Fantasy Basketball: Week 15 Schedule Guide

Schedule awareness is one of the easiest ways to gain a weekly edge in fantasy basketball. By understanding where the volume and matchups line up, managers can make smarter lineup calls, plan effective streaming strategies and squeeze extra value out of the waiver wire. In this article, we break down the upcoming slate to help guide ideal roster management, highlighting teams with heavy workloads, noting the absence of true "light days," and identifying the squads set up to benefit most from favorable opponents. Whether you're optimizing weekly lineups or searching for short-term adds, this schedule breakdown is designed to help you maximize production across the board.

Days with fewer than six games

These are dates to target players for streaming options from the following teams: 

Each day this week features at least six games. 

Teams with more than three games this week

Make sure to activate players and target weekly pickups from the following teams:

Hawks (4), Nets (4), Celtics (4), Hornets (4), Bulls (5), Cavaliers (4), Nuggets (4), Pistons (4), Rockets (4), Lakers (4), Grizzlies (4), Heat (4), Timberwolves (4), Knicks (4), Magic (4), 76ers (4), Suns (4), Trail Blazers (4), Kings (4), Jazz (4), Wizards (4)

Teams with fewer than three games this week

Consider looking for streaming options if your roster includes players from these teams:

All teams play at least three games 

Top teams to target based on favorable matchups

Celtics vs. Trail Blazers, vs. Hawks, vs. Kings, vs. Bucks 

The Celtics sit second place in the East and have a favorable schedule through Week 15, with four consecutive, very winnable home games. First off, they take on the Trail Blazers, who give up the league's ninth-most points and fourth-most offensive rebounds per game. Up next, a meeting with the Hawks, who give up the league's sixth-most points and fifth-most rebounds per game. The Hawks also give up the third-most points per game to opposing small forwards, which could mean a big night for Jaylen Brown. Moving on, the Celtics encounter the Kings, who give up the league's second-highest field-goal percentage and sixth-most rebounds per game. They also give up the most points and fifth-most rebounds per game to opposing centers, which points to a great opportunity for Neemias Queta to continue to shine with his ability to get on the glass. Lastly, the Celtics meet with the shorthanded Bucks, who will be without Giannis Antetokounmpo, opening up a much lighter matchup. Luka Garza and Hugo Gonzalez have been playing well off the bench lately and should continue to make their mark on the offensive end, while finding room to supplement their production with a few extra rebounds.  

Bulls vs. Lakers, at Pacers, vs. Heat, at Heat, at Heat 

The Bulls are the only team with five games on the week, and they have a reasonable chance to earn a positive record through the stretch. They kick off against the Lakers, who give up the league's fourth-highest field-goal percentage, including the sixth-highest three-point shooting percentage, which provides a prime opportunity for Ayo Dosunmu and Kevin Huerter to continue to help tip the scales with their ability to knock it down from deep. Up next, the Bulls see the Pacers, who give up the league's third-most points in the paint, sixth-highest field-goal percentage, second-most free throws and third-most rebounds per game. From there, the Bulls are set for three consecutive meetings with the Heat, who give up the league's eighth-most points and 10th-most three-pointers per game. They also give up the most rebounds per game to opposing power forwards and the third-most rebounds per game to opposing centers, which means Nikola Vucevic and Jalen Smith will have to step up to handle the battle for interior supremacy. Forwards Matas Buzelis and Isaac Okoro will have to increase their effort on the glass in order to help make the most of the situation.

Heat vs. Magic, at Bulls, vs. Bulls, vs. Bulls

The Heat are in line for an interesting week, starting with a couple of days off, as their first game takes place on Wednesday at home, before moving onto three straight meetings with the Bulls. The Heat should find room to prosper against the Magic, who give up the league's 10th-most points in the paint, seventh-highest field-goal percentage and 11th-most free throws per game. Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins and backups Simone Fontecchio and Jaime Jaquez will be key contributors that will have to step up to take control of the frontcourt. The Magic also give up the third-most points per game to opposing point guards, which could mean a big opportunity for Kasparas Jakucionis to keep up his strong play, especially if Davion Mitchell and Tyler Herro remain out. Looking ahead to the three straight matchups with the Bulls, the Heat will once again need their frontcourt to help set the tone early, as the Bulls give up the league's fifth-most points, including the fifth-most points in the paint per game, along with the most points and fifth-most rebounds per game to opposing power forwards. Additionally, the Bulls concede the eighth-highest three-point shooting percentage, which should allow Norman Powell to continue to lead the charge as one of the squad's top scorers. 

76ers at Hornets, vs. Bucks, vs. Kings, vs. Pelicans 

The Sixers open their week against the Hornets, who give up the league's seventh-highest three-point shooting percentage and sixth-most turnovers per game. Moving on, they meet the shorthanded Bucks, who give up the league's third-most points per game to opposing point guards and the second-most three-pointers per game to opposing shooting guards. Up next, the 76ers take on the Kings, who give up the league's fourth-most points per game, including the third-most points per game to opposing shooting guards. All three matchups indicate ideal opportunities for Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes to get their offense going, specifically thanks to their proficiency from long range. Lastly, the Sixers clash with the Pelicans, who give up the league's third-most points, including the fourth-most points in the paint per game and the fifth-highest field-goal percentage. The Pelicans also give up the second-most three-pointers and third-most offensive rebounds per game. This is a matchup that could be monopolized by Paul George and Joel Embiid, if they are able to suit up. If not, Kelly Oubre, Adem Bona and Andre Drummond would be key players to watch. 

Wizards vs. Trail Blazers, vs. Bucks, vs. Lakers, vs. Kings

The Wizards sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference but have a good chance to earn a couple positive outcomes through Week 15, beginning with a matchup against the Trail Blazers, who give up the league's most turnovers and sixth-most free throws per game. Up next, they meet with the shorthanded Bucks, who give up the league's seventh-most free throws per game, including the second-most to opposing small forwards. The Bucks also give up the fourth-most points per game to opposing power forwards, a weak point that will be exacerbated by the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo, and which opens up a great chance for Alex Sarr to prosper. Moving on, the Wizards encounter the Lakers, who give up the league's most points per game to opposing small forwards and the seventh-most points per game to opposing power forwards, which means an ideal chance for Bilal Coulibaly and Kyshawn George to shine, while Justin Champagnie could be another x-factor. Finally, the Wizards close the week against the Kings, who give up the league's second-most points in the paint and fifth-most free throws per game. They also give up the most points and fifth-most rebounds per game to opposing centers, providing another opportune environment for the second-year Sarr to stand out.