Welcome to Week 17!
This is the trickiest week of the season, so be careful!
Week 17 extends for two real-life weeks because of All-Star shortening this and next week, so what fantasy leagues typically do is combine the two. This means you have one week's worth of adds to spread out over two, so don't burn everything before the All-Star break.
And make sure you keep multiple streamable spots on your roster and keep an eye out for good players dropped in your league. This is the time of year when some of us may have to put Naz Reid on waivers because we want a bye, and Caleb Martin is playing in Jimmy Butler's absence.
Hey, it worked out.
(Stay up, Jimmy.)
Fantasy Team of the Week: Golden State Warriors
The Warriors are the only team who play more than five times in the next two week, blessing fantasy general managers with a league-high six games.
- Monday: At Utah Jazz
- Wednesday: Vs. Los Angeles Clippers
- Thursday: At Utah Jazz
- Thursday (Feb 22): Vs, Los Angeles Lakers
- Friday: Vs. Charlotte Hornets
- Sunday: Vs. Denver Nuggets
The Warriors have two back-to-backs, four home games and a Sunday showing at the crib against the Nuggets, which offered us a classic last time. They'll have streamers, depth and the potential return of Chris Paul, who isn't yet full go, but is getting closer.
Unsittables: Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga
Startable: Klay Thompson, Chris Paul (if he returns)
Streamable: Andrew Wiggins, Brandin Podziemski
Streamable in Deep Leagues: Gary Payton II, Dario Saric, Lester Quinones
Fantasy Anti-Team of the Week: Miami Heat
The only team who plays just three games in the multi-week schedule, and they're all on the road.
Here are their games this week:
- Tuesday: At Milwaukee Bucks
- Wednesday: At Philadelphia 76ers
- Friday (February 23): At New Orleans Pelicans
On top of that, the Heat are temporarily without Jimmy Butler as he tends to a death in his family, Josh Richardson suffered a shoulder injury on Sunday against the Boston Celtics, and later in that same contest, Terry Rozier landed awkwardly on his knee. The severity of the latter two injuries are unknown, though Rozier's could be especially concerning.
From a fantasy perspective, the Heat will provide streamers this week on a back-to-back, but next week, you only get them Friday.
Unsittables: Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler (when he returns)
Streamable: Caleb Martin, Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Streamable in Deep Leagues: Kevin Love, Duncan Robinson
INJURY PIVOTS
G Terry Rozier
Miami Heat
Rozier injured his knee against the Celtics on Sunday, and the land didn't look great. The nature of the injury is unknown as of this writing.
Team Pivots: Caleb Martin, Duncan Robinson, Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Waiver Wire Pivots: Keyonte George, Grayson Allen, Caris LeVert, Tim Hardaway Jr.
G Malcolm Brogdon
Portland Trail Blazers
Brogdon will be is going to be re-evaluated in two weeks with elbow tendonitis, which is a bad sign on a tanking team. Prepare for Brogon to be out for longer if he returns at all because… you know how this goes in this league sometimes.
Team Pivots: Scoot Handerson (if healthy), Matisse Thybulle
Waiver Wire Pivots: Keyonte George, Grayson Allen, Caris LeVert, Tim Hardaway Jr.
G/F OG Anunoby
New York Knicks
Anunoby underwent surgery to remove a loose bone fragment from his right elbow on Thursday and will be re-evaluated in three weeks, which means we won't see him until March at the earliest, and barring no setbacks.
Team Pivots: Josh Hart, Alec Burks
Waiver Wire Pivots: Max Strus, Caleb Martin, Grayson Allen, Caris LeVert, Tim Hardaway Jr., Herb Jones,
F Khris Middleton
Milwaukee Bucks
Middleton has been out with a lingering ankle injury and Doc Rivers doesn't expect to have him back yet, leaving him without a definitive timetable.
Team Pivots: Josh Hart, Alec Burks
Waiver Wire Pivots: GG Jackson, Santi Aldama, Caleb Martin, Herb Jones, Marvin Bagley II
RISERS
G/F Amen Thompson
Houston Rockets
Lord, I ask that readers here begin to recognize Mr. Thompson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. That you grant them the awareness to monitor the athletic 6-foot-7 wing who has started at point guard in Fred VanVleet's absence. That you continue to shine on him as you clearly have during his last six outings, where he's averaged 11.7 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists with 1.7 stocks per game, Lord. That you overlook his woeful three-point shooting and hold high his 59 percent field goal percentage. And that fantasy general managers in need give him a stream this week.
Amen.
PF GG Jackson
Memphis Grizzlies
Since Jackson's breakout performance on January 13, he's averaged 13.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 stocks per game. I typically don't care for power forwards who rebound like shooting guards, but Jackson's production can't be ignored and he'll have a hold on his role possibly for the rest of the season given the state of the Grizzlies. Santi Aldama is another who saw a surge in adds for some leagues post trade deadline, but Jackson has the higher upside as long as he continues to score at this clip while adding in stocks.
FALLERS
G/F Bruce Brown
Toronto Raptors
Somehow, the Raptors picked a direction and got even more confusing.
Brown has dropped to 9.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 stocks per game in 12 games as a Raptor, and is at an even worse 6.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.0 stocks in his last six. Since the trade, his usage percentage has been 16.6, which is about the same as Jontay Porter and worse than Chris Boucher. Feel free to drop.
G/F Josh Giddey
Oklahoma City Thunder
The expectation is that Gordon Hayward, who we expect to return after All-Star break, hurts Giddey the most. On top of that, Giddey's production is declining… again… and he's not even a consistent closer for OKC right now. Giddey has played 26 or fewer minutes in 11 of his last 15 games, is getting benched in fourth quarters while keeping his starting spot and is averaging just about 10-6-4 on hardly 40 percent shooting — 26 percent from three — over his last 12. He's not a must-drop yet because this is still better than most waiver-wire guys, but he's hurting you, and you'll have to make a difficult decision if you're fighting for a playoff spot or bye.
