Dunkest NBA Fantasy Tips, R83: Schroder Comes to Harden’s Rescue

Everything you need for Dunkest NBA Round 83 (it’s free and playable on iOS, Android, and the web).

From position-by-position NBA fantasy basketball tips to injury updates and projected lineups, here’s a ready-to-use kit with all the tools you need to tackle the day like a pro.

The NBA Playoffs 2026 have started., and we won’t leave you alone. Dunkest’s NBA Fantasy Basketball will continue through the Play-In and Playoffs.

League and draft

As announced at the start of the season, the regular season and Playoffs are part of a single competition. This means each league and draft can decide whether to stop or continue all the way through the Finals.

Here are the available options for the 2026 NBA Playoffs:

• Continue with your current team in the same league until the end of the Playoffs
• Create a new league/draft while keeping your current team and accumulated credits
• Create a new league starting from scratch, with a new team and fewer credits than you currently have

Average scores and teams not on the schedule

• Teams that are on the schedule but marked as resting will receive their average score (including all players on the roster, injured ones as well, plus the coach). This is designed to optimize the NBA calendar as much as possible. As in the regular season, players who receive an average score due to scheduling reasons will NOT get the 1.5x captain bonus if selected as captain.

• Teams NOT on the schedule (players, coaches, and unavailable players) will NOT be considered “resting teams” and will NOT receive an average score, but instead 0 points. These are teams that have been eliminated or have already qualified and are waiting for their next Playoff opponent.

NBA Fantasy Captain Picks

Are you unsure who to make captain for the Dunkest round? Here are our tips, one for each turn.

Centers

Isaiah Hartenstein (Oklahoma City Thunder, 10.6 cr)

Perhaps the player with the biggest impact in this series, as shown by his playing time more than doubling compared to Game 1, Isaiah Hartenstein has become essential in slowing down Victor Wembanyama, even sparking several controversies in the process. Despite the risk of foul trouble, his rebounding impact is indispensable for OKC, and whenever he has played more than 13 minutes against the Spurs, he has averaged 9.2 points and 10.8 rebounds, confirming his potential to deliver a double-double on any given night.

Forwards

Mikal Bridges (New York Knicks, 9.6 cr)

For nearly a month, Mikal Bridges has looked like himself again, putting together a streak without a bad performance and consistently staying above 20 FPT. Over his last seven games, he has reminded everyone of his two-way value, averaging 27.9 FPT, 18.7 points, and 1.4 steals, while shooting 68.3% from the field and 50% from three. Defense and efficiency fully at our service.

Keldon Johnson (San Antonio Spurs, 5.6 cr)

The talent is there, but his playoff performances haven’t lived up to expectations, leading to a stretch of disappointing outings that dropped him into true bargain territory at just 5.6 credits. In a Game 4 that already feels like a must-win – potentially the final home game of the season – Keldon Johnson will need to bring out his best version, just as he did in the two regular-season home games against OKC, where he scored 25 points and helped the Spurs collect two wins.

Guards

Dennis Schroder (Cleveland Cavaliers, 4.9 cr)

When he has been given opportunities this season, Dennis Schroder has produced multiple performances above 25 FPT. Cleveland’s defensive issues – with James Harden facing increasing criticism – could lead to a larger role for the German guard. As Draymond Green pointed out, Schroder was one of the few players willing to stay attached to Jalen Brunson and avoid accepting switches. That pride and defensive effort may become one of Cleveland’s biggest weapons if they want to steal Game 3.

Jared McCain (Oklahoma City Thunder, 4.9 cr)

Not for much longer under 5 credits, Jared McCain – acquired by OKC at a bargain price – should continue to see minutes because of the conditions of Williams and Mitchell. In both games against San Antonio, he has come close to 20 FPT, averaging 18 points and 5 rebounds, bringing a huge energy boost off the bench and never allowing the Spurs any breathing room. In a crucial Game 4, expecting the same impact feels reasonable.

Coach

Mitch Johnson (San Antonio Spurs, 12.6 cr)

After opening Game 3 with a stunning 15-0 run, the Thunder eventually brought Victor Wembanyama, Mitch Johnson, and the Spurs back down to earth. But San Antonio absorbed the blow without creating unnecessary noise, and that makes it feel like this may have been the calm before the storm. The home crowd won’t give away anything, many of the Spurs’ mistakes are fixable, and with a highly motivated Wembanyama capable of delivering a game-changing performance every time he laces up, combined with the favorable multiplier, we’re rolling with Mitch Johnson in Game 4.

Fantasy Basketball Dunkest NBA 2025/26 List

To make life easier for all draft mode enthusiasts, we’ve made the Dunkest NBA 2025/26 List available for download in Excel format below, allowing you to prepare for the auction in the coming days.

Remember, you’ll find the Dunkest List with all updated stats for each player in our Statistics section, including credits, Dunkest points (PDK), and capital gains.

Play NBA Fantasy Basketball!

The Dunkest NBA Fantasy Basketball is Italy’s most-played FantaNBA, with over 200,000 fantasy coaches competing every year since 2013 with points, assists, and rebounds. It’s free and can be played on the app iOS, app Android and Web.