This article is part of our NBA Category Strategy series.
The next two weeks, much like the final two weeks of the regular season, are complicated to plan for due to the weeklong All-Star break dovetailing into the trade deadline. There are only two games on Thursday, the final day of games before the break. That means there are no regular season games Friday, Saturday and Sunday this week. The All-Star game is next Sunday, and before you ask, no, stats from the All-Star game don't count toward your weekly total even if you check Yahoo's StatTracker or ESPN's FantasyCast and see live stats.
The Pelicans play three games this week and the Mavericks, Heat and Knicks are limited to one each. The rest of the league plays twice.
The next two weeks, much like the final two weeks of the regular season, are complicated to plan for due to the weeklong All-Star break dovetailing into the trade deadline. There are only two games on Thursday, the final day of games before the break. That means there are no regular season games Friday, Saturday and Sunday this week. The All-Star game is next Sunday, and before you ask, no, stats from the All-Star game don't count toward your weekly total even if you check Yahoo's StatTracker or ESPN's FantasyCast and see live stats.
The Pelicans play three games this week and the Mavericks, Heat and Knicks are limited to one each. The rest of the league plays twice. My initial reaction was to suggest only Pelicans players, but I decided against it because I don't know if Bryce Dejean-Jones will sign a contract after his second 10-day deal expires before the Pelicans play Thursday. Also, if you don't play in a standard Yahoo! head-to-head league, your options aren't as restrictive.
The Bucks and Wizards are the only teams to play on both Tuesday and Thursday, two nights with fewer than six games. If you play in a daily moves league, players like Jerryd Bayless and Jared Dudley work as streamers because you're guaranteed to get them into your active lineup. Both mainly offer three-point help, but I foolishly promoted someone else in that section, especially since the Wizards play a maximum three games next week, all in consecutive days. If you play in a league that locks weekly matchups, add Dudley for three-point help and pray he doesn't get traded.
Consider stashing players whose roles will improve should a trade materialize, i.e. Dennis Schroder or Brandon Jennings. If you think you can pull out an easy victory over the next two weeks, squat on those players for the next 11 days. The same strategy applies to rotisserie leagues, but since those aren't bogged down by player add limits, you need not be as judicious over the fortnight.
Over the next two weeks, the Bulls, Pelicans, Spurs, Jazz and Wizards play a maximum five games. The Mavericks, Rockets, Heat, Knicks and Kings play a minimum three games, and the rest of the league plays four. Should your head-to-head league lock lineups for the entirety of the two-week matchup, focus on the teams with fives games and target players from those rosters to maximize your games played.
Instead of trying to predict how the next two weeks will unfold, I decided to focus on the next four days. There are plenty of injured players that get shut down through the break, but once teams resume next Thursday, the suggested players may no longer hold relevance. I implore you to hoard add/drops before next Thursday if you're in a situation where this two-week matchup inhibits your ability to make moves. Otherwise, shuffle your roster with impunity. Next week's edition of Category Strategy will likely highlight stash-worthy players because the trade deadline will expire before the NBA calendar resumes. Let's get weird.
POINTS
Marco Belinelli (SG)
Current coach George Karl committed to starting Belinelli through the All-Star break before he reassesses the starting unit. It's also been reported that Karl's tenure as coach could quickly cease. Assuming Karl sticks around beyond Sunday and Rudy Gay (ankle) rests, Belinelli will look to improve upon his 13.5 points in 32.5 minutes per game as a starter this season. It helps when he shares the court with Rajon Rondo, as the table below indicates. Rondo has recorded more assists to Belinelli than the rest of the team combined, an 87-69 advantage, and Belinelli makes 49 percent of his shots after receiving a pass from Rondo. Any time Belinelli dribbles at least once, he converts fewer than 32 percent of his attempts, down from 41.5 percent when he doesn't dribble, per NBA.com Player Tracking. As long as Karl coaches the team, Belinelli will start and benefit from Rondo's presence.
| Belinelli | FG% | 3PT% | MINUTES | PACE | w/ Rondo | 44.6 | 39 | 698 | 103 | w/o Rondo | 31.5 | 22 | 573 | 98 |
REBOUNDS
Omer Asik (C)
This hurts me more than it hurts you. I wanted to recommend Justise Winslow, who's pulled down 7.6 rebounds in 34 minutes per game over the last eight, but the Heat only play once this week. In his last six games, Asik registered 10.5 rebounds in 22.7 minutes per game. His rebounding rate since Jan. 28 ranks fifth in the NBA at 23.8 percent and sixth overall since the beginning of January. Because the Pelicans play three times this week, Asik's rebounding prowess will come in handy. However, he's a non-factor in every other category. In fact, two games ago, Asik recorded eight rebounds and nothing else in 15 minutes. Because two of the Pelicans' three games occur on nights with at least 10 games, Asik may not place in your active roster due to his limitations. Check your lineups this week to confirm how many slots you'll have open on each day before adding someone. If you won't play him on Monday or Wednesday, there's no sense in committing to Asik because he loses the advantage of playing three times this week. Consider Steven Adams or the aforementioned Winslow if the Pelicans' loaded but limiting schedule doesn't fit your needs.
ASSISTS
Norris Cole (PG)
Without Tyreke Evans (knee), who won't return until after the All-Star break, Cole is playing 31 minutes per game as the starting point guard and averaging a team-high 6.2 assists per game over the last six, tied with Jrue Holiday. The Pelicans' three-game week made this the obvious choice, as well as coach Alvin Gentry's decision to start Cole and play him more minutes than Holiday. Cole's grasp on high-end minutes meets uncertainty in Week 17 with Evans presumably returning and Eric Gordon (finger) on the mend. You might luck out should management trade either or both injured guards. As mentioned above, Dennis Schroder and Brandon Jennings are the stash candidates you should roster now if you think the trade deadline will improve their opportunity.
STEALS
Wesley Johnson (SG/SF)
In the 2013-14 season, Johnson ranked 76th in nine-category leagues as the primary power forward for Mike D'Antoni's Lakers and finished the season as one of two players to average at least one block, one steal and one three-pointer per game. Two years later, Johnson reprised his power forward duties and it's yielding similar fantasy results. He doesn't start, but since the beginning of January, Johnson is averaging 1.8 steals, 1.0 block and 2.0 three-pointers in 24.5 minutes per game as Paul Pierce's primary backup. He's always the first reserve off the bench midway through the first quarter and seamlessly transitions to power forward where he uses his 7-foot-1 wingspan and athleticism to generate defensive stats and automatic corner three-pointers. He frequently intercepts crosscourt passes, and his place in the rotation is safe because of injuries to Blake Griffin (hand) and Austin Rivers (hand).
BLOCKS
Ian Mahinmi (C)
Since the beginning of January, the Hornets (7.2), Nuggets (6.5) and Lakers (6.3) have been blocked the most number of times per game. The Pacers play the Hornets and Lakers this week. I rest my case.
THREE-POINTERS
Isaiah Canaan (PG)
Canaan has hit a three-pointer in 10 straight games and converted 48 percent of his threes in that stretch. The playing time has wavered between 10 and 32 minutes since mid-January, leading to a dicey situation in a two-game week. He plays shooting guard exclusively, backing up Nik Stauskas, who's made 39 percent of his threes since Ish Smith joined the roster. I'm largely confident Canaan will perform well because the Sixers face the Kings, a team that's allowed a league-high 10.9 made three-pointers per game since the start of January. Canaan's a limited fantasy player, and it's unlikely his stock improves because of the trade deadline. If you want to aid your three-point cause in Week 16, target Canaan. If you're thinking big picture, read last week's article to learn more about Gary Harris, who snapped a streak of 20 straight games with at least one three-pointer last Friday.
