In head-to-head leagues, it all comes down to the weekend. You can have a comfortable lead in multiple categories or by a bunch of points, but if you don’t make the most of the weekend, you can walk out with a loss.
13 teams play twice this weekend, including the Lakers, Pelicans, Bulls, Nuggets, Rockets, Nets, Pacers, Trail Blazers, Kings, Raptors, Hornets, Timberwolves and Wizards. Prioritize those teams if you’re looking to maximize your games played. The Bucks are the only team in the league that doesn’t have a game this weekend.
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That’s often what it comes down to in standard points and category leagues, but that’s not always the case. Leagues with some sort of games cap or best ball formats like Yahoo!’s High Score leagues aren’t just looking for volume, though having two chances at a big night is a good strategy in best ball leagues.
Absolute must-start: Kyshawn George, Washington Wizards
George’s production in his second season has been up and down, but he’s more than capable of stuffing the stat sheet for fantasy managers. His points, rebounds, assists, three-pointers and field goal percentage are all up from his rookie season. He has shown flashes of brilliance this season and should be considered one of the cornerstone pieces for the Wizards during this rebuild.
This weekend, Washington takes on the Kings and Nuggets, and both teams rank in the bottom five in the NBA over their last 10 games. Plus, Bilal Coulibaly and Khris Middleton are both sidelined on Friday, and even if they do return on Saturday, George will have at least one game with a huge bump in usage.
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Guards:
Tre Jones, Chicago Bulls
Jones continues to be a strong producer with Josh Giddey (hamstring) sidelined, and while Giddey is getting closer to a return, Jones should be a reliable option until that happens. They play the Nets twice this weekend, and Brooklyn has the sixth-worst defensive rating in the league over their last 10 games. Jones has been able to dish out the dimes with consistency, though that hasn’t held true for the scoring. However, he has been able to have some big nights recently.
Bones Hyland, Minnesota Timberwolves
Anthony Edwards (foot) has been ruled out against Houston on Friday and could remain out against the Thunder on Saturday. With Edwards out on Wednesday, Hyland came off the bench and contributed 23 points, five assists and five triples in 21 minutes. The matchups are tougher, but Hyland has thrived when he’s gotten the opportunity this season.
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Craig Porter Jr., Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland only plays one game this weekend, but Porter has enough upside to make it worth it with Darius Garland (foot) sidelined. When he’s gotten the chance to play big minutes, he has been able to pour in the rebounds, assists and defensive stats. Scoring isn’t his strong suit, but he does enough in other categories to make up for it. The lack of healthy guard options in Cleveland should allow Porter to play enough to make a big impact on the box score.
Forwards:
Collin Murray-Boyles, Cleveland Cavaliers
CMB has been a fantasy stud recently, and with Jakob Poeltl (back) still sidelined, that should continue this weekend. Since moving into the starting lineup, he is averaging 10.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.7 steals and a block on efficient shooting splits. Matchups with the Clippers, without Kawhi Leonard, and the Lakers are good opportunities for him, especially with how shorthanded the Raptors are.
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Naji Marshall, Dallas Mavericks
Marshall has been one of the elite streaming options in fantasy basketball over the last few seasons when he gets the chance to start. Both Cooper Flagg and PJ Washington were out on Thursday with ankle injuries, and if either remains out against the Jazz on Saturday, Marshall should shine once again. It’s only one game, but it is a favorable matchup against Utah.
Jaylon Tyson, Cleveland Cavaliers
Darius Garland (foot), Sam Merrill (hand) and Dean Wade (knee) are all out on Friday against the 76ers. It’s a one-game weekend for Cleveland, but Tyson should be in for a big night for the shorthanded Cavs. He has thrived when he’s gotten the chance to play big minutes this season, and Friday is certainly an opportunity for him to surpass 30 minutes.
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Centers:
Nikola Vucevic, Chicago Bulls
It has been a largely disappointing season as of late, but Vucevic has been on fire recently. Over the past two weeks, he is averaging 20.6 points, 10.6 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.7 triples per game. They take on a Nets team that is 22nd in defensive rating and rebound percentage over their last five games. This is a recipe for Vucevic to have a pair of dominant performances.
Moussa Diabate, Charlotte Hornets
Diabate has taken over as the starting center in Charlotte, which has helped them be the best rebounding team in the league over their last five games. Over the past two weeks, he is averaging 9.3 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 65.6 percent from the floor. The Warriors aren’t an easy matchup on Saturday, but they take on the Nuggets, who have the third worst rebounding percentage over their last five games, on Sunday.
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Derik Queen, New Orleans Pelicans
Queen gets to take on the Pacers and Rockets this weekend, and the Indiana matchup is the one to target. Queen has been inconsistent recently, which isn’t surprising for a rookie, but he had 17 points, 10 rebounds and four assists without missing a shot in his last matchup with the Pacers and had 16 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and three blocks against the Rockets in December.
