Welcome to the 2022-23 Fantasy Basketball Week 8 Planner.
With December's arrival, we have hit the point of the season where injuries begin to pile up. Rest and injury management become weekly headaches. Unsung heroes arise from the bench.
This is where being prepared is key, and we're here to help. We will start with an overview of the week 8 schedule, check out who to target and who to avoid, and review the injury list.
2022-23 Fantasy Basketball Week 8 Planner
The NBA continues to test us with very light Tuesday/Thursday schedules. This week both days have just three games each. The benefit is that the rest of the week is heavily loaded, with between 7 to 11 games each of the remaining days. The Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat play on Tuesday and Thursday, and both have ample available streamers sitting on the wire. Meanwhile, both Portland and San Antonio have a measly 2 game schedule.
4 Games: ATL, CHA, DAL, DET, IND, LAC, LAL, MIA, MIL, ORL, TOR
3 Games: BOS, BKN, CHI, DEN, GSW, HOU, MEM, MIN, NOP, NYK, OKC, PHI, SAC, UTA, WAS
2 Games: POR, SAS
Bruce Brown and Bones Hyland are available in over 41% of Yahoo leagues.
The Denver Nuggets are 8-1 when Bruce Brown starts
Bruce Brown as a starter:
— 14.4 PPG
— 5.3 APG
— 4.9 RPG
— 1.6 SPG
— 52/49/91%H/T @statline_ pic.twitter.com/VSuRo4iRKW
— Hoop Muse (@HoopMuse) December 1, 2022
Over the past 30 days, Bruce Brown is providing 5th-round value in 12-team leagues behind averages of 11.7 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 5.3 APG, and 2.0 stocks. He's been getting over 30 minutes each night, and that number should be fairly safe going forward. Bones Hyland has been in and out of the lineup but is putting up 6th-round value in the last month. In that time, he is averaging 17.6 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 3.6 APG, and a beastly 3.3 three-pointers. He's also hitting nearly 95% of his free throws. Both should be safe streamers on the low-volume game days.
Max Strus and Caleb Martin are available in over 47% of Yahoo leagues.
MAX STRUS IS GOING OFF.
17 POINTS IN THE QUARTER. @MiamiHEAT | #HEATCulture pic.twitter.com/g9oMu2G5Aj
— Bally Sports Sun: HEAT (@BallyHEAT) December 1, 2022
With Jimmy Butler out, Max and Caleb have stepped up. They've both had so much success, they will likely continue to earn significant minutes even when Jimmy returns. Over the past 30 days, Max is ranked 71st. He is putting up 17.2 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 1.9 APG, and 3.5 three-pointers per game. Oh, and he hasn't missed a free throw since October 27th.
Caleb Martin, meanwhile, is ranked 41st in the past 14 days. With 15.9 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.6 APG, 2.0 stocks, and 1.9 three-pointers, Caleb is looking like a bonafide fantasy starter. The big question is how much playing time both of them can earn with a fully healthy roster. For now, Kyle Lowry is a major rest candidate in the back-to-back this week and going forward, and Jimmy Butler is averaging 55.5 games played over the last four seasons.
Don't start any Spur player this week, other than maybe Devin Vassell.
San Antonio Spurs have lost 9 games in a row, the longest losing streak in the Gregg Popovich era.
They’re 1-14 over their last 15 games played 😳 pic.twitter.com/SH60eNygi1
— NBA Buzz (@OfficialNBABuzz) December 2, 2022
The Spurs have just two games this week. Jakob Poeltl is out for at least a week and Keldon Johnson can't hit the broad side of a barn. Tre Jones is starting to find his way, but he, too, isn't worth sending to battle on a two-game week. Other than Vassell, no one else on the Spurs is worth considering as a starter this week.
There are plenty of hot four-game waiver wire grabs to choose from. Austin Reaves, Jalen McDaniels, Tim Hardaway Jr, Killian Hayes, and my personal favorite, AJ Griffin, all have four-game weeks and are available in at least 60% of Yahoo leagues.
2022-23 NBA Week 8 Schedule
| TEAM | GAMES | SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY | FRIDAY | SATURDAY | SUNDAY | MON: W9 |
| # Games Played | 8 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | |
| Atlanta Hawks | 4 | OKL | @NYK | @BRO | CHI | @MEM | ||||
| Boston Celtics | 3 | @BRO | @TOR | @PHX | @GSW | @LAC | ||||
| Brooklyn Nets | 3 | BOS | CHA | ATL | @IND | @WAS | ||||
| Charlotte Hornets | 4 | LAC | @BRO | NYK | @PHI | |||||
| Chicago Bulls | 3 | @SAC | WAS | DAL | @ATL | |||||
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 3 | @NYK | LAL | SAC | OKL | @SAS | ||||
| Dallas Mavericks | 4 | PHX | @DEN | MIL | @CHI | OKL | ||||
| Denver Nuggets | 3 | @NOP | DAL | @POR | UTA | |||||
| Detroit Pistons | 4 | MEM | @MIA | @NOP | @MEM | LAL | ||||
| Golden State Warriors | 3 | IND | @UTA | BOS | ||||||
| Houston Rockets | 3 | PHI | @SAS | MIL | ||||||
| Indiana Pacers | 4 | @POR | @GSW | @MIN | WAS | BRO | MIA | |||
| Los Angeles Clippers | 4 | @CHA | @ORL | @MIA | @WAS | BOS | ||||
| Los Angeles Lakers | 4 | @WAS | @CLE | @TOR | @PHI | @DET | ||||
| Memphis Grizzlies | 3 | @DET | MIA | OKL | DET | ATL | ||||
| Miami Heat | 4 | @MEM | DET | LAC | SAS | @IND | ||||
| Milwaukee Bucks | 4 | @ORL | SAC | @DAL | @HOU | |||||
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 3 | IND | @UTA | @POR | @POR | |||||
| New Orleans Pelicans | 3 | DEN | DET | PHX | PHX | |||||
| New York Knicks | 3 | CLE | ATL | @CHA | SAC | |||||
| Oklahoma City Thunder | 3 | @ATL | @MEM | @CLE | @DAL | |||||
| Orlando Magic | 4 | MIL | LAC | TOR | TOR | |||||
| Philadelphia 76ers | 3 | @HOU | LAL | CHA | ||||||
| Phoenix Suns | 4 | @SAS | @DAL | BOS | @NOP | @NOP | ||||
| Portland Trail Blazers | 2 | IND | DEN | MIN | MIN | |||||
| Sacramento Kings | 3 | CHI | @MIL | @CLE | @NYK | |||||
| San Antonio Spurs | 2 | PHX | HOU | @MIA | CLE | |||||
| Toronto Raptors | 4 | BOS | LAL | @ORL | @ORL | |||||
| Utah Jazz | 3 | GSW | MIN | @DEN | ||||||
| Washington Wizards | 3 | LAL | @CHI | @IND | LAC | BRO |
Injury List
Returning Soon
James Harden is likely to return next Monday in Houston 👀
(Via @ShamsCharania ) pic.twitter.com/1tVtqN7SJW
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) November 30, 2022
Robert Williams, C, BOS - Initially rumored for a January return, Timelord sounds like he is quickly ramping it up. If he is floating on your waiver wire, scoop him up quickly!
Ben Simmons, PG, BKN - Simmons has a calf strain that will keep him out for at least the next few games. However, he should be back fairly soon after that.
Jarrett Allen, C, CLE - Allen has been dealing with a back injury but not much has been revealed. He has been day-to-day thus far and should return sooner than later.
Paul George, SG/Kawhi Leonard, SF, LAC - The Clippers have been fairly tight-lipped about their two stars' return. They seem to be day-to-day with the potential to return on Sunday, but we really don't know for sure.
Desmond Bane, SG, MEM - Bane is out of his walking boot and starting to work out. He is probably 7-14 days away from his return.
James Harden, SG, PHI - Harden should be back on Monday. Get him in your lineups!
Tyrese Maxey, PG, PHI - Maxey is about a week off his 3-4 week timeline. He won't play in week 8, but week 9 is very possible.
Chris Paul, PG, PHO - It sounds like CP3's return is just around the corner. Hopefully, he is getting some good rest and recovery at Kim's house.
Damian Lillard, PG, POR - Lillard is expected back Sunday. Get him in your lineups for week 8!
Jakob Poeltl, C, SAS - Poeltl will miss a week with a knee injury. It's a light 2 game week anyhow, so this is likely just some extra rest for the big man who is on the trade block.
It's Gonna Be A While
Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star forward Karl-Anthony Towns is expected to miss four-to-six weeks with a right calf strain, sources tell ESPN. Towns underwent imaging on Tuesday and the expectation exists for a full recovery and return sometime in January.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 29, 2022
John Collins, PF, ATL - Collins will miss at least two weeks with a nasty ankle sprain. It might be longer, and the big man is a prime trade candidate.
LaMelo Ball, PG, CHA - LaMelo has once again sprained his ankle. He has appeared in just 3 games this season and is a major rest/late-season shutdown risk with the Hornets playing lottery basketball.
Gordon Hayward, SF, CHA - While we don't have a timeline for Hayward yet, it's expected to be months, not weeks, until he will be able to return from a fractured shoulder.
Cade Cunningham, PG, DET - Cade has a stress fracture in his shin, and Detroit is playing for the lottery. There has been very little news lately on Cade's plan, which is a bad omen. It wouldn't be surprising to see him opt for surgery.
Karl-Anthony Towns, PF, MIN - KAT will be out for 4-6 weeks with a calf strain. We will likely see him return in early January.
Good luck, and thank you for reading the 2022-23 Fantasy Basketball Week 8 Planner. Be sure to check back next week for the Week 9 Planner!
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