With Christmas in the rearview mirror, the next major holiday on the calendar is New Year’s Day. The good news for fantasy managers is that the five-game slate does not have a game that begins before 6 pm Eastern, so those who may have had a little too much fun the night prior will have time to set their rosters. However, there is a 1 pm Eastern game on New Year’s Eve as part of a nine-game schedule, with the Warriors visiting the Hornets. That qualifies as the lone scheduling quirk for Week 11, so let’s take a look at the schedule and some key storylines.
Week 11 Games Played
4 Games: ATL, BNK, CHA, CHI, CLE, DEN, GSW, IND, MIA, MIL, MIN, NOR, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHX, POR, SAC, SAS, WAS
3 Games: BOS, DAL, DET, HOU, LAC, LAL, MEM, PHI, TOR, UTA
Week 11 Back-to-backs
Sunday (Week 10)-Monday: GSW, OKC, POR, TOR, WAS
Monday-Tuesday: None
Tuesday-Wednesday: None
Wednesday-Thursday: None
Thursday-Friday: BKN, SAC
Friday-Saturday: ATL, CHA, CHI, GSW, NYK, POR
Saturday-Sunday: MIA, MIN, SAS
Sunday-Monday (Week 12): DEN, DET, OKC, PHX
Week 11 Storylines of Note
- Tuesday and Thursday are the light game days.
Unlike Week 10, which included a Christmas Eve without games, there will be action on all seven days of Week 11. Tuesday and Thursday are the light days, with four games on the slate for Tuesday and five on Thursday. The Celtics, Pistons, Clippers, 76ers and Kings are among the teams that will be active on both days, with Sacramento being the only one that will have to navigate a back-to-back (Thursday/Friday).
In addition to the Kings, Brooklyn also has a back-to-back on Thursday/Friday, which will likely impact how Cam Thomas is used as he returns from a hamstring injury. Thomas made his return to action in Saturday’s game against the Timberwolves, his first appearance since November 5. In the case of the 76ers, back-to-backs have not been the only determining factor regarding Joel Embiid’s availability. Philadelphia plays three games without a back-to-back in Week 11, starting with the Grizzlies on Tuesday.
- Miami and Minnesota finish Week 11 with Saturday/Sunday back-to-backs.
The Heat and Timberwolves are the only teams that will have to deal with a back-to-back to end Week 11, with the former playing three games over the final four days of Week 11. With Tyler Herro recently being joined on the injury report by Bam Adebayo, who’s dealing with a lower back injury, the Heat have been left to rely on some low-rostered options. Pelle Larsson started Friday’s win over the Hawks and scored 21 points, a reminder of what he’s capable of when allowed to start. The absences also affect Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nikola Jović, who boast higher fantasy ceilings.
Regarding the Timberwolves, Mike Conley may be the only rotation player affected by the back-to-back. However, his fantasy value this season has been relatively low, so there isn’t much to be concerned about there. Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels have dealt with injuries recently and would be the players of note as Week 11 draws to a close.
- Golden State, Oklahoma City and Portland have two back-to-backs to navigate.
Interestingly, the Trail Blazers are the only one of these three teams that will play both games of one of its back-to-backs during Week 11 (Friday/Saturday). The Warriors and Thunder have two wraparound back-to-backs, with the first beginning on the final day of Week 10 and the second ending with the opening day of Week 12. Golden State’s Stephen Curry was not available for either game of the Warriors’ most recent back-to-back (December 6-7), and he sat out the second game of the team’s November 18-19 back-to-back.
Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein have also sat out games recently due to back-to-backs, but that hasn’t been an issue for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Jalen Williams. Portland is an interesting case because the team is awaiting the returns of Jrue Holiday and Jerami Grant, while Robert Williams III has not yet reached the point where he can play both games of back-to-backs. However, the Time Lord has not been particularly impactful as a fantasy option when healthy, since Donovan Clingan is locked in as the starting center.
- How many games will fantasy managers get out of Giannis Antetokounmpo?
After a little over three weeks out with a strained calf, Antetokounmpo returned to action on Saturday against the Bulls. He played 25 minutes, finishing with 29 points, eight rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block and one three-pointer. The good news for fantasy managers and Bucks fans is that Milwaukee’s four-game Week 11 schedule does not include a back-to-back. And if Giannis can play all four games, this could be a massive week for him, even if he isn’t allowed to go past 30 minutes.
The Bucks play two games against the Hornets and one apiece against the Wizards and Kings. While Charlotte ranks 24th in defensive rating, the Kings (28th) and Wizards (30th) have been even worse. Bobby Portis and Kyle Kuzma are the players most impacted by the availability of Milwaukee’s best player, but the usage rates of Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins will also be affected. In the case of Rollins, Antetokounmpo’s return meant that he was back in the starting lineup, raising his fantasy ceiling.
- Will Mark Williams managers have to account for a suspension?
The good news for the Suns center on Saturday was that he played both games of a back-to-back for the first time this season. Williams was used in a reserve role to help with the minutes restriction. Unfortunately, what also kept his minutes down was a third-quarter ejection after getting into a fight with Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado. Phoenix begins a four-game Week 11 in the nation’s capital on Monday, and they end it with a Saturday/Sunday back-to-back against the Thunder and Rockets. If Williams has to miss time due to a suspension, the door opens for Oso Ighodaro (who started on Saturday) and Nick Richards.
- The Lakers will navigate a three-game week without Austin Reaves.
Reaves aggravated a prior calf injury during Thursday’s loss to the Rockets and will be out for at least four weeks. Does that make Marcus Smart a player worth rolling the dice on, or should Reaves managers look elsewhere? Based on his production, Smart isn’t a lock to provide reliable fantasy value during the Lakers’ three-game Week 11. However, with the Lakers being among the worst defensive teams in the NBA, he’ll be on the floor a lot.
Two other players to watch due to those defensive issues are Jake LaRavia and Jarred Vanderbilt. Rui Hachimura does not offer much value as a rebounder, which may open the door for LaRavia or Vanderbilt to play more out of necessity.
