2024-25 Fantasy Basketball Week 21 Schedule Breakdown

For many fantasy leagues, Week 21 is "Championship Week." And with the growing injury lists, crafting lineups is more difficult now than during winter. The good news is that every team will play at least three games during Week 21, and the schedule is evenly distributed. Let's look at the Week 21 schedule breakdown and some of its key storylines.

Week 21 Games Played

4 Games: BKN, DAL, IND, LAL, MIL, NYK, ORL, PHI, PHO, SAC, SAS, TOR, WAS

3 Games: ATL, BOS, CHA, CHI, DEN, DET, GSW, HOU, LAC, MEM, MIA, MIN, NOR, OKC, POR, UTA

Week 21 Storylines

- There are no extremely light games during Week 21.

Week 21 should be good for fantasy basketball, as no day has fewer than six games on the schedule. And with the four busiest days all boasting eight-game slates, there should be no shortage of options available to fantasy managers. At this point in the season, targeting teams well on their way to the draft lottery is a good place to start. While the Jazz will only play three games during Week 21, San Antonio, Toronto, Washington and Philadelphia are among those who will play four.

- Philadelphia will have to navigate two back-to-backs.

The 76ers are the only team with two back-to-backs scheduled between March 23 and March 30. With Joel Embiid and Paul George officially done for the season and Tyrese Maxey still sidelined with his injuries, the door has swung wide open for Quentin Grimes. However, he's played so well that it's fair to wonder if there will come a point when Philadelphia looks to cut his playing time under the guise of an "injury." Justin Edwards, Ricky Council IV, Adem Bona (when healthy) and Jared Butler are a few players who will have added value as the 76ers look to improve their draft lottery odds.

- How many games will LeBron James (groin) play during Week 21?

James returned to the Lakers' lineup on March 22 against the Bulls, making his first appearance since March 8. His return impacts the entire Lakers' rotation, beginning with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves not taking on as much of the offensive workload. Also, Jordan Goodwin would return to the bench, where he has minimal fantasy impact. Rui Hachimura's return will also impact the rotation, as the matchup with Chicago was his first game after missing nearly one month with a left knee injury. The Lakers play four games during Week 21, including a midweek back-to-back. In addition to James' injury, Doncic and Reaves (among others) have recently been held out of a game for injury management reasons.

- Kings are expected to provide an update on Domantas Sabonis (ankle).

At the time of Sabonis' sprained right ankle, the Kings announced that he would be re-evaluated in 10 days. March 29 would be the tenth day, and the Kings are scheduled to play the Magic that night. That's the third of three games Sacramento is scheduled to play during Week 21, so fantasy managers will continue to rely on Jonas Valanciunas. However, he's rostered in over 80 percent of Yahoo! leagues, meaning fantasy managers looking to make an addition will need to focus on Keon Ellis, Trey Lyles or Jake LaRavia. The Sabonis question will be more about Week 22 than Week 21, and the Kings have a four-game schedule for Week 22.

- Will Nikola Jokic (ankle) be able to return from injury during Week 21?

The Nuggets' March 23 game against the Rockets will be the fourth Jokic has missed with a sprained ankle. With the Nuggets' three-game Week 21 beginning with a Sunday/Monday back-to-back, the three-time MVP may be available for all three games if he's cleared. And beggars can't be choosers; three games or Jokic is superior to none, given his impact on the Nuggets and fantasy basketball. The Joker's absence has raised Aaron Gordon's fantasy ceiling, and he's scored 23 points or more in three straight games.

- Can Stephen Curry (pelvis) return during the Warriors' road trip?

Before the Warriors' March 22 game against the Hawks, head coach Steve Kerr said he hoped Curry would be able to return from his injury at some point during the team's six-game road trip. The trip won't conclude until April 3 against the Lakers, and the Warriors have a home game against the Nuggets the following night. Rookie center Quentin Post returned to the starting lineup in Atlanta, but he may not be a lock to retain that role for the entire trip. Golden State can (and has) used Draymond Green at the five as part of a smaller lineup, which could be used to get Jonathan Kuminga more time on the court. Buddy Hield will be more valuable to managers needing three-point production, while Brandin Podziemski and Jimmy Butler should see their respective usages increase. The Warriors play three games during Week 21, starting with the Heat on Tuesday.

- It's "Red Velvet Time" in Chicago despite the Bulls only playing three games.

Bulls backup point guard Tre Jones has played well since moving into the starting lineup, filling the void left by the injured Lonzo Ball. However, he suffered a left midfoot sprain on March 20 and will be out for at least two weeks. Jones' injury makes things simple for the Bulls, as Josh Giddey's return to the starting lineup did not bump Kevin Huerter to the bench. While a three-game schedule isn't the best, Huerter's status as a starter makes him worth holding onto for Week 21. The Bulls will play four games during Week 22.

Light Game Days

Wednesday: 6 Games

WAS vs. PHI
TOR vs. BKN
LAL vs. IND
LAC vs. NYK
MIL vs. DEN
BOS vs. PHO

Week 21 Back-to-backs

Sunday (Week 20)-Monday: BOS, DEN, NOR, PHI, TOR

Monday-Tuesday: DAL, ORL, SAC

Tuesday-Wednesday: NYK

Wednesday-Thursday: IND, LAL, WAS

Thursday-Friday: CLE, UTA

Friday-Saturday: BKN

Saturday-Sunday: PHI, SAS

Sunday-Monday (Week 22): HOU, LAC