The NBA season starts Tuesday, and the first fantasy week is a short one. It runs six days, from Tuesday, Oct. 20 through Sunday, Oct. 25. Every team plays between two and four games.
Before the start/sit calls, here's how the schedule sets up, because in a week this short, one extra game can decide your matchup. The Philadelphia 76ers are the only team with four games this week. They play the Knicks on Tuesday, the Cavaliers on Thursday, the Bucks on Saturday and the Pistons on Sunday.
Nearly any Sixer who's in the rotation should be in your lineup. The other end of the schedule matters just as much. The Celtics, Cavaliers, Nuggets, Suns and Trail Blazers play only twice.
That doesn't mean you bench Nikola Jokić. But if you're deciding between two similar players, the one on a two-game team should usually sit. The remaining 24 teams play three games: ATL, BKN, CHA, CHI, DAL, DET, GSW, HOU, IND, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIA, MIL, MIN, NOP, NYK, OKC, ORL, SAC, SAS, TOR, UTA and WAS.
Friday-Saturday is the big back-to-back this week. Eleven teams play both nights: ATL, CHA, CHI, DAL, GSW, HOU, MIA, MIL, NOP, SAS and WAS. Brooklyn and Philadelphia play on Saturday and Sunday.
It's opening week, so rest days are less likely, but watch the injury reports for veterans on those second nights. How many games are on each day matters more than usual this week. Tuesday has just three games and Thursday has only two, so players active on those nights are less likely to be stuck on your bench in daily leagues.
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