Managers should no longer be in the stashing game. With fantasy GMs in playoff mode, it’s winning time. Whether your playoffs are underway, they start in week 20 or in week 21, it’s time to laser in on team necessities and win that crucial category by targeting specific streamers or schedules come playoff time. Week 20 offers a slightly more traditional schedule than we’ve had lately with Wednesday and Friday being the high-volume nights, Tuesday and Thursday being the low-volume nights and every other night offering streaming opportunities depending on your own team’s schedule.

In week 20, we see the league is essentially split into two groups. Those two groups are teams that play four games this week and teams that play three games. This makes it difficult to target schedules in week 20 because not many teams provide a substantially advantageous slate of games. Advancing in the playoffs is done on the margins, and that’s what we’re here to explore.

The only two teams that play on Tuesday and Thursday are the Nets and Warriors. Guys like Otto Porter Jr., Kevon Looney and Jonathan Kuminga are worth a look on the Warriors’ side of things, and the Nets offer three big men to choose from in LaMarcus Aldridge, Andre Drummond and Nicolas Claxton. Brooklyn also features Bruce Brown, a smaller player with big fantasy upside, especially on defense. Teams playing on Thursday and Saturday are the Nuggets and Warriors. The Nuggets have a several options such as Monte Morris, Aaron Gordon, Bones Hyland and DeMarcus Cousins. Between the two teams, there are a several paths to take depending on your situation.

Teams playing on Tuesday and Saturday are the Cavs, Warriors, Pacers and Bucks. The Pacers and Cavs have similar schedules. They play on Tuesday and not again until Friday in Cleveland’s case and Saturday in Indiana’s. Each team closes out their week with a doubleheader. The Cavs’ streamers aren’t particularly inspiring, but the Pacers have some options in Isaiah Jackson, who’s still criminally under-rostered, Jalen Smith (also under-rostered) and Oshae Brissett.

The Celtics, Raptors and Wizards don’t play their first game until Wednesday night. The Wizards and Raptors offer identical schedules. They play on Wednesday and partake in doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday. The Raptors have the tougher back-to-back but more streaming options since they’re missing Fred VanVleet (right knee soreness) and O.G. Anunoby (right finger fracture), while the Wizards face weaker opponents and their deadline acquisition, Kristaps Porzingis, is likely to sit out one side of the Wizards’ games on Friday and Saturday, opening opportunities for Daniel Gafford, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and others.

Lastly, it’s time to cut emotional ties with some of your favorite players. Yes, you love Montrezl Harrell because of what he did for you earlier in the season, but you should consider cutting him to begin the week because he doesn’t play until Wednesday’s 12-game; you might not even use him. Derrick White has been a must-roster guy all season, but his role in Boston has diminished. Don’t be afraid to make the gut-wrenching call that’ll get you to the next round, or you’ll be outside of the playoffs heartbroken you didn’t.

Schedule Breakdown

Three Games: Celtics, Nets, Hornets, Bulls, Cavaliers, Pacers, Grizzlies, Bucks, Thunder, Sixers, Blazers, Kings, Raptors, Wizards

Four Games: Hawks, Mavericks, Nuggets, Pistons, Warriors, Rockets, Clippers, Lakers, Heat, Wolves, Pelicans, Knicks, Magic, Suns, Spurs, Jazz

Back-to-Backs

Monday/Tuesday: Warriors

Tuesday/Wednesday: Hornets, Clippers, Bucks, Pelicans, Thunder, Magic, Suns

Wednesday/Thursday: Nuggets

Friday/Saturday: Cavaliers, Heat, Wolves, Spurs, Raptors, Jazz, Wizards

Saturday/Sunday: Pacers

Schedule Maximizers

The Nuggets, Clippers and Warriors offer the best four-game schedules of the week. The Raptors and Wizards offer three games starting on Wednesday. Of the three-game teams, the Nets, Sixers and Pacers offer the best schedules because they avoid playing on the high-volume nights. Grabbing a Warriors player to kick the week off with three games in four nights with one add could be the jumpstart your team needs. Using your next add on somebody out of the Raptors can net you three games in four nights between Wednesday and Saturday. To finish the week strongly, use a Pacer, like Jalen Smith or Isaiah Jackson, for their Saturday/Sunday doubleheader as they’re the only team offering one in week 20.

Best Schedule: Warriors (@ Nuggets, vs. Clippers, @ Nuggets, vs. Bucks)

The Warriors offer a doubleheader to kick week 20 off, but this isn’t any ordinary doubleheader. After Saturday’s loss to the Lakers, head coach Steve Kerr announced he’d be sending Steph Curry and other high-minute guys home instead of to Denver for Monday’s rescheduled contest. Assuming Kerr sends Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins home, the Warriors become an interesting team to stream with their Monday/Tuesday back-to-back set and three games in four nights to start the week. Lastly, the Warriors avoid playing on Wednesday and Friday, the two busiest nights of the week, so they offer streaming opportunities on low-volume nights. The guys to consider are Damion Lee, Otto Porter Jr., Kevon Looney, Jonathan Kuminga and Jordan Poole if he’s swimming in your league’s waiver wire. Porter and Poole are the primary pickups among the Warriors.

Worst Schedule: Celtics (@ Hornets, vs. Pistons, vs. Mavs)

The Celtics are the only team playing on Wednesday and Friday that do not offer four games this week. Their one game on a low-volume night, on Sunday, comes against a team with a similar identity and trajectory in the Mavericks. Both teams are performing better than expected defensively and are led by young studs in Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum. Finally, the Celtics aren’t the most stream-friendly team in the league, especially when they’re relatively healthy like they are now. Unless you feel particularly strongly about Grant Williams and Payton Pritchard, there’s not much to see in Boston. Congratulations Celtics, you’ve earned the worst schedule of the week.

Game of the Week: Nets @ Sixers, Thursday, March 10^th, 7:30 pm ET.

Exactly one calendar month after exchanging unhappy All-Stars with one another, the Nets and the Sixers meet on Thursday for the first time since the deal. Some of the scuttlebutt out of Brooklyn suggests one of James Harden’s issues was Kyrie Irving not getting jabbed and thus being unavailable to the Nets for half of their ballgames. Well, that’ll remain one of Harden’s issues on Thursday as he and his new teammates will have to deal with Irving’s brilliance as they defend their home floor. Kevin Durant has played in two games since the deal and has been predictably excellent so far. Joel Embiid remains in hot pursuit of his first MVP award and the Nets offer very little resistance in the middle against the beast out of Philly. Unfortunately, Ben Simmons won’t be on the floor for Thursday’s proceedings. Despite Simmons’ absence, the potential playoff battle interwoven with storylines and personal grievances is one fans won’t want to miss.

Quick Adds

Isaiah Roby, PF/C, Oklahoma City Thunder

Roby has appeared in nine contests after missing a little over a month’s worth of action between early January and February 10^th. In those nine, including a 12-minute appearance in his first game back, Roby’s a top-70 guy in 26 minutes a night. In his last five games the third-year big is No. 50 and in his last three appearances Roby’s No. 22 in 9-category formats. Roby’s averaging 18.3 PTS, 7.0 REB, 2.3 STL and 1.0 BLK on 54.5% shooting from the field and 77.8% shooting from the foul line in 30.3 MIN a night over the past week. Unfortunately, Roby came up with some back soreness prior to Sunday’s tipoff and was ruled out, which is worrisome heading into his three-game week. Managers must monitor his status prior to Tuesday’s tilt with the Bucks. If he’s healthy enough to go on Tuesday, he shouldn’t be left on waiver wires.

Bruce Brown, SG, Brooklyn Nets

Brown was inexplicably in head coach Steve Nash’s doghouse to start the season and has been in and out of the rotation since, leading to his 9-category ranking outside of the top-175 on the season. In the six games since the All-Star break, Brown’s ranking is up to No. 47 in nearly 31 minutes a night. He’s averaging 15.0 PTS, 6.2 REB, 3.0 AST, 1.3 STL and 0.7 BLK on 50.0% and 82.4% shooting splits in the past two weeks, good for the No. 47 spot in 9-cat rankings. During Brown’s last three road games, in which Kyrie Irving participated, he averaged 13.3 PTS, 6.7 REB, 3.0 AST, 0.7 STL and 0.7 BLK in 31.1 MIN per night. The Nets offer three games on low-volume nights this week, making Brown an option as a rebounding guard capable of averaging a few cash counters per game.

Gabe Vincent, PG, Miami Heat

Kyle Lowry has missed four consecutive games due to personal reasons and is slated to miss a fifth in a row on Monday. Vincent slid into the starting role and has been a serviceable option over the past week in nearly 32 minutes a night. Vincent’s averaging 15.5 PTS, 3.3 3PT, 3.5 AST and 0.8 STL on 51.1% FG shooting while underperforming from the foul line. With four games scheduled for the Heat in week 20, Lowry managers should absolutely scoop up Vincent. The backup guard is an option for all managers in need of 3s, points and assists on acceptable shooting percentages.

Malik Monk, SG/SF, Los Angeles Lakers

While Anthony Davis and Carmelo Anthony were out of the lineup for various issues earlier in the season, Monk started and was a must-roster guy for a short period of time. Then, head coach Frank Vogel returned the springy offseason addition off the bench which coincided with a downturn in production for Monk. Vogel inserted Monk back into the starting unit three games ago and Monk has produced quite well in starter’s minutes. He’s ranked at No. 67 in his last three outings, all starts, due to averages of 13.7 PTS, 4.7 REB, 4.3 AST, 3.0 3PT, 1.3 STL and 1.0 BLK per game on uncharacteristically subpar percentages. The Lakers offer four games this week and Vogel seems intent on starting Monk moving forward, making him a great option in week 20.

Injury Report

Ben Simmons (conditioning/back) remains out indefinitely. Nets GM Sean Marks did announce he expects Simmons to begin team work next week, but the Aussie has to get through three straight full workouts at least before making his debut.

Gordon Hayward is out indefinitely with a sprained left ankle.

Alex Caruso (right wrist surgery recovery) remains out and needs another doctor visit before he’s fully cleared. Lonzo Ball (torn left meniscus) remains without a firm timetable for his return and Nikola Vucevic (hamstring tightness) is questionable for Monday’s meeting with the new-look Sixers, though he is expected to play.

Caris LeVert was listed as doubtful heading into Sunday’s contest before being ruled out with his sprained right foot. Jarrett Allen suffered a left quad contusion in Sunday’s game that forced him out of the affair. After the game it was announced that Allen had also suffered a broken finger that will keep him sidelined indefinitely.

Luka Doncic is probable for Monday’s game with a left toe sprain and Jalen Brunson is listed as questionable with a right foot contusion.

Michael Porter Jr. could be back from his back injury at some point in mid-to-late March.

Draymond Green (left calf tightness, back) is expected to rejoin the team in 7-to-10 days. Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins are all expected to miss Monday’s game vs. the Nuggets.

Myles Turner (left foot stress reaction) is expected to return at some point in March, but we have nothing concrete at this time.

Paul George’s (right elbow) MRI showed some improvement, but the Clippers didn’t provide a clear timetable for his return. Kawhi Leonard (right ACL) remains sidelined with very little hope of returning for a regular season run. Norman Powell has no timetable for a return from a broken bone in his left foot. Kevin Harlan said that PG and Leonard are possibly ahead of schedule, but given that we know nothing about the schedule it’s hard to get too worked up.

Anthony Davis (mid-food sprain) will be re-evaluated in a few weeks. LeBron James is questionable for Monday’s contest with left knee soreness.

Kyle Lowry will miss a fifth-straight game on Monday due to personal reasons.

Anthony Edwards is doubtful for Monday’s contest with tendinopathy of the left patella.

Josh Giddey is expected to miss at least two more weeks with right hip soreness.

Wendell Carter Jr. has missed two straight contests with a non-COVID illness.

Devin Booker should be nearing a return from the league’s health and safety protocols. Cameron Johnson missed Sunday’s contest with a right quad contusion and Chris Paul is of course out with his right thumb avulsion fracture.

Anfernee Simons is out on Monday due to a left quad contusion. Damian Lillard (abdominal surgery) will be re-evaluated in one-to-two weeks. Jusuf Nurkic will miss at least three weeks with plantar fasciitis in his left foot.

Dejounte Murray is questionable for Monday with a left calf contusion while Devin Vassell is also considered questionable with left groin tightness.

OG Anunoby (right finger fracture) will be re-evaluated in mid-to-late March. Fred VanVleet (right knee soreness) missed Sunday’s contest after being deemed questionable. It remains a mystery when exactly FVV will be back. And now Malachi Flynn is out indefinitely with a hamstring strain.

Mike Conley sat out Sunday’s game for right knee injury maintenance but should be good to go for week 20.