09/10 Schedules - Southwest Division

Timmy, why do I feel that come late in the season, you'll be reading a newspaper on the sidelines, a la Willie Beamen in "Any Given Sunday"? (Go Albuquerque!) In the off-season, though, the Spurs and other divisions made moves to make themselves better; they added Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess. Dallas got the Matrix and locked down Kidd for three whole years - and got Drew Gooden! Houston swapped Artest for Ariza and decided to do away with the feeling they would get in February of "Man, we're going good, hope Yao doesn't get hurt." New Orleans got Okafor for Chandler which is OK I guess, but (channeling sportsguy33) anytime you get a chance to trade one of your starters for a 2nd round pick seven years from now, you do it. (But let's not congratulate ourselves too much, that pick is conditional.) And Memphis made deals to get other teams under the luxury tax - aren't they team players!

On to the schedules!

Dallas

4-game weeks: 10
Minimum game weeks: 1
Playoff schedule: 4-4-3-2

Minimum game weeks:
Week 21 - teams also at minimum this week: ORL, POR

Dallas's schedule has a few good stretches - weeks 3-6 where they play 15 games, and weeks 17, 18, and 19 where they have 4 games each. You can't complain about their fantasy playoff setup either. It lays out pretty nicely if you take Dirk in round 1, and Jason Kidd with his triple-double potential can be pretty solid since they aren't stuck with a lot of 2 game weeks. It's a veteran team, so don't expect any sleepers to jump out and show themselves from the free agent pool. Marion had a better season in retrospect last year, and likely will be drafted in a better spot than round 1. Erick Dampier is online banking now and will be logging in every 15th of the month to see if his paycheck cleared. I hope Josh Howard can do a few more things this year, but I would not be surprised if he isn't moved come February since his nearly $12M salary next year is on a team option (good agent work - I hope he's got a trade kicker in there).

That's really all I've got to say about the Mavs for now, but I will note that while searching on whether Josh Howard has a trade kicker (he doesn't) - yes, I'm easily sidetracked by salary nerdiness - I did see that Erick Dampier's contract for next year is unguaranteed if he does not make the All Star team or does not play in 2,100 minutes in his 70 highest minute games. ED has never played 2,100 minutes while wearing Mavericks blue. So Dampier and Howard provide Dallas with $21M of very movable contracts come trade deadline time. So while the team now is at least decently constructed, the March/April product can be quite different. And don't underestimate the power of movable contracts - the Lakers turned Kwame Brown's into 2 trips to the Finals. Thanks ShamSports!

Houston

4-game weeks: 11
Minimum game weeks: 2
Playoff schedule: 4-4-4-2

Minimum game weeks:
Week 16 (AS week) - teams also at minimum this week: BOS, IND, MEM, NYK, OKC, PHX, TOR, WAS
Week 20 - teams also at minimum this week: ATL, LAL, PHX

People of the planet Houston! One has to wonder where the pure scoring is going to come from without the Yao and the McGrady. Stretches from Game 5 of the Finals aside, Ariza is not a scorer in the true sense. But he can still steal the ball, I'll give him that. Brooks looks like he'll be in the scoring point guard mold; we'll see how that goes for him. I like Scola - he'll be my consolation prize when I don't get David Lee in round 2 or 3 and I want the greasier haired Spanish speaking version of him a few rounds later.

But back to the schedule, and it's very interesting. Everything comes in bunches, 4-gamers weeks 3 + 4 and weeks 8 + 9, then all 3-gamers the month of January. By then, we should know who the Rockets are. After the 1-game All-Star week, Houston is seriously golden. By then, we could see McGrady, McGrady's expiring contract traded for something, the return of Yao, the one who becomes the dominant threat on offense, a return to relevance of Shane Battier, Aussie David Anderson, or the emergence of some of those 2nd round picks they bought this summer. This Rocket squad is going to be one to watch in Feb. and March.

Memphis

4-game weeks: 11
Minimum game weeks: 2
Playoff schedule: 3-3-4-2

Minimum game weeks:
Week 9 - teams also at minimum this week: CHA, NJN, NOH, PHI, TOR
Week 16 (AS week) - teams also at minimum this week: BOS, HOU, IND, NYK, OKC, PHX, TOR, WAS

The reason I'll try to watch Memphis games on League Pass this year? No, not because they have good young talent. No, not because their opponents will have great nights against them. It's the local commercials, featuring the finest establishments of the Mid-South, like Carl Hogan Automotive in Columbus, MS (I gotta have DeLois Price).

Memphis has a decent enough schedule - their minimum game weeks have a lot of company, so you shouldn't get run over during these weeks. Their playoff sked ain't much to look at, but take out All-Star week and Memphis has 4-gamers from week 14 through week 20. And say what you will about Memphis, they do have fantasy relevant players. I had OJ Mayo for most of last year, and while I don't love him, I understand the lure - he played in every game and had double digit points in 75 of them. His long distance range is good and should only get better. He also likes getting to the line and converting once there. Good for you. You don't hear a lot about it, but Mike Conley was quite the fantasy player from early March 09 on - top 50 and approaching top 25 for that stretch. You fantasy players like n'est pas? Well he did that once last April, why not a few more times this year, preferably in the same week? I wouldn't say Rudy Gay was a bust last year, but we all know he can do better. I have a feeling that this summer of 2010 could be the wrong year to be a restricted free agent, but good luck to you anyways. Gasol the younger was good some games, great others, blech in still others. I wouldn't complain too much if he was my 2nd Center in a must have 2 C's league (I'd like him even better as a third C / Util in such a league for a big ball team and to screw someone else over). And Z-Bo's there! I think he got to Memphis a few years too late because the strip club scene in Memphis isn't as strong as it was 6-10 years ago. Or so I hear. But if anyone can score and rebound, at nudie bars or in arenas near a large river, it's Zach Randolph.

So no, this squad doesn't need AI to make it a fun team to watch, fantasy-wise.

New Orleans

4-game weeks: 13
Minimum game weeks: 4
Playoff schedule: 3-4-3-1

Minimum game weeks:
Week 5 - teams also at minimum this week: CHI
Week 6 - teams also at minimum this week: LAC, OKC, ORL, POR, SAS
Week 9 - teams also at minimum this week: CHA, MEM, NJN, PHI, TOR
Week 25 (last week of season, combined with week before) - teams also at minimum this week: CLE

Last year's Hornets schedule was strongly backloaded, with a lot of 4-gamers around the clubhouse turn. This year? What a hot mess. On the plus side, they have the most 4 game weeks of any team in the league, 13, same as New York. They have nice stretches of those games early on: weeks 2-4 and weeks 11-15. But they have 2-gamers back to back in weeks 5 and 6. The week 5 one is crippling, as only 1 other team (Chicago) has the same sitch, and 14 teams have 4 game weeks at that time. Week 6 is not so treacherous. The playoffs are treacherous - NO plays only 4 games in your finals week, while everyone else plays 5 or 6.

What does this mean for your fantasy team? Well, I like it for Chris Paul - he's almost schedule proof, as his counting stat strengths, assists and steals, can be hard to get, and if he gives you 24 assists and 5 steals in a 2-game week, that's almost as good if not better than your replacement 4-gamer. 2-game weeks hurt the guys like David West who excel in points and rebounds and percentages. The Hornets aren't deep fantasy-wise for your standard 10-13 round leagues- Paul, West, Okafor; maybe Posey and Wright. You can get by with West or Okafor or Wright on your bench for a couple of weeks. Let's see about supporting Paul, looking at who plays max games in weeks 5 and 6: Dallas, Milwaukee, New York, and Toronto.

Let's eliminate Milwaukee - they have no one you'd take at 24 or 25 (12 team league, you have pick #1 and take Paul) or 48/49 for that matter. Dallas - you aren't getting Dirk, but Terry, Marion, and Kidd could certainly help in the next few rounds. New York - you'd have to take a good look at David Lee, then maybe Al Harrington. Toronto - you're not getting Bosh, but I'd put Calderon on my squad any day of the week (preferably Sunday night when lineups lock for the week ahead).

Now you want to take care of your playoff finals, since you will be in the finals, right? Who plays 6 games in the last 2 weeks?

Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit, Golden State, Houston, Memphis, Milwaukee, New York, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Toronto, Washington.

As you can see, you don't need to go out of your way to draft Paul backup, and you shouldn't 5 months away from the playoffs. Just keep it in mind as the All-Star Game approaches.

San Antonio

4-game weeks: 11
Minimum game weeks: 2
Playoff schedule: 4-4-4-2

Minimum game weeks:
Week 2 - teams also at minimum this week: none
Week 6 - teams also at minimum this week: LAC, NOH, OKC, ORL, POR

San Antone starts the year game-wise off slow. Week 2, they have the only 2 game week, and half the league plays 4. San Antonio is loaded at the end, finishing the year with max games from weeks 20 through 25: 4-4-4-4-4-2. If you remember last year, and if you had Duncan on your squad, you do, Coach Pop rested Duncan and/or Parker and/or Ginobli in instances when they had back to back games late in the year. Gee, ya think he'll still do that now that they all are a year older? Maybe. That's why I'm leery of having Duncan on my squad as a high pick this year. 2nd or 3rd round? No, I need a guy I can count on or get value back in a trade come February. Maybe 4th or 5th. Parker? I'll still take him, but at an appropriate time and if I have a team punting 3's and such. Ginobli? Meh.

Does that mean Spurs aren't worth having? Nosiree. Late in the year, I'm looking at guys who will get an uptick late in the year with increased PT, mainly for standard or deep leagues. Antonio McDyess, George Hill, and Roger Mason could all look better in the 2nd half than on draft day. And no, I haven't forgotten about Richard Jefferson. He won't put up numbers like last year, but I can't severely downgrade him, just because I can't see him being rested in the latter months. The Spurs, like the Rockets, need to be watched in the closing weeks.

Thus endth the Southwest Division. Coming next, the ever exciting Northwest Division - they have a team in Utah!

And in honor of the Four Fingers of Fantasy Guide coming out today on Give Me The Rock, here's a cheerleader photo. Dance!

09/10 Schedules - Central Division

Yeah, take a good look, Bron-Bron. This division is yours for the taking. "Oh The Places You'll Go", huh? Was one of those places the locker room to clean out your stuff around Memorial Day? And Mr. James, shake a guy's hand after a hard-fought series; at the very least it's a chance to give the stinkpalm. Hey, did you know that Shaq is on your team now? Big tall guy, talks low, thinks he's real funny. Pass it to him a couple of times tonight - better yet past it to Mo and tell him to pass it to him. That would help things out a bit on this end. Onto the division del Central!

Chicago

4-game weeks: 10
Minimum game weeks: 1
Playoff schedule: 4-3-4-2

Minimum game weeks:
Week 5 - teams also at minimum this week: NOH

You know, the NBA playoffs the last few years have presented some memorable 1st round series - Dallas/Golden State in 06, Boston/Atlanta in 08, and Boston/Chicago 09. All of the lower seeds in those made the average fan say, "Hey, they may be onto something." (Well, maybe not Atlanta.) Us fantasy guys are usually ahead of the curve, so we knew about Golden State, knew Atlanta had plenty of solid players even when they sucked, and knew Chicago had some talented if not frustrating stat guys. Everyone has picked up and dropped Tyrus Thomas at least once. Someone in your league jumped on Salmons right after he was traded. Derrick Rose didn't really come on until the last month of the season, and then bam! big games against the Celts. Someone will pounce on him a hair too early - me, I kinda like PG's who can shoot 3's, swipe it, and hit their freebies, and if they aren't like that, Tony Parker, Rondo, and Miller are better options. That's right now, but Rose is in that grouping.

Anyway, the Bulls schedule is weak for fantasy weeks. They play only 14 games the first 4 weeks and is fairly open the first half of the season. Their only really good stretch is the month of February, where they play a maximum 4-2-4-4. I'd keep reading the rumor reports around that time. They made a deal last season, and Brad Miller has a $12M expiring contract; if they want to give up cap space next summer, they can add a nice piece if they need to. Hopefully, Luol Deng is healthy in Feb, because if I had to have any Bulls then, I'd like guys with little chance of being traded, like Deng and his contract. Also, their fantasy playoff schedule is nice, so that can come in handy, especially if decent players get waived in your league, like a John Salmons (who shouldn't get waived, but silly things happen at the end of the year by teams that are out of it).

Cleveland

4-game weeks: 10
Minimum game weeks: 1 (last week of season, 1 game)
Playoff schedule: 3-3-4-1

Minimum game weeks:
Week 25 - teams also at minimum this week: NOH

Cleveland is one of the few teams that have a mess of games up front - six 4-game weeks in November and December, including a bam! how ya like me now week 1 4-game spot. This is when you draft LeBron and get off to that early wire-to-wire lead. Since much of the value with the Cavs is early in the season, I tend to lean toward the guys who will be more of the sure things. LBJ, sure, Mo Williams - a nice PG if you're punting assists, and maybe Anderson Varejao in the later rounds if he fills a need. I can't trust anyone else. Definitely not Shaq or Ilgauskas (an injury to one or both would change things though). I would love Delonte West, Anthony Parker, and Jamario Moon all if they were on crappier teams. Minutes would be there and they wouldn't have to share. Damn you for being good, CLE!

Cleveland only has one game where it plays the minimum games. The good news is it's the last week of the season, and either you don't use it or it gets combined with the week before (which is a 4-gamer). So while you're never under the gun, you never get the chance to pounce. Besides LeBron (granted, he is a big one), Mo Williams, and maybe Delonte West, Cavs players won't be huge factors in shallow leagues, and at best, pieces in deeper leagues. (Hi Boobie!)

Detroit

4-game weeks: 10
Minimum game weeks: 1
Playoff schedule: 3-3-4-2

Minimum game weeks:
Week 10 - teams also at minimum this week: LAC

Wow. Detroit got better this offseason. Or differenter. Fantasy ballers look at those pickups and say, "Really? They'll make your team better?" Real life NBA fans look at those pickups and say, "Really? They'll make your team better?" The difference - they won't have as much disdain in their voices after being pissed off at them for the last 3 plus years. The truth is, they aren't bad players, and depending on how you are drafting might be a fit for your team. Ben Gordon shot 45.5% last year, the 2nd time in his career he was over 45%. He'll make threes, score 20ish, and hopefully get close to 45% so as not to kill you in FG%. He played 36 minutes a game last year while starting - no guarantees he gets those minutes behind and around Rip Hamilton. Villanueva is a nice little piece who can score some, rebound some, and make a few threes. He might be the guy you want four rounds after saying, "Damn, I wish I got Antawn Jamison."

As for their schedule, they are another team who is not loaded with 4-gamers. They only play one 2-game min week, and in theory this shouldn't devastate you, since no one on their team is going to warrant a high enough draft pick where a min game week will hurt you. The strong part of their schedule is right after All-Star week and right before fantasy playoffs where they go 4-4-4-3-4. Depending on whether they are in the mix for EC spots 6-8 will determine whether the guys to go after at that time are Jason Maxiell, Chris Wilcox or Will Bynum and Austin Daye.

Say hello to Tayshaun Prince for me, since I won't be able to see him on my roster.

Indiana

4-game weeks: 12
minimum game weeks: 3 (1 during All Star week)
fantasy playoff schedule: 4-3-3-2

Minimum game weeks:
Week 1 - teams also at minimum this week: GSW, MIL, UTA
Week 3 - teams also at minimum this week: MIL, SAC, WAS
Week 16 (AS week) - teams also at minimum this week: BOS, HOU, MEM, NYK, OKC, PHX, TOR, WAS

Right off the bat, Indiana starts off 2-3-2 - that's rough if you're counting on Danny Granger to be your first round stud. Also, in fantasy semis and finals, it goes 3-3-2 for Granger. I'd be a little worried about those first 3 weeks though, so it might help to counter that with your second round pick. Let's say it's a run of the mill 9-cat H2H league with 12 teams. No one's bat-shit insane, so the draft so far has been Paul, James, Wade, Durant, Bryant, Nowitzki. You take Granger at 7, decent pick, the earliest he can and should be picked. Your next pick is at 18, so preferably, you want someone who is playing big schedules (11 games) those first 3 weeks. Let's look:

Celtics: 4-4-3
Cavaliers: 4-3-3
Clippers: 4-3-4
T'wolves: 3-4-4
Hornets: 3-4-4
Suns: 3-4-4
Blazers: 4-3-4

Now figure out who will be off the board by then: Howard, Amar'e, D. Williams, Bosh, Jefferson, Pau Gasol. Brandon Roy would be a nice fit, but I'm not holding out hopes he's there. Steve Nash has a decent chance he's available at #18, as does Kevin Garnett. After that, it looks like your best Granger insurance is in later rounds, like a David West in round 3 or LaMarcus Aldridge in round 4 or 5. Also, the Clippers schedule matches up really well with the Pacers. besides being opposites in week 1 and 3, LAC also has a lot of 4 game weeks in the middle of the year, right when Indiana does, so if I get Granger or even Troy Murphy, I'm looking a little harder at Eric Gordon, Camby, Kaman, and Griffin.

Teams with just as bad schedules as Indiana in weeks 1-3 (9 or fewer games):

Bobcats: 3-3-3
Bulls: 3-3-3
Warriors: 2-3-4
Heat: 3-3-3
Bucks: 2-3-2
Kings: 3-4-2
Wizards: 3-4-2

Nobody on these teams is really in the draftable danger zone in round 2 for Granger (say, ranked 15-25) except Butler, G. Wallace. Keep an eye out in rounds 3-4 for guys on these teams - Arenas, Jamison, K. Martin, Monta Ellis, etc. And of course Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy.

Once you get past the first 3 weeks with Indiana, their sked is golden as they have eight 4-gamers through the end of January. So Granger and Troy Murphy will be nice then, as will a healthy Dunleavy. I wouldn't necessarily say TJ Ford, but if he's your cup of tea, go for it.

As I said above, the Clippers schedule matches up really well with Indiana's, with a lot of 4 gamers then. Also good ones are Cleveland, Minnesota, New Orleans, Toronto, and Washington.

Milwaukee

4-game weeks: 9
5-game weeks: 1
minimum game weeks: 2
fantasy playoff schedule: 4-4-4-2

Minimum game weeks:
Week 1 - teams also at minimum this week: GSW, IND, UTA
Week 3 - teams also at minimum this week: IND, SAC, WAS

Well, at least their playoff schedule is nice. That said, who is going to be pulling in enough good numbers to do anything with that? Bogut will give you rebounds and FG%; that would be swell if there wasn't anyone else in the association who could do that. The problem is, many do. I can't imagine Michael Redd will be doing anything for the Bucks in April.

Here's the big thing about the Bucks sked: week 18 - the 5 game week. What a cruel joke that this is wasted on the Bucks. This week starts on Feb. 22. The trade deadline is Feb. 18th. I believe that the Bucks will try anything to shed Michael Redd (and his $18M player option for 2010-2011), so I can't guarantee that he'll do anything that week. Ridnour and Kurt Thomas, 2 guys I think could at least put up some #'s in 5 games, are expiring contract and thus are no locks to be wearing Bucks green (or red if it's alternate jersey night). So I say at this point, look at guys who will likely be on the roster through February: Ersan Ilysova, Bogut, Gadzuric, and my favorite, Luc Mbah A Moute. Brandon Jennings and Joe Alexander deserve looks, too, but their PT isn't going to magically appear on President's Day.

Really, I've got nothing else good to say about the Bucks. As my cousin, Vincent Gambini would say, "I'm finished with these guys."

Next, the Southwest Division, featuring the fine folks from San Antonio, Texas. You all probably root for a team from New York City. New York City?!?

09/10 Schedules - Southeast Division

Don't just sit there playing games, Caron, start playing games!

This year's SE division has it all. A team that was 3 wins from an NBA title that kept the Polish Hammer. A team that has steadily improved its win total each of the last 4 seasons with a weak coach and has a bunch of fantasy viable players. A team with a reactivated agent. Super Cool Beas's team. And a team that occupies the space between tee times (now more bluey and less orangey!). Let's take a look at how their schedules come into play this year for fantasy.

Atlanta

4-game weeks: 10
Minimum game weeks: 1
Playoff schedule: 4-3-4-2

Week 20 - teams also at minimum this week: HOU, LAL, PHX

Atlanta has only two 4 game weeks in calendar 2009, with a stretch from week 5 through week 10 of 3 games a pop. Unless Coach Woodson wises up and doesn't have Joe Johnson among the league leaders in minutes, JJ can be quite good in the early season. Pop the hat off of Baby New Year and things get rolling for the Hawks. The Hawks have plenty of guys who want to score; with Crawford in town, there is going to be plenty of outside shooting, with him, JJ, Flip Murray, to a lesser extent than before Mike Bibby, and Jeebus help us Josh Smith. It was unbelievably great to see Marvin Williams shoot 3's. If he keeps up his natural progression and doesn't hurt his back, he'll be a nice SF to fill out your team when you picked PG's and PF/C's in the early rounds. I really like Al Horford, and the way this team runs its offense, he's a sneaky good assists guy for a big man. This team usually gets its injury bug around December, so it's nice that the schedule is spread out at this time. If you can target some guys in January to fill out your team, it will be a great time to trade for some Hawks.

Charlotte

4-game weeks: 10
Minimum game weeks: 1
Playoff schedule: 3-4-4-2

Week 9 - teams also at minimum this week: MEM, NJN, NOH, PHI, TOR

Charlotte is another slow starter: three 3-gamers, one 4-gamer, then three more 3-gamers. You can't really get on a Bobcat roll until March. Man, I just don't see a playoff team here. I never have and likely never will draft Raymond Felton - not even on autodraft, because he's the one guy I make sure to move down. I can't have a guy take that many shots shoot 41% at best. If you've built a big-ball team and need a PG in the middle rounds, you might be able to get by with it; his assists and steals are pretty good, maybe enough to back door those cats in a week (you've given up 3's, right?). His low FG% can be salvaged by a guy like Dwight Howard. Again, it's a way to go.

Crash is the only Bobbin'cat I'd think about taking in the early rounds; he might even be a good sell high candidate near your trade deadline. Tyson Chandler used to be a fave of mine and he's going to be a downgrade from Okafor. There are 3's guys like Augustin and Bell out there, but good gravy, this roster sucks. I'm rootin' for ya, Boris Diaw, but feel free to draft him late and drop him as soon as you see someone in the league doing well.

As presently constructed, I can't see this team making the playoffs. But if they're out of it by March, their schedule picks up and some of the young guys may pay off, like Gerald Henderson and Alexis Ajinca. Pay attention, junior fantasy hoopsters, that's your first mention of Ajinca in the realm of fantasy (this doesn't count). Don't hold your breath for mention #2.

Miami

4-game weeks: 10
Minimum game weeks: 1
Playoff schedule: 4-3-3-2

Week 7 - teams also at minimum this week: LAC, NYK, WAS

The meaty part of the schedule is from weeks 11 through 17 where Miami plays max games each week. That's when you want Heat players on your roster; the way you do that - get the 3rd overall pick. D-Wade is going to be the shizzle, but this team won't give him enough to fill out his fave five. I'm not going to pile on to Michael Beasley, so I'll just wait until we can say "Cool Beans" to Super Cool Beas. Jermaine O'Neal will be The-$23M-Expiring-Contract-of-Jermaine O'Neal. If you can hide a 3-point gunner on your roster, you could do worse than Daequan Cook. If you need a PG late on your big-ball team, I think Mario Chalmers is a better option than the above-mentioned Raymond Felton. Someone has to get rebounds on Miami, might as well be Udonis Haslem. And since Miami's schedule picks up starting Jan. 4th, I predict Dec. 30th as the day I try to get cute and pick him up for FG% and boards, then Jan. 7th for me to say, "What the deuce?!?"

Also, Yakhouba Diawara is on the roster. I submit that he is the worst player in the NBA for fantasy that might actually start games. The Heat would have to have a 7 game week for me to think about picking him up. Maybe that will happen in a lockout shortened 2011 season.

Orlando

4-game weeks: 11
Minimum game weeks: 2
Playoff schedule: 4-3-3-2

Week 6 - teams also at minimum this week: LAC, NOH, OKC, POR, SAS
Week 21 - teams also at minimum this week: DAL, POR

Orlando is one of the best and could be the best team in the league. It is also a team where it comes into play seriously. Their post AS Game schedule is lighter than others, and they very well could lock themselves into an Eastern Conference seed well before mid April, so it might be tough to have Vince on your roster then. D-12 is 1st or early 2nd round pick in H2H leagues; you know he's going to come out early and hard, especially with Rashard Lewis out the first 10 games.

Speaking of that, Orlando got really lucky with the schedule fantasy-wise. Their first 3 weeks are 3-4-3 - Lewis misses exactly 3 weeks. If they were scheduled 3-3-2, he's suspended into your 4th week. If they were scheduled 4-4-4, he's useless for 3 weeks plus you've lost him for 3 max game weeks. So he'll be ready to roll in week 4, and really I'll have no qualms drafting him in a head-to-head league.

The other big thing about Orlando's sked - the short All-Star week (16). Nine teams play only 1 game. Twenty teams play 2 games. Orlando plays 3. This can be a huge advantage if you have a couple of Magic starters on your roster. If you have Howard on your roster, he can win FG%, rebounds, and blocks all by himself, then you can gamble on steals and 3's. If you can counteract FT% and TO's, you can be gunning for a 7-2 / 8-1 this week. This week alone can make it worthwhile to have 2 Magicians on your roster. Milwaukee's 5 game week in late February may get more talk, but this is the most valuable team-week in the season for fantasy. Make sure to check your league rules, though. Some platforms can combine this week with the week before or after, effectively neutralizing this advantage. Yahoo! does not (unless it's an upgrade this year).

Orlando has plenty of big names this year, and they have 4 guys I wouldn't mind drafting to pay off the first half of the season - Howard, Lewis, Carter, and Nelson. And if something happens, I have no prob picking up whoever shines out of the Anderson, Barnes, Pietrus, Redick group.

Of note: Orlando and Portland really don't mesh schedulewise. Thus, I wouldn't pick a Magician and a Blazer in high rounds together, in this case Howard and Roy. I would put later round guys together, like Rudy Fernandez and Mickael Pietrus, or a mix like Howard and Oden. Again, don't screw up your draft, but keep it in mind.

Washington

4-game weeks: 12
Minimum game weeks: 3
Playoff schedule: 4-4-4-2

Week 3 - teams also at minimum this week: IND, MIL, SAC
Week 7 - teams also at minimum this week: LAC, MIA, NYK
Week 16 (AS week) - teams also at minimum this week: BOS, HOU, IND, MEM, NYK, OKC, PHX, TOR

Agent Zero is back! They've got Mike Miller! And Randy Foye! Coach of the Year (CBA) and league champion (CBA) Flip Saunders is running the show! Antawn Jamison is still doing things! No more gold shirts-black shorts! (sniff) Aren't you excited by the Wizards this year?!? Uh-huh, right.

I think the League Pass people will forgive you if you skip the Wizards-Bobcats tilts this season. That said, there are still some fantasy viable options wearing Wizards blue. Good luck drafting Gilbert Arenas this year - he'll be a nice high risk-high reward pick. Caron Butler has been killing you in roto the last couple of years, but when he's in the lineup, he's a serious top 3 rounds player. Jamison is an interesting player - a good small ball PF or big ball SF. I think a lot of people got burned by Mike Miller last year, but if he's on, he'll round out your lineup nicely and can fit into a variety of roster spots. The good thing about Randy Foye this year? He'll be playing and DeShawn Stevenson won't. His points will go down with the other gunners in the lineup, but he could be a nice sources of steals and threes in the later rounds. Brendan Haywood gives a hearty thank you to fantasy commissioners who make their leagues have 2 centers.

Schedule-wise, it's really backloaded for the Wizards, especially come playoff time. Hopefully by then you'll know if Butler and Arenas are hurt. Conversely, their early schedule is wafer thin. If you're shaky on Arenas, you can draft and hide him the first few weeks if you can.


That's it for the y'all division, up next, the rustbelt Central Division.

Looking over the new fall (and beyond) schedule

I'm back, nerds!

Man, August is a rough time. It's Africa hot in Atlanta; the foosball hasn't started; back-to-school sales and what not. But the NBA schedule came out recently, and now's always a great chance to look at it for your H2H leagues (and to a much lesser extent, roto), even before you sort out your top 12.

So when the schedule first comes out, I look for a few things: 1) Are there any teams with a 5 game week (Milwaukee week 18 - I'll get to that) 2) Who has good "playoff" schedules, i.e., their schedule the last 4 weeks goes 4-4-4-2. This year, it's Houston, Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Toronto, and Washington. Just one more thing to consider for drafting purposes. It might give me an extra tick in the PRO column if I was choosing between, say Kevin Durant and Danny Granger. 3) I look to see which teams have the most 2 game weeks during normal play (not counting All-Star week and the last week of the season) and 1 game weeks in those weeks. New Orleans and New York each have 4 of the minimum game weeks. In a way, that sucks, but keep in mind that these teams must also have the most 4 game weeks - they each have 13. That's not going to change my mind on CP3 - he's #1 until he pops an Achilles in camp or finds where Julius Hodge is playing this summer and pops him in the jimmy again. But maybe I'll give an extra glance to Wilson Chandler, if not on draft day, then in advance of their hottest schedule stretch, which is just about from mid-February on.

Anyway, I'll be looking at team schedules, division by division, to gauge some strategies pre-draft, like playoff schedule, when 2-game weeks hit (so you don't have your top guys playing 2 games at the same time), and how schedule quirks hit the guys outside the first couple of rounds. Miami plays 2 games in a week, you're not benching Dwyane Wade, but Udonis Haslem's going to have a tough time cracking my lineup. Also, this is a purely integer-based analysis; a team playing 3 games in a week against GS, NY, and NJ might be better off than a team playing 4 games against SA, SA, BOS, and DET. But you'll have to delve into that closer to the zero hour.

First up, Atlantic Division teams...

Boston

4-game weeks: 10
minimum game weeks: 1 (All Star week)
fantasy playoff schedule: 4-3-4-2

Minimum game week:
Week 16 (all-star week/1 game) - teams also at minimum this week: HOU, IND, MEM, NYK, OKC, PHX, TOR. I wouldn't alter drafting too much based on this week, AS week is a crap shoot anyways.

Boston never has a 2 game week during a week with a full schedule, but the rub against them is the stretch from week 3 through week 13 where they play 3 games every week. While I think KG will be just fine and not have a Shawn Marion-in-2009-type-of-year, you don't get a huge push from him during a nearly 3 month stretch. The bulk of the Celts' 4-gamers are post AS, and they very well could be in locked in the third slot role, meaning the Big 3 could be the Big Not-Playing-Over-30-Minutes-a-Game 3. This kind of makes me like Rondo a little more. If he's playing at triple double level early in the season, that will be just fine during 3 game weeks. I'm going to keep an eye on Davis, Perkins, and Rasheed come All-Star time.


New Jersey

4-game weeks: 11
minimum game weeks: 2
fantasy playoff schedule: 4-4-3-2

Minimum game weeks:
Week 9 - teams also at minimum this week: CHA, MEM, NOH, PHI, TOR
Week 12 - teams also at minimum this week: POR

New Jersey's schedule is fairly spread out - no huge stretches 4 games in a row, and it is neither front loaded nor back loaded with games in each part of the season. Devin Harris and Brook Lopez are the main guys to watch out for, and if you really like Courtney Lee, don't let the Nets schedule move him up or down in your draft. Same with Yi Jianlian. Basically, Jersey's schedule, like their team - meh.


New York

4-game weeks: 13
minimum game weeks: 4 (1 during All Star week)
fantasy playoff schedule: 2-4-4-2

Minimum game weeks:
Week 7 - teams also at minimum this week: LAC, MIA, WAS
Week 11 - teams also at minimum this week: none
Week 16 (AS week) - teams also at minimum this week: BOS, HOU, IND, MEM, OKC, PHX, TOR
Week 22 (1st rd playoffs) - teams also at minimum this week: none

The Knicks have one of the most volatile schedules, but could turn out to be one of the sweetest. Week 11 (early January) they are the only team off, so unless you have the entire Knicks starting five on your roster (in which case you really love the Knicks and this decade has not been good for you - be like Spike and root for Kobe once in a while) you'll be in pretty good shape. The same goes for week 22, and it's even better if you're in the standard Yahoo-ey playoff format where 1st and 2nd places get 1st round byes. I'll take my chances in early February when the Knicks play 1 (against Sacramento - I peeked) and almost everyone else plays two - not a huge disadvantage in counting stats.

Those 13 4-game weeks are freakin' sweet though. I'm already driving the bus on the David Lee fan club victory tour, so really this changes nothing. I'm not the biggest Al Harrington fan, but going over his stats and his schedule makes me want to look at him further on draft day, especially if Yahoo thinks he played enough games at center for the Warriors last year so he can start on my small-ball team.

Wilson Chandler is the one to watch, especially if he can keep up the 1 three / 1 steal / 1 block per game average. His minutes and daily production can be volatile, but he put up some great numbers in the last 6 weeks of 2009. With this Knicks schedule, I would move him up one round where you would think to draft him, say from 7th to 6th. Nate Robinson - your guess is as good as mine. Krypto-Nate (Metallo?) is going to be just as frustrating this year as last, provided he signs something or plays for the qualifying a la Ben Gordon. I'd love to see Danilo Gallinari get some serious run - a) because he won't be hurt, and b) that should mean Jared Jeffries won't (God bless the Knicks if they ever trade him before Feb). Also, I'd like to like Duhon, since he's going to get some good assist numbers in the brothers D'Antoni system.But if they get Ramon Sessions any time before Feb. 2010, look out.

What about Darko? Well I guess someone in your league will draft him. Excelsior if you do. Let's say you have him on your roster mid-season as a throw-in to a trade. Hold him until just before the Knicks schedule picks up around mid-Jan., then release him. Hopefully, someone ahead of you in the waiver line will pick him up, thinking "Hey, Darko can give me blocks and rebounds." You move up one spot in the waiver order and that can help late in the season. That is how Darko will help you in fantasy hoops this season. You're welcome.

Of note: Eddy Curry is eligible to be drafted or picked up as a free agent at any time.

Philadelphia

4-game weeks: 10
minimum game weeks: 1
fantasy playoff schedule: 3-3-4-2

Minimum game weeks:
Week 9 - teams also at minimum this week: CHA, MEM, NJN, NOH, TOR

Nothing jumps off the board with Philly's schedule. Andre Iguodala is going to be the main man there, and without a bunch of 2 game weeks on the sked, he should do nice things over the course of the year. I'm not sold on Louis Williams as the starting PG this season, so I'll let someone else jump on that grenade. One thing about him if you are lucky enough to get CP3 or Calderon - all three are only playing 2 games in week 9. Nothing to throw your whole draft out of whack, but something to keep in mind.

If healthy, Elton Brand will do Elton Brand things. He'll need to work on that "if healthy" part. I like Thaddeus Young this year - nice little jump in year 3. I've bought a timeshare in the "Don't Want Sam Dalembert Condominium Complex"; I want to see Marreese Speights get more PT. The thing is, the Sixers schedule doesn't have a lot of packs of 4 game weeks in a row. So you'll have to wait for a frontcourt injury or doghousing to pick him up and by then it could be too late. He's on the Watch List for now.

Toronto

4-game weeks: 11
minimum game weeks: 2 (1 during All Star week)
fantasy playoff schedule: 4-4-4-2

Minimum game weeks:
Week 9 - teams also at minimum this week: CHA, MEM, NJN, NOH, PHI
Week 16 (AS week) - teams also at minimum this week: BOS, HOU, IND, MEM, NYK, OKC, PHX

Toronto has a nice and smooth schedule, with a great playoff docket and a stretch from weeks 3 through 8 where they play max 4 games. If you want to get off on a roll early, have all the Raps on your squad take two steps forward (not so fast, Marcus Banks). This could make Jarrett Jack more draftable than you thought, or at least an early free agent pickup. This schedule is great for Calderon and Bosh - not a lot of 2 game weeks and they'll do solid for you in the 3 game weeks, plus can be a great playoff duo, especially since the Raps will be jockeying for playoff position come March and April in real life.

I like this team - with its schedule and all of the guys getting major minutes not named Joey Graham can fill out yer lineup. You damn well better target Bargnani for your small ball team - heck, he's not a bad C for your mid-ball team. If this team starts out hot (depending on how fast they mesh all their new players) having a couple of Raptors would be, how you say? nice. Their strong season ending schedule make them must gets for playoff time, provided guys like Bargnani haven't drifted off to pansy-like 2007 form. It's a shame they have so many games early - not enough time to get max effect out of a guy like DeMar DeRozan to see how he can fit in.

Wait, I haven't mentioned Hedo Turkoglu yet. If I draft him, I'll see plenty of 3 for 14 nights with 4 TO's. If I don't, I'll go up against him when he drops a few 20-5-5 w/2 steals on me. Screw you, you berzerk Turk!


Up next - Southeast Division...