With the inaugural In-Season Tournament concluding Saturday night in Las Vegas, the NBA’s regular season schedule will be back to “normal” in Week 8. Every day will feature at least five games, with Monday (13) and Saturday (10) being the busiest. And 24 teams are scheduled to play four games, with the other six playing three. Let’s take a look ahead to Week 8 and some of its important fantasy storylines.
Week 8 Games Played
4 Games: ATL, BOS, BKN, CHA, CHI, CLE, DAL, DEN, DET, GSW, HOU, IND, LAC, MIA, MIL, NOR, NYK, PHI, PHO, POR, SAC, SAS, UTA, WAS
3 Games: LAL, MEM, MIN, OKC, ORL, TOR
Week 8 Storylines
– The 76ers have a great fantasy schedule for Week 8
Of the 24 teams that will play four games in Week 8, few have a schedule that looks as enticing as what the 76ers will face. All four of their games are against teams ranked 24th or worse in the league in defensive rating, beginning with the Wizards (29th) on Monday. While Washington was able to hang around in their December 6 loss to Philadelphia, the 76ers still scored 131 points on 51% shooting from the field. That game will be followed by two against the struggling Pistons (24th in defensive rating) and one against the Hornets (30th in defensive rating). Joel Embiid, who is believed to be fine going through an injury scare during Friday’s win over Atlanta, and Tyrese Maxey could feast in the 76ers’ Week 8 matchups.
– Rockets’ Thompson set to return from ankle injury
Sidelined since November 1 with a Grade 2 sprain of his right ankle, Rockets rookie Amen Thompson was recalled from the team’s G League affiliate on Saturday and is expected to be available for Monday’s game against the Spurs. He’ll have to get through Sunday’s practice without any issues in order for that to become official, but Thompson’s return would improve Houston’s depth on the wing. However, fantasy managers should be mindful that he only surpassed 20 minutes in one of the four games he played pre-injury. So, remain patient. And in his lone outing for the Rio Grande Vipers, Thompson put up 29 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists, three steals, two blocks, and two 3-pointers in a two-point loss to…
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