Fantasy Basketball Week 17 Start/Sit: Key players who have proven themselves as every-week starters

The trade deadline came and went, and our attention now shifts to the All-Star break, which brings with it a week off from fantasy basketball. This week sees only four days of action, limiting three teams to just one game. Meanwhile, five teams will suit up three times, leaving the remaining 22 teams with two games each. 

Sitting players who only go one or two times has its advantages, but fantasy managers still have to make smart decisions when figuring out whom to play, regardless of game count. Being aware of back-to-back sets is also a key factor, especially with so many teams now sitting players due to injury management.

Three Games: LAL, MIL, OKC, POR, UTA

Two Games: ATL, BKN, CHA, CHI, CLE, DAL, DEN, DET, GSW, HOU, IND, LAC, MEM, MIA, MIN, NOP, NYK, ORL, PHI, PHO, SAC

One Game: BOS, TOR, WAS

Here are four potential starts and four potential sits entering the 17th week of the NBA season. Just keep in mind that this is based on games played for the week. If you play in a rotisserie league, the number of games played each week may not matter in your format.

Guards

Consider starting: Marcus Smart, LAL

Opponents: OKC, SAS, DAL

With three games on the docket, Smart makes for a viable starting candidate based purely on volume. Although his numbers don't jump off the page, he can be a relatively consistent source of assists and steals, particularly if Luka Doncic is to miss more time with his hamstring injury. Smart has entrenched himself as a member of the starting lineup, having logged at least 30 minutes in three of the past four games. Despite the low ceiling, he should be looked at this week, especially for those needing typical guard production.

Consider starting: Brice Sensabaugh, UTA

Opponents: @MIA, SAC, POR

Although his offensive output has been a little up and down in recent times, Sensabaugh feels relatively safe, despite the fact that Utah is trotting out some questionable lineups. He has scored double digits in six of the past eight games, with three of those being 20+ point performances. Unlike Smart, Sensabaugh doesn't offer much in terms of counting stats, instead building his fantasy value off the back of his scoring. In 14 appearances over the past month, he has averaged 18.0 points and 2.3 three-pointers in 26.2 minutes per game. As a player who could theoretically give you upwards of 50 points in three games, Sensabaugh should at least be considered for a starting role.

Consider sitting: Aaron Nesmith, IND

Opponents: @NYK, @BKN

Although Indiana has two games this week, they do fall on consecutive days. Coupled with the fact that one of the games is against the Nets, we have a situation where Nesmith could very well end up playing only once. Following a slow start to his campaign, Nesmith has turned things around over the past two weeks, averaging 16.8 points and 2.8 three-pointers in five games during that time, good enough for top 80 value in nine-category leagues. With that said, he has been dealing with a couple of minor injuries, the most recent being an elbow sprain. With Indiana pushing hard for as many losses as possible, Nesmith is a strong bench candidate this week.

Forwards

Consider starting: Toumani Camara, POR

Opponents: PHI, @MIN, @UTA

Although Camara has been somewhat disappointing this season, his role remains rock solid. In 53 games, he has averaged 33.7 minutes per game, during which time he has put up 12.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.5 three-pointers. While he hasn't lived up to expectations, he has still been a player worth rostering, thanks to his ability to chip in across multiple categories. With three games coming up and no indication that he will randomly sit, Camara is a safe yet slightly underwhelming starting option this week.

Consider sitting: Collin Murray-Boyles, TOR

Opponents: DET

Since moving into the starting lineup, Murray-Boyles has been able to thrust himself firmly onto the standard league radar. In fact, in 11 appearances over the past month, he has averaged 10.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 3.2 combined steals and blocks, putting up top 40 value during that time. However, not only does Toronto have one game this week, Murray-Boyles is currently dealing with a thumb injury that limited him to just eight minutes during Sunday's win over the Pacers. All things considered, managers should have no hesitation in moving him to the bench.

Consider sitting: Bilal Coulibaly, WAS

Opponents: @CLE

Washington also only has one game this week, and perhaps that is enough to convince managers to bench Coulibaly. However, if you need more evidence, we need only look at the past week. The rotations have been all over the place, with starters playing limited minutes, and others simply missing games altogether. Coulibaly has not been a picture of health this season, dealing with multiple injuries, including calf, ankle, oblique, back and face. Finally, his production has been mostly underwhelming, currently averaging 9.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.3 combined steals and blocks, shooting 38.8 percent from the field and 76.7 percent from the line. 

Centers

Consider starting: Kyle Filipowski, UTA

Opponents: @MIA, SAC, POR

It's hard to get a good read on what is happening in Utah, although that's nothing new. While their direction for next season is starting to take shape, what's left for the remainder of this campaign remains a mystery. The addition of Jaren Jackson complicates matters even further, although the fact that both he and Lauri Markkanen were benched in a game that was certainly winnable might indicate a shift is coming. Enter Kyle Filipowski. His playing time continues to fluctuate, ranging from 9 minutes to 36 minutes, and that's just in the past four games. It does feel as though his time is coming, meaning managers will want to get out ahead of it. With three games coming up, probability tells us that we should get at least two solid performances.

Consider sitting: Nikola Vucevic, BOS

Opponents: CHI

After being traded from Chicago to Boston, Vucevic has since played twice for his new team, averaging 11.0 points and 9.0 rebounds in 25.7 minutes off the bench. While there is a decent chance he moves into the starting lineup at some point in the near future, he will still have to contend with Neemias Queta, who continues to have a breakout campaign himself. As managers are well aware, Vucevic doesn't offer elite production outside of rebounds and percentages. Given his projected playing time could hover around 28.0 minutes per game, and with only one game this week, it feels like moving him to the bench could be the wise choice.