Fantasy basketball success hinges on the season’s schedule as much as on talent. Yahoo playoffs run Weeks 21–23 (Mar 16–Apr 5), with an extended Week 17 for the All-Star break, creating distinct rest windows and streaming opportunities. The NBA Cup adds weekly scoring quirks, with Group Play and Quarterfinals typically counting toward fantasy, while Semifinals and Championship do not. Back-to-back (B2B) risk distributes unevenly—some teams endure 16 B2Bs, others as few as 13—shaping rostering decisions in late-season windows.

While a few teams offer heavy game volume in the fantasy playoffs (notably 12-game weeks for Rockets, Grizzlies, Magic, Wizards), others deliver thin weeks (9–10 games for Nuggets and Knicks) that can sink head-to-heads if your stars sit. The nuggets of strategy: map B2B stress to injury history, leverage depth on high-volume weeks, and watch for shifts as the schedule evolves toward the final sprint.

ESPN's Future Power Rankings project a three-season arc for every NBA club. Oklahoma City sits atop thanks to a championship-ready young core, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s extension, and a draft asset avalanche. The Lakers benefit from a Luka Doncic era alignment, while Victor Wembanyama makes San Antonio a legitimate title sleeper within three years. Houston, Cleveland and the rest shape a volatile West and a flexible East, where cap space and asset management drive options.

Rod Higgins wore No. 22 for Golden State, anchoring a long NBA run from 1986 to 1992 and returning briefly in 1994. Drafted by Chicago in 1982 after Fresno State, his career spanned Bulls, Sonics, Spurs, Nets, six seasons with the Warriors, then Kings and Cavaliers to close out in 1994. For fantasy minds, his era-long reliability and defensive versatility across multiple teams offer a blueprint for depth wings who thread value through minutes, durability, and role clarity.

Higgins’ journey underscores how a solid floor player can stabilize a roster across seasons, especially in deeper leagues where multi-team exposure and minutes eaten matter. His jersey history also highlights how veteran wings contribute to team balance, creating nuanced narratives for dynasty rosters and micro-trend analyses tied to era-specific lineups.

The Cavaliers add Larry Nance Jr. as a versatile frontcourt piece off the bench, designed to relieve Mobley and Allen and keep the unit functional when the starters rest. His floor-spreading shooting, hustle deflection, and stable decision-making help Cleveland maintain spacing and energy without a burst star power. Health is a concern, so expect a steady, understated impact rather than game-changing runs.