Friday's Fantasy Basketball Streamers: Klay Thompson, Russell Westbrook, and More
Streaming players from three teams with great matchups on Friday.
The NBA schedule varies much more than in baseball or football. Every team plays most days of the week in MLB, with Mondays and Thursdays often the days off, and the NFL schedule of Thursday, Sunday, and Monday (and eventually Saturday) is ingrained into our way of life.
With basketball, though, we go from a day of just two games (like yesterday) to 12 games today and back to just five tomorrow. You never know what you're going to get, as Forrest Gump once said.
Let's look at streaming players from three teams that have good matchups on Friday. Always check to make sure players are active before game time, as statuses can change up to the last minute. Most stats are from NBA.com.
Use FantasySP's defensive rankings to find the players and teams with the best matchups each day!
Terms to Know
I will often talk about pace and defensive rating. You can find more about them at this link, but pace is the number of possessions per 48 minutes that a team averages, and defensive rating is the number of points per 100 possessions that a team allows.
I'm looking for teams that play at a fast pace and have a bad defensive rating, allowing more opportunities for easier chances at points, rebounds, assists, and more. We're going heavily on last season's numbers but will factor in 2025-26 as we get more information.
Streamers
Dallas Mavericks vs. Washington Wizards
The Wizards were our favorite streaming target last season, as they played at the fourth-fastest pace and had the third-worst defensive rating. Washington added a few veterans in the offseason, but they still profile as a below-average team that will struggle defensively.
Washington allowed 133 points to the Bucks in their opening game on Wednesday, the third most of any team on the first two days. Dallas was held down by the Spurs, scoring just 92 points, but they have a much better outlook here against the Wizards.
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Washington is vulnerable against all positions, so it's more about the players in question. Thompson and Christie will play the most minutes out of this group, with Thompson more of a shooter who will only add modest stats elsewhere. Christie has a little intrigue, as he played more than 30 minutes per game last season after coming over in the Luka Doncic/Anthony Davis trade and averaged over 11 points and four rebounds per game.
Nembhard and Russell are lower-level players who are only deep-league options. They will get more minutes in the first half of the season before Kyrie Irving returns from injury.
Forward
Washington is the guy to go after here. He is owned in about one-third of leagues, leaving plenty of availability in a great matchup. Washington was right around 15 points and eight rebounds per game last season. He is a strong pickup here.
Marshall set career highs with 13.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game last year. He had a very quiet first game, with just one assist, one rebound, and three points, but there are chances for bigger performances. I'd rather have Washington.
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Gafford is dealing with an injury and didn't play in the opener, and he is questionable here. He's probably a better player to skip today even if he does suit up simply for precautionary reasons.
Sacramento Kings vs. Utah Jazz
The Jazz were another contender for best target last season, playing at the sixth-fastest pace and holding the worst defensive rating in the league. A team full of young, poor defensive players doesn't look much different or better this year, and we're likely to be going after Utah often again.
Sacramento is a playoff hopeful after reshuffling at the trade deadline last year, but they are far from guaranteed to make the postseason. They started the year by losing to a floundering Suns team.
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Schroder will play the most minutes from this group and generally put up the best stats. He had 14 points and seven assists in the first game and is a good streaming pickup today. Westbrook was a late signing, but he still played 19 minutes in the first game and had six points and six rebounds. He could have a few nice games, though it's best to limit his fantasy usage.
Ellis is a low-level fantasy player, though he did score nine points in the opener. He's probably better left on the free agent market.
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Domantas Sabonis missed the first game, and if he is out again here, Eubanks has a little extra value as a streamer. If Sabonis is back, Eubanks will likely be limited. He had four points, four rebounds, two steals, and four blocks in the first game.
San Antonio Spurs @ New Orleans Pelicans
San Antonio had a statement win on Wednesday, beating the Mavericks 125-92. Dallas is the only team to score fewer than 100 points in a game this season. With Victor Wembanyama healthy, the ceiling for the Spurs is sky-high.
The Pelicans were right in the middle in pace last year but had the second-worst defensive rating. That's a team that is vulnerable to opposing fantasy players, and things aren't likely to be much better this season.
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The rookie Harper will get a little extra time early in the season while De'Aaron Fox is out; Harper had 15 points in 23 minutes in the opening game. He's a nice pickup here who might get extended time that could become a permanent role.
Champagnie is a lower-level fantasy player. He is a shooter who doesn't offer much else. There's value in that, but you can probably find a better option.
Forward
Barnes was one of three Spurs to play 30 minutes in the first game. He didn't put up many stats: seven points, two rebounds, and one assist. That is likely to be a recurring theme, leaving Barnes as a low-level fantasy player despite his bigger minutes. Johnson averages double-digit points and around five rebounds per game. That's good enough for a streamer, and he's a better fantasy option than Barnes.
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Kornet plays behind Wembanyama. He's not going to get huge minutes or put up big stats; Kornet is a low-floor fantasy player.
