Fantasy Basketball Week 10 Schedule Primer: Navigating the holiday chaos
The holiday season brings gifts, family gatherings, and one of the most chaotic schedule quirks of the fantasy basketball calendar. As Week 10 kicks into high gear, managers must navigate a slate defined by extreme peaks and valleys. With the league office maintaining its tradition of a complete blackout on Christmas Eve, the schedule creates a midweek void that requires careful roster management to overcome.
The most immediate hurdle is the Wednesday, December 24 hiatus. The NBA will not host a single game tomorrow, meaning daily lineups will lock early and remain frozen until the marquee matchups on Christmas Day. For managers in daily leagues, this "dead day" necessitates maximizing games played on the surrounding days. If you are holding a streaming spot, ensure that player is active for the heavy slates on Friday and Saturday rather than wasting a roster spot on a player who sits during the midweek lull.
Thursday’s Christmas Day showcase features five blockbuster matchups, but for fantasy purposes, it is a low-volume day. Only 10 teams take the floor: the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, and Golden State Warriors. Unless your roster is stacked with stars from these specific franchises, you will likely see low production on Thursday.
To counter the low volume, savvy managers should target players from the 11 teams playing four games this week. The Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, and Oklahoma City Thunder are particularly valuable assets; not only do they play four times, but they also participate in the high-profile Christmas slate, ensuring their stars will see heavy minutes. Conversely, fantasy managers should be wary of the Brooklyn Nets, who draw the short straw with a league-low two games this week. In deeper leagues, streaming a fringe player from a four-game team like the Detroit Pistons or Portland Trail Blazers over a Nets starter could be the difference between a win and a loss.
Finally, look ahead to the weekend. The "holiday hangover" days of December 26 and 27 feature a dense concentration of back-to-back sets. Saving a waiver acquisition for a Friday-Saturday stream is the most efficient way to steal categories late in the week.
The most immediate hurdle is the Wednesday, December 24 hiatus. The NBA will not host a single game tomorrow, meaning daily lineups will lock early and remain frozen until the marquee matchups on Christmas Day. For managers in daily leagues, this "dead day" necessitates maximizing games played on the surrounding days. If you are holding a streaming spot, ensure that player is active for the heavy slates on Friday and Saturday rather than wasting a roster spot on a player who sits during the midweek lull.
Thursday’s Christmas Day showcase features five blockbuster matchups, but for fantasy purposes, it is a low-volume day. Only 10 teams take the floor: the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, and Golden State Warriors. Unless your roster is stacked with stars from these specific franchises, you will likely see low production on Thursday.
To counter the low volume, savvy managers should target players from the 11 teams playing four games this week. The Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, and Oklahoma City Thunder are particularly valuable assets; not only do they play four times, but they also participate in the high-profile Christmas slate, ensuring their stars will see heavy minutes. Conversely, fantasy managers should be wary of the Brooklyn Nets, who draw the short straw with a league-low two games this week. In deeper leagues, streaming a fringe player from a four-game team like the Detroit Pistons or Portland Trail Blazers over a Nets starter could be the difference between a win and a loss.
Finally, look ahead to the weekend. The "holiday hangover" days of December 26 and 27 feature a dense concentration of back-to-back sets. Saving a waiver acquisition for a Friday-Saturday stream is the most efficient way to steal categories late in the week.
