Monday's Fantasy Basketball Streamers: Marcus Smart, Jeremy Sochan, and More
Streaming players from three NBA teams that have good matchups on Monday.
NBA teams generally play three games per week, sometimes hitting two or four depending on how things play out. It's a nice middle ground between the MLB, where teams play almost every day, and the NFL, where everyone plays just once per week.
We get a chance to see how teams and players are flowing without having to wear guys out from playing every day (let's not get into load management), so we get a decent look at the fantasy landscape at any given time, though things change as fast as they appear.
Let's look at fantasy streaming players from three NBA teams with good matchups on Monday. Most stats are from NBA.com.
Check out FantasySP's injury roundup to stay up to date with every player dealing with a malady who could miss games.
Detroit Pistons vs. Washington Wizards
The Wizards play at the third-fastest pace and hold the second-worst defensive rating. They continue to be one of our favorite targets here, and that's unlikely to change throughout the season.
Detroit won a three-point game yesterday against the 76ers, getting a bucket from Cade Cunningham with 17 seconds left to push their lead to three and withstanding a missed three-point shot from Tyrese Maxey at the end. That pushed their record to 8-2.
Guard
Both LeVert and Green play in backup roles and don't put up much for stats. LeVert scored 14 points yesterday, his best game of the season and third straight in double digits. He's still only a low-level streamer who you can probably upgrade on elsewhere, but at least LeVert has found a little success.
Forward
Robinson and Holland have very similar modest stats, with Robinson scoring a little more and Holland doing a little better with everything else. Robinson is playing 32 minutes per game and Holland just 22 minutes, so the latter is more efficient, but we're just talking about raw stats in fantasy, and that makes Robinson a little more appealing out of this duo.
Center
Stewart suffered an ankle injury during Friday's game against Brooklyn, and he didn't play yesterday. Verify his status before putting him in your lineup. Stewart is a decent streaming center when healthy, including putting up 26 points and 14 rebounds last Monday.
Los Angeles Lakers @ Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte plays at the fourth-fastest pace and has the seventh-worst defensive rating. Like Washington, they have been part of our target list for a few years now, and there's nothing that makes it seem like we should expect big improvement any time soon.
The Lakers have been a bit middling, ranking 12th in offensive rating and 20th in defensive rating. It has worked out so far, as the team has a 7-3 record despite not having LeBron James in the lineup yet. LA is one of those teams whose season doesn't matter until we reach the playoffs.
Guard
Smart has gotten a bit of an extended run with Austin Reaves out for the past three games, including 17 points, five rebounds, and five assists on Wednesday against the Spurs. Smart is an OK streaming player if you need a guard, but you can probably also find a better fantasy player.
Forward
Hachimura averages nearly 35 minutes and 16 points per game, making it a little surprising that he is available in 70% of leagues. He doesn't do much else at a high level, capping his fantasy value, but you can expect Hachimura to run into a few numbers simply by being on the court.
LaRavia plays around 30 minutes per game, scoring less than Hachimura but doing better with rebounds, assists, and steals. LaRavia is another lower-level guy, but he can be a decent streamer in this one, particularly if Reaves is out again.
Center
Hayes is just a low-level player and below the streaming level. If you're desperate at center, he will at least get on the floor, but Hayes has been very modest statistically.
San Antonio Spurs @ Chicago Bulls
The Bulls have a defensive rating just a little worse than average, and they play at the fifth-fastest pace in the league. After starting 5-0, the Bulls are 1-3 in November, allowing 123.3 points per game during that time.
San Antonio is 7-2, and their plus-8.4-point differential ranks fifth in the league. This is a team with legit hopes of contending as long as they have their best player on the floor: Victor Wembanyama.
Guard
Champagnie has been productive, playing nearly 30 minutes per games and averaging 10.6 points and 5.7 rebounds. He is worth a look as a streamer who can play both guard and forward in most leagues.
Forward
Barnes plays over 30 minutes per game and Johnson right around 24. They have very similar stats, as Barnes has been a lower-level fantasy and statistical player much of his career. Even with more minutes, his impact is limited. Both Barnes and Johnson can be considered as lower-level streamers with the good matchup.
Center
Sochan missed the beginning of the season but has now been back for three games, averaging right around 20 minutes while playing forward and center. His stats are modest (just under 10 points per game, not much of anything else), but he will probably improve a little when he gets into the swing of things.
