Fantasy H2H Schedule Changes From Trade Deadline

There are two types of people that play fantasy basketball. The first one sees a huge real-life NBA trade and imagines all the real-world implications of such trade, who won, who lost etc. The other one immediately pulls up the fantasy playoff schedule and analyzes how each trade affects his multitude of teams in H2H leagues. I am the latter.

When we are drafting our teams, the fantasy playoff schedule is a good tie-breaker when you are torn between selecting two players, if player A has 9 games and player B has 12, it’s a no-brainer, but what we don’t anticipate is how those numbers can flip if the players were somehow traded for each other.

The playoff schedule gets more important the further the season goes and right now, it’s weighing heavy in the minds of anyone looking to solidify a deep run or sell-off prime assets in order to try and sneak into the main event.

Here is an assessment of the players most affected by being dealt at the deadline.


Player	Team	Week 19	Week 20	Analysis
Luka Doncic	Lakers	4/4/4	4/4/4	Regardless of what week your playoffs start, Donic goes from a terrible DAL 10-game to a LAL 12-game. Which means he goes from a potential liability with a two game week to a top-three asset that will likely swing leagues and reward fantasy GMs with a pot of gold. This is the most significant upgrade I can remember and it's the one sad, silver lining from two games being postponed due to the wildfires.
Anthony Davis	Mavs	4/2/4	2/4/4	What goes up must go down. As great as it is for Doncic, it's potentially devastating for Davis. In Week 20, the eight games for the semis and finals is ideal, but the odds you can survive the first round with only two games are slim. Davis is a legit multi-category swinger with his defensive stats, but I would look to trade him if my league started Week 20. The good news is that in a Week 19 league, he gets the first two games vs. Wemby, who he has crushed so far in his career.
De'Aaron Fox	Spurs	4/4/4	4/4/4	It's rare but this trade was mostly a wash for playoff games, but still gaining one game in the first round of the Week 19 playoffs is a nice wrinkle. The earlier the week, the more valuable the games, but the real risk is a potential shut-down if the Spurs take a minute to adjust, which is slim but possible. With how great Fox has been this season, this trade slightly raises his ceiling, but lowers his floor.
Zach LaVine	Kings	3/4/4	4/4/4	LaVine picks up one game in the finals for Week 19 and one game in the semis in Week 20. It's a nice little pickup, but the pickup in the semis is more important than the finals due to likelihood of being actualized. The biggest problem with a trade like this is when a player was already playing well like LaVine was and goes to a team with plenty of offensive firepower. The Kings might lead the league in offensive rating the rest of the season, so it could be a really nice transition for LaVine, assuming he can stay healthy. The only caveat is the Kings have a b2b in Week 19/20/21.
Max Christie	Mavs	4/2/4	4/2/4	Christie had been solid for the Lakers, but was still ranked under 200 on the season. On a new team in a new role, it's possible he blossoms, but with a worse playoff schedule, he's likely going to continue to be a fringe streamer and isn't worth holding in two game weeks.
Zach Collins	Bulls	3/4/3	4/3/4	Collins hasn't gotten much run this season, but since the Bulls didn't trade Nikola Vucevic, Collins would see a slight downgrade in fantasy playoff schedule (more so in Week 19 format) without an upgrade in playing time.
Kevin Huerter	Bulls	3/4/3	4/3/4	The LaVine trade opened up some shots in CHI and while Huerter was having a lost season in SAC, he could see a significant new role in CHI. There is downgrade in schedule, but it's not significant enough to keep a GM from streaming the "Red Rifle'
Tre Jones	Bulls	3/4/3	4/3/4	Jones is best served as a backup PG and that's what he will be in CHI. He can fill-in in a pinch, but for now he's not on the radar regardless of what happens to his playoff schedule.
Kyle Kuzma	Bucks	4/3/4	3/4/4	Kuzma takes a slight downgrade in games and losing one first-round game in Week 20 is a hit, but the hope is he can become more efficient playing winning basketball. There is exponentially less chance of him missing games due to tanking on the Bucks than the Wizards, so that in itself is a win.
Khris Middleton	Wizards	4/4/4	4/4/4	It's hard to see Middleton playing big minutes on one of the worst teams in the league, but sadly that's where his career is headed. He wasn't playing in b2b games on the Bucks, so you can be sure he won't be doing on the Wiz if he doesn't get bought out.
Mark Williams	Lakers	4/4/4	4/4/4	This was a big trade as the Lakers get a huge body and if he can stay healthy, he will be incredibly efficient. The playoff games is mostly a wash, but picking up an extra game in Week 20 semis is nice, but it's the shutdown risk being removed that really seals the value jump for Williams. B2bs in Week 19/20/21 isn't ideal considering his injury history.
Dalton Knecht	Hornets	4/4/3	4/3/4	It's a little surprising to see LA give up on the sharpshooting rookie so early, but Luka changed everything. Knecht is going to get plenty of shots the rest of the season as CHA is banged up, but he's mostly going to be a triples stream and losing the Week 20 semis game probably won't have any overall affect. He's worth picking up and keeping for a stretch at least.
Brandon Ingram	Raptors	4/3/4	3/4/4	The Pelicans playoff schedule bizzarro mirrors the Raptors, so Ingram picks up two games in each of Week 19 and Week 20. It's a lateral move in terms of tanking potential and with Ingram hurt already, I wouldn't bank on him playing every game down the stretch. Either way the Raps will want to see what they've got and leaving NO is a win considering how cursed their players have been this season.
Jimmy Butler	Warriors	3/4/4	4/3/4	The Heat had a Week 19 4/4/3, so while the games stay the same, losing a game on the front end is much more significant. It ends up being the same for Week 20, but this trade is a huge win for GMs as Butler is at least going to be on the floor now and likely highly motivated. The GS schedule is really soft down the stretch and Butler could have some massive games.
Bruce Brown	Pelicans	4/3/4	4/3/3	Brown is getting downgraded in games, but a huge jump in potential usage. The Pelicans have been broken all season and it's possible Brown becomes more than a streamer and holds onto top-100 value rest of the season. Brown is one of favorite low-key winners so far.
Kelly Olynyk	Pelicans	4/3/4	4/3/3	Olynyk can still hoop and while he's been on ice this season, it was only last season when he went crazy in the fantasy playoffs. The move is a downgrade for games, but he will be a games streamer unless Zion Williamson gets hurt.
Jericho Sims	Bucks	4/4/3	4/3/4	Sims isn't making waves and unless Brook Lopez goes down or randomly sits, he's going to stay on the wire.
Jonas Valanciunas	Kings	4/3/4	3/4/4	Val loses a little shine as the Wiz had a 12-game Week 20, but there's a great chance he would be nursing a fake injury by then. He's going to be getting backup minutes on the Kings, but maybe they go twin towers for stretches. It's quality over quanity.
Cam Reddish	Hornets	4/4/3	4/3/4	The playoff games likely won't matter as Reddish is ice-cold more often than he gets hot, but he's got all the makings of a silly season hero with his ability to shoot and potential path to action.
Andrew Wiggins	Heat	4/4/4	4/3/3	Week 20 remains the same and Wiggins picks up an extra game in the semis which isn't nothing. The Heat have a bunch of almost players and it's possible Wiggins emerges as the number-one option if he can mentally rebound from being traded. It's a potential upgrade for Wiggins as his ceiling goes way up.
Delon Wright	Knicks	3/4/4	4/4/4	Wright has been a silly season hero the last couple of seasons, but it's going to be extremely hard to penetrate the rotation under the Knicks barring a cavalcade of injuries.
KJ Martin	Pistons	3/4/3	4/3/3	The games don’t matter, but the opportunity could. With Tobias Harris getting hurt on Wednesday, maybe some time opens up for Martin. He's got legit upside in the right situation despite losing two games in Week 19 and Week 20.
Quentin Grimes	Sixers	4/4/4	4/4/3	Grimes leaves DAL who have the dreaded two-game in both Week 19/20, but he's an easy drop when that week occurs, the question is whether he can get major minutes on an eventual tanking team.
Caleb Martin	Mavericks	4/2/4	2/4/4	Martin is another 3-and-D wing for Dallas which is great, but barring an injury, the playoff games won't factor in, but he could be a streamer in Week 19 playoffs with four games.
Jusuf Nurkic	Hornets	4/4/3	4/3/4	Nurkic is barely a top-200 player, but with the Hornets moving out Mark Williams and Nick Richards, he's got a shot to put up empty stats on a tanking team. Nurkic loses a game in Week 20, but it's doubtful his overall games will matter unless he really takes off.
Vasilije Micic	Suns	4/3/4	3/4/3	Micic is pretty much a wash in Week 19, but loses a game in Week 20, but unless the Suns move Tyus Jones, it's not going to matter.
Georges Niang	Hawks	4/3/3	3/3/4	Niang isn't going to fantasy relevant unless the Hawks do something crazy.
Caris LeVert	Hawks	4/3/3	3/3/4	It's tough to shakeout the real winner here because LeVert picks up a game in Week 19 first round, but then loses a game in the semis and finals. Four games in the first round is probably the winner considering LeVert doesn't have much of a floor.
DeAndre Hunter	Cavs	3/4/4	4/4/3	Hunter has come on lately and could finally be the missing piece for the Cavs. He's probably a must-stash/add player in Week 20, but it's likely his 19 PPG goes down as the third or fourth option. The three games in Week 19 makes him droppable since he's on the margins in 14-team leagues.
Bogdan Bogdanovic	Clippers	4/3/3	3/3/4	Bogdanovic might get a usage upgrade here and could save his season in a location. In Week 20, he's more of a flier at best, but in Week 19, he could be worth stashing at least for the first round with four games.
Terance Mann	Hawks	4/3/3	3/3/4	Mann has always had talent and might be finally able to unleash it. The playoffs games don't change, but his role could. The Hawks have a lot to shake out with four new players.
Bones Hyland	Hawks	4/3/3	3/3/4	Hyland would have had to get traded to the Nets who have five games in Week 19 to be on the radar for fantasy.
Kevin Porter Jr.	Bucks	4/3/4	4/3/4	KPJ has the tools to a fantasy player, but he's not going to find it on the Bucks. His schedule is irrelevant.
MarJon Beauchamp	Clippers	4/3/3	3/4/4	Always liked Beauchamp, but the LAC season will have to go sideways for Beauchamp to get some run. He's a game-to-game streamer at best.
Dennis Shroder	Pistons	3/4/3	4/3/3	Shroder has bounced around this week and it looks like his final resting place isn't going to ideal for his fantasy value. DET has a below-average playoff schedule and Shroder can be dropped in most leagues.
Marcus Smart	Wizards	4/4/4	4/4/4	Smarts gets the perfect playoff schedule, but he doesn't fit into the path of WAS which is downwards, so don't expect him to get much run in the silly season.
Jake LaRavia	Kings	3/4/4	4/4/4	He doesn't move up the depth chart with this move despite he gets a schedule upgrade. He could be a streamer if the Kings go in the tank.

February 7, 2025, 6:32 pm

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