What's on the Schedule: Week 15

Fantasy Writer

April 2, 2012 11:34 AM ET

There are 57 games on tap for Fantasy Week 15 (April 2-8) as the NBA calendar is now officially in its final month of the season. By now, most Fantasy leagues are in the middle of the playoffs, which is why it is as important as ever to make sure owners put their best lineup on the floor.

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While the schedule continues to balance itself out over the final few weeks, there are still plenty of intriguing matchups on the docket. Only two teams are scheduled to play five times over the next seven days and there are 34 sets of back-to-backs, including two instances of back-to-back-to-backs.

The Memphis Grizzlies are just one of the two teams slated to play three games over three consecutive days, which is why he have chosen to feature them this week.

The Grizzlies are coming off one of their quieter stretches of the season, having played just four games over the last eight days. However, that will change this week. Memphis will take the court five times this period with three of those contests coming on the road. Coach Lionel Hollins' squad will be tested right out of the gate as they partake in their first back-to-back-to-back set of the season starting Monday night in Oklahoma City. The Grizzlies will then be back home to face the Warriors on Tuesday night before wrapping up the triple set on Wednesday in Dallas. After a day off, Memphis will match up with the Heat on Friday night in Miami prior to returning home to face the Mavericks for the second time of the week on Saturday.

Playing five games over a seven-day stretch is never an easy task, especially considering some of Memphis' opponents this week. The Thunder, Mavericks and Heat are all considered strong defensive teams and Miami and Dallas are ranked in the top 10 in both opposition field-goal percentage and points allowed this season. Oklahoma City's defensive stats are not nearly as impressive, but Kevin Durant and Co. has held Memphis under 100 points all three of the teams matchups this season and are 3-0 in those contests. Still, that doesn't mean the Grizzlies won't be able to score a ton of points this week, especially with the Warriors on the slate.

With so many games crammed into so few days, depth and fatigue will play a huge factor this week. Look for Memphis to have to go utilize its bench early and often in some of these matchups, meaning some of the Grizzlies' mid-and low-end options could be looking at some extended run. In addition to must-starts Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph and Mike Conley, owners should make sure to get O.J. Mayo and Tony Allen active in the majority of formats. Marreese Speights should also get some consideration in deeper leagues.

Southwest: Houston Rockets (@CHI, @LAL, @SAC): The Rockets are one of just eight teams slated to play three times during Week 15 with all three of those contests coming on the road. Houston will open the week against the Bulls on Monday night before facing the Lakers on Friday. After a day off, the Rockets will close out the scoring period Sunday night in Sacramento. With only three games on the schedule, Fantasy owners won't have much room for error this week. One bad performance can put teams in a big hole, making most of Houston's Fantasy options risky plays, especially considering its upcoming opponents. The Bulls and Lakers are both ranked in the top five in points allowed and opposition field-goal percentage, so points could be tough to come by for the Rockets over the next few days. Luis Scola and Goran Dragic have been Houston's two most consistent producers over the past few weeks, making them the only two players who look like sure bets this period. The rest of the Rockets' spotty production makes them way too risky to use in most formats for the upcoming scoring period.

Southwest Division schedule
	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Mavericks	LAC		MEM		POR	@MEM
Rockets	@CHI				@LAL		@SAC
Grizzlies	@OKC	GS	@DAL		@MIA	DAL
Hornets			DEN		@SA	MIN
Spurs		@CLE	@BOS		NO		UTA

Pacific: Sacramento Kings (MIN, PHO, LAC, @LAC, HOU): The Kings are slated to play five times during Week 15 with four of those contests coming at home. Sacramento will start the week with a back-to-back set against the Timberwolves and Suns on Monday and Tuesday night, respectively, before welcoming the Clippers to town on Thursday. The Kings will then face the Clippers for the second time of the scoring period on Saturday night in Los Angeles before hosting the Rockets on Sunday. While the Kings have been struggling to scrape together wins lately, scoring points has not been an issue. Sacramento is averaging 109.7 points per game over its last 10 contests and has failed to score at least 100 points once over that stretch. Coach Keith Smart has encouraged his team to dictate the tempo of the game more and the result has been a slew of high-scoring affairs. Considering all four teams the Kings will face over the next seven days are ranked in the middle of the pack in most defensive categories this year, that trend should be able to continue this week. Fantasy owners should make sure to get Isaiah Thomas and Jason Thompson active, in addition to must-start options DeMarcus Cousins, Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thornton.

Pacific Division schedule
	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Warriors		@MEM	@MIN		@UTA	DEN
Clippers	@DAL		LAL	@SAC		SAC
Lakers		NJ	@LAC		HOU	@PHO
Suns		@SAC	@UTA		@DEN	LAL
Kings	MIN	PHO		LAC		@LAC	HOU

Northwest: Minnesota Timberwolves (@SAC, GS, @NO): The Timberwolves enter Week 15 as one of the more beat-up teams in the league. Minnesota has dealt with a rash of injuries over the past few weeks that have left only eight players at coach Rick Adelman's disposal over the past few games. However, the Timberwolves will be able to get some much needed rest over the next seven days as they are scheduled to play just three times this week. Two of those contests will be on the road, starting Monday night against the Kings. The Timberwolves will be back at home to face the Warriors on Wednesday before wrapping up the scoring period at New Orleans on Sunday night. While facing the Kings and Warriors in the same week should result in at least two high-scoring affairs, Minnesota's injury troubles have made it extremely tough for Fantasy owners to set their lineups in recent weeks. With the status of Michael Beasley, Jose Juan Barea and Nikola Pekovic still up in the air, we don't recommend starting any of those three this week. Only Kevin Love and Luke Ridnour look like safe plays for the upcoming scoring period.

Northwest Division schedule
	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Nuggets			@NO		PHO	@GS
T'wolves	@SAC		GS			@NO
Thunder	MEM		@MIA		@IND		TOR
Trail Balzers	UTA		NJ		@DAL	@MIL
Jazz	@POR		PHO		GS		@SA

Southeast: Atlanta Hawks (CHA, DET, CHA): The Hawks are slated to play three times during Week 15, but will only face two different teams over the next seven days. Atlanta will host the Bobcats on Wednesday night before welcoming the Pistons to town on Friday. After a day off, the Hawks will face the Bobcats for the second time of the scoring period Saturday night in Charlotte. While this looks to be a very favorable schedule for Atlanta, playing only three games puts some Fantasy owners at a disadvantage. One bad game can put owners in a hole that could be tough to climb out of with just two remaining games on the slate. For that reason, Josh Smith, Joe Johnson and Jeff Teague are the only three Hawks we recommend starting this week.

Southeast Division schedule
	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Hawks			CHA		DET	@CHA
Bobcats		@TOR	@ATL		@MIL	ATL
Heat		PHI	OKC		MEM		DET
Magic		@DET		NY		@PHI
Wizards	MIL		IND	@DET	@NJ

Atlantic: New York Knicks (@IND, @ORL, CHI): The Knicks have been one of the most discussed teams this season and that trend has continued over the past few weeks with all the injuries to hit New York. Jeremy Lin is the latest player to go down with a serious injury leaving the Knicks trying to fill another void on their roster. However, New York should have some time to regroup over the next few days as the Knicks are slated to play just three times during Week 15. The Knicks start the week with a pair of home games against the Pacers and Magic on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, before returning home to face the Bulls on Sunday. All three of those teams are ranked among the league leaders in points allowed and opposition field-goal percentage, so this looks like it could be a tough week for the majority of New York's Fantasy options. Coach Mike Woodson will likely spend the next several days tweaking his rotation a bit as the Knicks' light schedule should allow for some much needed practice time. Unfortunately for Fantasy owners, that means most of New York's options will be risky plays this week. Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith are expected to see extended minutes in Lin's absence moving forward, but with only three games on the docket, one bad performance can really sink you. For that reason, Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler look like the only sure bets this week.

Atlantic Division schedule
	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Celtics			SA	@CHI		@IND	PHI
Nets		@LAL	@POR		WAS		CLE
Knicks		@IND		@ORL			CHI
76ers		@MIA	TOR			ORL	@BOS
Raptors		CHA	@PHI		CLE		@OKC

Central: Milwaukee Bucks (@WAS, CLE, CHA, POR): The Bucks are slated to play four times during Week 15 and Milwaukee looks to have some very favorable matchups on tap. Brandon Jennings and Co. will start the week with a game against the Wizards on Tuesday night, which will be the team's lone road contest of the period. The Bucks will be back at home on Wednesday night to face the Cavaliers before closing out the week against the Bobcats and Trail Blazers on Friday and Saturday night, respectively. The Bucks have really tried to push the tempo on offense over the past few weeks and as a result are averaging 105 points per game during the month of March. Now the Bucks will get a chance to face four teams which have really been struggling on defense. The Wizards, Bobcats and Cavaliers all rank near the bottom of the pack in most major defensive categories this season, including points allowed and opposition field-goal percentage. While the Trail Blazers do not fall into that category, Milwaukee put up 116 points against them in their lone meeting back in Week 13. In addition to must-start option, Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings, owners should make sure to get Ersan Ilyasova and Drew Gooden active this week. Even Mike Dunleavy deserves some consideration from owners in deeper formats.

Central Division schedule
	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Bulls	HOU			BOS			@NY
Cavaliers		SA	@MIL		@TOR		@NJ
Pistons		ORL		WAS	@ATL		@MIA
Pacers		NY	@WAS		OKC	BOS
Bucks	@WAS		CLE		CHA	POR

Gray to remain in Toronto
Aaron Gray, C, TOR
5/23/2013

News: TSN.ca reported last week that Raptors forward Linas Kleiza and center Aaron Gray picked up their player options for the 2013-14 season. Kleiza's option will pay him $4.6 million, while Gray will make $2.6 million, in the final years of both of their deals.

Analysis: Gray averaged just 2.8 points per game over the course of 42 games, and he saw his role dramatically reduced as the team leaned on younger options. He will likely assume a similar role for Toronto this season, and should be ignored in most Fantasy formats on Draft Day.

Kleiza picks up option
Linas Kleiza, SF, TOR
5/23/2013

Analysis: Kleiza did not play after Dec. 28, thanks in part to lingering issues with his surgically-repaired knee. He averaged just 7.4 points on 33.3 percent shooting in the 20 games he appeared in, and is unlikely to be worth targeting in any Fantasy formats on Draft Day.

Landry torn on opt-out decision
Carl Landry, PF, GS
5/23/2013

News: Warriors forward Carl Landry would like to return to Golden State, but he has an opt-out clause for next season's $4 million contract. He has yet to choose whether to do so, and he told the Contra Costa Times Wednesday that it is the hardest decision he has faced in his career. “The Warriors are home whether I opt in or out," he said. "Hopefully, I can spend the rest of my career here because this is a very special place. Everything here is what you want: the city, the fans, the front office, the coach, the teammates. You can’t ask for anything more.”

Analysis: Landry would probably be underpaid at $4 million next season, so he would likely be turning down millions of dollars to remain on what is essentially a one-year deal. Landry averaged 10.8 point and 6.0 rebounds per game for the Warriors in just 23.2 minutes per game, and he could get a much bigger role on another roster. We will keep an eye on his free agency as it moves forward, but Landry is likely to be more of a late-round Fantasy option on Draft Day no matter where he ends up.

Villanueva picks up fifth-year option
Charlie Villanueva, PF, DET
5/23/2013

News: Predictably, Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva picked up his option for the 2013-14 season, a deal that will pay him $8.5 million. Villanueva is entering the final year of a five-year, $37.7 million contract.

Analysis: Villanueva appeared in 69 games this season, averaging a career-low 6.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. With the Pistons continuing to rebuild, it is unlikely that he sees a larger role than that this season, so Fantasy owners should ignore him in most Fantasy formats on Draft Day.

Varejao doing better
Anderson Varejao, C, CLE
5/23/2013

News: Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao has been taken off blood thinners, a sign that he has recovered from the blood clot issue that ended his season. According to The Plain Dealer, Varejao is expected to be ready for the start of training camp.

Analysis: Varejao was in the midst of the best season of his career, before quad surgery and the ensuing developments with a blood clot. He averaged 14.1 points and 14.4 rebounds per game prior to the injury, both of which are by far career highs. Varejao has emerged as a very solid Fantasy option over the last few years, however he has also missed 149 games over the last three seasons. He is a major injury risk heading into the season, but he should still be gone by the middle rounds in most Fantasy leagues on Draft Day.

Prigioni wants to stay in NBA
Pablo Prigioni, PG, NY
5/23/2013

News: Knicks guard Pablo Prigioni becomes a free agent after his rookie season, and he reportedly wants to stay in the NBA rather than return to the Spanish League. It might just depend on what his wife says, according to the New York Post. Prigioni is set to become a free agent July 1, and is expected to look for a one-year contract worth around $2 million.

Analysis: Prigioni ended up moving into the starting lineup for the Knicks, but he did not have much of an impact this season. He averaged 3.5 points and 3.0 assists per game in 16.2 minutes. After showing what he can do, he might be able to get a bigger role next season, but he should probably still be ignored until the very end of most Fantasy formats.

Beal waiting to be cleared
Bradley Beal, SG, WAS
5/23/2013

News: Wizards guard Bradley Beal has yet to be cleared for basketball activities, nearly two months after being shut down due to an ankle and right leg injury. According to the Washington Post, Beal is still a week or so away from getting back on the court. “It’s always frustration,” Beal said Thursday. “But at the same time, I have to stay positive, make sure I’m doing what I’m supposed to do. Making sure I’m able to take care of myself and just stay on top of it. Basically just being patient and when I get out there, I’ll get out there.” Beal is lifting weights, riding a bike and swimming, but it mostly limited to free throws on the court for now. He is expected to be ready to go by the time the team opens training camp.

Analysis: Beal became just the seventh player to make the all-rookie first team as a teenager, a pretty good indication of the kind of upside he has when healthy. He missed 26 games due to a variety of ailments, mostly related to his ankles. He finished the season averaging 13.9 points per game on 41.0 percent shooting, however he improved dramatically as the season went on. Beal shot 47.1 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from three-point range after the All-Star break, with 16.5 points per game. If that is any sign of what Beal can do when healthy, Fantasy owners should be very excited to see him in his second season. Plan on targeting Beal in the middle rounds on Draft Day, with plenty of upside.

Stoudemire might not start next year
Amar'e Stoudemire, PF, NY
5/23/2013

News: According to his agent, Knicks forward Amar'e Stoudemire was not happy with how the season ended, as he was barely able to contribute in the team's six-game loss to the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. “You know Amar’e, he’s going to work as hard as he can during the offseason,” Happy Walters, Stoudemire’s agent, told the New York Daily News. “It was a tough year, but Amar’e is already looking forward to next season. He’ll be ready.” Knicks coach Mike Woodson would not comment on whether he thinks Stoudemire will return to the starting lineup next season, after the Knicks enjoyed great success with Carmelo Anthony at power forward. Stoudemire came off the bench in all 29 of his regular season games this season, after doing so just 17 times in his previous 10 seasons.

Analysis: Despite eventually needing two knee surgeries, Stoudemire was actually quite productive for the Knicks, when he played. He averaged 14.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per game in just 23.5 minutes, while shooting 57.7 percent from the field, his best mark since 2007-08. Stoudemire may be best suited coming off the bench on the Knicks' current roster, but that probably limits how much playing time he can get on a nightly basis. Given injury concerns and questions about his role on the Knicks, Stoudemire is a risky Fantasy option heading into next season. He should be left for the middle rounds at the earliest on Draft Day.

Smith dealt with knee injury in postseason
J.R. Smith, SG, NY
5/23/2013

News: Knicks guard J.R. Smith endured plenty of criticism for his play in the postseason, but now we might have an explanation. According to the New York Post Thursday, Smith spent much of the postseason playing with fluid built up in his left knee. “[Smith’s] been playing hurt,” a source said. “He probably should’ve sat out a couple of games. It’s what Melo had. That’s why he wasn’t driving the ball like he was. That’s why his jump shot wasn’t right, not having the lift.’’ Smith's knee started swelling up in March, but it became a bigger deal in the playoffs, when he shot just 33.1 percent from the field in 11 games.

Analysis: Smith likely cost himself a ton of money as an impending free agent thanks to his poor performance in the postseason, though that might actually help him end up staying with the Knicks long term. The Knicks can only offer Smith around $5 million this offseason due to their salary cap issues, but he might fall into their price range now. Smith's postseason struggles were especially disappointing after the best regular season of his career, as he scored a career-high 18.1 points per game. Assuming Smith returns to the Knicks, he should be able to put up comparable numbers next season, so plan to target him in the middle rounds on Draft Day.

Sullinger expects to be 100 percent by training camp
Jared Sullinger, PF, BOS
5/23/2013

News: Celtics forward Jared Sullinger had a promising rookie season cut short by back surgery, but he expects to be fully healed by the time the team begins prepping for his sophomore season. He told the Boston Herald he is not rushing through recovery from his February surgery, to avoid any potential setbacks. "Everyone says (the word) back with a question mark, but you might as well put an X through that," he said. "I had surgery, I’m taking my time so there won’t be any recurring injuries." Sullinger detailed his rehabilitation process as well, noting he expects to be healed by the start of training camp. "It’s a 10-week process," he said. "Every two weeks we bump it up 10 percent. September, October I’ll be 100 percent to go. I met with the doctor about 10 weeks ago and he said it’s a full go."

Analysis: Sullinger averaged just 6.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in 45 games before the injury, but that was in just 19.8 minutes per game. The team's first-round pick from last season is expected to be a big part of their plans moving forward, but the team's roster is up in the air with a number of veterans possibly on the way out this offseason. If Sullinger proves healthy and snags a role that gives him 30-plus minutes, he could emerge as a useful Fantasy option in his second season. However, with the injury risk hanging over him, Fantasy owners should avoid looking his way until the later rounds on Draft Day.

More Updates

1	LaMarcus Aldridge, POR, PF
2	David Lee, GS, C
3	Al Horford, ATL, C
4	Dwight Howard, LAL, C
5	Marc Gasol, MEM, C
6	Al Jefferson, UTA, C
7	Greg Monroe, DET, C
8	DeMarcus Cousins, SAC, C
9	Joakim Noah, CHI, C
10	Nikola Vucevic, ORL, C
All Rankings

1	LeBron James, MIA, SF
2	Kevin Durant, OKC, SF
3	Kobe Bryant, LAL, SG
4	David Lee, GS, C
5	Blake Griffin, LAC, PF
6	Carmelo Anthony, NY, SF
7	LaMarcus Aldridge, POR, PF
8	Josh Smith, ATL, SF
9	Paul George, IND, SF
10	Greg Monroe, DET, C
All Rankings

1	Russell Westbrook, OKC, PG
2	Kobe Bryant, LAL, SG
3	James Harden, HOU, SG
4	Stephen Curry, GS, PG
5	Monta Ellis, MIL, PG
6	Jrue Holiday, PHI, PG
7	Chris Paul, LAC, PG
8	Deron Williams, BKN, PG
9	Damian Lillard, POR, PG
10	Kemba Walker, CHA, PG
All Rankings