Last Updated on April 3, 2026 1:00 pm by Mike Passador | Published: April 3, 2026

Welcome to the final Week Ahead of the 2025-26 season. If you’ve made it this long and are still checking in for weekly guidance, it means that something must have gone right, so congratulations are in order.

It’s going to be a weird week with limited schedule-based streaming opportunities — categories-based streaming is a different schedule and we went deep on that in our Deep League Pickups article this week — but there are still slight edges available, and you’re going to find a few more gems before the final buzzer thanks to injuries and absences.

Speaking of…

Injuries to Watch

Luka Doncic is headed for an MRI after suffering a hamstring injury in Thursday’s blowout loss to the Thunder. His reaction to the injury on the court was not good, to say the least. It is almost surely going to cost him time, if not significant time. A long-term absence from Doncic would completely change the playoff picture, taking the Lakers from fringe contender status to cannon fodder in the blink of an eye. There is no replacing him in fantasy but we would expect to see lots of LeBron James and Austin Reaves over the final week, with more minutes for Rui Hachimura, Jake LaRavia and Luke Kennard.

Steph Curry is loosely expected to return on Sunday. It has been a long time coming and far too little, far too late for managers in head-to-head leagues, but those of you who have held on in roto might get a couple decent games out of a two-month hold. Yay?

Immanuel Quickley (right plantar fasciitis) is said to be close to a return but everyone admits that he will not be full strength at any point for the rest of the season. He really needs a few weeks of pure rest but the Raptors don’t have that luxury. At least he should be back in the next few games.

Alex Sarr continues to move in and out of the lineup with a toe problem and it’s up to you whether or not 23 minutes of healthy Sarr every couple of games is worth riding with from here on out.

Norman Powell has missed the last three games due to illness. That shouldn’t keep him out much longer.

Joel Embiid has also missed a couple games with illness and is likely to sit on Friday. He was pretty insistent (we think) about potentially playing on Wednesday, so the big man should be back soon.

Andrew Nembhard (back) and TJ McConnell (right hamstring) are both dealing with minor injuries but they’re serious enough that the Pacers are sitting them. We don’t think they’re done for the year but it’s not impossible to envision.

PJ Washington (illness) has missed the last couple of games but tends to play a good role when healthy. We expect him back.

Tobias Harris left the last game with a left knee issue but the Pistons can afford to be cautious, and he would surely be in the lineup if the games had major stakes.

Nick Richards (right elbow sprain) has missed the last handful of games but there has been no talk of a shutdown yet, and the Bulls’ battered frontcourt likely means that he will be active if he gets cleared.

Elijah Harkless and Isaiah Collier are now both sidelined with hamstring problems and while neither player has a formal return timeline, we would be shocked to see Collier again and Harkless is a borderline call.

Impending Evaluations

Cade Cunningham (collapsed left lung) is due to be evaluated before the end of the regular season. The odds of him playing again in the regular season feel pretty low given that he won’t be in game shape at the time of that follow-up, but if all goes well Cunningham may be ready to start the playoffs.

Shaedon Sharpe (left fibula stress reaction) is basically at the end of his given evaluation timeline so we should hear something soon, not that he’ll be back in time to help fantasy players.

Anthony Davis (left hand ligament damage) has been cleared for “light contact” and if anything, he’ll make a one- or two-game cameo.

Nikola Vucevic (right finger fracture) says he wants to play before the end of the regular season but he’s running out of time. The Celtics are pretty good at just clearing players without much notice so he could be back soon given that he is at the end of his reevaluation timeline.

Michael Porter Jr. (left hamstring) is due for an evaluation either this week or next, which means his regular season is over.

Giannis Antetokounmpo (left knee bone bruise) didn’t want to get shut down but he won’t be playing much the rest of the way. He’s still not back and it feels like he might suit up for the final home game — a final goodbye? — if he gets cleared by the doctors, but nothing beyond that.

Other Injury Notes

Danny Wolf (left ankle sprain) is in a walking boot still and the general expectation is that he’s done for the year.

Jaden McDaniels (left knee tendinopathy/bone bruise) is considered week-to-week. He’s so important to the Wolves that they probably won’t rush him, though how close they get to the Play-In might increase the sense of urgency.

As of last week, Anthony Black (abdominal muscle strain) is doing some light shooting but that’s about it. The Magic need all the help they can get and we could see a relatively no-fanfare return like we did with Franz Wagner this week, but we wouldn’t be counting on Black for much help in the final days of the fantasy season.

Anfernee Simons (left wrist fracture) was upgraded to questionable for one game, dialed back to doubtful for two more and is now just out again. It’s probably over.

Isaiah Stewart (left calf) is “progressing,” not that that means much of anything to fantasy managers. We expect him back before the end of the regular season just to shake some rust off but it probably won’t be a typical workload.

Ty Jerome (left ankle sprain) has no given timeline for return and we would be surprised if he returned in the regular season.

Bobby Portis (left wrist sprain) has missed the last five games with no return in sight given where the Bucks are at in the standings. There’s no need for a veteran like Portis to play in these remaining games.

Schedule Breakdown

There are 15 games apiece on Friday and Sunday, with no games on Saturday. That means all of your schedule-based streaming will have to occur from Monday to Thursday. You can stream for specific categories on the final two days of the regular season, and injuries and rest will open up some goofy possibilities, but as far as planning goes you need to concentrate on the first four days of the week.

Weekly Info

Games played:

The Jazz, Kings, Pelicans and Hornets have three games. Everyone else has four games next week.

Back-to-Backs (B2Bs) This Week:

The Spurs, Nuggets, Hawks, Blazers, Pistons, Kings, Jazz, Hornets and Pelicans will not be part of a back-to-back set. Everyone else will be part of one.

Start/Sit Decisions for Weekly Lineup Leagues:

If you play in a league with Daily Lineup Changes, this does not apply to you, so you can move along to the next section.

Your real decisions will come down to which categories you’re pursuing since there isn’t much of a volume edge to be gained. Again, Friday and Sunday are taken care of, so if anything you’re going to look at the teams who stack their games on the low-volume days, or consider if any volume differences are actually impactful given that you may not even have space to make use of an edge. Is a four-game week from a fringe top-125 guy better than three games of a top-90 player, especially considering that you probably wouldn’t have space for the top-125 guy on the weekend? Just something to consider.

Daily Info

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Mike Passador

Mike graduated from Boston University’s Dual Degree Program with a BA in Economics and a BS in Business with Concentrations in Marketing and Operations Management. He is a faithful supporter of Toronto sports and the Detroit Lions and is always ready to be let down. Tweet to him @Mike_Pandador, but if you badmouth Jose Calderon you might get blocked.

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