The Lakers’ Austin Reaves has been on a fantasy tear in March.
Teams are closing in on their final 10 games of the regular season, and although playoff positions will naturally be the focus, heightening stakes in fantasy demand discussion.
Crucial races, injuries and schedules motivate another big week for NBA Fantasy Salary Game players as March nears its end.
Here’s what you need to know for Week 23:
Last week’s story
The No. 1 seed seemed inevitable for the Cleveland Cavaliers (57-14) in the fast-approaching NBA Playoffs. Entering last week, they boasted a nine-game lead over the next-closest Boston Celtics (52-19) atop the Eastern Conference. But their grip loosened, and all of a sudden, there’s a race at hand for the stretch run.
Boston sits five games back of first place in the East following Cleveland’s four-game losing streak from March 16 to 21. The latter had claimed 20 of its preceding 21 contests to build separation from the former, but just undid all that work with its roughest stretch all campaign. The Celtics are 20-4 dating back to Jan. 29 and have won five straight.
Lesser production from Donovan Mitchell has been a considerable factor. He’s now failed to crack 40 fantasy points in seven consecutive appearances – his longest drought this season. Since March 7, the eighth-year guard is averaging 32 fantasy points per game (FPPG) and performing comfortably below his season-long mark of 38.5.
As per usual, Jayson Tatum and his fifth-best 3148.7 total fantasy points (TFP) has guided Boston, but there has been notable movement elsewhere. For the first time in 2024-25, Jrue Holiday scored 40-plus fantasy points in three straight contests from March 14 to 18, while Derrick White has submitted 38.9 FPPG across his last six to best his season average of 33.0.
Game to watch
Los Angeles Lakers (43-27) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (43-28), Saturday at 8 ET
These squads are caught in what’s shaping up to be a photo finish for playoff position in the Western Conference. The No. 2 and No. 5 seeds are separated by just 2.5 games, and the Lakers and Grizzlies check in at fourth and fifth, respectively, within that group.
Los Angeles has dropped six of its last nine – without LeBron James for seven of those outings – but has the 21-time All-Star back in the fold as of Saturday. Memphis, meanwhile, has been mired in mediocrity for well over a month, standing at 8-12 dating back to Feb. 8. Ja Morant missed seven of his own during that stretch, including each of the most recent four.
Austin Reaves and Desmond Bane have shown out amid such absences – each ranking second on their respective teams in TFP. For the Lakers, Reaves totaled 222.3 fantasy points in four games from March 14 to 19, scoring as high as 74.1 and no lower than 48. Bane pitched in an excellent two-game stretch from the 15th to the 17th with 50 or more fantasy points in both.
Schedule sights
There are 14 teams embarking on a four-game slate this week, with the Phoenix Suns (34-37) facing the toughest road and the Toronto Raptors (24-47) having the easiest. The latter faces the Washington Wizards (15-55) on Monday, Brooklyn Nets (23-48) on Wednesday, Charlotte Hornets (18-53) on Friday and Philadelphia 76ers (23-48) on Sunday.
Scottie Barnes leads Toronto in both FPPG and TFP with 42.6 and 2385.4, respectively, and is one of just two Raptors to have broken 2000 for the latter figure. He would be a strong candidate for the captain’s chip given the opposition ahead, but he’s not worth acquiring to do so, as there’s a slew of more productive players available for less than Barnes’ $15.0M salary.
The team’s two highest-value options, Ochai Agbaji and Gradey Dick, are each attempting returns from long-term injuries and could be sketchy investments accordingly – even at no more than $6.0M a pop. Rather, look to Jamal Shead and Jonathan Mogbo as potential short-term additions.
Transaction targets
A grand total of 11 players appeared on the 76ers’ injury report Sunday, and opportunity continues to trickle down the roster. Justin Edwards has been a considerable beneficiary as of late, ranking as the No. 1 and No. 2 highest-value fantasy scorer on Friday and Sunday, respectively, of last week.
The first-year forward has now dropped 30-plus fantasy points in four consecutive outings for the first time in his career – not even having done so twice in a row beforehand. By the end of Week 10, Edwards had appeared in just two games for Philadelphia. He had just 64 TFP to his name when Week 12 reached a close.
At the moment, the NBA newcomer is nearly doubling his 18.4 FPPG on a nightly basis, and that makes his $4.2M salary a remarkable bargain. There’s also reason to believe he can sustain such numbers given the long-term nature of injuries faced by many of his teammates.
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