturday. Phoenix plays four games during Week 4, starting with the Pelicans on Monday, and the team has a mid-week back-to-back. Green’s absence would also impact Royce O’Neale, who came off the bench due to Dillon Brooks returning from a core injury.