Last Updated on March 22, 2026 11:17 pm by Keston Paul | Published: March 22, 2026

Good luck if this is your final!

Shams: Jalen Williams (right hamstring strain) will return on Monday#FantasyBasketball #NBA #ThunderUp https://t.co/HzmkA5CfGE

— SportsEthos Fantasy Basketball (@ethosfantasyNBA) March 22, 2026

My blurb on Williams’ return:
Per Shams Charania of ESPN, Jalen Williams (right hamstring strain) will return from a 16-game absence on Monday vs. the Sixers.

Williams has missed 26 of the past 28 games, but the Thunder usually hold out guys until they don’t need a heavy restriction. If Williams plays around 28-to-30 minutes immediately, he has games on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and then a Sunday-Monday back-to-back into the following week. That means three games at minimum if March 23 to March 29 is your final, or four games if he sits the second leg of that back-to-back. If Williams was dropped, he should be added.

Looking for fantasy playoff preparation? Click here for the Fantasy Basketball Week Ahead.

Best Pickups for this Week

For the Week of March 23 to March 29, these guys may be available with standout schedules.

Monday: 10 games
Tuesday: four games
Wednesday: 12 games
Thursday: three games
Friday: 10 games
Saturday: six games
Sunday: nine games

Daniss Jenkins (21% rostered on Yahoo)

Playing on Monday, Wednesday-Thursday and Saturday, if you need points, threes, assists and steals, Jenkins can be a week-long addition.

Moussa Diabate (26%)

Playing on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday-Sunday, Diabate can boost your rebounds, steals and blocks this week.

Precious Achiuwa (39%)

I would be shocked if Achiuwa is available, but if he is, he is a must for points, rebounds, steals, blocks and occasional upside for threes.

Malik Monk (16%) is also worth monitoring since Killian Hayes and Nique Clifford got hurt on Sunday.
I would project Russell Westbrook (63%) to be back on Tuesday after sitting the tank-off vs. the Nets on Sunday, too.

Reed Sheppard (47%)

Sheppard is a must because head coach Ime Udoka said that he will continue the Sheppard-as-a-starter experiment for around six to seven games. It is going well so far already.

The Rockets play on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, which isn’t ideal, but Sheppard should be able to start on all of those days for you since he is a starter in real life. Sheppard boosts points, threes, assists, steals and can even get some blocks sometimes.

Saddiq Bey (44%)

Again, just in case he had been dropped, Bey plays on Tuesday, Thursday-Friday and Sunday. He can help with points, threes and rebounds with a little low-end upside for steals or assists as well.

Tre Jones (25%)

It could be a little worse if Anfernee Simons (questionable) and Jaden Ivey (questionable) are playing, but if you need assists and steals, Jones plays on Monday, Wednesday and Friday-Saturday. He was likely dropped by any playoff team in a close matchup since his last game was on Thursday.

Games

Lakers – Pistons @ 7:00 ET
Pacers – Magic @ 7:00 ET
Thunder – 76ers @ 7:00 ET
Spurs – Heat @ 7:00 ET
Grizzlies – Hawks @ 7:30 ET
Rockets – Bulls @ 8:00 ET
Raptors – Jazz @ 9:00 ET
Warriors – Mavericks @ 9:30 ET
Nets – Trail Blazers @ 10:00 ET
Bucks – Clippers @ 10:30 ET

Teams on Second Night of a Back-to-Back

Note: Teams on the second night of a back-to-back must submit their injury report by the release of the 4:15 pm ET Official NBA Injury Report. 

BKN, TOR, POR

Nets: Nic Claxton (rest) sat out vs. the Kings on Sunday and should presumably return to action on Monday.
Noah Clowney (right wrist sprain) has an unknown timeline, as last Friday, head coach Jordi Fernandez said that Clowney needed further evaluation.
Danny Wolf had to be helped off the floor on Sunday with a left ankle sprain, so I am guessing he will be out on Monday.

Raptors: Collin Murray-Boyles (left thumb sprain) was questionable to return from a 10-game absence on Sunday and ultimately ended up missing his 11th consecutive contest.
Since Jakob Poeltl played on Sunday, he should sit out on Monday. Or maybe not?

Poeltl hasn’t played both nights of a back-to-back since Oct. 26/27. He’s looked good/healthy lately, tonight notwithstanding (held scoreless and without a single rebound). On the plus side, he only played 17 minutes. Will be interesting to see if he’s available in Utah tomorrow.

— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) March 23, 2026

Blazers: Jerami Grant sat out on Sunday with left foot soreness and Vit Krejci has missed four consecutivgames with a left calf contusion.
Robert Williams III played on Sunday, so he should get the night off on Sunday.

Teams on First Night of a Back-to-Back

ORL

There is nothing new happening with the Magic.
Franz Wagner, Anthony Black and Jonathan Isaac don’t have precise timelines as their rehab depends on how their bodies respond to the treatment, per the latest update a couple of weeks ago.

Top Stories to Watch

Is Paul George worth the grab for H2H leagues? He returns from suspension on Wednesday, March 25 vs. the Bulls but…
George will at most, only play two games this week, on Wednesday and Saturday. Wednesday is already a crowded 12-game day and while George should be better than your 10th-best player, you may do better by “adding volume” from a slightly worse player on the lower-volume days rather than replacing an active player on Wednesday. It depends on how deep your roster is. If George is just a massive upgrade on your 10th-best player for Wednesday, he is likely worth the gamble.

If your league doesn’t end this week then his outlook is:
March 23 to March 29 (W23): Games on Wednesday and Saturday
March 30 to April 5 (W24): Games on Monday, Wednesday, Friday-Saturday
April 6 to April 12 (W25): Games on Monday, Thursday-Friday and Sunday.

Assuming George sits out one leg of each back-to-back, we will get a two-game week, three-game week and three-game week through the remainder of the season, if he doesn’t pick up any minor injuries along the way.

In roto, this isn’t a question. George is just a grab.

Reed Sheppard is starting for the next couple of weeks: He replaced Tari Eason in the starting unit on Friday, March 21. This cements Sheppard as must-roster and Eason as just a streamer. He just recorded a career-high 14 assists on Saturday, too.

Ime Udoka didn’t want to commit to sticking with the new starting lineup for the rest of the season, but he did say he plans to stick with it for at least the next 6-7 games.

— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) March 21, 2026

Minor Stories:

• Ajay Mitchell is suspended for one game (on Monday), so he should return on Wednesday.
• Luka Doncic is available to play on Monday vs. the Pistons because his 16th technical foul (rightfully) got rescinded. You should still keep in mind that Doncic is one technical foul away from a one-game suspension.

Snippets from The Fantasy Basketball Week Ahead
Two-Game Teams This Week:
Wolves: Playing on Wednesday (12 games) & Saturday
Suns: Playing on Tuesday & Saturday.

Teams with a BAD START to the Week: 
Celtics, Wizards (& Wolves): First game on 12-game Wednesday

Monday Streaming: 10 games
Magic: Monday-Tuesday & Thursday 3-in-4, then Sunday
Pistons: Monday & Wednesday-Thursday 3-in-4, then Saturday
MON-TUE B2B: Only the Magic

Read the full Week Ahead rundown here! 

My Injury Notes for Monday
Reminder!
Q = questionable
P = probable
D = doubtful
These notes do not include players already ruled in or out. As I have explained in prior articles, these are notes I use while blurbing to keep track of pending news throughout the day, but I am sharing it during the fantasy playoffs so you guys are fully aware of what is pending for the day.
—
Monday-Tuesday B2Bs: Magic
—
Monday: 10 games
Andrew Nembhard – Q
Aaron Nesmith – Q
Pascal Siakam – Q
Obi Toppin – Q
Marcus Smart – Q
Rui Hachimura – Q
Maxi Kleber – Q
Dominick Barlow – D
Stephon Castle – Q
Devin Vassell – Q
Jaime Jaquez Jr. – P
Andrew Wiggins – P
Norman Powell – Q
Taj Gibson – Q
Cam Spencer – D
Jalen Johnson – Q
Anfernee Simons – Q
Jaden Ivey – Q
Jalen Smith – Q
Guerschon Yabusele – D
Isaac Okoro – D
Raptors B2B (Out Sunday: Collin Murray-Boyles)
De’Anthony Melton – P
Kristaps Porzingis – P
Moses Moody – Q
Caleb Martin – Q
Brandon Williams – D
Nets B2B (Out Sunday: Nic Claxton, Danny Wolf)
Week-to-Week: Noah Clowney
Blazers B2B (Out Sunday: Jerami Grant, Vit Krejci)
Gary Harris – P
Kyle Kuzma – Q
John Collins – P
Kawhi Leonard – Q
—
(W22) SUN-MON (W23) B2B: Blazers, Raptors, Nets
—
Per reports from Sunday
—

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Stay up to date on news for this slate with our NBA Blurb Feed! 

Check out our Live Injury Report to see who is probable, questionable, doubtful or sidelined for this slate!

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Streamers

Standard Formats

Wendell Carter Jr. – solid across-the-board value but mainly points & rebounds

Tristan da Silva – points & 3s with upside for rebounds & steals

Duncan Robinson – 3s with occasional upside in other areas

Daniss Jenkins – points, 3s, assists, steals

Marcus Smart (questionable, wait for update)  – steals, assists, rebounds & upside for 3s

Jarace Walker – general stats with potential for bad percentages

Jay Huff – blocks specialist, upside for 3s & occasional potential for rebounds

Aaron Nesmith (questionable, wait for update)  – points, 3s, steals & potential rebounds (possibly bad FG%)

T.J. McConnell (if A. Nembhard is out) –  points, assists, steals

Cason Wallace – steals specialist with upside for 3s, assists, low-end rebounds

Quentin Grimes – points, 3s, upside for steals, assists & more

Justin Edwards – low-end steals, 3s, rebounds

Adem Bona – blocks with upside for rebounds or steals

Andre Drummond – rebounds, low-end blocks & upside for a triple or steal

Devin Vassell (questionable, wait for update)  – points, 3s, possible steals, FT% if he gets to the line

Julian Champagnie – 3s, rebounds, steals, scoring upside (& occasional blocks)

Keldon Johnson – points, rebounds, FG% & upside for 3s or a steal

Davion Mitchell – big assists with upside for steals

Jaime Jaquez Jr. (probable, should play) – points, rebounds, assists, usually good FG%

Pelle Larsson – low-end points, 3s, assists with upside for general stats

Ty Jerome – points, 3s, assists, FT%, steals (usually good FG%)

GG Jackson II – decent points, 3s, rebounds, blocks

Walter Clayton Jr. – points, 3s, rebounds, assists, steals, FT% if he gets to the line

Jaylen Wells – hit-or-miss points & 3s with upside for steals

Olivier-Maxence Prosper –  mainly points & rebounds, upside for defensive stats, hit-or-miss 3s

Taylor Hendricks – 3s, steals, blocks & upside for rebounds

Javon Small – assists, steals, points, 3s, possible rebounds

Reed Sheppard – points, 3s, steals, assists & sometimes blocks

Tari Eason – steals, blocks, rebounds & occasional scoring upside
(very bad FG% lately)

Tre Jones – assists, steals, FT%, points

Collin Sexton – points, assists, FT% & occasional upside for 3s or steals

Jalen Smith (questionable, wait for update)  – rebounds, 3s, some blocks & general upside

Kyle Filipowski – points, rebounds, assists with upside for 3s

Ace Bailey – points, 3s, rebounds & potential for steals (bad percentages)

Brice Sensabaugh – points, 3s & FT% if he can get to the line

Cody Williams – decent points, 3s, steals but across-the-board upside

EJ (Elijah) Harkless – steals, possible rebounds, blocks, assists

Draymond Green – rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, occasional 3s

Kristaps Porzingis (probable, should play) – points, 3s, rebounds, blocks

Brandin Podziemski – points, 3s, rebounds, assists, steals

De’Anthony Melton (probable, should play) – steals specialist with upside for 3s & assists

Gui Santos – points, 3s, steals, blocks with a little rebounds & assists

Gary Payton II – steals, rebounds, occasional points upside

Naji Marshall – points, rebounds, steals with occasional upside for assists (with good percentages)

Max Christie – hit-or-miss points & 3s with very occasional upside for steals or FT% if he gets to the line

PJ Washington – points, 3s, rebounds, steals, blocks & occasional assists (poor percentages)

Daniel Gafford – blocks specialist with FG% and potential for rebounds

Bobby Portis – points, rebounds, possible 3s

Ousmane Dieng – a bit of everything

Kris Dunn – steals specialist with upside for assists & 3s

Derrick Jones Jr. – 3-and-D stats plus rebounds

Brook Lopez – 3s, blocks (very boom or bust/hard to trust lately)

B2B Watch for Standard Formats

Wait for the official injury reports of the Nets, Raptors & Blazers before streaming their players. 

Danny Wolf exited Sunday’s game with a left ankle sprain, so I am assuming he will be out since he had to be helped to the locker room. Leave Wolf on the waiver wire unless we get good news.  

Ziaire Williams – boom-or-bust points & 3s with potential steals & rebounds

Toumani Camara – some points, 3s, rebounds, steals and may get two or three assists

Jerami Grant (sat out on Sunday, wait for update) – points, 3s, possible rebounds, steals

Scoot Henderson – points, assists, FT%, possible 3s, steals

Sandro Mamukelashvili – 3s & rebounds with upside for across-the-board production
(assuming Poeltl sits)

Deep Leagues

Jevon Carter – 3s, possible assists & steals

Goga Bitadze – blocks, rebounds, FG% if Carter is out
(played over Moritz Wagner last game but that isn’t always the case. A bit of a risky option)

Paul Reed – steals, blocks, rebounds, occasional scoring upside

Ron Holland II – steals, out-of-position rebounds, occasional scoring outbursts

Rui Hachimura (questionable, wait for update) – points with upside for 3s and rebounds

Jake LaRavia – general stats but mainly steals

Luke Kennard (if Smart/Hachimura are out) – points, 3s, occasional upside for assists

Kobe Brown (if Siakam is out) – steals, blocks, possible rebounds, occasional 3s

Quenton Jackson (if A. Nembhard is out) – points, 3s & some potential for assists

Micah Potter – 3s, rebounds

Ben Sheppard – very boom-or-bust points & 3s with occasional upside for rebounds

Aaron Wiggins – points & 3s with upside for rebounds, occasional steals & blocks

Alex Caruso – steals specialist with upside for 3s, assists, rebounds, occasional blocks

Lu Dort – extremely boom-or-bust 3s, upside for steals, occasional rebounds

Isaiah Joe – 3s

Jared McCain – points, 3s & upside for a steal or some dimes (FT% if he gets to the line)

Cam Payne – boom-or-bust points & 3s, occasional assists

Dylan Harper (12-team upside if Vassell & Castle are both out) – points, assists & upside for a steal, some rebounds

Harrison Barnes – points & 3s with upside for rebounds, a steal or FT% if he gets to the line

Luke Kornet – rebounds, blocks, FG%

Jonathan Kuminga – points, rebounds, very low-end upside for assists

Mouhamed Gueye – rebounds, steals, blocks
(if Jalen Johnson is out, if Gueye starts, he may even had low-end 12-team upside)

Zaccharie Risacher – 3s & steals with upside for rebounds

Corey Kispert – 3s

Nick Richards (12-team upside if starting/if Smith is out) – rebounds, low-end points, FG%, potential for blocks

Rob Dillingham – points, assists, 3s, likely bad FG%
(shaky if Simons and Ivey play)

Leonard Miller – rebounds, points, low-end blocks, steals, 3s

John Konchar – rebounds, steals, upside for 3s & sometimes assists, blocks

Kennedy Chandler (10-day player) – points, assists

Oscar Tshiebwe – rebounds

Pat Spencer – points, rebounds, assists, steals

Will Richard – 3s, steals, potential for rebounds

Khris Middleton – points, rebounds, assists, & upside for 3s & steals

Klay Thompson – 3s specialist with points if he gets hot

Ryan Nembhard – mainly assists with some upside for 3s or points
(late-round 12-team specialist upside)

Jericho Sims – hope for big-man stats

Gary Trent Jr. – 3s with some low-end upside for steals

AJ Green – 3s, 3s & 3s with occasional outbursts of rebounds or assists

Jordan Miller – mainly points, 3s, but occasional upside in other areas
(12-team upside if Leonard is out)

Isaiah Jackson – rebounds, FG%, blocks

Kobe Sanders – points with upside for 3s and general stats

B2B Watch for Deep Leagues

Wait for the official injury reports of the Nets, Raptors & Blazers before streaming their players. 

Nolan Traore – points, assists, possibly bad percentages

Terance Mann – boom-or-bust points & 3s with potential for rebounds, assists, steals
(there is a chance he sits out on Monday)

Ben Saraf –  assists with potential for steals or out-of-position rebounds

Chaney Johnson – steals, blocks, possible 3s, rebounds, assists

Jamal Shead – assists & steals specialist

Ja’Kobe Walter – very boom-or-bust 3s & steals

Matisse Thybulle – steals & blocks specialist, low-end occasional upside for 3s