Welcome to the 2020-21 Fantasy Basketball Week 11 Weekly Planner Part 2!
It was an incredible All-Star weekend in which we saw dunks, high rising talent, and much more. We can now turn the page onto a the final part of the extended week of Fantasy basketball.
The good and bad news for fantasy owners in the up-and-coming week is that the NBA doesn't restart until Wednesday. Very sad, I know. But hey, at least you get two extra days to set your lineup.
Click here to read my advice from Part 1 of Week 11.
Enjoy the NBA All-Star Game!
2020-21 Fantasy Basketball Week 11 Weekly Planner Part 2
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Schedule Run Down: March 8th - March 14th
Road Back-to-Backs
- 76ers (Thu @ CHI, Fri @ WAS)
- Magic (Thu @ MIA, Fri @ SA)
- Rockets (Thu @ SAC, Fri @ UTA)
- Pacers (Fri @ LAL, Sat @ PHX)
- Raptors (Sat @ CHA, Sun @ CHI)
- Blazers (Sat @ MIN, Sun @ MIN)
Home/Away Back-to-Backs
- Mavericks (Wed vs SA, Thu @ OKC)
- Heat (Thu vs ORL, Fri @ CHI)
- Nuggets (Fri @ MEM, Sat vs DAL)
Three Game Slates
Wizards, Raptors, Spurs, Blazers, 76ers, Magic, Thunder, Pelicans, Timberwolves, Heat, Grizzlies, Kings, Mavericks, Bulls
Two Game Slates
Jazz, Kings, Suns, Knicks, Bucks, Clippers, Pacers, Warriors, Pistons, Nuggets, Cavaliers, Hornets, Nets, Celtics, Hawks
One Game Slate
Lakers
Pickup of the Week
Dennis Smith Jr, PG, Detroit Pistons (30.9% owned)
With the NBA trade deadline rapidly approaching, things could get weird in the next few weeks for the Pistons. After acquiring Smtih Jr just a few weeks back in a trade with the Knicks, the Pistons may be on the verge of wheeling and dealing yet again.
Guys like Jerami Grant, Mason Plumlee, and Wayne Ellington have all been names rumored to be moved. The Pistons also decided to waive former star, Blake Griffin this week. If the organization does decide to move on from a name like Wayne Ellington or Jerami Grant, it could potentially open up more minutes for Smith Jr.
But potential aside, what Smith Jr is doing since coming to the Pistons is special. Take a look at his past five games now that head coach Stan Van Gundy is giving him minutes.
- 26.5 Minutes
- 11.4 Points
- 10.8 Field goal attempts
- 4.2 Three-pointers attempted
- 5.0 Rebounds
- 6.0 Assists
- 1.8 Steals
The 23-year-old guard is averaging all these stats while putting up efficient offensive numbers. He's shooting a solid 43% from the field along with 38% from three.
Dennis Smith Jr. tonight:
10 points
11 rebounds
11 assists
3 stealsSolid ✊ pic.twitter.com/uO4qAkKhVw
— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) March 4, 2021
Since February 19th, Smith Jr has scored less than 27 fantasy points just twice in eight games. Unbelievable, being a point guard gives you a high level of usage and touches, paired with points and an elite assist rate. Smith Jr based on his starting role, point guard position, and clear favor in the organization makes him a perfect pickup.
Team to Target
Portland Trail Blazers
One of the league's most surprising teams to this point, the Blazers are currently the western conference's fifth seed. All of that without CJ McCollum and Jusif Nurkic, two of the team's top players. This week, after the end of the All-Star break, they are a team I'll be targeting in fantasy league formats.
With the Blazers being one of the 14 teams that play three games after the break is a leg up; but being one of the teams that play an easy schedule as they do, well that's the key. Let's take a look at the schedule.
- Thursday vs PHX
- Saturday @ MIN
- Sunday @ MIN
Back-to-back games should be no problem given they play both of those games against a weak opponent and won't have to travel after either. It sets up perfectly for them. The Blazers receive an extended day's rest after the all-star break to start, then get an extra recovery day and travel to Minnesota.
The strength of the schedule paired with rest built-in is perfect. Let's look at the schedule strength, you can see it's only two opponents. The Suns will tough, they rank high in every defensive category. However, the Timberwolves...well, they are terrible on defense. They rank towards the bottom in almost every category.
According to statistics that rank every team's defense versus position, here's how the Timberwolves rank in terms of all 150 ranked positions.
Here’s how the #Timberwolves rank in terms of DVP.
They square up twice against the Blazers, I’ll be targeting Portland this week being 1/14 teams that play three games. pic.twitter.com/tq9L7YVzzv
— Kyle Williams ✪ (@betonthegame) March 6, 2021
You can see how bad they are defensively. Rodney Hood, Derrick Jones Jr, and maybe Anfernee Simons are all guys this week you could use off of the wire are. All have high upside versus Ricky Rubio and Anthony Edwards defense.
I love how everything breaks down for the Blazers this week and with plenty of options on the waiver wire, you can have all you can eat this week.
Team to Avoid
Los Angeles Lakers
The only team in the association to play just one game this week is the Los Angeles Lakers. With a rash of injuries spread wide throughout the team, the Lakers are primed for being a sit candidate.
Now, with only playing one game and mixing the injuries on top of that, the Lakers make for the most logical candidate for sitting purposes.
The single-game the Lakers do play this week happens to be against a tough opponent in the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers are incredibly resistant against guards and centers in terms of fantasy points allowed to the positions.
Players like Markieff Morris, Montrzl Harrell, Dennis Schroder, and Kentavius Caldwell-Pope all are in very difficult matchups. With the matchup difficult, only one game slate, and a rash of injuries it makes too much sense to fade the Lakers this week.
Suns knock off the Lakers and move to 2nd place in the West ☀️
Bridges: 19 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST
Ayton: 17 PTS, 7-14 FG, 5 REB pic.twitter.com/SjfcqFPKjT— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 3, 2021
Hot and Trending Players
Caris LeVert, SG/SF, Indiana Pacers
After being traded earlier in the season from Houston to Indiana, the newly acquired combo guard was diagnosed with a very serious kidney injury. A potentially career-ending injury, it was rumored the veteran would likely miss all of the 2021 season with it and potentially longer.
Fast forward to March, we now have signs and reports that LeVert is on the verge of a comeback.
Pacers' Caris LeVert is on track to return to the lineup in the second half of the season, a miraculous development given he underwent surgery for kidney cancer in late January.
Sources tell @ShamsCharania: https://t.co/r1SZjfLJeV pic.twitter.com/atGFZw7mcn
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) March 4, 2021
A major boost for a struggling Pacers team. LeVert is an assassin on the court. Pre-injury the veteran was having an outstanding season in which he was averaging 18.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while playing most of his time off the bench.
Now, two months removed from basketball, LeVert is on the verge of a potentially historical comeback. His return could spell major implications for fantasy purposes. As of now, the Pacers need some scoring help, the bench is thin outside of McConnell and outside of Sabonis and Brogdon, the Pacers lack offensive threats.
LeVert could be the spark that the Pacers need to make it out. He is a must-add in all fantasy formats.
Injuries to Monitor
And finally, the worst part of the 2020-21 Fantasy Basketball Week 11 Weekly Planner Part 2, some injuries we need to monitor:
- Christian Wood (knee) out a week
- Pascal Siakam (health protocols) out indefinitely
- Tyrese Haliburton (calf) day-to-day
- Devonte' Graham (knee) day-to-day
- Delon Wright (groin) out multiple weeks
- Hassan Whiteside (league protocols) day-to-day
- John Wall (back) day-to-day, won't play back-to-backs
- Marcus Smart (calf tear) out multiple weeks
- Aaron Gordon (left ankle sprain) out four-to-six weeks
- OG Anunoby (calf) day-to-day
- Larry Nance (wrist) out 6 weeks
- George Hill (knee) out a few weeks
- Malik Beasley (suspension) out 12 games
- D'Angelo Russell (leg) out multiple weeks
- Mitchell Robinson (hand) out indefinitely
- Otto Porter Jr (shoulder) out indefinitely
- Marvin Bagley (calf) day-to-day
- Cole Anthony (shoulder) multiple weeks
- Anthony Davis (Achillies) out multiple weeks
- Andre Drummond (trade request) out indefinitely
- Blake Griffin (trade request) bought out
- Lauri Markkanen (shoulder) out indefinitely
- Clint Capela (knee) day-to-day
- Evan Fournier (groin) day-to-day
- Derrick Rose (health protocols) day-to-day
- DeMarcus Cousins (buy out) day-to-day
- TJ Warren (foot) out indefinitely
Visit the F6P Fantasy Basketball Page for more advice during the 2020-21 season.
