Fantasy Basketball Week 19: Impending Nets surge and more NBA news to watch
Storylines worth keeping track of ahead of Week 19's Thursday start
By
Ameer Tyree
•
1 min read
There's been no shortage of big-time news ahead of Thursday, and Brooklyn appears to be on the up-and-up as the season's resumption nears. Several Nets are nearing returns from injury, and Irving could get one step closer to becoming a full-time player again. Need to know what else is worth keeping track of ahead of Thursday's seven-game slate? Here are three storylines worth keeping an eye on.
Brooklyn could be poised for a major turnaround
Many things have gone wrong for Brooklyn in recent weeks, but the sleeping Eastern Conference powerhouse got some good news on Wednesday. New York plans to start phasing out its vaccine mandate in the coming weeks, so Kyrie Irving could be cleared for home games. Joe Harris and Kevin Durant are eyeing returns in early March and could play alongside Ben Simmons against the Hornets by March 8th. Evaluating the fantasy value of Nets players not named Irving or Durant could be difficult moving forward because of all their new pieces. Several role players could see their production drop soon.
Trail Blazers' endless injury woes
Yet another Portland starter is set to miss a significant stretch of games. Jusuf Nurkic will miss a month with plantar fasciitis, so the Trail Blazers' depleted frontcourt is about to get even thinner. Justice Winslow should continue to thrive as a small-ball four, and Trendon Watford is sure to climb wish lists as a fill-in center moving forward. The rookie out of LSU signed a four-year deal earlier this week and has an opportunity to show what he can do with more minutes alongside recent 10-day signing, Drew Eubanks.
The Cavaliers' remaining schedule
Cleveland has shocked the masses this year and is in the hunt to win the Eastern Conference this year down the stretch. The Cavs' elite defense has been the driving force behind their success, but their offense could thrive because of their favorable schedule down the stretch. Eight of Cleveland's final 24 games will be played against teams that are 21st or worse in defensive rating. DFS enthusiasts should take note of that tidbit, and season-long fantasy managers should consider making moves for some of the Cavs' major contributors as the year winds down.
