Fantasy Basketball schedule preview for Week 20

Fantasy fringe players of interest in Week 20 (Monday, March 13 through Sunday, March 19)

Ownership and stats accurate as of the end of Thursday’s games.

By Alex Rikleen
Special to Yahoo Sports

Tyreke Evans, Sac, PG/SG/SF (4 games, 60% owned): The Kings schedule is a mixed bag this week. They play one of the most fantasy friendly opponents in the league, the Suns, and end the week with one of the least, the Spurs. They also face the schizophrenic Magic and Thunder, two teams who have recently swapped places in the defensive rankings. Before the All-Star break, the Magic ranked in the worst third of the league, and the Thunder the best; since the break, the opposite is true.

The Suns, Magic, and Thunder all run at an above-average pace, and the Suns lead the league in pace since the break. Those easy defenses and fast paces should help all of the Kings’ scorers, and Evans is their top scorer over the last two weeks. Since being acquired as part of the DeMarcus Cousins trade, he is averaging 15.3 points and 4.5 rebounds in 23.8 minutes per game. Evans is playing with a 27 minutes per game cap, due to a knee surgery, so there is room for his minutes to increase going forward.

[Tourney Pick’em is open! Sign up now | Bracket Big Board]

Yogi Ferrell, Dal, PG (4 games, 35% owned): The Mavericks are on an East coast road trip this week, with games at Toronto, Washington, Philadelphia, and Brooklyn. There is a day off between each game, and all four of those cities are very close to one another. Additionally, two of those defenses have been terrible all season long (the 76ers and the Nets), while a third (the Wizards) has struggled recently. Since the All-Star break, those three teams rank in the top four of the league in pace, and in the bottom 11 in points allowed per possession. Ferrell is the only Maverick who is on the fantasy fringe, but all Mavericks get a big boost from their schedule this week. Over his last four games, Ferrell is averaging 12.8 points, 6.0 assists, and shooting 51.3 percent from the field in 31.3 minutes.

Brandon Ingram, LAL, SG/SF (4 games, 47% owned) and Larry Nance, LAL, PF (4 games, 17% owned): At the moment, three of the Lakers’ four opponents this week rank in the bottom nine in points allowed per possession since the All-Star break. The “at the moment” clause is because the Cavaliers, who the Lakers face at the end of the week, are currently second to last in this ranking; earlier this season, they spent roughly 15 games at the bottom of the same ranking, and then very quickly turned it around and spent the next month-or-so towards the top.

Even if the Cavs do pull a rapid about-face, four games, including two against reliably bad defenses, is still one of the best schedules on the docket this week. Ingram and Nance are the most intriguing Lakers because of their steady minutes and their ability to rebound. Ingram is averaging 4.6 rebounds in 36.7 minutes since the break, while Nance is averaging 4.8 rebounds in 21.8 minutes over the past five games. Three of the Lakers’ opponents this week rank in the bottom nine in rebound percentage since the break.

[Sign up for Yahoo Fantasy Baseball: Get in the game and join a league today]

Down and out: Players to avoid in Week 20

Jahlil Okafor, Phi, C (3 games): All three of the 76ers games are against defenses ranked in the top seven in points per possession since the All-Star break. Though the Celtics have been much maligned for their ineffective rebounding through the first few months of the season, they have improved to a 49.9 rebound percentage since the break. The difficult opponents, combined with Okafor’s middling performance and the strong play of Richaun Holmes, and it is hard to feel confident in Okafor this week. Since the break, Okafor is averaging only 22.0 minutes per game, while Holmes is averaging 23.9.

Willy Hernangomez, NY, C (2 games) and Lance Thomas, NY, SG/SF (2 games): Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek must not be a fan of fantasy basketball, because he keeps fiddling with his rotations, making it hard to anticipate which big men will have fantasy value. For most of the season, the primary players involved were Hernangomez and Kyle O’Quinn, who fought a lengthy back-and-forth battle for depth chart supremacy.

Just as Hernangomez was finally emerging as the winner, Thomas entered the fracas as a small-ball power forward pushing Kristaps Porzingis to center. Before Wednesday, it looked like Thomas had taken the lead, but then Hernangomez posted a 13-point 12-rebound double-double in 28 minutes while Thomas scored only two points in 24 minutes. Fortunately for fantasy owners, the Knicks are the only team in the league with just two games this week. In many formats, managers can watch for two more games to see how things shake out, without having to worry about either in their starting lineups.

Cody Zeller, Cha, PF/C (3 games): Schedules this week are pretty evenly balanced. Most of the teams with four games face a few tough opponents, and most of the teams with three games face a few easy opponents. That is why Zeller was recommended as a pickup in another article this week, but also as a player to fade based on schedule concerns.

The Hornets play the Bulls, Pacers, and Wizards this week. Since the All-Star break, the Bulls and the Pacers are both above average per possession defenses, and both rebound better than 50% of the time. Since most of Zeller’s value comes from scoring and rebounding, those two stats are a significant hit to his value. All three opponents boast centers 6-foot-11 or taller with a reputation for strong defending. He still benefits from extra minutes due to all of the injuries to the rest of the Hornets frontcourt, including Frank Kaminsky (shoulder), but expectations should be tempered due to the difficult schedule.

Notable injuries

Frank Kaminsky, Cha, PF/C (3 games – shoulder): Kaminsky has fantasy value in his own right, but his availability also directly impacts the value of Zeller. There is still no official expected return date. Other currently injured Hornets big men include Johnny O’Bryant (ankle) and Miles Plumlee (calf). O’Bryant is still without a clear return date, whereas Plumlee is already coming up on his original return date, though with no sign that he has returned to practice.

Brook Lopez, Bkn, C (4 games – ankle): Lopez is out Friday, with no clear indication yet as to when he will return or the severity of the injury. Trevor Booker and Justin Hamilton benefit if he misses more time. The Nets play four games next week, and their the only “road” game is a trip to Manhattan to visit the Knicks, but the other three opponents are strong defenses. Missing one or two games next week would represent a significant hit to his value.

Nerlens Noel, Dal, PF/C (4 games – knee): Noel is out Friday, but indications are that this is more of a precautionary measure caused by soreness. Friday is the first night of a back-to-back, so this might be simply a measure meant to preserve the health of the Mavericks’ recently acquired young talent. If he plays Saturday, he is probably good for normal use during the week.

Evan Turner, Por, SG/SF (4 games – hand): Turner is nearing the early end of his original injury timeline. He is not expected back before Wednesday, and may be out a bit longer than that. When he does return, it hurts the value of Allen Crabbe and Maurice Harkless.

Follow Alex Rikleen on twitter