This article is part of our NBA Category Strategy series.
Standard leagues are two weeks shy of the head-to-head playoffs, and that is where my focus lies. I've pinpointed players saddled with four games this week to help you make the postseason push.
Sixteen NBA teams play four games and the rest play three times this week.
The Grizzlies, Bucks, Kings and Jazz are the only teams to play eight times over the next two weeks. The Celtics, Bulls, Mavericks, Pistons, Timberwolves and Raptors play six games over the fortnight. This is pertinent information if you're planning the next two weeks. The Celtics get dinged in Week 20 because they play a league-low two games. If you're battling to earn a playoff berth for Week 21, you'll need to consider dropping fringe Celtics' players after this Saturday's game. Conversely, Shelvin Mack and Willie Cauley-Stein earn a noticeable boosts given their teams' favorable upcoming schedule.
There are 11 games on Wednesday; confirm whoever you're adding will be in your active lineup that night, otherwise you lose a projected game, i.e. a player with four scheduled games only plays three times in your matchup because he's benched on Wednesday. The Nets, Heat and Suns all play four games and none of them compete on Wednesday.
POINTS
Bojan Bogdanovic (SG/SF)
If you missed out on Jeff Green or Mirza Teletovic, your chances of grabbing a replacement-level scorer is significantly reduced because everyone else averaging at least 15.0 points per game over the last month is owned in at least 63 percent of
Standard leagues are two weeks shy of the head-to-head playoffs, and that is where my focus lies. I've pinpointed players saddled with four games this week to help you make the postseason push.
Sixteen NBA teams play four games and the rest play three times this week.
The Grizzlies, Bucks, Kings and Jazz are the only teams to play eight times over the next two weeks. The Celtics, Bulls, Mavericks, Pistons, Timberwolves and Raptors play six games over the fortnight. This is pertinent information if you're planning the next two weeks. The Celtics get dinged in Week 20 because they play a league-low two games. If you're battling to earn a playoff berth for Week 21, you'll need to consider dropping fringe Celtics' players after this Saturday's game. Conversely, Shelvin Mack and Willie Cauley-Stein earn a noticeable boosts given their teams' favorable upcoming schedule.
There are 11 games on Wednesday; confirm whoever you're adding will be in your active lineup that night, otherwise you lose a projected game, i.e. a player with four scheduled games only plays three times in your matchup because he's benched on Wednesday. The Nets, Heat and Suns all play four games and none of them compete on Wednesday.
POINTS
Bojan Bogdanovic (SG/SF)
If you missed out on Jeff Green or Mirza Teletovic, your chances of grabbing a replacement-level scorer is significantly reduced because everyone else averaging at least 15.0 points per game over the last month is owned in at least 63 percent of Yahoo! leagues and 58 percent of ESPN leagues. If you're plucking points off the waiver wire, you're digging through a bunch of desolate options.
Shane Larkin accounts for 24 percent of passes made to Bogdanovic, and Bogdanovic shoots 32.4 percent after receiving a pass from Larkin, per NBA.com Player Tracking. Separating Bogdanovic from Larkin by promoting him to the starting lineup allowed Bogdanovic to score a season-high 24 points in their first game without Joe Johnson. He regressed against the Jazz Saturday night, scoring eight points on 3-of-11 shooting, but the Nets play four games this week, including contests against the Lakers and Timberwolves, two of the three worst defenses since Jan. 1. The Nets' schedule sets up nicely this week with games Monday and Tuesday, so if you don't want Bogdanovic on your team after the Lakers game, drop him for someone who'll play three times the rest of the week to maximize your games. Swapping Bogdanovic for Archie Goodwin or Justise Winslow on Wednesday can help stretch your transactions.
REBOUNDS
Alex Len (C)
Ankle concerns and rotation uncertainty aside, Len contributes solidly in the rebounds category. Under interim coach Earl Watson, Len averages a team-high 9.2 rebounds in 22.4 minutes per game as the primary backup center. He replaced Kris Humphries in the starting lineup Saturday night and pulled down a game-high 16 rebounds. The Suns play four road games this week, making Len the premiere choice.
If you were too slow on the draw, Ian Mahinmi and Ed Davis benefit from four-game weeks and Bobby Portis has pulled down 8.6 rebounds per game over the last eight. The latter loses appeal if you're aiming to max out your rebounding opportunity because the Bulls play three games each of the next two weeks.
ASSISTS
Donald Sloan (PG)
In the 14 games before the Nets waived Joe Johnson, Sloan ranked third on the team with 3.8 assists per game and Johnson averaged a team-high 5.5. Johnson was the primary facilitator over that span, but now with a low-usage player of Bojan Bogdanovic's ilk in the starting lineup, Sloan's assist opportunities increase as the lone playmaker. He compiled six assists in the first two games sans Johnson. Dennis Schroder is a fine option if he's still available.
STEALS
Gary Harris (SG)
As Sara Bareilles once sang, "Something always brings me back to you. It never takes too long." I'd nominate Harris every week if I could, but this week provides significant reason for the recommendation: Harris' ownership rose three percent in both ESPN and Yahoo! leagues following the news that Danilo Gallinari could miss significant time with a right ankle sprain. In the six games Gallinari missed earlier this season, Harris averaged 1.2 steals in a team-high 35.1 minutes per game. Over the past 10 games, Harris averaged 1.9 steals in 37 minutes per game, placing him 10th in the NBA over that span. And if you're still not convinced, the Nuggets play the Lakers and Nets this week in two of their four games.
BLOCKS
Miles Plumlee (C) MIL
Plumlee entered the Bucks' rotation 12 games ago when John Henson suffered a sore lower back. Henson hasn't played in over a month, and he lacks a return timetable. Even though Plumlee hasn't played more than 22 minutes in a game without Henson, he's blocked a shot in all 12 games and is averaging 1.4 blocks in 18.5 minutes per game as the starting center. Plumlee gets the nod this week because the Bucks play four games and no one knows when Henson's returning.
I planned on suggesting Brandan Wright until he suffered a knee injury Saturday night. If the medical staff clears him before Monday's game, he becomes my prime target. The Grizzlies play four times this week with a day off before each. Three of their opponents have been blocked at least 5.5 times per game since Jan. 1, including a matchup against the Kings and DeMarcus Cousins, a player who's blocked a league-high 1.9 times per game but also draws a league-high 8.9 fouls per game.
THREE-POINTERS
Jared Dudley (SF)
Get yourself Mirza Teletovic if he's available. However, his ownership levels increased by 18 percent in Yahoo! leagues and 21.6 percent in ESPN leagues. Assuming he's unavailable, Dudley has proven reliable since the Wizards acquired Markieff Morris. They've had three days off since the trade deadline and by the end of this week, they will have played 11 games in 17 days. Integrating Morris into the rotation hasn't been seamless due to the lack of practice time, and Dudley has taken advantage even though Morris started over him in the second half of Friday's game. Since the All-Star break, Dudley has played 13 total minutes with Morris on the court, and Morris has made 29 percent of his shots in a Wizards uniform. Monitor the rotation Sunday when the Wizards face the Cavaliers. If coach Randy Wittman cuts Dudley's minutes, focus on Terrence Ross and Doug McDermott.
