As we head down the home stretch of the fantasy basketball season, with many leagues in their championship week, here's a list of the most fantasy relevant news and notes for all 30 teams around the league:
Atlanta Hawks: Not only has Trae Young played in every game as a rookie this season, he has ramped up his efforts in the final stretch of the regular season. After pouring in 33 points and dishing out 12 assists on Tuesday, Young raised his averages to 24.1 points, 9.0 assists and 4.6 rebounds during 13 games this month. On top of that, he's made 2.5 3PG in March. Young should be a top-30 pick in next season's fantasy drafts.
Boston Celtics: As he mentioned he intended to do last week, Kyrie Irving took an opportunity to rest, sitting out Tuesday's game against the Cavaliers. Terry Rozier started in his absence, playing 29 minutes and finishing with 11 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists, but Boston finished the game with Marcus Smart (21 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals) and Gordon Hayward (15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal). File this away for the next time Irving sits out.
Brooklyn Nets: While Caris LeVert's scoring has been slow to return to the level before he missed three months due to a foot injury, one area that LeVert continues to be very useful in is assists. The versatile swingman has dished out 4.0 APG during the past 10 games and is at 3.9 APG for the season.
Charlotte Hornets: An illness has cost Nicolas Batum the past three games, during the most critical part of the fantasy season. That's some rough timing for fantasy managers. With that in mind, the Hornets don't play again until Friday against the Lakers, and one has to believe Batum could be well enough by then to return to the court -- as well as for Sunday's game at Golden State.
Chicago Bulls: Zach LaVine's thigh injury has cost him the past three games, and his status is up in the air for the rest of this week. The Bulls host Portland on Wednesday and Toronto on Saturday. It's reasonable for LaVine to be a "shutdown candidate" on a 21-54 Bulls team that only has seven games remaining, so be aware of that, especially if he ends up sitting for another game or two.
Cleveland Cavaliers: It's been a career-year for Larry Nance Jr., and he's one to watch heading into next season. The bouncy forward has established new career-highs with 26.2 MPG, 9.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 3.1 APG and 1.5 SPG, while posting a 52.4 FG% and a respectable 70.4 FT%. He helps most with rebounds and steals, but if he can continue to distribute the way he has this season, that will be another area in which he can really help fantasy rosters.
Dallas Mavericks: Here's a stat that will surprise many of you. During the past two weeks (a span of six games), Luka Doncic has averaged double-digit rebounds (10.3). Add that to his 23.5 PPG and 8.3 APG during that same time and, suddenly, the prized rookie is a triple-double threat every time he takes the court. Like Trae Young, he's a top-30 fantasy player heading into next season.
Denver Nuggets: Who leads the Nuggets in scoring this month? Nikola Jokic (18.7 PPG). Who leads the Nuggets in rebounding? Jokic (11.1 RPG). Who leads the Nuggets in assists? Jokic (6.5 APG). Jokic also ranks second on the Nuggets in steals (1.0) and blocks (1.0) in 12 games this month, and is carrying fantasy teams to the finish line right now. If you can land him in the back-half of the first round in next season's draft, you'll be setting yourself up nicely for success.
Detroit Pistons: Entering Tuesday's night game against Denver, Andre Drummond had averaged 18.8 PPG, 16.4 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 1.6 BPG, a 59.0 FG% and a 70.0 FT% during the past 24 games. Clearly, the days of Drummond being known as a "rebounder who can't shoot free throws" are a thing of the past. His contributions in both the steals and blocks categories make him primed to be a second-round selection in next season's fantasy drafts.
Golden State Warriors: DeMarcus Cousins is set to return to the lineup on Wednesday against the Grizzlies after having missed a handful of games due to a foot injury and rest. Cousins averaged 22.3 MPG in six games in January, saw that rise to 26.7 MPG in nine games in February, and is now at 27.1 MPG through eight games in March. With the Warriors playing on Friday and Sunday, avoiding a back-to-back, there's a decent chance Cousins will get three games in this week.
Houston Rockets: By nearly all metrics, Clint Capela has had a terrific season, but one area of his game that has fallen flat in the critical "playoff portion" of the fantasy season is as a rim protector. Typically one of the game's best in that department, Capela has now blocked less than one shot per game (0.8) during his past 10 contests.
Indiana Pacers: After missing the past three games due to a quad injury, Darren Collison practiced Tuesday and is expected to return to the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Thunder. He is officially listed as questionable, but if he does in fact play you can count on Cory Joseph to move back to the bench.
LA Clippers: With Landry Shamet sidelined due to an ankle impingement, the Clippers turned to veteran Garrett Temple to replace the sharp-shooting rookie in their starting lineup in Tuesday's win over Minnesota. Temple delivered with five 3-pointers and added 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. He's worth a look if Shamet remains out against the Bucks on Thursday.
Los Angeles Lakers: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has logged 30-plus minutes during six of the past eight games, and he's emerged as a fantasy contributor. Most remember KCP's monster game against Milwaukee last week when he finished with 35 points on eight 3-pointers, but for him to follow that up with a 29-point effort (six 3s) against Washington on Tuesday is the latest sign that he should absolutely be on rosters during the fantasy playoffs. He's available in 88.7 percent of ESPN leagues.
Memphis Grizzlies: Mike Conley (thigh) is questionable to play in Wednesday's game against the Warriors. The veteran point guard missed two of the past three games because of that injury and there is no reason for the Grizzlies -- a team well out of the playoff race -- to push anything with Conley. If he cannot go, the shortened Memphis rotation will rely on Delon Wright to run the point once again.
Miami Heat: Bam Adebayo is one of the second-year standouts of this season, and his play during the past 10 games leaves little doubt of the type of impact he will have on both the Heat and in the fantasy realm next season. The powerful big man has averaged 12.3 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.2 SPG and 0.8 BPG during that span, playing 27.1 MPG. He's also done so while shooting 61.4 percent from the field and 75.0 percent from the free throw line. Don't forget about him in rounds 5-8 next season.
Milwaukee Bucks: The Bucks play twice more this week (Thursday vs. LAC, Sunday at ATL) but have four games next week for those fantasy leagues which continue that far into the NBA season. Just keep in mind that the Bucks will be looking for every opportunity possible to rest their top players before heading into the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Jeff Teague has missed the past seven games due to a foot injury that is expected to keep him out the rest of the season. During those seven games, Tyus Jones has filled in at point guard to the tune of 6.8 APG, while also scoring in double figures in all but one of those games. Jones remains available in 92.0 percent of ESPN leagues and is worth picking up if your team is still in the fantasy playoffs.
New Orleans Pelicans: Kenrich Williams may be under the radar of many NBA fans but, in the fantasy world, he is serving a big purpose these days -- at least in terms of steals. The undrafted rookie out of TCU ranks among the league-leaders during the past two weeks with 2.2 SPG and he continues to log close to 30.0 MPG on a depleted Pelicans roster. If you're looking to load up on steals at this critical stage of the season, this is your guy.
New York Knicks: Noah Vonleh has missed the past five games due to an ankle injury, and he's being considered questionable to play in Thursday's game against Toronto. If he cannot give it a go, it will mean another chance for Mario Hezonja and Lance Thomas to play extended minutes. Hezonja, the better fantasy option of the two, has logged 27.4 MPG during this recent stretch without Vonleh.
Oklahoma City Thunder: The monster season of Paul George and the superstar abilities of Russell Westbrook seem to have taken all the attention away from Steven Adams. The 7-footer put up similar numbers in his sixth NBA season to those from last season, but one area where he took off is in the steals category. After never previously finishing a season with more than 1.2 SPG, Adams enters the final weeks of the regular season at 1.6 SPG. File that away when drafting next season, as the center position is deep and you can strategize accordingly.
Orlando Magic: The Magic are making a serious playoff push, thanks in large part to the impressive March put together by Aaron Gordon. Gordon is peaking at the right time for fantasy managers, with 15.7 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 3.9 APG and 1.8 3PG in 12 games this month. The assists stand out the most, as Gordon's improved passing ability elevates his fantasy value at the perfect time.
Philadelphia 76ers: On Monday against the Magic, Ben Simmons (gastroenteritis) missed only his second game of the season. However, he's likely to be back in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Nets. Simmons' durability has been key this season, especially when you consider how much the 76ers rely on him to be out on the court. During the past 30 days, his 37.1 MPG ranks fourth in the league among those who've played at least 10 games. Only Bradley Beal, Paul George and Damian Lillard have averaged more minutes during that span.
Phoenix Suns: Jimmer Fredette could very well make an impact as a scorer during the final weeks of the NBA's regular season, but he has made just 1-of-11 shots from the field in his first two games since returning to the NBA. Fredette saw his minutes jump from four to 14, though, which is a good sign heading into Wednesday's game against Washington. With Kelly Oubre Jr. and T.J. Warren both out and Josh Jackson (ankle) questionable, the Suns certainly could use Fredette's scoring.
Portland Trail Blazers: Jusuf Nurkic's serious leg injury not only ends his season, it also forces Enes Kanter into a major role for the rest of 2018-19. With three games remaining this week against Chicago, Atlanta and Detroit, Kanter should get a chance to play 25-28 MPG. Kanter had averaged 18.0 MPG during the past 10 games, averaging 9.9 PPG and 6.9 RPG during that span.
Sacramento Kings: Harrison Barnes has a $25.1 million player option for next season. Should he remain with the Kings, we now have a 20-game sample to form an idea about what to expect from him in terms of production. Since coming over in the trade from Dallas, Barnes has seen his minutes rise 2.9 per game. Yet, with more scorers in Sacramento, his shot attempts are down 3.1 per game -- as is his scoring (2.6 points-per-game). Barnes turns 27 next month and is in the prime of his career. All that said, next season, there's a good chance he'll be around 15.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 2.0 3PG. Plan accordingly.
San Antonio Spurs: Derrick White's breakout season hasn't been without some peaks and valleys, and unfortunately the second-year point guard isn't playing his best during the fantasy playoffs. In fact, White has scored four points or less during three of his last four games. He has also averaged just 4.6 APG during the last five games. His role will change next season when Dejounte Murray returns to the fold, but White's defensive abilities make him a special type of point guard who is worth a look around pick Nos. 100-120.
Toronto Raptors: If your fantasy team is banking on Kyle Lowry right now, that's a tough place to be. Lowry has been playing way under his season average of 34.3 MPG as he works his way back from an ankle injury, and the production just isn't what we're used to seeing -- namely 12.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG and 6.7 APG during the last three games.
Utah Jazz: Rudy Gobert's scoring, rebounding and shot-blocking makes him a top-20 fantasy player, regardless of the league's format. However, in leagues that use double-doubles as a category, he is even more useful. Gobert leads the league with 59 double-doubles this season, well ahead of the pack. Nikola Jokic entered Wednesday second in that category with 51, with Karl-Anthony Towns one behind at 50 such efforts.
Washington Wizards: Trevor Ariza (groin) was considered doubtful for Tuesday's game at the Lakers, but the Wizards decided to get him out there anyway. That decision backfired as the veteran left the game after just seven minutes. The Wizards play three more games this week -- road games against the Suns, Jazz and Nuggets. There's a very real possibility that Ariza could miss all of them. Keep an eye on his status throughout the rest of the week.