Week 7 Fantasy Basketball Guide: Top 5 Matchups & Players to Target

Effective fantasy basketball strategy involves weekly schedule analysis, and Week 7 presents a massive opportunity with 22 teams playing four games. This guide serves as your essential fantasy basketball cheat sheet, focusing on five teams—Nets, Nuggets, Rockets, Heat, and Knicks—with the most favorable matchups.

We project massive weeks for players like Nikola Jokic and Noah Clowney based on their respective teams' matchups. Use these insights on NBA lineups and opponent weaknesses to lock in your roster and rise up the fantasy basketball rankings.

Days with fewer than six games

These are dates to target players for streaming options from the following teams: 

Thursday, December 4 - BOS at WAS, GSW at PHI, UTA at BKN, LAL at TOR, MIN at NOP

Teams with more than three games this week

Make sure to activate players and target weekly pickups from the following teams:

Hawks (4), Nets (4), Celtics (4), Hornets (4), Bulls (4), Cavaliers (4), Mavericks (4), Nuggets (4), Pistons (4), Warriors (4), Rockets (4), Clippers (4), Lakers (4), Heat (4), Bucks (4), Knicks (4), Magic (4), 76ers (4), Trail Blazers (4), Raptors (4), Jazz (4), Wizards (4)

Teams with fewer than three games this week

Consider looking for streaming options if your roster includes players from these teams:

Suns (2), Kings (2)

Top teams to target based on favorable matchups

Nets vs. Hornets, at Bulls, vs. Jazz, vs. Pelicans 

The Nets may be struggling, but there is an opportunity for them to take advantage of a favorable week in the schedule, as all four of their opponents are among the top seven teams giving up the most points per game. They kick things off against the Hornets, who are giving up the league's seventh-most points per game, including the fifth-most points to opposing point guards, which provides a chance for rookie Egor Demin to build on recent momentum. Next, the Nets clash with the Bulls, who give up the league's fourth-most points, fifth-most rebounds and third-most offensive rebounds per game, making a great opportunity for frontcourt players, including Day'Ron Sharpe, to boost their stats. On Thursday, the Nets meet the Jazz, who are giving up the league's second-most points per game, followed by an encounter with the Pelicans, who are giving up the league's fifth-most points per game. Noah Clowney is a likely candidate to keep up his strong play and make the most of the week, while Tyrese Martin, Danny Wolf, and Ziaire Williams are also players to watch. 

Nuggets vs. Mavericks, at Pacers, at Hawks, at Hornets

The Nuggets open Week 7 against the Mavericks, who are giving up the league's third-most rebounds, including the fifth-most offensive rebounds per game. Up next are meetings with two more teams that are struggling on the glass, as the Pacers are giving up the league's fourth-most rebounds, along with the most free throws per game, while the Hawks are giving up the sixth-most offensive boards per game. All three matchups are highly favorable to Nikola Jokic, who should dominate the paint and rack up easy points at the foul line. Meanwhile, Peyton Watson and Cameron Johnson should similarly look to take advantage on the glass and attack the basket in search of fouls, especially as they need to help offset the absence of Aaron Gordon. Finally, the Nuggets wrap things up against the Hornets, who are giving up the league's second-highest field-goal percentage to opponents. Bruce Brown, who delivered 10 assists in the Nuggets' last outing, is another player that could prosper over the four-game span. 

Rockets at Jazz, vs. Kings, vs. Suns, at Mavericks 

The Rockets are off to a strong start to the season and have a notable chance to keep climbing, as they look ahead to four very winnable games. First, their meeting with the Jazz, who give up the league's most three-pointers per game, provides an ideal opportunity for Kevin Durant to help set the tone with his perimeter scoring and for Reed Sheppard to stay hot, as he is hitting 45.5 percent from deep on the season. Next, the Rockets take on the Kings, who are giving up the league's sixth-most rebounds per game, which should allow Steven Adams and Clint Capela to stand out as difference makers. Up next are two matchups against teams that are having trouble taking care of the ball, as the Suns are giving up the league's sixth-most turnovers per game, while the Mavericks are giving up the fourth-most turnovers to go along with the sixth-most free throws per game. Both opponents are likely to be stifled by the Rockets' defense, an area where Josh Okogie, Amen Thompson, and Alperen Sengun can rack up the numbers. 

Heat vs. Clippers, at Mavericks, at Magic, vs. Kings

The Heat's top scorers, Tyler Herro and Norman Powell, are set up for a prime chance to keep up their impressive play, as Week 7 begins against the Clippers, who are giving up the league's fourth-highest three-point shooting percentage and fourth-most three-pointers per game. Next, the Heat duel with the Mavs, who are giving up the league's third-most points in the paint per game, a clear window for Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware to take control, while Andrew Wiggins can also add pressure by attacking the basket. Moving ahead, a meeting with the Magic, who are struggling to contain opposing guards, is where Davion Mitchell and Dru Smith should step up to make the most of the matchup. The Heat wrap the week against the Kings, who are giving up the league's third-highest field-goal percentage, which is an ideal opportunity for guys like Pelle Larsson and Jaime Jaquez to come out looking to make a statement.

Knicks at Celtics, vs. Hornets, vs. Jazz, vs. Magic 

After a win over the Raptors on Sunday, the Knicks are set up to make a run for the second seed in the East, especially as they look ahead to four favorable matchups in Week 7. They begin against the Celtics, who are giving up the league's seventh-most free throws and third-most offensive rebounds per game, which is where Karl-Anthony Towns should take advantage early, while Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart can help reinforce dominance in the paint. Up next, the Knicks meet the Hornets, who are giving up the league's highest three-point shooting percentage, followed by a matchup with the Jazz, who are giving up the league's fifth-highest field-goal percentage, including the sixth-highest three-point shooting percentage. These two games provide grounds for Jalen Brunson to keep up his long-distance shooting, while Miles McBride, Michael Bridges and Jordan Clarkson are perfectly suited to double down with their long-range abilities. They finish the week against the Magic, who give up the league's 10th-most points in the paint and the sixth-most free throws per game to opposing centers, which means another chance for the Knicks' frontcourt to take the spotlight.