Fantasy basketball expert Tom Lorenzo breaks down the week ahead and helps you fill out your roster with an emphasis on daily leagues.

For most fantasy basketball owners in H-2-H leagues, this week marks the start of the playoffs. Those of you in roto leagues, well, you’ve pretty much been playing “playoff” basketball for weeks now. All owners, no matter what kind of league you play in, need to remember to watch your matchups this week and pay attention to the schedule. I can’t stress that enough. There are two teams that play five times (CHI and PHO) this week, while on the low-end, there are two teams who play only twice – HOU and SAC. That right there would be the tiebreaker for me if I had to decide between starting Tyrus Thomas (SF/PF, CHI) and Spencer Hawes (PF/C, SAC) in a weekly league. Chicago could play Cleveland five times on the road this week and I still would rather start Thomas. Remember also that in the playoffs, you just need to win the week. It doesn't matter if you win 5-3 or 8-0. So focus on strengthening your team in five specific categories, and just win, baby. We'll talk about that more as we break down the week. 

Five-game teams: CHI, PHO
Four-game teams: ATL, BOS, DEN, DET, LAC, LAL, MIA, MIN, NYK, PHI, SAS, WAS
Three-game teams: CHA, CLE, DAL, GSW, IND, MEM, MIL, NJN, NOH, OKC, ORL, POR, TOR, UTA

Monday
Seven games on Monday, which is a few more than we’re used to in a typical week. The action kicks off in Atlanta with Minnesota in town, and continues over in Washington where the Wizards welcome the Bulls. I still believe that we’re pretty close to seeing Caron Butler (SG/SF, WAS) shut it down for the remainder of the season to “rest his sore hamstring.” We continue on in Boston with the lowly Clippers in town. I’ll give the Clips credit for limiting the Cavs to only 87 points just last week (March 10), and then I’ll just step in and take all of that credit away for the 127 they allowed last Tuesday (March 17) to the Warriors. Orlando is in New York, which leads me to my new speculative series – If not LeBron, then who? If the Knicks fail to land LeBron James (SF, CLE) in the summer of 2010 it’s possible that they would sit tight for another season and make a run at Dwight Howard (C, ORL) in 2011. Seems like a nice consolation prize to me. To finish off Monday’s schedule we have Denver-Phoenix and Philadelphia-Portland. Only 0.2 points separate Phoenix and Golden State for the battle of the worst defensive team in the month of March.      

Good Odds
J.R. Smith (SG/SF, DEN) averaged 19.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 4.3 three-pointers in his past three games. Those three-pointers are huge, especially if you're looking to gain an edge in a playoff series. Available in 31 percent of Yahoo! leagues, Smith could help you start the week off by draining a handful of threes against the Suns who are allowing 8.7 per game over their last ten. Heck, five treys is a real possibility for Smith in this one... I'm not sure why Mario Chalmers (PG, MIA) is still available in 43 percent of Y! leagues. It's playoff time! Chalmers is ranked No. 61 overall, and that ranking is made possible by the 2.2 steals and 1.8 three-pointers he's dropped in nine March games. In three of his last five games, Chalmers stole four or more balls. That can be huge in a playoff series to have a point guard post 15-plus steals in a week. I like him for the rest of the way, and if you're looking for a guy to run your point on Monday, this matchup with Memphis should bode well for Chalmers.

Bad Goods
The only way I would start DeAndre Jordan (C, LAC) on Monday night on the road against the Celtics would be if I were in a roto league and desperately needed to catch the guy ahead of me in the blocks category. There has been a lot of talk about Jordan as a guy to watch down the stretch, but it's too early to slot him in. Jordan got the start last Wednesday night (March 19) with Marcus Camby (PF/C, LAC) out, but DJ saw only five minutes out on the court. Like I said, I wouldn't want to waste a roster spot on a guy who might only see limited action on Monday night.

Tuesday
I see what happened here – they gave us two extra games on Monday night and then went ahead and took two away on Tuesday, leaving us with a grand total of four games. We start off in Chicago with the Bulls playing host to the Detroit Pistons. Chicago is on night two of a home/road back-to-back set.  With the Bulls in the midst of a tough battle for the eighth seed out East, I wouldn’t be too concerned about Chicago coming into Tuesday night’s matchup stale. The Lakers are in Oklahoma City in a game that will kick-off a new installment into my speculative series – If not Kobe, then who? If you don’t select Kobe Bryant (SG, LAL) as the fourth-overall pick in the 2009-10 fantasy draft, then who do you select? Is it too soon to suggest that Kevin Durant (SG/SF, OKC) is a top-five pick next year? Okay, back to the present day happenings…Golden State brings a +10.3 pace factor advantage to San Antonio on Tuesday night. Hopefully Coach Popovich won’t decide that Tony Parker (PG, SAS) needs to sit this one out and rest his barking dogs. The final game on Tuesday night pits Houston vs. Utah.      

Good Odds
Antonio McDyess (PF/C, DET) has been a beast for the Detroit Pistons. Who would have thought that this 34-year old power forward with a history of weak knees could sustain a run like this? He’s averaging 12.9 PTS, 12.8 REB, 1.1 STL and 1.1 BLK as a starter. I have suggested McDyess on several occasions, and even urged many readers to jump on him while he's still hot. But I also noted that he couldn't play at this level for an extended period of time. Boy was I wrong. McDyess is a great add for the stretch run, especially since he is the only active Piston who can rebound. With only four games on Tuesday, McDyess shines on the waiver wires in the 36 percent of leagues in which he is still available.

Bad Goods
Paul Millsap (SF/PF/C, UTA) is averaging 24.1 MIN, 9.0 PTS, 7.0 REB, 1.0 BLK, and only 7.7 FGA over his last three. His scoring average in that span is good for sixth on his team. Houston boasts one of the better defensive frontlines, making this a tough matchup for the Utah bigs to begin with. Again, I'm not telling you that in a tough playoff series you should sit Millsap on a limited Tuesday night, but I'm just trying to give you realistic assessment of where Millsap stands. Right now he's no better than role player on a playoff team. 

Keyon Dooling adds an instant spark for fantasy owners in need of a point guard for their playoff run.  Photo Credit: Icon SMI

Wednesday
We have 11 games on the schedule, so once again we’re looking at a busy Wednesday night. Early on, San Antonio plays their second game in as many nights on the road against the Hawks. New Jersey brings gold, frankincense, and Jay-Z to Cleveland on Tuesday night in an attempt to lure King James to the Garden State in 2010-11. Other early games include Miami-Indiana, Minnesota-Philadelphia, Charlotte-Washington, and Milwaukee-Toronto. There you have four games with two, maybe three, playoff teams involved. It is ping-pong ball madness in the early goings. Another likely lottery matchup takes place in New York with the Clippers in town. This game marks the return of Mardy Collins (PG/SG/SF, LAC), and some other guy who I can’t seem to remember, to New York. Boston returns to Orlando on Tuesday night with the Celtics leading the season series 2-1. This game is even more important with Celtics currently leading the Magic in the Eastern Conference standings by a mere 0.5 games. Home-court advantage could be crucial in the conference semis this season. In the late games, Don Nelson returns to Dallas with his Warriors in tow, and Utah is in Phoenix where the sun has gone down on the Suns’ playoff hopes.   

Good Odds
Again, you’re in the playoffs, so win at any cost. If you have an open spot on your roster to stream players in-and-out of your lineup I would suggest using it on Steve Novak (SF/PF, LAC) against the Knicks on Wednesday. Over the past week Novak was ranked tenth overall in Yahoo!’s average stats. His last five yielded 14.8 points and 4.4 three-pointers per game. You’d love to get those three this week in a playoff series. We know that against the Knicks the long-range opportunities will present themselves, so tune in to see if he can continue to drain them... Desperate times call for desperate measures. Even with a matchup against Cleveland, those in need of a point guard on Wednesday night should consider Keyon Dooling (PG, NJN). With Devin Harris (PG, NJN) out for the next two weeks Dooling is in the starting lineup and actually producing. As a starter this season Dooling has averaged 15.8 PTS, 5.5 AST, 2.5 REB, 0.9 STL, 1.4 3PT, and 53.3 FG% in eight games. This late into the season you'll have a hard time finding that kind of production on your waiver wires. Again, the matchup looks tough, but Dooling has a great motor and is not one to shy away from a challenge.

Bad Goods
Last time the Mavs met the Warriors (March 13) big man Erik Dampier (C, DAL) saw only 19 minutes of playing time. Recently Damps has been bothered with a swollen left knee, which probably was caused by the fact that he had to run up and down the court against the Warriors who play the quickest pace in the NBA. Owned in 20 percent of leagues, Damps doesn't get into my lineup on Wednesday with a sore knee and the Warriors staring him down on the other side of the ball. Besides, it looks like the Mavs are trying to get their young bigs involved more in the rotation.  

Thursday
The most surprising thing about the schedule on Thursday night is that the Lakers-Detroit game is the only one of the three games on the docket not being aired on TNT. The Lakers aren’t going to be nationally televised!? What we do have is Miami-Chicago and Phoenix-Portland. Both Chicago and Phoenix are playing their third game in four nights. The guys that I’d be worried about are Shaquille O’Neal (C, PHO), Grant Hill (SF, PHO), and Steve Nash (PG, PHO), especially now with the Suns falling further behind in the playoff race.   

Good Odds
Trevor Ariza (SF, LAL) has come up big since being slotted into the starting lineup back on March 11. In those starts he has averaged 12.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.4 three-pointers, 2.6 steals and 59.0 percent shooting from the floor. I love both the steals and the field goal percentage. In a night with only six active teams you have to consider Ariza on Thursday. He is still available in 58 percent of Y! leagues and playing some of his best ball of the season.

Bad Goods
We don't know what Alvin Gentry has in store for us, but like I mentioned earlier you have to watch for updates on Thursday pertaining to the Phoenix veterans. I can tell you that it's very unlikely that Shaq plays in all five games this week. Thursday, being the third game in four nights for the Suns, would be a prime spot for the Diesel to ride the pine. Make sure you keep your eyes open on this one.

Friday
Ten games on Friday night, and it all starts in Orlando with the Bucks in town.
If this column were written on Twitter it would look like this: @everyone - this year’s Ramon Sessions (PG/SG, MIL) might be Thabo Sefolosha (SG/SF, OKC), dude plays on both ends – with a tiny URL in there, of course. The Thunder are in Toronto and the Bobcats are in Philadelphia when the night kicks off. The Lakers play in New Jersey on night two of back-to-back road games, while the take Knicks the court against CP3 and the Hornets. Boston-Atlanta and Denver-Dallas offer up playoff type matchups on Friday. The L.A. Clippers-San Antonio and Memphis-Sacramento games, on the other hand, probably won’t be DVR’d in many homes across the country. 

Good Odds
The 2.7 steals and 1.7 blocks per game that Sefolosha has put up over his last ten have been a difference maker for owners who took the early plunge on Thabo. I named him the default winner of the players who were moved at the trade deadline, but that was mainly because it looked like he would see the biggest increase in PT. I can't see how he is still available in 74 percent of leagues at this point. Sefolosha on Friday night against Toronto will help toward winning at least two of the five categories you need this week, boasting great defensive numbers and solid stats on offense... Jason Thompson (SF/PF/C, SAC) is another guy I like down the stretch. In a matchup against the league's worst offensive team, Memphis, Thompson will have plenty of opportunities to block shots and grab a few steals. The Grizzlies are allowing 7.6 steals and 5.6 blocks per game. Thompson over his last five is averaging 32 minutes, 13.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.6 blocks. He can be had in 61 percent of leagues and would be a great "stream" candidate on Friday if you have the room. 

Bad Goods
Sebastian Telfair (PG, MIN) would worry me in a start in Cleveland on Friday. You might be able to slot him in for 12 and 5, but where I am concerned is that I can see him taking too many shots and hitting too few. Can you live with him shooting 4-for-13 from the field in an important playoff series? I know I'd rather not take the chance. With 20 teams active on Friday I think you can find a better option.

Saturday and Sunday
Chicago, Phoenix, Detroit, Indiana and Washington all play on both Saturday and Sunday, while the Orlando Magic see no action at all. The schedule breakdown shows eight games on Saturday and nine more on Sunday. I really don’t see a notable matchup on Saturday. Maybe the Phoenix-Utah game, which marks the second time these two teams meet in four nights. Indiana-Chicago and New York-Charlotte have little intrigue with all four of these teams separated by three games for the last playoff spot in the East. On Sunday Dallas-Cleveland, L.A. Lakers-Atlanta, and San Antonio-New Orleans are the big matchups. One other worth noting is Phoenix-Sacramento. Playing only twice this week, the Kings are given a friendly matchup against a team who is just as bad as they are on the defensive side of the ball.

Good Odds
Ronny Turiaf (PF/C, GSW) is filling in at center for the injured Andris Biedrins (C, GSW). As a starter, he is averaging 2.0 blocks per game, and 3.0 in his last five. Ending the week with Turiaf in your lineup against Denver is something I would advise to help boost your blocks for a final push... Roy Hibbert (C, IND) is a desperation play, and I'm fine with admitting that. Over his last five Hibbert has averaged 22 minutes, 10.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks. We need to consider two things here. First, Hibbert compliments Troy Murphy's (PF/C, IND) outside game, and actually plays just as well alongside the 7-footer. So if you’re concerned about his numbers being inflated with Murphy hurt, don’t be. Second, while Hibbert's numbers won't overwhelm you, remember that Indiana plays twice this weekend (@CHI, vs. WAS) and the former Hoya could give you somewhere around 21 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks overall. That's better than a lot of the single-game options on the board. 

Bad Goods
I know it was exciting to see Darrell Arthur (SF/PF/C, MEM) block five shots against the Nuggets this past Wednesday (March 18), but don’t expect to see a similar performance against the Trailblazers on Saturday. The Blazers are third in the league in limiting blocks on their own shots (3.9 per). Arthur isn’t going to block many shots against the long frontline that Portland runs out on the court. So what else can owners expect from Arthur? Actually, I'm not sure he'll produce much of anything this weekend. 

Notable Performances

Player of the Week: Pau Gasol (PF/C, LAL) was ranked No. 4 overall over the past month, and he continues to just produce stellar fantasy numbers in the paint. With four favorable matchups on the schedule this week (@OKC, @DET, @NJN, @ATL), Gasol should be dominant.

Biggest Bust: If you're in the playoffs and playing in a weekly league, I don't see a single Sacramento King worth starting since they only play twice. If healthy, Kevin Martin (SG, SAC) could be a fine start, but I wouldn't commit to anyone else in a weekly league.

Add(s) of the Week: Keyon Dooling and Mario Chalmers are great options for owners in need of a point guard. I tried to make the case for Roy Hibbert this weekend, and I hope you're listening about Thabo Sefolosha. He is for real on the defensive side of the ball.

If you have any lineup questions, send Tom an email at Lorenzo@rotoexperts.com. Or follow along on Twitter @TLorenzo for more updates and daily advice, and post your line-up questions for immediate fantasy help.

Listen to Tom weekly on “RotoRadio: Hoops Edition,” the RotoExperts Fantasy Basketball show on BlogTalkRadio, live on Mondays at 8:00 PM ET.

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