It's Championship Week (for most of you)

For some of you, it's finally here: Championship Week. All the hard work and shrewd dealings, whether it has been on the waiver wire or through trades, comes down to one final week. While the introduction of the play-in tournament a few seasons back has led to more teams looking to compete until the end of the regular season, there are still some focused more on improving their odds for the NBA Draft Lottery. And while this year's draft class may have a crown jewel in the form of Victor Wembanyama, the projected top 10 doesn't lack potential franchise changers. That thinking will impact some teams in Week 23 while others continue to jockey for playoff positioning. The ability to navigate those challenges will determine which fantasy managers take home trophies (or cash) and which ones may be subjected to embarrassing consequences.

Week 23 Schedule: Games Played

4 Games: CHI, DAL, DEN, DET, HOU, IND, LAC, MEM, MIL, MIN, NOP, NYK, OKC, PHI, PHO, POR, SAC, UTA

3 Games: ATL, BOS, BKN, CHA, CLE, GSW, LAL, MIA, ORL, SAS, TOR, WAS

Top Storylines of Week 23

-- Is Portland pulling the plug?

With Charlotte, Detroit, Houston, and San Antonio having long been eliminated from contention, what the Trail Blazers decide to do may be the biggest storyline of Week 23. On Saturday, it was reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic that Portland was "leaning toward" shutting down Damian Lillard for the team's final nine games. Given that report, it isn't too difficult to envision a scenario in which Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant, and Jusuf Nurkić don't suit up again this season, either. All four players were ruled out for Portland's final game of Week 22, a home game against a Thunder squad that's 10th in the West. Portland trails OKC by three games in the loss column, so it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that would be a "must-win" game if they had any hope of catching the Thunder.

The absence of four starters significantly enhances the fantasy values of players such as Shaedon Sharpe and Trendon Watford. At the same time, Matisse Thybulle, Cam Reddish, and Drew Eubanks have proven to be "wild cards" more than reliable options. Portland plays four games in Week 23, beginning with Monday's home game against the Pelicans. Also on the slate are two games against Sacramento (which may have already clinched a playoff berth) and a game at Minnesota to finish out the week.

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-- Is this the week that LeBron returns to action?

LeBron James appeared to be headed in the right direction regarding a return at the end of Week 22, as he was upgraded to questionable for Sunday's game against the Bulls at the time of publishing. And the Lakers' Week 23 schedule works out well for a potential return. Los Angeles has three games on its slate, but the first won't be played until Wednesday night in Chicago. That's followed by road games against the Timberwolves (Friday) and Rockets (Sunday). While this doesn't prevent the Lakers from giving LeBron an injury management day if he's cleared to return, it does make it a bit more likely that fantasy managers will get three games.

The lack of a back-to-back is also good news for managers who have Anthony Davis rostered for championship week. One other lingering question for Los Angeles is the status of D'Angelo Russell, who was also listed as questionable for Sunday's game with a hip injury. His status impacts Dennis Schröder the most, as Schroder hasn't been a very good fantasy option this season when asked to come off the bench.

-- Will Minnesota get its star shooting guard back?

Anthony Edwards has missed the Timberwolves' last three games with a sprained right ankle, and he was listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Warriors at the time of publishing. As for Week 23, that's where things could get tricky. While Minnesota does play four games, the first is Monday night in Sacramento. If Edwards were to be cleared to play against the Warriors, it feels safe to anticipate that he would get Monday night off. Of course, Edwards has traditionally played through injuries, so maybe he'd be able to convince the medical staff to play both games if it came to that.

Minnesota entered Sunday trailing Golden State (6th) and the Clippers (5th) by a game in the loss column, and they're only two games behind 4th-place Phoenix. While Monday's game will be an important one, Minnesota will also play games against the Suns (Wednesday) and Lakers (Friday) before closing out the week with a home game against Portland on Sunday. The back-to-back to begin Week 23 could also impact Karl-Anthony Towns, who made his return from a Grade 3 strained calf on March 22.

-- Will the Suns welcome back KD and Ayton?

Phoenix has been down two starters recently, with Kevin Durant (ankle) and Deandre Ayton (hip) both being sidelined. But returns could be on the horizon for both. It was reported on Saturday that Durant is progressing toward a return on March 29 against the Timberwolves, while Ayton could be back as soon as Monday in Utah. Phoenix will play four games without a back-to-back in Week 23. But even if fantasy managers can't get a full week out of Durant or Ayton, both are good enough to provide solid production with a shorter slate. Torrey Craig and Bismack Biyombo are the players who will be impacted the most, as they'll be headed back to the bench once Durant and Ayton are cleared to play. Josh Okogie, who was the fifth starter in the three games that Durant played, would also take a hit, but his fantasy value is already low.

-- How many games will the Knicks get out of Brunson?

Jalen Brunson was held out of Thursday's loss to the Magic, but the issue wasn't the foot that sidelined him for five of six games in early March. He's now dealing with a sprained right hand and is considered questionable for Monday's game against Houston. The good news is that Brunson's left-handed, so we're not dealing with a shooting hand situation. New York plays four games in Week 23 with no back-to-backs; if Brunson is cleared to play on Monday, hopefully, he'll be available for all four. If not, Immanuel Quickley would continue to fill the void in the starting lineup, and he should already be rostered in standard leagues. And if Quickley isn't on waiver wires, fantasy managers would have to look to other teams for a Brunson replacement. The good news is that more than half the league plays four games, meaning there will be no shortage of options.

-- Making sense of Charlotte's backcourt rotation

LaMelo Ball underwent season-ending ankle surgery a few weeks back, while Terry Rozier and Kelly Oubre have been sidelined recently with foot and shoulder injuries, respectively. Charlotte plays three games in Week 23, which stands to limit the returns fantasy managers can get from Dennis Smith Jr., Svi Mykhailiuk, or Bryce McGowens. Also, two of those three games will be played during loaded 13-game slates on Friday and Sunday. Of the three, Smith would be the best play to hold onto during those days, especially if Rozier remains sidelined. As for Svi and McGowens, fantasy managers may be able to find better options on the waiver wire.

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Light Game Days

Thursday (March 30): 2 Games

BOS vs. MIL
NOP vs. DEL

Saturday (April 1): 2 Games

DAL vs. MIA
LAC vs. NOP

Week 23 Back-to-backs

Monday-Tuesday: NOP

Tuesday-Wednesday: MEM, MIA, OKC

Wednesday-Thursday: MIL

Thursday-Friday: BOS, DEN

Friday-Saturday: LAC

Saturday-Sunday: DAL