With the first week of the NBA season in the rearview mirror, Week 2 will feature the association’s standard routine. Only one team (Philadelphia) plays two games, while 15 will play four times in Week 2. The 76ers remain on hold regarding two of their stars, but the schedule could work in their favor. On the other end of the spectrum, Denver, Portland and Sacramento will have to play back-to-back games over seven days. Let’s take a look at the NBA’s Week 2 schedule and some key storylines.

Games played during week 2

4 games: ATL, BOS, BKN, CLE, DAL, DEN, DET, MEM, NOR, ORL, POR, SAC, SAS, TOR, UTA

3 games: CHA, CHI, GSW, HOU, IND, LAC, LAL, MIA, MIL, MIN, NYK, OKC, PHO, WAS

2 games:PHI

Week 2 Scenarios

– Is this the week we see Joel Embiid and Paul George in action?

The 76ers did not get off to the start many expected, with the absences of Embiid and George having a lot to do with it. However, the Week 2 schedule looks good for a potential return, even if it diminishes the fantasy values ​​of the team’s additional pieces. Philadelphia is the only team scheduled to play two games in Week 2, the first being a home game against the Pistons on Wednesday. With the final game of the week scheduled for next Saturday against the Grizzlies before the 76ers head west for a road trip, the schedule is set to keep Embiid and George fresh should they play. Andre Drummond, Caleb Martin and Kelly Oubre Jr. are more valuable when Embiid and George sit. Still, they may all be surplus to requirements regardless of what the 76ers medical staff decides.

– Denver, Portland and Sacramento must sail twice consecutively

NBA schedulers don’t waste time dealing with back-to-back games, with many teams ending their Week 1 with such a setup. For week 2, three teams will face two back-to-backs. Portland’s first back-to-back begins with a home game against New Orleans on Sunday in the final game of Week 1, followed by a road game at Sacramento the following night. As for the Kings, their two back-to-back games will take place in Week 2.

Mike Brown’s team begins its road trip to Utah the night after hosting Portland, and it will finish Week 2 with a back-to-back Friday/Saturday road trip against the Hawks and Raptors. The third team with back-to-back games is Denver, which, like Sacramento, will play three of four on the road. The Nuggets start the week with a Monday/Tuesday B2B at Toronto and Brooklyn and end with a Friday/Saturday against the Timberwolves (road) and Jazz (home). The good news is that neither of these teams are currently dealing with significant injuries to key players, but that doesn’t prohibit their respective practice squads from giving someone a night off if they do. deem it appropriate.

– Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday should be good streaming days

These are the lightest days on the calendar, with the NBA playing four games on Tuesday and Thursday and three on Sunday. As part of a four-game week, the Nets play Tuesday and Sunday, making them a team for managers looking for added value to focus on. Maybe Dennis Schroder (35% of players, Yahoo) enters the mix because of his place in the rotation, but his percentages (42.9% FG, 66.7% FT) weren’t the most impressive in the Nets’ first two games. Additionally, Dallas (Thursday and Sunday) and New Orleans (Tuesday and Sunday) play two of these light game days.

Given the injuries to Trey Murphy and Dejounte Murray, Jordan Hawkins (13% of the roster) could be worth a look in deep leagues, especially before the Pelicans’ game against the Hawks to end Week 2. Rookie Yves Missi ( 15%), who had two steals and five blocks in the first two games of the season, should also be taken into account. He played four more minutes per game (22.5 to 18.5) than Daniel Theis, although the veteran got the nod in wins over the Bulls and Trail Blazers.

– Raptors could soon welcome back key contributors

Toronto played its first two games without RJ Barrett (shoulder) and Immanuel Quickley (pelvis) went down in the team’s season-opening loss to the Cavaliers. The former could return as soon as Saturday’s game against the Timberwolves, putting him on track to be available to start a four-game Week 2 slate on Monday. As for Quickley, he did not travel with the team to Minneapolis. The good news for Toronto is that they will play three of their four Week 2 games at home. The bad is that the slate includes a back-to-back Friday/Saturday home game against the Lakers and Kings.

We’ll see how much Barrett and Quickley can play and how the Raptors handle those two back-to-back. Gradey Dick is a player worth keeping regardless of the statuses of RJ and Quickley, while Ochai Agbaji is not (he probably shouldn’t even be released). Another name for Fantasy managers to consider, especially in deep leagues, is rookie Jonathan Mogbo. It has a user-friendly game, especially for those who need defensive stats.

– Miami, Washington and Clippers schedules

The Heat, Wizards and Clippers all play three games in Week 2, but their schedules will impact how these teams are evaluated in terms of fantasy value. Miami and Washington play all three games on the busiest days of the week (Monday, Wednesday and Saturday), while the Clippers play three games in four days, starting with Portland on Wednesday. In the case of the top two teams, their less publicized players who receive continued attention on lighter days may not be worth the attention. As for the Clippers, players other than James Harden and Ivica Zubac could be left on the waiver wire, especially in leagues that require rosters to be set before the start of Monday’s games.

Light play days

Tuesday (4 games)

DEN vs. BKN

DAL vs. MIN

SAC vs. UTA

NOR vs. GSW

THURSDAY (4 games)

MIL vs. MEM

HOU vs. DAL

SAS versus UTA

SPO vs BAC

Sunday (3 games)

DET vs. BKN

ATL vs. NOR

ENT vs. DAL

Back to back

Sunday (week 1)-Monday: ATL, IND, MIL, POR

Monday-Tuesday: DAL, DEN, SAC, UTA

Tuesday-Wednesday: BKN, GSW, NOR

Wednesday-Thursday: LAC, MEM, SAS

Thursday-Friday: None

Friday-Saturday: BOS, CHA, KEY, DEN, MIN, OKC, POR, SAC, TOR

Saturday-Sunday: None

Sunday-Monday (week 3): ATL, DET, NI