23/24 Week 17 Schedule Analysis and Streaming Guide

With the NBA taking a week off, we have some extra time to take a long look at our teams and figure out what changes we need to make before the playoffs start. Don’t assume your team is in a good spot because it’s around the top of the standings. Dominant regular season teams go down all the time due to bad playoff schedules or a bad matchup. Compare your team to your likely playoff opponents, figure out what the toss-up categories are, and then try to strengthen yourself in them. That may mean leaning harder into punts, ignoring additional categories, or making trades. Punting multiple categories makes more sense during the fantasy playoffs than it does earlier in the regular season because margin does not matter. Punting two or three categories from now until the end of the regular season is a completely reasonable strategy. However, I still do not recommend punting four categories because that leaves very little room for error. An injury or two, and a few random rest days, and all of sudden, you are in big trouble.

Schedule Analysis

• The double week is always a tricky one to navigate. There are some very busy days during both the first and second half of the double week and surprise rest days leading up to the break are very common. When planning out your matchup, try to factor in a random sit or two. Anyone nursing a minor injury is a candidate to miss their final game before the break. Fortunately, the league has given us a schedule that makes streaming fairly easy. There are back-to-back sets starting every day of the week and there are quite a few teams that play three games in four nights during both the first and the second half of the week.
• With a whopping six games on the schedule, the Warriors’ borderline players become strong options in Week 17. Brandin Podziemski and Andrew Wiggins are must-roster players in all leagues during the double-week. Both should be mid-round players due to the busy schedule. Dario Saric could be a nice deep-league option, but we’ll need to keep an eye on the Warriors’ rotation this weekend before adding him. His minutes have inconsistent as of late. Gary Payton is returning on Saturday, but he’s not an option unless you play in an extremely deep league because his minutes will likely be limited and because he’ll sit out a game during back-to-back sets. Kevon Looney is barely in the rotation at the moment and should be ignored.
• Targeting the teams that play three games in four nights on either side of the break is an easy way to maximize your games played during Week 18. During the first half of the week, we will see the Warriors, Jazz, Bucks, Wolves, and Grizzlies three times. During the second half of the double week, the Spurs, Hornets, Nuggets, Lakers, Warriors, Magic, Suns, Clippers, Thunder, Pelicans, Cavaliers, Rockets, Sixers, and Wizards will play three games.
• Not all of the three-game schedules during the first half of the week are of equal value due to the 13-game day. The Bucks and Wolves have the best schedule during the first half of the week because none of their three games come on Wednesday. Who has the best schedule during the second half of the week will be team-dependent. There is a good chance you will overloaded on at least one of Thursday and Sunday which will limit the usefulness of some of the three-game schedules.
• There are back-to-back sets starting every day of the week, but not all sets will be useful due to the busy schedule. Make sure to check your schedule before making any adds. The Wolves and Bucks are the two teams that play on both Monday and Tuesday. Tuesday and Wednesday host most of the back-to-back sets during the first half to the double week. The Lakers, Suns, Pistons, Celtics, Kings, Heat, Magic, and Nets play on both days. The Warriors, Jazz, and Grizzlies play on both Wednesday and Saturday. Almost half of the league’s teams play on both the Thursday and Friday after the All-Star break. The teams that do are the Hornets, Warriors, Nuggets, Raptors, Lakers, Spurs, Thunder, Clippers, Suns, Rockets, Pelicans, Wizards, Sixers, and Cavaliers. The Wolves are the only team that plays on both Friday and Saturday. The Magic are the lone squad that has two games during the final weekend of the double-week. The Pacers and Kings play on both Sunday of Week 17 and Monday of Week 18.
• You will want to avoid role players on the Thunder during the first half of the double week and members of the Heat and Grizzlies during the second half. The Thunder only have one game over the first four days of the double week and the Heat and Grizzlies only play one game during the second half of the week. All members of the Heat are sits in weekly leagues due to the three-game schedule. Even Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler will struggle to be more than top-150 players during Week 17 with so few games on the docket.
• There are no teams that start their Week 17 schedule late. All 30 teams play their first game of Week 17 by Tuesday. The Raptors, Heat, and Grizzlies all wrap up their Week 17 schedules on Friday after the break. Dropping their low-end options for members of the Magic will allow you to pick up two extra games using only one move.

Streaming Guide

Monday/Tuesday Back-To-Back Streamers (First Half of Week 17)

Kyle Anderson (REB, AST), Monte Morris (AST), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (3PM, STL), Jae Crowder (3PM, REB, STL), Malik Beasley (PTS, 3PM), Bobby Portis (PTS, REB), Patrick Beverley (AST)

Tuesday/Wednesday Back-To-Back Streamers (First Half of Week 17)

Rui Hachimura (PTS), Taurean Prince (3PM), Christian Wood (REB), Drew Eubanks (FG%, REB, BLK), Royce O’Neale (3PM, REB, AST), Eric Gordon (PTS, 3PM), Marcus Sasser (PTS, 3PM, AST), Simone Fontecchio (3PM), Ausar Thompson (REB, STL, BLK), Quentin Grimes (3PM), Xavier Tillman (REB, STL, BLK), Payton Pritchard (3PM, AST), Sam Hauser (3PM), Trey Lyles (3PM, REB), Malik Monk (FT%, PTS, 3PM, AST), Josh Richardson (PTS, 3PM), Caleb Martin (REB, STL), Jaime Jaquez Jr. (PTS, REB, STL), Duncan Robinson (PTS, 3PM), Jonathan Isaac (STL, BLK), Moe Wagner (FG%, PTS, REB), Cole Anthony (PTS, AST), Dennis Smith Jr. (AST, STL), Dennis Schroder (PTS, AST), Lonnie Walkers (PTS, 3PM), Dorian Finney-Smith (3PM, REB)

Wednesday/Thursday Back-To-Back Streamers (First Half of Week 17)

Brandin Podziemski (PTS, REB, AST, STL), Dario Saric (3PM, REB), Moses Moody (3PM), Kris Dunn (AST, STL), Jordan Clarkson (PTS, 3PM, AST), Taylor Hendricks (3PM, REB, BLK), Keyonte George (PTS, 3PM, AST), John Konchar (REB, BLK), Santi Aldama (PTS, 3PM, REB), Luke Kennard (PTS, 3PM, AST), G.G. Jackson (PTS, 3PM, REB), Jacob Gilyard (3PM, REB, AST, STL)

Thursday/Friday Back-To-Back Streamers (Second Half of Week 17)

Grant Williams (3PM, REB), Tre Mann (PTS, 3PM, AST), Cody Martin (REB, AST, STL), Brandin Podziemski (PTS, REB, AST, STL), Dario Saric (3PM, REB), Moses Moody (3PM), Peyton Watson (BLK), Reggie Jackson (3PM, AST), Gradey Dick (3PM, AST), Bruce Brown (PTS, STL), Kelly Olynyk (REB, AST), Gary Trent (PTS, 3PM), Ochai Agbaji (3PM), Rui Hachimura (PTS), Taurean Prince (3PM), Christian Wood (REB), Zach Collins (REB), Keldon Johnson (PTS, 3PM, REB), Lu Dort (3PM, STL, BLK), Josh Giddey (PTS, REB, AST), Cason Wallace (3PM, STL), Gordon Hayward (PTS, REB, AST), Russell Westbrook (PTS, AST, STL), Mason Plumlee (REB), Norman Powell (PTS, 3PM), Drew Eubanks (FG%, REB, BLK), Royce O’Neale (3PM, REB, AST), Eric Gordon (PTS, 3PM), Cam Whitmore (PTS, 3PM), Amen Thompson (REB, AST, STL), Larry Nance Jr. (REB, STL), Trey Murphy (PTS, 3PM), Bilal Coulibaly (STL), Richaun Holmes (FG%, REB, BLK), Corey Kispert (PTS, 3PM), Delon Wright (AST, STL), Mo Bamba (REB, BLK), Nicolas Batum (3PM, REB), Kelly Oubre Jr. (PTS, 3PM, REB, STL), Max Strus (PTS, 3PM, AST), Caris LeVert (PTS, 3PM, AST, STL)

Friday/Saturday Back-To-Back Streamers (Second Half of Week 17)

Kyle Anderson (REB, AST), Monte Morris (AST), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (3PM, STL)

Saturday/Sunday Back-To-Back Streamers (Second Half of Week 17)

Jonathan Isaac (STL, BLK), Moe Wagner (FG%, PTS, REB), Cole Anthony (PTS, AST)

Sunday/Monday of Week 18 Back-To-Back Streamers (Second Half of Week 17)

Andrew Nembhard (AST), T.J McConnell (AST, STL), Jalen Smith (FG%, PTS, 3PM, REB), Bennedict Mathurin (PTS, 3PM), Trey Lyles (3PM, REB), Malik Monk (FT%, PTS, 3PM, AST)

Monday to Thursday Three Games in Four Nights (First Half of Week 17)

Brandin Podziemski (PTS, REB, AST, STL), Dario Saric (3PM, REB), Moses Moody (3PM), Kris Dunn (AST, STL), Jordan Clarkson (PTS, 3PM, AST), Taylor Hendricks (3PM, REB, BLK), Keyonte George (PTS, 3PM, AST), Jae Crowder (3PM, REB, STL), Malik Beasley (PTS, 3PM), Bobby Portis (PTS, REB), Patrick Beverley (AST), Kyle Anderson (REB, AST), Monte Morris (AST), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (3PM, STL), Santi Aldama (PTS, 3PM, REB), Luke Kennard (PTS, 3PM, AST), G.G. Jackson (PTS, 3PM, REB), Jacob Gilyard (3PM, REB, AST, STL)

Monday to Thursday Three Games in Four Nights (Second Half of Week 17)

Grant Williams (3PM, REB), Tre Mann (PTS, 3PM, AST), Cody Martin (REB, AST, STL), Brandin Podziemski (PTS, REB, AST, STL), Dario Saric (3PM, REB), Moses Moody (3PM), Peyton Watson (BLK), Reggie Jackson (3PM, AST), Rui Hachimura (PTS), Taurean Prince (3PM), Christian Wood (REB), Zach Collins (REB), Keldon Johnson (PTS, 3PM, REB), Lu Dort (3PM, STL, BLK), Josh Giddey (PTS, REB, AST), Cason Wallace (3PM, STL), Gordon Hayward (PTS, REB, AST), Russell Westbrook (PTS, AST, STL), Mason Plumlee (REB), Norman Powell (PTS, 3PM), Drew Eubanks (FG%, REB, BLK), Royce O’Neale (3PM, REB, AST), Eric Gordon (PTS, 3PM), Cam Whitmore (PTS, 3PM), Amen Thompson (REB, AST, STL), Larry Nance Jr. (REB, STL), Trey Murphy (PTS, 3PM), Bilal Coulibaly (STL), Richaun Holmes (FG%, REB, BLK), Corey Kispert (PTS, 3PM), Delon Wright (AST, STL), Mo Bamba (REB, BLK), Nicolas Batum (3PM, REB), Kelly Oubre Jr. (PTS, 3PM, REB, STL), Max Strus (PTS, 3PM, AST), Caris LeVert (PTS, 3PM, AST, STL), Jonathan Isaac (STL, BLK), Moe Wagner (FG%, PTS, REB), Cole Anthony (PTS, AST)