Potential Silly Season Standouts

Regardless of our feelings about how the NBA All-Star break played out, its completion means that we're in the stretch run of the fantasy basketball season. Two-thirds of the regular season games have been played, with action resuming with a 12-game slate on Thursday.

With the Week 17 schedule breakdown published here, this column will look at some players who have the potential to be essential options during the upcoming "silly season." Also, each team's remaining week-to-week game counts can be found below. With many fantasy leagues ending with Week 23, some teams have better schedules than others.

Potential Silly Season Stars

Scoot Henderson (56%)

Henderson had a rough start to the season, as inefficient play weighed down his fantasy value like an anvil. He played better in the games leading into the All-Star break, reaching double figures in six straight while averaging 18.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 0.5 steals, and 1.7 3-pointers. Henderson moved into the starting lineup for Portland's final game before the break, and he has averaged nearly 30 minutes per game in his last six. The Trail Blazers aren't a playoff team this season, so there should be even more incentive to get Henderson the minutes needed to improve his game (and evaluate his fit within the franchise). Managers who can afford to punt field-goal percentage may benefit from rostering Scoot down the stretch.

Brandin Podziemski (54%)

Podziemski entered the break having reached double figures in four straight and nine of his last 11 games, the most recent being the Warriors' February 15 win over the Jazz. While his stat line (13 points, six rebounds, eight assists, and three 3-pointers) was overshadowed by that of Klay Thompson, the game was notable due to Podziemski replacing the future Hall of Fame sharpshooter in the starting lineup. Will Steve Kerr stick with that lineup once the Warriors return to action, or will Thompson move back into his customary role? Regardless of what happens, Podziemski has averaged nearly 30 minutes per game since November 30. That's enough time for him to be impactful in fantasy basketball, as he has provided 11th-round value since that date, according to Basketball Monster.

Aaron Nesmith (54%)

Nesmith's value received another boost when the Pacers traded Buddy Hield at the deadline, with the first coming when he was moved into the starting lineup on December 26. Since that night's win over the Rockets, he's averaged 13.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 2.2 3-pointers per game, shooting 50.8% from the field, 44.1% from three, and 72.0% from the foul line. The production has been good for 8th-round value, a welcome return for a player with a Yahoo ADP of 133. Nesmith's recent shin injury is a concern in the short term, but it is not believed to be serious. Should he be sidelined for an extended period, however, Bennedict Mathurin (45%) would enter the conversation as a player to consider (if not target outright) in standard leagues.

Marvin Bagley III (48%)

The Wizards' decision to trade Daniel Gafford made it "Money Marv Time" in the nation's capital, as Richaun Holmes is the only other center on the roster. While he did miss four games with a back injury and was on a minutes restriction for the fifth, Bagley is averaging 13.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.7 blocks in 24.1 minutes since being traded to Washington. As long as he can remain healthy, the starting center role should be his, giving the former lottery pick a good shot at offering solid fantasy value for the rest of the season.

Nick Richards (46%), Tre Mann (45%), and Grant Williams (29%)

While the trade deadline wasn't going to propel the Hornets into the Play-In Tournament conversation, it was clear that things needed to change in Charlotte. Steve Clifford's team went into the All-Star break on a three-game win streak, and the newcomers have made a positive impact. At the top of the list are Mann, who has taken over as the starting point guard with LaMelo Ball (ankle) sidelined, and Williams. Since joining the team, both have provided top-75 per-game value in 9-cat formats, averaging a little over 30 minutes per game. As for Richards, he'll remain the starting center until Mark Williams (back) is cleared to return, and that's unlikely to happen anytime soon. Richards hasn't been a great fantasy option, but the circumstances make him worthy of a look for managers in need of another center.

Ayo Dosunmu (44%)

Injuries have pushed Dosunmu into the starting lineup, with the third-year guard starting eight of Chicago's nine games before the All-Star break. A double-digit scorer in each of those starts, he averaged 15.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.9 blocks, and 2.9 3-pointers in 35.3 minutes, shooting 57.0% from the field, 54.2% from three, and 33.3% from the foul line. That production was good for 7th-round value in 9-cat formats. While the 3-point percentage may not be sustainable, it can also be said that Dosunmu won't continue to shoot that poorly from the foul line as he is a 76.7% shooter for the season. With Patrick Williams (foot) still dealing with discomfort and Torrey Craig recently sidelined with a sprained knee, Dosunmu is in a good place as the post-break portion of the schedule begins.

Keyonte George (41%)

One of Utah's three first-round picks, George made 16 starts from early November to mid-December before an injury sidelined him for six games. After the trade deadline, he returned to the starting lineup and went into the break with a bang, tallying 33 points, two rebounds, six assists, three steals, and nine 3-pointers in a February 15 loss to the Warriors. In 19 starts, George is averaging 13.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 0.7 steals, and 2.2 3-pointers in 29.2 minutes. His field goal percentage as a starter (36.0) leaves a bit to be desired, but the opportunities will be there for George to shine as the Jazz look to the future.

Mitchell Robinson (41%)

This pick is a wild card, if only because there's no guarantee that Robinson will return from his ankle injury in time to impact fantasy basketball. However, the rostered percentage suggests that there are fantasy managers who have the ability to stash him in an IL+ slot, which is a solid approach to take. He can provide top 50 per-game value when healthy and doesn't need to exceed 30 minutes consistently. There is optimism that Robinson will be able to return before the end of the season, so managers who can stash him should continue to do so. Of course, there will be a need to go through a ramp-up process if Robinson is cleared to return, but the rebounding, defensive stats, and field-goal percentage make him worth a roll of the dice.

Simone Fontecchio (27%) and Marcus Sasser (5%)

The Pistons are another team playing for the future instead of this season, and the trade deadline has brought about some much-needed clarity. The Killian Hayes experience reached its merciful conclusion, freeing up more minutes for Sasser (while ensuring that Jaden Ivey is a starter moving forward). The first-round pick out of Houston has done well when given extended minutes, and there should be more opportunities for him down the stretch. As for Fontecchio, his addition to the roster gave the Pistons a much-needed floor spacer. With another deadline addition (Quentin Grimes) sidelined with a sprained knee, Fontecchio's role within the Pistons' rotation is of added importance. He started Detroit's final two games before the break and averaged 15.3 points and 2.3 3-pointers in his three appearances for the team.

Bilal Coulibaly (8%)

The Wizards' lone trade of consequence at the deadline did not involve a wing, but that should not negatively impact Coulibaly. Since January 20, the rookie has averaged 8.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.9 blocks, and 0.9 3-pointers in 28.6 minutes per game. The percentages from the field (39.1) and from three (30.2) have left something to be desired, but the minutes are there. And that will remain the case for the rest of the season, as the Wizards boast the second-worst record in the NBA. Another Wizards wing to watch is Corey Kispert, especially for managers needing 3-point production.

Rest of Season Week-to-week schedules (second half of Week 17 onward)

Atlanta (27 games remaining): 2-3-4-3-3-4-4-4

Boston (27): 2-3-3-4-4-3-4-4

Brooklyn (28): 2-4-5-3-3-4-4-3

Charlotte (28): 3-4-3-4-2-4-4-4

Chicago (27): 2-3-4-4-3-4-3-4

Cleveland (29): 3-4-4-3-4-4-4-3

Dallas (27): 2-4-3-4-2-4-4-4

Denver (27): 3-3-3-4-3-4-3-4

Detroit (28): 2-4-3-4-4-3-4-4

Golden State (29): 3-4-3-3-4-4-4-4

Houston (28): 3-3-4-3-3-4-4-4

Indiana (26): 2-4-3-3-4-3-4-3

LA Clippers (29): 3-3-4-4-3-4-4-4

LA Lakers (26): 3-3-4-2-3-4-4-3

Memphis (26): 1-4-4-3-3-3-4-4

Miami (27): 1-4-4-3-4-3-4-4

Milwaukee (26): 2-3-4-3-3-3-4-4

Minnesota (27): 2-4-4-2-4-3-4-4

New Orleans (27): 3-3-3-3-4-3-4-4

New York (27): 2-4-3-3-3-4-4-4

Oklahoma City (28): 3-3-4-3-3-4-4-4

Orlando (27): 3-3-4-3-3-3-4-4

Philadelphia (28): 3-3-4-3-4-4-4-3

Phoenix (27): 3-3-3-4-3-3-4-4

Portland (28): 2-3-4-4-4-3-4-4

Sacramento (28): 2-3-4-3-4-4-4-4

San Antonio (27): 3-3-3-4-3-4-3-4

Toronto (27): 2-4-3-4-3-3-4-4

Utah (26): 2-3-3-3-4-4-3-4

Washington (28): 3-3-4-4-3-4-4-3

Best fantasy playoff schedules (Weeks 21-23): Cleveland (4-4-4 Weeks 21-23), Golden State (4-4-4), Philadelphia (4-4-4), Sacramento (4-4-4)

Worst fantasy playoff schedules: Charlotte (2-4-4 Weeks 21-23), Dallas (2-4-4), Memphis (3-3-4), Milwaukee (3-3-4), Orlando (3-3-4), Phoenix (3-3-4), San Antonio (3-4-3), Toronto (3-3-4)