With the calendar flipping to March, even more fantasy managers have to plan for their leagues' playoff weeks. While some teams are competing for draft lottery odds, most are fighting for playoff positioning, leaving a lot to figure out regarding player availability. One of those players is Clippers point guard Darius Garland, who has yet to make his debut for the team due to a toe injury suffered while with the Cavaliers.
According to Law Murray of The Athletic, Garland could make his debut on Monday, the first of four games the Clippers play during Week 19. If he can play, how much time will Garland receive? And what will his availability for the week, which concludes with a back-to-back, look like? Garland certainly isn't the only player with injury questions going into Week 19, but he could potentially affect fantasy basketball in a major way during the playoff weeks. Let's look at the Week 19 schedule and some of its key storylines.
Week 19 Games Played
4 Games: BOS, CHA, DAL, DET, HOU, LAC, LAL, MIA, MIL, NOR, NYK, ORL, PHX, SAS, UTA, WAS
3 Games: BKN, CHI, DEN, GSW, IND, MEM, MIN, OKC, PHI, POR, SAC, TOR
2 Games: ATL, CLE
Week 19 Back-to-backs
Sunday (Week 18)-Monday: BOS, DEN, LAC, MIL
Monday-Tuesday: WAS
Tuesday-Wednesday: CHA, MEM, NYK, OKC, PHI
Wednesday-Thursday: UTA
Thursday-Friday: DAL, DEN, HOU, LAL, MIA, NOR, PHX, SAS
Friday-Saturday: LAC
Saturday-Sunday: DET, MIL, ORL
Sunday-Monday (Week 20): CLE, NYK
Week 19 Storylines of Note
- Avoid fringe Hawks and Cavaliers, as they have two-game schedules.
Atlanta and Cleveland are the teams to avoid for managers competing in leagues that lock lineups for the week on Monday, as they'll only play two games. However, while the Hawks play their games on two of the lighter days, Wednesday and Saturday, the Cavaliers' games are on the busiest days of Week 19, Tuesday and Sunday. The question for Cleveland: Will the four-day break in between games be enough to get some of their key players back on the court?
James Harden (thumb) and Donovan Mitchell (groin) have missed Cleveland's last two games, while Dean Wade (ankle) was held out of Friday's loss to the Pistons. Atlanta's most significant injury concern is star forward Jalen Johnson (hip), who at the time of publishing was considered questionable for the team's final game of Week 18.
- Denver has a bad schedule to end the week, as they're off Saturday and Sunday.
Not only are the Nuggets limited to three games during Week 19, but their schedule concludes with a back-to-back on Thursday and Friday against the Lakers and Knicks. While this won't be an issue for Nikola Jokić or Jamal Murray, fantasy managers relying on some of Denver's players who aren't elite options will have decisions to make for the weekend.
Many managers have held onto Cameron Johnson and Christian Braun despite their underwhelming fantasy value, but does that stand with the fantasy playoffs in many leagues on the horizon? Also worth watching are Aaron Gordon (hamstring) and Peyton Watson (hamstring), who should be up for re-evaluation soon.
- Indiana and Portland won't play their first games of Week 19 until Wednesday.
The Pacers and Trail Blazers have three-game weeks, and they'll play on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. However, the two teams are in vastly different positions going into Week 19. While the Trail Blazers are fighting for postseason positioning in the West, the Pacers are headed for the draft lottery while also needing to avoid losing their pick (it's protected from 1-4 and 10-30; the Clippers get the pick if it falls between 5 and 9).
Obi Toppin made his return from foot surgery during Week 18 but only played eight minutes in his first game back. Even without a back-to-back, how much will he play during Week 19, and is he even worth the risk in most fantasy leagues? There are also availability concerns for Andrew Nembhard (back), Aaron Nesmith (ankle) and T.J. McConnell (hamstring), and not much reason for any of them to log heavy minutes.
As for Portland, Deni Avdija (back) has missed the last three games, and it could be four going into Week 19 as the Trail Blazers play Atlanta on the final day of Week 18. With Shaedon Sharpe (calf, fibula) also out, Scoot Henderson and Kris Murray have moved into the starting lineup recently. Neither has done enough to be worth the risk in most leagues, but who's to say that can't change during Week 19?
- Detroit and Houston are among the teams with the best schedules to finish Week 19.
Nine teams, including the Pistons and Rockets, play three games over the final four days of Week 19. Also on that list are teams like the Lakers, Pelicans and Spurs, with New Orleans being an interesting team due to its' road back-to-back against San Antonio and Phoenix on Thursday and Friday. Dejounte Murray (Achilles) is someone who's a prime target for an injury management game; would that result in Derik Queen moving back into the starting lineup, or will Jeremiah Fears receive the nod? The former has struggled mightily recently, especially defensively, which factored into DeAndre Jordan moving into the starting lineup.
- The Nuggets, Clippers, Knicks and Bucks have two back-to-backs to navigate.
For the Nuggets, Clippers and Bucks, their first back-to-back will begin with the final game day of Week 18. The Clippers are still awaiting the returns of Kawhi Leonard (ankle) and John Collins (head, neck), leaving Tyronn Lue's team short on offensive options. Garland may be able to make his Clippers' debut during Week 19, which would give the team a much-needed boost. Bennedict Mathurin, who's already rostered in most leagues, is well-positioned to step up if Leonard remains sidelined.
The question for Milwaukee is simple: when will Giannis Antetokounmpo be able to return from his strained calf? Obviously, his availability has a significant impact on the Bucks' rotation and fantasy basketball. New York's availability question mark for their back-to-backs is which games will Mitchell Robinson be available for? However, the injury management done throughout the season has made him a non-factor in most fantasy leagues.
Julian Strawther
Taylor Hendricks
Lu Dort
