NBA

The 2015-2016 Fantasy Basketball Schedule: Which Teams Have One-Game Weeks?

Bryan Mears  —  @bryan_mears Aug 14th, 2015
It's never too early to start thinking about fantasy basketball. Here's a snapshot of this year's season-long schedule.

I know it's still just the middle of August and we haven't even started the NFL's regular season, but the NBA just dropped their schedule this week. And I don't know about you, but in my opinion, it's never too early to have fantasy basketball drafts or even continue trading if you're involved in keeper or dynasty leagues.

Below is the fantasy basketball season schedule, beginning with Week 1 on Tuesday, October 27th. Remember to look at your specific league settings, however, as I've seen leagues that skip the abbreviated first week and start the following Monday. Also, check when your playoffs begin and how long they run. Generally, the regular season runs for 19 weeks and then the playoffs begin. Obviously, when your league starts will affect that. 

As you'll see, Weeks 16 and 17 don't have as many games because of the All-Star break. I wouldn't really worry about that time when you're drafting, but just keep it in mind as you're approaching those weeks. Most teams have only one or two games those weeks, but a couple have three -- you could always pick up a guy from free agency and sneak in an extra game on your opponent if you're smart.

Here's the whole chart:

Click here for larger image

There are only a couple of teams that have one-game weeks during the regular season (Orlando and Toronto both in Week 12). And again, I wouldn't worry about regular season schedule quirks during the draft. You can always use free agency or the waiver wire during that time if needed.

However, I would keep my eye on the playoff weeks during the draft. Or if not during the draft, a tricky fantasy basketball strategy is to trade for a "lesser" player that has additional games during the playoffs. Even though they're not quite as good, the volume makes up for it. 

Here's a chart of the number of games each team plays in both the regular season (Weeks 1 through 19) and in the playoffs (Weeks 20 through 24). 

The teams that play the fewest playoff games are the Celtics and the Lakers -- I would probably downgrade players a bit in my draft rankings, or at least I'd start thinking of ways I can flip out those guys once the playoffs come around. And remember to know your league. If your leaguemates aren't apt to trading, perhaps avoid the role players from those teams as they could just end up being on your bench when you need them the most.

Good luck in your future fantasy endeavors!