Last Updated on March 5, 2026 9:29 pm by Keston Paul | Published: March 5, 2026

We are jumping right in.

Jayson Tatum (54%) obviously has too much upside to leave on your waiver wire since we now know he is returning. I do want to peak at the Celtics’ schedule throughout the rest of the season to see how it looks for him.

This Week: Friday, March 6 & Sunday, March 8
Week of March 9 to 15: Three games (Tues-Thurs-Sat), no B2Bs
Week of March 16 to 22: Four games (Mon-Wed-Fri-Sun), no B2Bs
Week of March 23 to 29: three games (Wed-Fri-Sun) with a Sun-Mon B2B into the next week
Week of March 30 to April 5: Sun-Mon B2B from the previous week, four games (Monday-Wednesday-Friday-Sunday)
Week of April 6 to 12: Four games, Tuesday, Thursday-Friday (one B2B), Sunday (might sit that last game too)

The schedule is actually very friendly toward him playing most games if he doesn’t pick up any other nagging injuries along the way or doesn’t intend to sit non-back-to-backs. You would have to hope that he sits on the Monday (March 30 vs. the Hawks) rather than the Sunday (March 29 vs. the Hornets), but besides that, it looks like a positive schedule for his availability.

Here is the article layout:

• Immediate Value for Standard Leagues and Deep Leagues
• Long-Term Value for Standard Leagues and Deep Leagues
• Watch-List Players
• Fantasy Playoff Schedules

Immediate Value

This time of year, your focus may only be on the next few days.

THU-FRI B2B: Suns, Rockets, Pelicans, Lakers, Heat, Spurs, Mavs, Nuggets
Friday Slate: seven games
Mavs-Nuggets
Heat-Hornets
Blazers-Rockets
Knicks-Nuggets
Pelicans-Suns
Clippers-Spurs
Pacers-Lakers
FRI-SAT B2B: Clippers

Saturday Slate: six games
Magic-Wolves
Nets-Pistons
Sixers-Hawks
Jazz-Bucks
Clippers-Grizzlies
Warriors-Thunder
SAT-SUN B2B: Magic, Bucks, Pistons

Sunday Slate: 10 games
Celtics-Cavs
Knicks-Lakers
Mavs-Raptors
Pistons-Heat
Wizards-Pelicans
Rockets-Spurs
Magic-Bucks
Pacers-Blazers
Bulls-Kings
Hornets-Suns
(W20) SUN-MON (W21) B2B: Knicks, Cavs

Teams with a BAD END to the Week: 
Nuggets: Last game on Friday
Wizards, Bulls, Kings, Raptors: Two days off between Thursday & Sunday games
Cavs: Four days off between games on Tuesday & Sunday
Hawks: One game (Saturday) in final four days (Thurs to Sun)

Teams NOT Playing on Sunday: Jazz, Sixers, Thunder, Wolves, Grizzlies, Clippers, Warriors, Nuggets, Nets, Hawks

This is not a substitute for the Daily Cheat Sheet, since those articles will have a lot more intel ahead of each slate and feature more streamer-level options. These are pickups with long-term upside alongside immediate value.

Also, read The Fantasy Basketball Week Ahead (released on Fridays) for notes on the upcoming week’s schedule.

As a quick-hitter for next week’s schedule (March 9 to March 15):

Five games (one team): Sixers
Four games (15 teams): Nets, Cavs, Mavs, Nuggets, Pistons, Warriors, Pacers, Clippers, Grizzlies, Bucks, Wolves, Knicks, Kings, Raptors, Jazz
Three games (13 teams): Hawks, Celtics, Hornets, Bulls, Rockets, Lakers, Heat, Thunder, Magic, Suns, Blazers, Spurs, Wizards
Two games (one team): Pelicans (that’s bad, folks)

Some general news to know:
Jayson Tatum (right Achilles repair) is officially questionable to make his season debut on Friday.

Aaron Gordon (right hamstring strain) is reportedly targeting a return on Friday as well, per a report on Wednesday.
Peyton Watson (right hamstring strain) was reportedly set be be evaluated this week as well with a potential return by early next week at the latest, according to a report on Sunday.

John Collins (neck strain) and Yanic Konan Niederhauser (right foot) are returning home and will not feature in the last two games of the Clippers’ road trip on Friday and Saturday.

Standard Leagues (Immediate Value)

Friday-Saturday Back-to-Back: Clippers

Brook Lopez (18%)
Key Note(s): Niederhauser injured, only team with the Fri-Sat B2B

Lopez has sucked lately, but you could say he is due some positive regression for blocks and hitting some shots. With Yanic Konan Niederhauser also out, maybe Isaiah Jackson is less of a challenge on his minutes. John Collins also won’t be around to aid small-ball lineups, not that that would stop the Clippers from going small.

Derrick Jones (10%)
Key Note(s): John Collins out for the Fri-Sat B2B since he left the road trip

Given all of the injuries, Jones should get a ton of SF-PF minutes. If you need upside for steals, blocks and the occasional upside in rebounds or threes, Jones is a nice short-term play with minor upside past this as well.

Kris Dunn (14%)
Key Note(s): Positive schedule

Dunn will primarily offer you steals and some decent assists, but he can occasionally get hot to offer some points and threes as well.

Friday & Sunday Combo: Celtics, Hornets, Mavs, Rockets, Pacers, Lakers, Heat, Pelicans, Knicks, Suns, Blazers, Spurs
(W20) SUN-MON (W21) B2B: Knicks*, Cavs
(Mitchell Robinson will sit a leg of the B2B in the Friday & Sunday-Monday combination)
Note: Ensure that you have the space on a 10-game Sunday for this combination to work.

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