Best and Worst NBA Matchups of the Week: Knicks, Bucks, Pistons and More
A look at the teams with the easiest and toughest slates in fantasy terms judged by team speed and defensive efficiency.
With just two weeks until the Super Bowl, we’re nearing the time when the NBA is in the spotlight. No matter how many “In-Season Tournaments” and “Rivalry Weeks” the league wants to throw at us, it’s clear that the NBA regular season is lacking, and football is far ahead in terms of popularity.
The end of the NFL season leads into the NBA All-Star Game and the trade deadline, giving the NBA more juice heading into the (long) home stretch. A few players have already been moved, more will follow, and fantasy owners need to be on top of who is going to get more playing time when trades really start.
As things stand, we have a good idea of who teams are before any late season shuffling. Let’s run through the teams with the best and worst matchups this week in a fantasy basketball sense based on two key statistics. The week in question extends from Monday through Sunday (Jan. 29-Feb. 4).
The Process
Every team’s schedule was compared against the top 10 and bottom 10 teams in pace and defensive rating, as measured by NBA.com.
Positive points were given when an opponent showed up in the top 10 in pace or the bottom 10 in defensive rating. Conversely, negative points were given when an opponent appeared in the bottom 10 in pace or top 10 in defensive rating.
Defensive rating is the number of points allowed per 100 possessions, so it isn’t affected by the speed at which a team plays. Pace is calculated with a formula you can find here, but it measures the number of possessions a team gets per 48 minutes (the length of an NBA game).
A team with a positive outcome has good matchups during the week, while teams with negative outcomes face slower opponents with better defenses.
Best Matchups
New York Knicks +6
Opponents: Monday @ Hornets; Tuesday vs Jazz; Thursday vs Pacers; Saturday vs Lakers
Each of these four teams give at least one positive point to the Knicks, with the Jazz and Pacers both among the top 10 paces and bottom 10 defenses. With four days of good matchups this week, no streamers are as valuable as the players on New York.
Who is Available?
- Isaiah Hartenstein missed a few games with injury but returned on Saturday and should be ready to go this week. He has been a starting fantasy center since Mitchell Robinson went down early in the season.
- Josh Hart plays over 28 minutes per game and does a little of everything. He’s a great streamer who is eligible at guard and forward in most leagues.
- Donte DiVincenzo is closer to 22 minutes per game but puts up comparable fantasy stats to Hart, with more scoring and less rebounding. He might be the definition of a fantasy basketball streamer.
Milwaukee Bucks +4
Opponents: Monday @ Nuggets; Wednesday @ Trail Blazers; Saturday @ Mavericks; Sunday @ Jazz
Monday’s game against the Nuggets is a tough one, but the last three matchups of the week for Milwaukee are juicy. The Blazers have a bottom-10 defense, and both the Mavericks and Jazz are in the top 10 in pace and bottom 10 in defense. Milwaukee plays at a top-10 pace themselves, so those games are sure to see a lot of possessions.
Who is Available?
- Despite starting and playing nearly 30 minutes per game, Malik Beasley is an underwhelming fantasy player. He will get a lot of chances against bad teams this week, though, and will be a contributor.
- Bobby Portis is available in over 30% of leagues and has especially good matchups on Saturday and Sunday; he is close to a must-start over the weekend.
- Pat Connaughton is free in virtually every league and is a streaming option if you’re desperate.
Orlando Magic +4
Opponents: Monday @ Mavericks; Wednesday @ Spurs; Friday @ Timberwolves; Sunday @ Pistons
Friday in Minnesota is a bad matchup: The T'Wolves have the best defensive rating in the league and also play at a bottom-10 pace. The other three teams are the opposite, though, playing fast and having bad defenses. This is a great week for Magic players with the caveat to sit them on Friday if possible.
Who is Available?
- Jalen Suggs was a top-five pick who struggled as a rookie and was questioned as a possible bust before the season. We know better than to judge a player that quickly, though, and Suggs is developing into an NBA guard. He is available in over half of leagues.
- Cole Anthony has come off the bench in every game but averages over 24 minutes per game and nearly 13 points.
- Wendell Carter Jr. missed a large part of the early season but has mostly been in the lineup since. He’s owned in more than 50% of leagues and is probably worth keeping even without the great matchups.
Others With Good Matchups
- Philadelphia 76ers +3: The early-week matchups against Portland, Golden State and Utah offer upside, while the Saturday clash with the Nets is less appealing.
Worst Matchups
Detroit Pistons -5
Opponents: Wednesday @ Cavaliers; Friday vs Clippers; Sunday vs Magic
Three games for the Pistons, three tough matchups. The Cavs and Magic are both top 10 defenses that play at bottom 10 paces, while the Clippers play at the league’s fifth-slowest pace. The Pistons have been bad all season, and these matchups aren’t going to help the players or team look any better.
Who to Drop
- The Pistons were on the list of best matchups last week, and Isaiah Stewart was included as a player to pick up. He averaged 13 points and six rebounds over four games. The tide turns this week, though, and Stewart isn’t a player to have in your lineup. He might be worth keeping if you’re short at center, as Stewart averages over 30 minutes per game.
- Killian Hayes has stalled out in his development and probably isn’t part of the future in Detroit. He is safe to drop this week. Fellow guard Jaden Ivey has been treated as a streamer, but he is close to being worthy of a permanent roster spot, especially if you’re short at the position.
- Rookie Ausar Thompson should get enough minutes to be fantasy relevant the rest of the season, but he’s more of a streamer unless you’re really short at forward.
Others With Bad Matchups (All -3)
- Dallas Mavericks: Monday and Wednesday matchups against the Magic and Timberwolves feature two teams that both play at bottom-10 paces and have top-10 defenses. The Saturday game against Milwaukee is a much better outlook for fantasy production.
- San Antonio Spurs: Monday against the Wizards is the best matchup a team can hope for right now, but the rest of the week is tough against the Magic, Pelicans and Cavs.
- Utah Jazz: The Jazz have the same setup as Dallas this week, starting with tougher matchups (the Nets, Knicks and 76ers) before ending the week with a cushy matchup against the Bucks (Sunday).
