Fantasy Basketball Forecast: Players and Teams Who Will Make or Break Your Championship Chase

By now, pretty much all of you should be in your Fantasy Playoffs, and some of you may even be in your championship week.

We're doing the similar "playoff format" from last week's focus where we're sacrificing some pontification in the name of efficiency.  

Let's continue with our forecast for playoff week… championship week for some.

Four-Game Teams: 

Boston Celtics
Cleveland Cavaliers
Detroit Pistons
Indiana Pacers
Miami Heat
Philadelphia 76ers
Golden State Warriors
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans
Portland Trail Blazers
Sacramento Kings
Utah Jazz

Notes: 

The Pelicans are the only team listed here that does not play on Monday.

The Cavaliers, Pistons, Warriors, Pacers, Heat, and 76ers do not have a back-to-back during the week, but the Pistons and Heat just played Sunday — against each other, no less — meaning they'll begin the win on the second leg of a back-to-back. Also, be weary that the Cavs, Pistons, 76ers, and Pacers games on Sunday are the first legs of back-to-backs.

The Celtics, the Blazers, Kings and Jazz are the only teams on this list who don't play on Sunday.

The Pelicans are the only team with four road games this week.

No one has all four games at home.

Three-Game Teams:

Atlanta Hawks
Brooklyn Nets
Chicago Bulls
Milwaukee Bucks
New York Knicks
Orlando Magic
Toronto Raptors
Washington Wizards
Denver Nuggets
Houston Rockets
Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers
Memphis Grizzlies
Oklahoma City Thunder
Phoenix Suns
San Antonio Spurs

Notes: Only the Hawks, Bulls, Lakers, Grizzlies, and Knicks play Monday. 

The Clippers, Bucks, Thunder, Raptors and Suns don't play until Wednesday.

The Clippers, Lakers, Bucks and Thunder are the only teams of the above list who play Sunday.

The Grizzlies don't play Saturday or Sunday.

The Lakers are off from Tuesday to Thursday, one of two NBA teams with three consecutive days off this week.

Two-Game Teams:

Charlotte Hornets
Dallas Mavericks

Notes: The Hornets play just Tuesday and Saturday.

The Mavericks play on Tuesday and Thursday. 

INJURY RADAR

OUT to start the Week (with a chance to return)

• Boston Celtics: C/F Kristaps Porginzis (hamstring)
• Chicago Bulls: G Coby White (hip)
• Cleveland Cavaliers: G Donovan Mitchell (knee, nose)
• Utah Jazz: F Lauri Markkanen (quadrecips)
• Cleveland Cavaliers: C/F Evan Mobley (ankle)
• Washington Wizards: G Tyus Jones (back)
• Atlanta Hawks: C Onyeka Okongwu (ankle)
• Portland Trail Blazers: F Jerami Grant (hamstring)
• Memphis Grizzlies: G/F Vince Williams Jr. (knee)

Notes: To qualify for this list, you need to have missed two games coming into this week, or have reporting indicating that you'll miss at least the first game of the week.

Williams Jr., Grant, and Markkanen are on tanking teams and might not be worth holding by midweek if they're not yet back in action — the three of them, along with Okongwu, are the biggest drop candidates in desperate situations, assuming none are back by the middle of the week.

If you feel a name is missing from the list, refer to last week.

Shocking Injury Return of the Week:

Seriously?! He's back?!?

Bane returned after two months with seriously no reason for the Grizzlies to reinsert him. On Saturday, he scored 22 points and had seven assists while draining four threes and hit 7-of-17 from the field. In some situations, he could be a league-winner if you held onto him if he plays every game, but chances are, he'll have rest sprinkled in given that he has no reason to be playing basketball right now. 

Injury Pivots:

Streamworthy players on the waiver wire: 

Mitchell is out Monday, and has been an injury report constant this month, so LeVert is worth a look in points leagues — less so in category leagues, but he might be worth the gamble if you need scoring and stocks while the efficiency is very hit or miss. 

Averaging over 15-4-2 since being dealt to Detroit on efficient shooting and once again has four games this week. 

Podz got the start Saturday and didn't completely deliver, but even so, he's been very productive lately and has a four-game week work riding. The rookie is averaging 9.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.7 stocks while on 43/50/64 shooting over his last six while logging 30 minutes per contest. The Warriors aren't wildly short-handed, so he hasn't had the scoring nights he did earlier this season, but he's a stat-sheet filler.

If Markkanen remains out, he should be a constant double-double threat.

As long as the Blazers remain short-handed, and Banton is one of the short hands, he's very addable for the playoffs. No, Malcolm Brogdon, Shaedon Sharpe, Jerami Grant, Scoot Henderson, and Anfernee Simons are inconsistent. Also, it is a four-game week.

Drop Candidates: 

Averaging 15-4-4 over a six-game stretch is fine, but he's 31/29/92 splits over that stretch. Is he really dependable in your fantasy playoffs? His brick house might cost you a title, so hold at your own risk.

He hasn't played more than 20 minutes in six straight games. He can get a double-double in 20 minutes, but this situation is too unstable to depend on in the playoffs. 

Like I said last week: Bust. If he's on your team entering the week, might as well not cut him until Tuesday following Monday's game.

This is an "it's not you, it's me" drop. Save him until Tuesday if you want, but the Hornets play twice this week. Micic has been good, but he's in Orlando Tuesday and you won't see him again until Saturday.

Been an underwhelming fantasy player for a lot of the season. He's averaging about 11-6 since being moved to Dallas with awful shooting splits. He also plays just twice this week.