Week 20 is approaching, and the fantasy basketball playoffs are right around the corner. Whether you’ve secured a playoff spot or sit on the brink of elimination, now’s the time to make moves and think ahead. Every matchup counts, and finding those small edges can make all the difference. Maybe it’s stealing a category, nabbing a hot waiver pickup or squeezing some extra value out of your bench players.
Sure, luck plays its part (looking at you, injury reports), but preparation will set you up for success. Below are a few tips to stay in the playoff hunt and compete for a fantasy championship.
Stay tuned for Part II next week!
🤝 Make a trade!
The default trade deadline for Yahoo leagues ends tonight at 11:59 pm PT. It’s the final time to take advantage of the opportunity to rid yourself of players who’ve been frustratingly inconsistent and acquire players you believe will help you during this stretch run.
Word to the wise — don’t be that guy to send lowball offers. Ain’t nobody got time for that, especially with Yahoo public league playoffs and the majority of private leagues kicking off in less than two weeks. Use the trade market tool as a first pass on a somewhat reasonable offer. Put it this way: if you wouldn’t accept the deal, they likely won’t either. Offer something enticing enough that warrants a counter or acceptance.
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 with favorable schedules for the remainder of the year.
For example, suppose your playoffs start in Week 20 (the Yahoo default). In that case, I’d consider trading players from the Timberwolves because they play a nine-game playoff schedule through Week 22 (3-3-3). That’s the fewest games in the NBA in that span. The Knicks play 12 games from Week 20-22, so consider trading Anthony Edwards for Jalen Brunson. Three more games for Brunson would potentially generate more total points and counting stats across categories than holding onto Anthony Edwards.
PSA: I’m not saying you have to trade Anthony Edwards. But, if you can get a comparable player with more opportunity, it’s worth considering. Check out my article covering 10 players I would buy and sell at the deadline if you’re looking for inspiration on getting a deal done by Thursday night.
✍️ Do your homework — research strengths and weaknesses
To better understand where your team stands in category leagues, visiting your league homepage to view your league stats is helpful. To access this information on desktop, hit the drop-down arrow under “Current Standings” and select “Head-to-Head Stats.”
All fantasy managers can search for their win-loss record or total stats for the season broken down by category on their league home page.
You can see your performance, broken down by each category, and gauge where you’ve been most successful or deficient. The referenced data is accessible for points or category formats.
Remember that when playing in nine-category formats, the goal is to win five categories. So, determine which five categories you’re best at and lean into them for your upcoming matchup.
Pivots may be required based on your opponent, though. As part of this effort, dig into your opponent’s stats as well. I would also encourage you to return to your matchups earlier in the season. Ask yourself how to lessen the gaps in specific areas by making thoughtful and informed streaming maneuvers. It may be something other than a volume move that needs to be made. Sometimes, it’s honing in on an efficient player who can help overtake a category you previously lost.
Additionally, keeping at least one streaming spot open is essential because unpredictable events often occur in the final weeks of the season. Players may rest, suffer injuries, or teams might choose to tank, significantly impacting your roster decisions.
Given the recent surge of high-profile injuries (Kyrie Irving, Jaren Jackson Jr., Nikola Vučević), having one or two cuttable assets enables you to add valued free agents, which could be the key to winning a matchup.
📆 Know the schedule!
It may seem obvious, and if your squad is in contention, you’ve likely been focused on picking up players on days with lighter slates, taking advantage of favorable matchups or steering clear of teams with scheduling disadvantages. Keep that perspective in mind because that’s how you’ll maximize your transactions in the playoffs. It’s not about the total number of games but rather the quality of those games — ensuring you can start as many players as possible throughout a given week. Here’s some information to help you prepare for what’s ahead as we get closer to the playoffs. As a helpful resource, check out the Hashtag Basketball Advanced Schedule Grid to understand the schedule parameters for each team.
Week 19
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The Nets play five games — including two back-to-backs. If you have room, pick up players like Ziaire Williams and Keon Johnson because Brooklyn will likely issue one or two rest days for players like D’Angelo Russell, Cam Thomas or even Cam Johnson.
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Tuesday and Thursday are the best days for streaming, featuring four and five games, respectively. The Nets, Pistons, Bucks, Pelicans and Wizards all play on those days.
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The Raptors have the most fantasy-friendly schedule, playing four games in the week against the Wizards, Sixers, Jazz and Trail Blazers. The Clippers are next up, playing four games against the Pelicans, Heat, Hawks and Hornets.
Week 20 (start of the fantasy playoffs for most leagues)
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The best streaming days are Tuesday (4), Thursday (5) and Saturday (5). The Nets, Bucks and Warriors play on all three days. The Hornets play on Tuesday and Thursday, the Hawks play on Tuesday and Saturday, while the Bulls, Pacers, Lakers, Knicks and Kings play on Thursday and Saturday.
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Avoid the Dallas Mavericks, as they only play two games on Wednesday and Friday.
Week 21
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Great week for streaming as there are no slates over 8 games. The days with the fewest number of games are Wednesday (6), Friday (7) and Saturday (7).
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The Nets are the only team playing on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. The Nuggets, Clippers, Bucks, Knicks, Suns and Raptors play on Wednesday and Friday, while the Celtics, Pacers, Lakers, 76ers and Wizards play on Wednesday and Saturday.
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The Sixers have the most fantasy-friendly schedule, facing the Pelicans, Wizards, Heat and Raptors. The Raptors also have favorable matchups versus the Wizards, Nets, Hornets and Sixers.
Week 22
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22 teams play four games and eight teams play three games this week.
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The best streaming days are Tuesday (7), Thursday (6) and Saturday (5). The Grizzlies, Bucks, Timberwolves and 76ers play on each day.
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The Bucks end the week playing three games in four nights from Thursday to Sunday. The Warriors, Magic, Trail Blazers and Raptors play on Tuesday and Thursday. The Hawks and Knicks play on Tuesday and Saturday, while the Heat play on Thursday and Saturday. The Heat also play three games in four nights from Wednesday to Saturday.
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The Suns have a tough schedule, facing the Bucks, Celtics and Knicks.
Week 23 (for those still playing)
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24 teams play four games and six teams play three games.
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Four of the seven days have slates of 10 or more games.
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The best streaming days are Monday (2) and Thursday (5). There are no games on Saturday.
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The Pistons are the only team playing on Monday and Thursday.
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The Heat have a great schedule of matchups, playing against the Sixers, Bulls, Pelicans and Wizards.
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The Jazz have the worst schedule, facing the Trail Blazers, Thunder and Timberwolves.
Most total games played by playoff schedule
Week 19 – Week 21
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Most games: 76ers, Nets, Lakers, Pacers, Spurs and Wizards (12 games)
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Least games: Timberwolves (9 games)
Week 20 – Week 22
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Most games: Kings, Knicks, Lakers, Pacers, Spurs and Wizards (12 games)
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Least games: Magic and Timberwolves (9 games)
Week 21 – Week 23
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Most games: 76ers, Cavaliers, Kings and Warriors (12 games)
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Least games: Nuggets, Pistons, Rockets, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Trail Blazers and Jazz (10 games)
