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2024-25 Fantasy Basketball Week 20 Schedule Breakdown

For fantasy managers competing in Yahoo! public leagues or with Yahoo! default settings, Week 20 means that the playoffs are underway. Most teams will play four games during the week, including some who have already begun their "silly season" shenanigans. Let's look at the Week 20 schedule breakdown.

Week 20 Games Played

4 Games: CHA, CHI, CLE, DEN, DET, GSW, HOU, IND, LAL, MIA, NOR, NYK, PHI, SAC, SAS, UTA, WAS

3 Games: ATL, BKN, BOS, LAC, MEM, MIL, MIN, OKC, PHO, TOR

2 Games: DAL, ORL

Week 20 Storylines

- Avoid Dallas and Orlando until Wednesday.

The Mavericks and Magic have the worst Week 20 schedules, as the teams are scheduled only to play two games. Making matters worse is that they're both on Wednesday/Friday setups, meaning low-rostered players who may have been streamed during Week 19 will be of little value to begin Week 20. One player who immediately jumps to mind is Naji Marshall, who is rostered in 54 percent of Yahoo! leagues. Given how banged-up Dallas is, a case can be made that he's worth holding onto despite the poor schedule. However, the rest of the fantasy managers' rosters will also dictate that decision.

If the production from other players allows for Marshall to be stashed until Wednesday, that is an approach worth considering. As for Orlando, they've been at less than full strength at point guard. Jalen Suggs (knee) is out for the season, and Cole Anthony has missed time with a toe injury. While the Week 20 schedule may work in Anthony's favor, he hasn't performed where he would qualify as a "must-stash" player.

- Philadelphia, San Antonio, Utah and Washington are among the teams worth targeting

The 76ers, Spurs, Jazz and Wizards are among the teams that will play four games during Week 20. And with this quartet all headed for the draft lottery, there's a good chance that low-rostered standouts will continue to emerge. Adem Bona (Philadelphia), Stephon Castle (San Antonio), Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski (Utah), and Kyshawn George (Washington) are a few of the names fantasy managers will need to be mindful of as they craft their lineups for Week 20. Castle will be the most difficult to find on waiver wires, but the others are all available in at least 70 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

- Brooklyn and Milwaukee are active on all three "light days."

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday are the light game days of Week 20, and the Nets are Bucks will be playing on all three. While there hasn't been much value to find among low-rostered players in Milwaukee, that can't be said for Brooklyn. With Cam Thomas done for the season, Ziaire Williams and Keon Johnson are two perimeter players who should continue to play starters' minutes. While field goal percentage can be an issue for both, the circumstances make Williams and Johnson worth the risk. Day'Ron Sharpe will also be worth a look, especially if the Nets look to limit Nic Claxton's playing time for the rest of the season.

- Will the Lakers get back to full strength during Week 20?

Before Friday's loss to the Nuggets, Lakers coach JJ Redick said LeBron James (groin), Rui Hachimura (knee) and Jaxson Hayes (knee) were all "very close" to returning to action. Will that happen during Week 20? The Lakers play four home games next week, beginning with the Spurs on Monday, and they'll also have a Wednesday/Thursday back-to-back against the Nuggets and Bucks. James' status will be most impactful on fantasy basketball, with Gabe Vincent and Dalton Knecht being the players to watch. Hachimura's absence opened up a place in the starting lineup for Dorian Finney-Smith, one of many players held out of Friday's loss to Denver. As for Hayes, the Lakers have tried various options at the center position with him out, including Alex Len, Trey Jemison and Christian Koloko, but none have impacted fantasy basketball.

- Orlando and Minnesota have the worst playoff schedules for leagues that begin their postseasons during Week 20.

The Magic and Timberwolves only play nine games during weeks 20 through 22. As noted above, Orlando plays two games during Week 20 but will have four games during Week 22. As for Minnesota, they're on a 3-3-3 schedule for weeks 20 through 22. Orlando has not seen any low-rostered players emerge, especially with Cole Anthony currently dealing with an injury. As for the Timberwolves, Jaden McDaniels (68 percent rostered) and Mike Conley (38 percent) may be the closest a manager can get to finding someone worthwhile who may be available in standard leagues. Ten teams are scheduled to play 10 games during weeks 20 through 22, including the Mavericks (four games in weeks 21 and 22), Nets and Pelicans.

Light Game Days

Tuesday: 4 Games

ATL vs. CHA

BKN vs. BOS

MIL vs. GSW

CLE vs. LAC

Thursday: 5 Games

NYK vs. CHA

BKN vs. IND

TOR vs. GSW

CHI vs. SAC

MIL vs. LAL

Saturday: 5 Games

BKN vs. IND

GSW vs. ATL

WAS vs. NYK

MIL vs. SAC

CHI vs. LAL

Week 20 Back-to-backs

Sunday (Week 19)-Monday: LAL, MIN, ORL, PHI, PHO, TOR, UTA

Monday-Tuesday: GSW

Tuesday-Wednesday: CLE

Wednesday-Thursday: CHI, IND, LAL, NYK, SAC

Thursday-Friday: CHA

Friday-Saturday: WAS

Saturday-Sunday: ATL

Sunday-Monday (Week 21): BOS, DEN, NOR, PHI, TOR

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Watch Jordan Poole's deep game-winner lift Wizards past Nuggets

Washington Wizards v Denver Nuggets

DENVER, COLORADO - MARCH 15: Jordan Poole #13 of the Washington Wizards reacts after shooting the game-winning basket late in the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena on March 15, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

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Denver had lost three of its last seven games, but those losses came against quality teams: Boston, Oklahoma City, and a red-hot Minnesota squad.

Saturday night the Nuggets lost at home to the tanking Wizards. Then again, how were they going to stop this ridiculous Jordan Poole game-winner from deep with 1.8 seconds left?

Washington, which has played relatively better of late, was boosted by a big night from rookie Alex Sarr, who dropped 34 points on Denver and hit five 3-pointers himself.

This game was the second night of a back-to-back for Denver, but that didn't slow Nikola Jokic, who finished with 40 points and 13 rebounds. Jamal Murray added 24 and Russell Westbrook 22.

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Gray hits six 3s as UC San Diego beats UC Irvine 75-61 for Big West title and NCAA Tourney berth

Hayden Gray knocked down six of his seven 3-point attempts and UC San Diego pulled away late to beat UC Irvine, 75-61 to earn its first Big West Conference Tournament championship and its first NCAA Tournament berth on Saturday night. The Tritons moved up from Division II to join the conference in 2020 and won the regular season championship with 18 wins in 20 conference games. UC Irvine took a 33-31 lead at intermission, but the Tritons took the lead in the third minute of the second half on a jumper by Tyler McGhie to start an 8-0 run for a seven-point advantage, 43-36.

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Knicks' Jalen Brunson could be out until April with ankle injury: report

While the initial reports on Jalen Brunson's sprained right ankle projected a recovery period of roughly two weeks, it appears that the Knicks might be playing without their superstar captain for a much longer stretch of time.

Prior to the Knicks' hard-fought loss to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night, ESPN's Shams Charania provided a televsion update on Brunson's injury, revealing that the two-time All-Star could be sidelined through March or early April. Charania placed the timeline in the three-to-four week range, at a minimum, during the pregame broadcast.

Brunson injured his ankle in overtime against the Los Angeles Lakers on March 6, after landing on Austin Reaves' foot during a layup attempt. At that time, SNY's Ian Begley reported that the specific sprain grade was unknown and the diagnosis was much better than what the Knicks feared.

But the latest information from Charania is far more discouraging. Brunson has missed the Knicks' last four games, and the team still has nine games remaining this month. Once the calendar turns, they'll play eight more regular-season contests before the playoffs arrive on April 19.

It's no secret that the Knicks will only go as far as Brunson takes them. He's the undisputed catalyst, who's averaged a team-high 26.3 points and 7.4 assists in 61 games. Entering the All-Star break, he ranked first in points, assists, and minutes among all 28-year-olds in the NBA this season, and he recently became the fastest player in franchise history to score 5,000 points.

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Metheny, Peter lead Liberty to its first CUSA tourney title with 79-67 win over Jacksonville State

Kaden Metheny scored 21 points and Taelon Peter added 20, and top-seeded Liberty pulled away early in the second half to beat No. seed Jacksonville State 79-67 on Saturday night for its first Conference USA Tournament title. Liberty, in its second season as a member of CUSA, clinched its sixth NCAA Tournament berth in program history and its first since the Flames won the ASUN Conference Tournament in 2021.

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Dick Vitale tears up on ACC Championship broadcast while talking about recent cancer battle

Dick Vitale became emotional Saturday night while talking about his most recent cancer battle while announcing top-ranked Duke's 73-62 victory over No. 13 Louisville in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship. The 85-year-old ESPN college basketball analyst announced in December he was cancer-free. Vitale teared up as he looked into the camera while sitting between fellow announcers Dave O'Brien and Cory Alexander.

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Knicks' grittiness goes unrewarded in tense 97-94 loss to Warriors

The Knicks wrapped up their five-game California road trip on a sour note, falling to the red-hot Golden State Warriors, 97-94, on Saturday night at Chase Center.

Here are the takeaways...

-- The Knicks made a concerted effort to run their offense through Karl-Anthony Towns from the jump, and his aggressiveness in the paint yielded six points and four rebounds within the first three minutes of action. It was a clear message sent to Warriors veteran Draymond Green, who unfairly criticized Towns for missing their first meeting of the season back on March 4.

-- Towns' presence didn't overwhelm Golden State in the first quarter, however. There were a combined 63 points scored, along with 11 lead changes. But the Knicks stressed ball movement down low in the opening period, and wound up tallying twice as many paint points (20-10) as the Warriors.

-- The back-and-forth nature of the first half wasn't devoid of physicality or foul trouble. And much to the Knicks' chargin, defensive miscues restricted Towns' playing time. He committed his third foul with 8:08 left in the second quarter, and before leaving the floor for the remainder of the half, he ignited the crowd by briefly squabbling with Green.

-- It wasn't the least bit surprising to see the Knicks discombobulated with Towns on the bench and captain Jalen Brunson inactive due to a week-to-week ankle injury. They scored just 19 points in the second quarter, compared to 31 in the first, and Mitchell Robinson was visibly gassed on both ends of the court as Towns' replacement. New York simply lacked rhythm.

-- Luckily for the Knicks, persistence from their supporting cast kept the score close. The Warriors were also limited to 19 second-quarter points, despite contributions from all players in their 10-man rotation. If not for nine turnovers that resulted in 10 Warriors points, the Knicks would've entered halftime with the lead. Instead they trailed, 54-40.

-- The second half opened with Towns back on the court, and he wasted no time getting involved. He drained a three from the right wing within the first 30 seconds, and three possessions later, he bumped his points total to 16 with a jumper from the left block. But Towns struggled defending Stephen Curry off pick-and-rolls, which displeased Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau.

-- While the Warriors increased their lead to nine midway through the third, the Knicks didn't relent. They managed to trim their deficit down to three, 75-72, entering the final quarter. At that point, wingers Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby had logged 17 points and 16 points, respectively, and Miles McBride provided a huge boost by contributing 17 points.

-- With gritty momentum on their side, the Warriors opened the fourth quarter with sharper shooting that helped bump their lead back to nine. The Knicks couldn't match early on, as they missed five of six shots by the first media timeout. During the break, cameras near the bench caught Thibodeau arguing with Josh Hart, who stunningly went scoreless in 39 total minutes played.

-- By avoiding further foul trouble, Towns regained dominance with the rock. He scored 11 straight points for the Knicks midway through the fourth, pushing his total to 29 by the 4:39 mark. Moments later, the Knicks knotted the score at 88-88 with a jumper from Bridges. But a driving layup from Moses Moody placed the Warriors ahead again with 2:26 left, and they didn't look back.

-- It was Green who wound up getting the last laugh over Towns. In the final minute, he drained a pair of free throws to push the Warriors lead to four, and after a costly turnover from McBride on the ensuing possession, Green drove to the rim for a layup that bumped the lead up to six, 94-88. New York's attempts at fouling in the closing seconds were ultimatey fruitless.

Game MVP: Stephen Curry

Curry's performance wasn't exactly vintage, but he scored when it mattered most. The first player in NBA history to record 4,000 career threes finished the game with 28 points on 8-of-20 shooting with seven rebounds and five assists. Golden State also improved to a stunning 14-1 since acquiring Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat.

Highlights

Up next

The Knicks (42-24) return to Madison Square Garden on Monday night for a matchup against the Miami Heat (7:30 p.m. tip).