The NBA season ends in 15 days, and the playoff picture is no more clear than it was weeks ago, as the 2-6 seeds in each conference are packed together tightly; the same goes for the 7-10 seeds. However, at the top and bottom of each conference, there's plenty of stability, which actually makes life more difficult for Fantasy players.
Specifically, the Warriors and Hawks, the respective No. 1 seeds in each conference, could spend the next few weeks giving Fantasy owners who are still alive headaches. Both teams have been very liberal with their rest patterns this season, though they have gone about it in different ways.
Mike Budenholzer has his Hawks taking regular days off, with no starter having played more than 69 of the team's first 73 games. Steve Kerr, on the other hand, has gotten 70-plus games out of Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green and Stephen Curry already, though nobody on the team plays more than Curry's 32.8 minutes per game.
Both teams have nine games left on the schedule, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see their big names sit out at least a third of them. If you've got one of them on your roster, is it time to panic? And how should you deal with their absences when they do occur?
(The Hawks have three sets of back-to-back games left, the first of which begins Monday. The Warriors have just one remaining.)
Who is worth holding on to?
Stephen Curry
It's going to hurt to lose Curry for a key game or two down the stretch, given how much he has done for you. Curry has missed just two games this season, and has been arguably the top Fantasy player in the league overall, despite playing just 32.8 minutes per game. As much as you'll miss him when he sits, there's no way you should even think about cutting or even sitting Curry -- he can do more in two games than 70 percent of the league in three or four.
Who gains if he sits?
Shaun Livingston has played 63 minutes in the two games Curry has missed, taking 19 shots and totaling 20 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds in those two games. He would probably be a low-end Fantasy play in standard formats, but could have value in daily Fantasy.
Klay Thompson
Like Curry, Thompson is probably too productive when he plays to consider turning loose even if he does sit out one-third of the team's remaining games, especially in category-based formats.
Who gains if he sits?
Harrison Barnes probably doesn't do enough to be much more than a low-end option down the stretch, though he is unlikely to see rest either way. He could be a sneaky-good play in daily formats if Thompson takes time off, as he averaged 19.7 points in just 25.6 minutes per game during Thompson's earlier absence due to an ankle injury.
Draymond Green
Green sat out the team's first game after clinching the No. 1 seed, but I would expect to see him out there more often than his fellow starters down the stretch. Saturday was the first time he sat out, and it came on the second night of a back-to-back. Maybe we'll only see him in half of the team's lone back-to-back set, but I would be surprised if it was much more than that; you know he's going to push hard to play to try to lock up Defensive Player of the Year votes.
Who gains if he sits?
It isn't that long ago that David Lee was the Warriors' first All-Star representative in years, and by all indications, he has handled his transition to a reserve role very well. It wouldn't be a surprise if they reward him for that with some extended run late, though I would expect it will come more often as a result of Andrew Bogut getting rest than Green. Still, he will be someone to keep an eye if the Warriors opt to rest the starters for a few games at a time.
Paul Millsap/Al Horford/Jeff Teague
The Hawks are expected to play all of their starters Monday, but rest is expected Tuesday according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. They don't play again until Saturday, so Fantasy owners looking for help in Week 23 might have some incentive to part ways with these stars. However, I wouldn't suggest it for Millsap and Horford, at the very least, given how tough it is to find replacements at forward and center respectively. Teague, who is dealing with an ankle injury, makes a bit more sense as a drop candidate, given how easy it is to find replacements at his position. The fact that six of the team's final nine games come on back-to-backs makes it easier to drop Teague after Monday.
Who gains if they sit?
Dennis Schroder has been a solid Fantasy option for weeks, averaging 13.7 points and 6.3 assists per game since the All-Star break despite startint four of 19 games. He is a must-start option in daily leagues when Teague sits out, but is a solid option otherwise. Replacements for Horford and Millsap are a bit tougher to come by, especially with Mike Scott dealing with an injury. Mike Muscala is young enough to have some upside, and Kent Bazemore has shown he can be useful in a large enough role over the last few years, but I wouldn't add them unless it looks like the team is going to give the starters two or three games off in a row.
