Court Report: Week 22 Dashboard, Part I
Each Sunday, the Dashboard centralizes all the crucial information fantasy managers need to dominate their weekly head-to-head matchups or climb the standings in their rotisserie leagues. The Dashboard covers schedule analysis, status updates, adds, drops, watch list candidates, and deep league targets for managers of all skill levels. Quite simply, it is a comprehensive weekly cheat sheet that is packed with so much information that we've devoted two writers to producing it.
Schedule Breakdown — essential schedule information for the upcoming week and beyond
Week 22, total games.
4 games: ATL, BOS, CHI, CLE, GSW, IND, MEM, NJN, NYK, PHO, SAC, SAS, TOR, UTA, WAS
3 games: CHA, DAL, DEN, DET, LAC, LAL, MIA, MIL, MIN, NOR, OKC, ORL, PHI, POR
2 games: HOU
Week 22, quality games.
1 game: ATL, CHI, DAL, LAL, MIN, NOR, PHO, POR, UTA, WAS
Note: Saturday is a close call, with six games on tap instead of the five-or-less-game cutoff that is usually applied. Go ahead and give the Hawks, Mavericks, Jazz, and Bulls players an extra boost here for having games on Tuesday/Thursday and Saturday.
Weeks 22-23, total games.
8 games: BOS, CHI, CLE, IND, NJN, PHO, SAC, SAS, WAS
7 games: ATL, CHA, DAL, GSW, MEM, MIA, MIL, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHI, POR, TOR, UTA
6 games: DEN, DET, HOU, LAC, LAL, MIN, NOR
Weeks 22-23, quality games.
2 games: CHI, DAL, GSW, MIN, OKC, PHO
1 game: ATL, CLE, HOU, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIA, MIL, NJN, NOR, PHI, POR, SAC, TOR, UTA, WAS
0 games: BOS, CHA, DEN, DET, IND, NYK, ORL, SAS
Weeks 22-23, ease rankings.
Strong: MIA (0.48), ORL (0.37), DAL (0.28), WAS (0.22), OKC (0.20), DEN (0.20), BOS (0.20)
Above average: LAC (0.18), LAL (0.11), CHI (0.11)
Average: GSW (0.07), MIL (0.06), NJN (0.01), SAC (0.00), NOR (-0.02), TOR (-0.03), CLE (-0.04), CHA (-0.05), PHO (-0.07), UTA (-0.08), SAS (-0.10)
Below average: MEM (-0.18), HOU (-0.15)
Weak: MIN (-0.60), PHI (-0.33), NYK (-0.22), POR (-0.22), IND (-0.21), ATL (-0.21), DET (-0.21)
Weeks 22-24, total games.
12 games: BOS, CHI, CLE, NJN, PHO, SAC, WAS
11 games: CHA, IND, MIL, NYK, OKC, SAS, TOR
10 games: ATL, DAL, DEN, DET, GSW, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIA, ORL, PHI, POR, UTA
9 games: HOU, MIN, NOR
Weeks 22-24, quality games.
3 games: CHI, DAL, MIN, PHO
2 games: ATL, GSW, LAL, NOR, OKC, POR, UTA, WAS
1 game: CLE, HOU, LAC, MEM, MIA, MIL, NJN, PHI, SAC, TOR
0 games: BOS, CHA, DEN, DET, IND, NYK, ORL, SAS
Weeks 22-24, ease rankings.
Strong: DAL (0.35), OKC (0.24)
Above average: NJN (0.19), DEN (0.17), MIA (0.16), TOR (0.12), ORL (0.11)
Average: NOR (0.08), CHI (0.08), LAC (0.08), MIL (0.05), SAC (0.05), WAS (0.05), LAL (0.04), BOS (0.00), CHA (-0.02), GSW (-0.02), SAS (-0.07), NYK (-0.08), POR (-0.09), PHO (-0.10)
Below average: UTA (-0.19), MEM (-0.13), IND (-0.11), DET (-0.11), HOU (-0.11), CLE (-0.11), ATL (-0.11)
Weak: PHI (-0.28), MIN (-0.25)
Also see: Basketball Monster's Schedule Grid and Buser Sports' Schedule Grid.
Spark Plugs — players with a set of especially favorable matchups this week who make for excellent short-term plays
Your Raptors — @DEN, @PHO, @GSW, @LAC
Categorical breakdown: points (2nd), threes (t-6th), rebounds (2nd), assists (1st), steals (4th), FG% (7th)
Players of interest: Jose Calderon
Your Celtics, especially guards — @NYK, MEM, CHA, @MIN
Categorical breakdown: points (6th), threes (2nd), assists (t-8th), steals (2nd), blocks (1st)
Players of interest: Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce
Your Mavs — MIN, @UTA, @PHO
Categorical breakdown: points (1st), threes (1st), rebounds (t-4th), assists (2nd), steals (1st), FG% (10th)
Players of interest: Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry
Your Magic — @CLE, @NYK, NJN
Categorical breakdown: points (3rd), threes (5th), rebounds (1st), assists (5th), FG% (1st), turnovers (7th)
Players of interest: Dwight Howard, Jason Richardson, Hedo Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson
Your Warriors, especially big men — @SAS, @HOU, TOR, WAS
Categorical breakdown: points (4th), rebounds (t-4th), FG% (3rd)
Players of interest: David Lee
Other extreme values…
Pacers FG% (4th) — Tyler Hansbrough
Clippers assists (3rd) — Mo Williams
Pistons threes (3rd) — Charlie Villanueva
Nuggets FG% (2nd) — Nene Hilario, Ty Lawson, Chris Andersen
Thunder threes (4th) / steals (3rd) — Kevin Durant, James Harden
Hornets threes (7th) — Marco Belinelli
Short Circuits — players with a set of unfavorable matchups who have a good chance of struggling this week
Your T'Wolves — @DAL, @OKC, BOS
Categorical breakdown: points (27th), threes (27th), rebounds (t-28th), assists (28th), blocks (29th), FG% (27th)
Players of interest: Kevin Love, Michael Beasley
Your Grizzlies — UTA, @BOS, @CHI, SAS
Categorical breakdown: points (29th), threes (26th), rebounds (30th), assists (30th), steals (25th), FG% (t-28th)
Players of interest: Zach Randolph, Mike Conley
Your Knicks — BOS, ORL, MIL, @CHA
Categorical breakdown: points (30th), threes (23rd), rebounds (t-28th), assists (27th), steals (28th), FG% (30th)
Players of interest: Amar'e Stoudemire, Toney Douglas, Chauncey Billups, Carmelo Anthony
Your Kings — @CHA, @MIL, @IND, @PHI
Categorical breakdown: points (28th), threes (30th), assists (25th), steals (30th), FG% (t-28th)
Players of interest: Marcus Thornton, Beno Udrih
Your 76ers — @DAL, @OKC, BOS
Categorical breakdown: threes (25th), rebounds (25th), assists (t-23rd), blocks (28th)
Players of interest: Andre Iguodala
Your Bobcats — IND, @BOS, NYK
Categorical breakdown: threes (24th), assists (29th), FG% (25th), turnovers (25th)
Players of interest: Boris Diaw
Other extreme values…
Rockets blocks (30th) — Patrick Patterson
Bucks threes (28th) / assists (26th) — Carlos Delfino, Brandon Jennings, John Salmons
Heat threes (29th) — Mike Bibby
Spurs turnovers (30th) — Tony Parker
Additional notes: A reminder that the schedule analysis in the previous two sections is based on an eight-category format, with FT% excluded because how well a player shoots from the line is not dependent on the team that he faces. The players of interest who are listed for each team are ones who have a significant amount of value vested in the categories listed in the breakdown. These players are the ones that have the most to gain/lose depending on their weekly slate of opponents.
Status Updates - quick hitters from around the league
• Gilbert Arenas is questionable for Monday's game against Cleveland with a sore left calf, while J.J. Redick is not expected to play. Redick, who has missed the last five games with a lower abdomen injury, went though some shooting drills on Sunday but is still not close to returning to game action.
• Mike Bibby is slated to start at point guard with Mario Chalmers sidelined for the next two weeks with a sprained right knee. He had an MRI on Sunday which showed a sprained with no structural damage.
• Carlos Boozer practiced Sunday and is not returning a return on Monday depending on how his left ankle feels. "I feel good," Boozer said. "I went through practice a little bit. See how it feels [Monday when the Bulls host the Kings]. The pain's still there. You don't want to be stupid and come back too soon and have a nagging injury. At the same time, if it's ready [Monday], I'd like to go, so we'll just have to wait and see how it goes [Monday]."
• Chase Budinger left Sunday's game in the second quarter with a mild-to-moderate left ankle sprain. "Right now it doesn't feel too bad," Budinger said. "Definitely not as bad as it has in the past. Only time will tell. I'll wake up tomorrow and that will indicate how bad it really is… Hopefully I can be ready for our road trip." The Rockets only have two games next week, and if it's the last week of your playoffs or you're hard-pressed for extra games, a drop isn't completely out of the question. Consider him questionable for Wednesday's game against Golden State and probable for Sunday's game against Miami.
• Tyreke Evans played two-on-two on Saturday and looked good according to a report. He could return later this week, but a return early next week seems more likely at this point. Expectations should be kept in check though as coach Paul Westphal plans to bring him off the bench initially.
• Ersan Ilyasova is taking his first steps towards a return after suffering a concussion in practice just under a month ago. He did not practice on Saturday, but did some light work instead. He hopes to be able to return to practice at some point this week if he doesn't suffer any setbacks.
• DeAndre Jordan has been released from the hospital with what the Clippers called a mild case of pneumonia. No word yet on a timetable yet on a potential return, but given its mild nature, he shouldn't be out for more than a week.
• Kevin Love left Sunday's game with a sore left groin and did not return. There was no immediate status update on Love's status after the game. Given that the team is off on Monday, we probably won't hear more on Tuesday.
• Shawn Marion was seen wearing a brace on his sprained right wrist, but he says he expects to be back at practice Tuesday. "I'll be alright. I think Tuesday we're gonna practice and I'm gonna suit up and get through it this week and I'll be fine."
• Anthony Morrow aggravated a sprained hand injury that he suffered in London. No wonder on whether it will cost him time, but it's certainly something to keep an eye on.
• Deron Williams sat out during Sunday's loss against the Wizards and will miss an additional two games with a strained right wrist. The Nets will reevaluate him before Friday's game in Orlando, but the prognosis looks bleak even at this point, and there's a very good chance he ends up getting shut down for the rest of the season. Jordan Farmar will continue to start in his place. Farmar's splits as a starter equate to top-75 per-game value, and goes up to top-45 without field goal percentage. He is definitely worth a speculative add, especially if you're in need of some assists and threes.
Follow Justin on Twitter @jphanned
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photo via Getty Images