Fantasy Basketball Week 1 Schedule Breakdown

The 2024-25 NBA regular season is finally here. As has been typical in recent seasons, Week 1 begins with two games, including the defending champion Celtics and likely rivals New York and Minnesota. The fourth team on the schedule is the Lakers, who have two superstars in LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but have to face a full Western Conference. Unfortunately, some teams are already struggling with the threat of injuries, and some absences will have a significant impact on fantasy basketball. Let’s look at the Week 1 schedule breakdown and some key storylines for fantasy managers to keep in mind.

Games played in the first week

3 games: ATL, BOS, BKN, CHA, CHI, CLE, DET, GSW, HOU, IND, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIL, MIN, NOR, OKC, ORL, PHI, PHO, POR, TOR

2 games: DAL, DEN, MIA, NYK, SAC, SAS, UTA, WHAT

First week storylines

– How much will 76ers stars Embiid, George and Maxey play?

Philadelphia is one of many teams set to play three games in Week 1, but the availability of Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey is uncertain. Embiid and George are struggling with knee problems. While the former did not play in the preseason, the latter was injured in a game against the Hawks last week and will be reevaluated early next week. Maxey injured his thumb during Philadelphia’s preseason finale in Orlando. The good news for fantasy managers who have Embiid or George on the roster is that Philadelphia’s Week 1 schedule does not include a back-to-back. With the availability of these three stars still unknown, players like Andre Drummond and Kelly Oubre Jr. will be incredibly valuable.

– The Clippers will be without Kawhi Leonard indefinitely

Unfortunately, Leonard’s knee remains a problem; It is unknown when he will return to action. After leaving USA Basketball before the Paris Olympics, he underwent knee surgery, the details of which neither Leonard nor the Clippers have disclosed. What is known is that the Clippers will begin the season with a starting lineup consisting of James Harden, Norman Powell, Terance Mann, Derrick Jones Jr. and Ivica Zubac.

While Harden is an early pick in fantasy drafts and Zubac may have top-100 value, can value be derived from the other three? Powell may have the best chance because of his scoring ability, but his defensive production has been limited in recent seasons. While backup Kevin Porter Jr. might be useful under normal circumstances, the league could suspend him due to off-court legal issues that led to him not playing last season.

– The Cavaliers are losing Max Strus for at least six weeks

On Saturday afternoon, the Cavaliers announced that Strus will be reevaluated in six weeks after he suffered a sprained ankle during an individual practice on Thursday. Given the timing, this is not your standard rolled ankle. As far as fantasy goes, Strus was a late option at best, entering the weekend with a Yahoo ADP of 144.8 per Hashtag Basketball. For this reason, managers holding their drafts this weekend will not be able to draft Strus.

So who should they consider ahead of Cleveland’s three-game week? Caris LeVert is the most obvious answer and probably the only one in terms of potential long-term streaming value. There is also something else to watch with the Cavaliers: Evan Mobley’s commitment to the offense and the question of whether further opportunities for him will have a negative impact on Jarrett Allen. This wasn’t a problem during the preseason, but the regular season could be different.

-Will Oklahoma City have Jalen Williams?

Williams sprained his right ankle during Oklahoma City’s game against the Hawks on October 17. He didn’t participate in Saturday’s practice, but the good news is that the Thunder don’t open their season until Thursday night in Denver. The bad? This is the first of three games Oklahoma City will play in four days. Week 1 ends with a Saturday/Sunday duo against the Bulls (away game) and the Hawks (home game). With Isaiah Hartenstein (hand) already sidelined, the Thunder could lose two crucial players in the opening week. In the case of JDub, would it be available for both games in a row so soon? Alex Caruso was already slated for a more prominent role due to Hartenstein’s injury, but Isaiah Joe or Aaron Wiggins could also play a more prominent role in the rotation.

– Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic are on track to play

Curry (finger) and Doncic (calf) have struggled with injuries in the preseason, with the former missing Friday’s finale against Golden State and the latter not appearing in any Dallas games. However, both are on track to be available at the start of the regular season. Doncic was a full participant in the Mavericks’ recent practices and Warriors coach Steve Kerr said before his team’s win over the Lakers that Curry would be ready for the season opener against Portland.

This is great news for fantasy managers, as Curry and Doncic were first-round picks based on their respective Yahoo ADPs. We haven’t yet seen how Klay Thompson will perform in a lineup with Doncic and Kyrie Irving. The former Warriors guard will have no shortage of catch-and-shoot opportunities in Dallas; While he didn’t shoot the ball well in the preseason, Thompson’s track record should ease some of the concerns.

– How will the Knicks’ new pieces mesh now that the games count?

New York made two trades this offseason, including Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns. Both struggled from distance in pre-season, with the former scoring around 11% from three. The move to New York has taken Towns to the second round in most fantasy drafts, while Bridges’ value has remained stable. Having Jalen Brunson on the field will be helpful as he can draw defensive attention. Still, the Knicks need Towns and Bridges to take off in shooting after uneven preseason performances.

During New York’s three-game opening week, Josh Hart’s role in the offense is special. He didn’t mince his words in pre-season and even didn’t attempt a shot in one game. Hart is the starter with the most to lose from a productivity perspective as the Knicks add Bridges and Towns; will he accept that? Or does a rotation change need to be made? Stay tuned.

Easy game days

Tuesday: 2 games

NYK vs BOS

MIN vs. LAL

Thursday: 4 games

BOS vs WHAT

SAS vs DAL

OKC vs. DEN

MIN vs SAC

Sunday: 5 games

PHI vs. IND

MIL vs BKN

NOR vs. POR

ATL vs OKC

LAC vs GSW

Week 1, back to back

Tuesday-Wednesday: No

Wednesday-Thursday: No

Thursday-Friday: No

Friday-Saturday: CHA, CHI, CLE, DET, HOU, LAL, MEM, ORL, PHO, TOR

Saturday-Sunday: LAC, OKC

Sunday-Monday (Week 2): ATL, IND, MIL, POR