Fantasy Basketball Week 25 Start/Sit: Reliable options to trust in season's final stretch

With just seven days remaining in the regular season, we have reached peak uncertainty. Teams at the top and bottom of the standings are openly giving players the night off, creating a nightmare for fantasy managers. Week 25 delivers a loaded schedule, with all but four teams playing four times. The only teams with three games are the Hornets, Pelicans, Kings, and Jazz.

Sitting players who only go one or two times has its advantages, but fantasy managers still have to make smart decisions when figuring out who 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.

Five Games: N/A

Four Games: ATL, BKN, BOS, CHI, CLE, DAL, DEN, DET, GSW, HOU, IND, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIA, MIL, MIN, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHI, PHO, POR, SAS, TOR, WAS

Three Games: CHA, NOP, SAC, UTA

Two Games: N/A

Here are four potential starts and four potential sits entering the 25th 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: Ayo Dosunmu, MIN

Opponents: @IND, @ORL. @HOU, NOP

The formula is pretty simple when it comes to Dosunmu. When he plays 30 minutes, he generally has to be considered a must-add player. His past 12 games have done nothing to dispel that theory. During that span, he has averaged 15.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.9 3-pointers, good enough for top 55 value in standard formats. With Jaden McDaniels likely to miss the final week of the season due to a knee injury, there is no reason to think that Dosunmu can't continue in his current role. With so much uncertainty at the moment, starting a player who is going to play substantial minutes on a team looking to win as many games as possible feels like a smart decision.

Consider starting: Collin Sexton, CHI

Opponents: @WAS, @WAS, ORL, @DAL

Things have certainly trended in the right direction for Sexton since landing in Chicago. Despite mostly serving as a bench piece, he has been arguably the most consistent producer over the past month. During that time, he has flirted with top 50 value, averaging 19.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.2 steals, and three 3-pointers. At this point, the Bulls have very little to play for, meaning Sexton's current role could remain largely unchanged for the final week. While nothing is certain at this time of the year, rolling with Sexton does feel relatively safe.

Consider sitting: Andrew Nembhard, IND

Opponents: MIN, @BKN, PHI, DET

On the other side of the discussion, there is a realistic chance that the season could be over for Nembhard. He has now missed three straight games with what Indiana is calling 'back management.' For those with any common sense, it is obvious that he is simply being rested to avoid accidentally winning. Although his numbers when healthy have been fantastic, there is simply too much risk to gamble with starting him this week. Working under the premise that minutes played are key, taking a chance on someone like Nembhard is likely fraught with danger.

Forwards

Consider starting: Kobe Brown, IND

Opponents: MIN, @BKN, PHI, DET

Despite also playing for Indiana, Brown has been one of the beneficiaries over the past two weeks, playing a sizeable role on a team with nothing to lose. In six appearances during that time, he has averaged 11.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, four assists, and 1.5 3-pointers, sitting just outside the top 100 in nine-category leagues. Once again, working under the assumption that Indiana is in the process of shutting down a number of key players, Brown could very well find himself playing heavy minutes right to the end.

Consider sitting: Tobias Harris, DET

Opponents: @ORL, MIL, @CHA, @IND

From a production standpoint, Harris has been more than serviceable this season. In seven games over the past two weeks, he has upped his efforts, doing more on the offensive end, picking up some of the slack as a result of the injury to Cade Cunningham. However, Detroit has basically locked up the top seed in the Eastern Conference, meaning there could be some rest coming down the stretch. Harris, having dealt with minor injuries throughout the season, is likely to be at the top of the list when it comes to potential days off. Factoring in the risk and limited upside, moving him to the bench should alleviate some of the risk that comes with the final week of fantasy basketball.

Consider sitting: Miles Bridges, CHA

Opponents: @BOS, DET, @NYK

It's a tough call, should you opt to bench Bridges. After going through a number of slumps over the past two months, his production of late has actually been trending in the right direction. In fact, in four games over the past week, Bridges has been a top-15 player, averaging 22 points, 5.8 rebounds, three assists, 1.3 steals, and three 3-pointers. However, as one of only four teams with three games, holding onto any Hornets players is going to be risky. Bridges will play just one game in the first four nights this week, followed by two games on nights in which the entire league is in action. 

Centers

Consider starting: Wendell Carter Jr, ORL

Opponents: DET, MIN, @CHI, @BOS

Orlando is one of a few teams with a lot to play for down the stretch, meaning we should see a typical rotation moving forward. Looping back around to the idea of simply getting as many bodies on the floor as possible this week, Carter should be looking at close to 30 minutes in each of the four remaining games. As a player who could theoretically give you 60 points and 30 rebounds during that time, Carter feels like a relatively risk-free addition to any starting roster.

Consider sitting: Nic Claxton, BKN

Opponents: MIL, IND, @MIL, @TOR

Claxton was on this list last week, and honestly, nothing has changed. Although he has played in six of the past seven games, he has barely been a top 200 player during that time. Brooklyn is rolling with a different rotation on a nightly basis, with Claxton playing no more than about 23 minutes on most nights. Given that he has been outside the top 250 in 13 appearances over the past two months, the time to move on from Claxton has seemingly come and gone. If, for whatever reason, you are still holding onto him, please do the right thing and move him to the bench.