Fantasy Basketball First of the Month: What to do if you’re fighting for a playoff spot

It’s the first of the month and Week 19 is approaching, and so are the fantasy basketball playoffs. Fighting for a playoff spot can get ugly, so you must try to control your destiny as much as possible. We’re at the point of the fantasy season to check for weaknesses in every matchup so that you can steal a category or capitalize on some waiver pickups who can generate more fantasy points for your team.

A lot of this is random luck, but a few strategies can help you be better prepared for the fight. Below, I discuss some methods I employ if I’m tinkering on the brink of a playoff berth in fantasy basketball.

🤝 Make a trade!

The default trade deadline for Yahoo leagues is Thursday, March 7. You have less than a week to put out offers to improve your team for the season’s final weeks. Take advantage of the opportunity to rid yourself of players who’ve been frustratingly inconsistent or can’t help you when the struggle gets real.

I recognize that playoff start dates vary from league to league, so I’m not making a trade that will jeopardize my chances of winning in the short term. However, you can still achieve your goal by targeting players trending up or who have a clearer path to playing for the remainder of the year.

For example, suppose your playoffs start in Week 21 (the Yahoo default). In that case, I’d like to trade players from the Mavericks and Hornets because they have a significant schedule disadvantage; they play only two games that week.

PSA: I’m not saying you have to trade Luka Dončić, Kyrie Irving or Miles Bridges.

Although, it’s fair to entertain the idea since you could get a considerable return for those assets. If you need them to get you to the playoffs, I get it – you can always pivot to a lesser-valued asset, like moving Brandon Miller or Tre Mann. Or, include the fringe-roster Mavericks players like Tim Hardaway Jr, Dereck Lively or Daniel Gafford as a throw-in piece of a bigger deal. The point is, these teams aren’t going to help you with production as much as a team that plays four games that week.

Also, leaving at least one streaming spot open is crucial because weird stuff happens in the final weeks of the season. Players resting, injuries or teams deciding to tank can gravely influence your roster decisions. If you have a good team, try to execute a 2-for-1 deal that can bolster your team and, in turn, free up some space to pick up trending players over the final few weeks.

Oh, and trade for Grayson Allen.

📆 Know the schedule!

It sounds obvious, and if your squad is in contention, you’ve likely been keen on picking up players on the days with lighter slates, exploiting favorable matchups or avoiding teams with a scheduling disadvantage. Keeping that framework in mind, here’s some information on preparing for what’s ahead as we inch closer to the playoffs.

Most total games played by playoff schedule:

Week 19 – Week 21

Week 20 – Week 22

• Most games: 76ers, Bulls, Cavaliers, Celtics, Clippers, Jazz, Kings, Nuggets, Pistons, Spurs, Trail Blazers, Warriors and Wizards (11 games)

• Least games: Bucks, Grizzlies, Lakers, Magic and Timberwolves (nine games)

Week 21-Week 23

• Most games: 76ers, Cavaliers, Kings and Warriors (12 games)

• Least games: Bucks, Bulls, Grizzlies, Hornets, Magic, Mavericks, Raptors, Spurs and Suns (10 games)

Week 22- Week 24

• Most games: Clippers, Hawks, Hornets, Kings, Knicks, Mavericks, Rockets, Thunder and Warriors (12 games)

• Least games: Pacers (10 games)

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2024 MLB season]

Playoff streaming schedule by week:

Week 19

• Best days to stream: Every day is streamable except for Tuesday and Sunday

• Teams to target: Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls

• Teams to avoid: All teams in play depending on roster construction

Week 20

• Best days to stream: Every day is streamable except for Wednesday and Saturday

• Teams to target: Bulls, Celtics, Pistons and Spurs

• Teams to avoid: Lakers and Timberwolves (two games)

Week 21

• Best days to stream: Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday

• Teams to target: Celtics, Grizzlies, Hawks, Pelicans and Rockets

• Teams to avoid: Hornets (two games on unappealing days)

Week 22

• Best days to stream: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday

• Teams to target: Bucks, Jazz, Mavericks, Nets and Pelicans

• Teams to avoid: All teams in play depending on roster construction

Week 23

• Best days to stream: Monday, Thursday and Saturday

• Teams to target: 76ers, Cavaliers, Hawks, Nuggets, Pistons and Warriors

• Teams to avoid: All teams in play depending on roster construction

Week 24 — You shouldn’t be playing this week, but if you are …

• Best days to stream: Monday, Thursday and Saturday

• Teams to target: Heat, Nuggets, Pistons, Thunder and Warriors

• Teams to avoid: All teams in play depending on roster construction

🔻 Drop the dead weight!

Several high-value players are dealing with injuries right now. Depending on when your playoffs begin, you might have some tough decisions to make, but know that it’s time to get players in your lineup who can help you win now.

If there’s an injury, you have to leave enough flexibility in your lineup to act — especially when players can be shut down out of nowhere. Here’s a list of players I’d consider dropping with the assumption that your playoffs start in Week 21, like Yahoo’s default:

All players above either need a timeline for their return, are slated to return in late March or are in a situation where their team has no reason to rush them back due to their record. If you’re in a deep league and don’t want to risk it, I understand the logic in holding, but if you need to free up IL spots when you’re in the heat of battle, do what you must to get the win.