Tuesday's Fantasy Basketball Streamers: Gary Trent Jr., Jeremiah Fears, and More
Streaming players from three NBA teams that have good matchups on Tuesday.
Much is being made about ESPN and YouTube TV not coming to an agreement, meaning millions of people are left without the premiere sports network and it's related channels. It's mostly a ploy to get people to buy their new app/streaming platform, but it's taking away live sports from so many fans.
Monday Night Football is the biggest loss right now, but the NBA also shows up on ESPN/ABC networks several days per week, so on top of basketball spreading to all these different platforms, more games have been taken away from the average fans that were previously readily available. These networks really are doing nothing except for driving away their fans.
Shifting the focus to fantasy basketball, let's look at streaming players from three NBA teams with good matchups on Tuesday. Most stats are from NBA.com. Always check player statuses before game time to be sure everyone in your lineup is playing.
Use FantasySP's daily and weekly projections to find the players expected to perform best and help make your toughest lineup decisions!
Golden State Warriors vs. Phoenix Suns
Phoenix is more of a fringe target than the other teams we're going after today. I'm usually looking for teams that rank in the top 10 in pace and the bottom 10 in defensive rating, and the Suns rank 13th in pace and have the 10th-worst defensive rating. On a day when the matchups are a little light, that's close enough.
The Warriors are hoping to keep their contending window open as long as possible, now seeing Jimmy Butler (a trade deadline acquisition last year) lead the team in minutes and rank in the top three on the team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. The role players that we look at here might dictate how the Warriors compete in the playoffs.
Guard
Podziemski is the guy you want here, as he is averaging 30 minutes and 12.3 points per game. He is also at 4.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.4 steals, adding a little more than just his scoring. Podziemski is a good fantasy pickup today.
Hield is a shooter but doesn't add much else; he's averaging fewer than seven points per game. After 28 points in the first two games, Hield has just 20 points over the ensuing five contests. Richard is a rookie getting a little run, but he doesn't put up numbers to a fantasy level.
Forward
Moody scored 20 points in one game but has otherwise failed to reach double digits. He doesn't add a lot else, leaving Moody as a lower-level fantasy player.
Center
Al Horford will miss this game, so these guys will handle the center minutes along with Draymond Green. Post plays more and puts up better numbers, and while his stats are modest, he should get on the court without Horford. Jackson-Davis is just a low-level player.
Milwaukee Bucks @ Toronto Raptors
The Raptors play at the eighth-fastest pace and have the seventh-worst defensive rating. After several years of shedding talent, this team is now built around a new core and not up to an average level defensively.
The Bucks will go as far as Giannis Antetokounmpo takes them, though they also have a rebuilt group around their top player. While they are off to a 5-2 start, we won't know what Milwaukee really is for a while.
Guard
All three players here are averaging double-digit points with Trent leading the way at 14 per game. Anthony is also averaging 5.6 assists per game, but there isn't much else for stats here. I wouldn't mind any of the three on my fantasy team, and I probably rank them in the order you see them above, though Anthony and Green are more interchangeable.
Forward
Kuzma and Prince both play between 20-25 minutes per game. Kuzma is better statistically across the board, holding enough value that he might be worth a spot on your roster when you're short at forward. Prince isn't up to a fantasy standard.
Center
Portis is averaging 10 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in right around 20 minutes. His shooting and scoring volume is down a little from the past few seasons, but Portis also averages more than one three pointer per game, a nice bonus from the center position (with eligibility at forward also).
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte plays at the sixth-fastest pace and has the sixth-worst defensive rating. They were one of our favorite targets last season, and they have continued that trend early this year. We will likely see a lot of the Hornets.
The Pelicans aren't much better; they have the second-worst defensive rating in the league. They play at a bottom-five pace, though, not quite meeting the criteria we look for in our favorite target teams. Instead, we'll look to the New Orleans streamers today.
Guard
Fears was the seventh overall pick this year, and he is averaging 26.5 minutes and 13.7 points per game. He's an interesting player with upside who might get more time on the floor as the season continues. Bey is a lower-level fantasy guy, better left to deep leagues.
Forward
Jones plays 27 minutes per game, and he does a little of everything at a low level. He's a decent streamer who can put up a balanced stat line, though he's not going to give you big numbers anywhere. Looney is a low-level player who can also fill in at center, though that's his best asset.
Center
Missi is questionable for this one, so make sure he's active before putting him in your lineup. If he does play, he has been fairly productive, averaging 7.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game. Queen scores about the same as Missi, but he does everything else at a lower level, leaving him as the lesser option from this group.
