Week 3 in the NBA marks our first day off for the entire league, as no games will be played on Tuesday in observance of Election Day. That makes for an interesting schedule: four days loaded with games and three with lighter slates. Most teams will play four games in Week 3, and quite a few are dealing with injuries to key players. Let’s take a look at the Week 3 schedule and some of its key storylines.
Week 3 Games Played
4 Games: ATL, BOS, CHA, CHI, CLE, DAL, DEN, DET, GSW, HOU, IND, LAC, LAL, MEM, MY, MIL, MIN, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHI, PHO, POR, SAC, SAS , TOR
3 Games: BKN, NOR, UTA, WHAT
Week 3 Plots
– All 30 teams will play on Monday
With no games being played on Tuesday, it’s all 30 teams “into the pool” on Monday. Six (Atlanta, Brooklyn, Dallas, Detroit, New Orleans and Orlando) will play the second game of a back-to-back. Depending on who sits for those squads, fantasy managers could start Week 3 without the services of Ben Simmons (Brooklyn), for example. Atlanta, New Orleans and Orlando have been hit especially hard by injuries recently, so navigating two games in as many days will be no small feat.
Among the players on the injury report for Sunday’s games are Jordan Hawkins (New Orleans), Wendell Carter Jr. (Orlando), and Dyson Daniels (Atlanta), and that’s not even counting the players sidelined for extended periods. Simmons is basically a lock to sit out one of Brooklyn’s next two games, so there won’t be much thought needed there. As for the other key injuries, fantasy managers will have plenty to sift through before Monday night’s Week 3 tip-off.
– Wednesday, Friday and Sunday are the other busy days in Week 3
The Wednesday schedule consists of 12 games, the Friday 13, and the Sunday 11, thanks to the Tuesday night off. Also factoring into the equation is the Emirates NBA Cup, which will begin with group stage games during Week 4. Among the teams that will be active on all four busy days in Week 3 are Boston, Charlotte, Dallas, Denver, Golden State, Houston. , the Lakers, and Miami, to name a few. Houston has a back-to-back to navigate as it will visit Detroit on Sunday and host Washington on the first night of Week 4. Oklahoma City is in a similar boat as it plays on all four busy nights in Week 3 and ends with a Sunday/Monday back-to-back against the Warriors and Clippers (both at home).
– New Orleans and Washington have the worst schedules of the four teams playing three games during Week 3.
Brooklyn, New Orleans, Utah, and Washington play three games during Week 3. While Brooklyn (Saturday) and Utah (Thursday and Saturday) will be playing on at least one of the lighter game nights, the Pelicans and Wizards have had no such luck. New Orleans plays on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, while Washington’s games are scheduled for Monday, Friday and Sunday. Those are the busier game nights of Week 3, making it a bit difficult in terms of the search for flowing value.
However, the Pelicans and Wizards are navigating injuries to key players, so options like Hawkins, Jose Alvarado, Yves Missi and Bilal Coulibaly are all worth the risk if available on your league’s waiver wire. While all four are currently starting, Coulibaly began the season in that role, and Missi averaged more minutes than Daniel Theis before leapfrogging him before Friday’s win over the Pacers. The fantasy values of those two should have a longer shelf life than Hawkins or Alvarado.
– Shorthanded Hawks will have to sail two back-to-backs
Atlanta’s first back-to-back begins with the final game of Week 2 when they visit the Pelicans on Sunday. The next night, they will host the reigning champion Celtics. And the Week 3 schedule ends with a road/home back-to-back against the Pistons (Friday) and Bulls (Saturday). The matchup with Chicago makes for an attractive target as only four games are on that day’s schedule. The potential return of Dyson Daniels from a strained hip flexor will no doubt help things for the Hawks, and he provided solid value during his injury. Zaccharie Risacher has been in the starting lineup since De’Andre Hunter (knee) was sidelined, and Garrison Mathews might be worth a look in extremely deep leagues because of the 3-point production. Given how shorthanded Quin Snyder’s team is, an “unknown” name or two may emerge during Week 3 as a viable fantasy option.
– How long will the Warriors be without Stephen Curry?
The Warriors have been without Curry (ankle) and De’Anthony Melton (spine) since last weekend, with the former appearing closer to a return to action. Curry will be reevaluated on Sunday, one day after the start of the Warriors’ road trip in Houston. During Week 3, Golden State plays back-to-back road games against Washington, Boston, Cleveland, and Oklahoma City. The good news for the Warriors is that Andrew Wiggins returned on Saturday, but they are still lacking in the backcourt. Brandin Podziemski and Buddy Hield are already listed in most standard leagues, but they may still be on the waiver wire in shallow formats. While Lindy Waters III has worked his way into the rotation, more consistency is needed before he is considered a streaming option in any league.
– Are Joel Embiid and Paul George nearing a return?
The 76ers have been without two of their three stars for every game this season, but that may change soon. Embiid and George have struggled with their teammates, most recently going through a 5-on-5 session on Friday. Looking into Week 3, the 76ers play four games, with the first three on the road. Monday night in Phoenix, followed by games against the Clippers (Wednesday) and Lakers (Friday) before returning home to face Charlotte on Sunday, Nov. 10.
Adding Embiid and George to the lineup will help the entire team, especially Tyrese Maxey. While he put up good numerical stats, the percentages weren’t where fantasy managers have become accustomed. Managers with Andre Drummond, Kelly Oubre Jr., or Caleb Martin listed should hold because it is not known exactly when Embiid and George will return. But be aware of possible alternatives if you need to pivot during Week 3.
Bright Play Days
tuesday: 0 Games
Election Day
Thursday: 3 Games
MIN vs. YOU
UTA vs. THOUSAND
BY vs. SAS
saturday: 4 Games
UTA vs. EAGLE
CHI vs. ATL
BKN vs. CLE
TOR vs. LAC
Week 3 Back-to-backs
Sunday (Week 2)-Monday: ATL, DET, NOR
monday-tuesday: None
Tuesday-Wednesday: None
Wednesday-Thursday: WHO, SAS
Thursday-Friday: THOUSAND, MIN, PER
friday-saturday: ATL, BKN, CLE, LAC
saturday-sunday: TOR
Sunday-Monday (Week 4): HOU, OKC, SAC, WAS
