The opening week checklist, and why Jokić plays only twice
The season tips off on October 20 with three games, Denver plays only twice in the first week, Philadelphia plays four times, and nine teams play four games in week two.
By Matt · 3 min read
Nikola JokićTyrese MaxeyPhotos: NBAFreeThe NBA season tips off on Tuesday, October 20, with three games: Boston at Detroit, Philadelphia at New York and Oklahoma City at San Antonio. For most fantasy leagues that night opens the first matchup week, and the first week is the one where managers make the most avoidable mistakes, because they react to one night of box scores and to a schedule they have not looked at.
- Nikola Jokić DEN1stvs 1st
- Tyrese Maxey PHI12thvs 13th
Here is what the first two weeks look like, counted on our Weekly Slate from the NBA's published schedule, with weeks running Monday to Sunday the way ESPN, Yahoo and Sleeper number them, and the checks worth making before you set your first lineup.
| Week one, October 19 to 25 | Week two, October 26 to November 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Four games | Philadelphia | Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Cleveland, Golden State, Houston, Indiana, LA Lakers, Minnesota |
| Two games | Boston, Cleveland, Denver, Phoenix, Portland | Phoenix |
| Three games | Everyone else | Everyone else |
Check one: Jokić plays twice in week one
Denver plays only two games in the opening week, so Nikola Jokić, the first pick in almost every league, gives you two games while most rosters' stars give you three. That is not a reason to worry about your pick, since he projects at 66.2 fantasy points a game under ESPN's scoring and two of those still win most nights, but in a head-to-head points league it is a reason to stream an extra game somewhere else that week. Boston, Cleveland, Phoenix and Portland are in the same position, and Phoenix plays only twice again in week two.
Check two: Philadelphia's four games
The 76ers are the only team that plays four times in week one, which makes every Sixer a little more valuable that week, and Tyrese Maxey the most valuable of all. If you have a Philadelphia player on your bench, start him in week one ahead of a similar player from Denver or Boston.
Check three: the injuries that start the season unresolved
Several players open the season with an injury the team has not put a date on. Charlotte's Kon Knueppel has a left hamstring strain and will be re-evaluated in the first week, and Coby White will miss the preseason with a left calf strain. Golden State's Kristaps Porziņģis is out indefinitely, and Jimmy Butler is recovering from a torn ACL with a return expected in January or February. Check the injury report on the morning of each team's first game and do not start a player who has not been cleared.
Check four: do not drop anyone after one night
Opening night is three games, and a player who scores badly in his first game has told you almost nothing about his season. Our projections move with the season from opening night, but they move slowly on purpose, because a single game is mostly noise. The time to act on a player's role is when his minutes change over several games, which the player trends board will show, not after one bad box score.
Check five: plan week two now
Nine teams play four games in week two, and Phoenix plays only two for the second week running. If you have a roster spot to play with, the best streaming targets for the second week are players on those nine teams, and the Weekly Slate lists them night by night.
What to do
Before your first lineup lock, check the injury report, start your Sixers, and stream a game if your roster is heavy on Denver, Boston, Cleveland, Phoenix or Portland players. Then leave your roster alone until you have seen at least a week of minutes.
Every player in this story is on the fantasy basketball rankings and the 2026-27 projections, and the NBA depth charts show where each one stands in his team’s rotation tonight.
