The 2012-2013 NBA season is winding down, and teams have just a handful of games left to play. Outside of a few squads in the West fighting for the final playoff spot and those in the East maneuvering to better their respective postseason seeds, the regular season is in the books for all intents and purposes.
Translation: many of your key fantasy players are either being rested for the playoffs on the better teams or are giving up their minutes to younger guys on the struggling teams in the name of future development.
For fantasy GMs participating in leagues that play through the 82nd game, and even for those who began their playoffs a couple weeks back, it can be tricky to navigate this last stretch of the regular season.
Fantasy Gods like LeBron and Durant may sit out a few games entirely or play sparingly over the final week of play. So the key guys on your fantasy rosters, especially your first five who have produced for you all year night in and night out, may not be there for you down the stretch.
As frustrating as this may be, crafty fantasy GMs can utilize this situation to finish strong. One needs to look at the bigger picture in order to determine which backup ballers should be playing now that the schedule has flipped traditional analysis on its head.
My fantasy picks have focused on non-star players and can serve as a guide to the type of player you should be starting during your playoff run. Buona fortuna!