Wednesday's Fantasy Basketball Streamers: Dylan Harper, Dillon Brooks, and More
Streaming players from three NBA teams with good matchups on Wednesday.
We are now over a month into the NBA season. Every team has played between 15 and 20 games; we're officially into the meat of the basketball calendar, ready for around five more months of slogging through games until we reach the postseason.
In fantasy basketball, this is the time when some owners start falling out of touch, either ignoring their roster completely or putting in minimal effort to fill a lineup each day/week. For those who stay on track, there is a chance to gain an advantage simply by staying in tune with the season and using fantasy basketball resources.
Let's look at streaming players on three NBA teams with good matchups on Wednesday. We'll focus on guys who are widely available in fantasy leagues. Most stats are from NBA.com.
Use FantasySP's defensive rankings to find the teams and players with the best matchups each day!
Phoenix Suns @ Sacramento Kings
The Kings play at the seventh-fastest pace and own the fourth-worst defensive rating. Their 5-13 record puts them near the bottom of the Western Conference, where only the Pelicans have fewer wins (three). Sacramento is likely to be a common target here.
The Suns started the year as a fantasy target, but they have improved since the first few weeks, now sitting 11-7 and ranking above average in both offensive and defensive rating. This team isn't going to win big after sending out several big names; Devin Booker is the only one remaining who could be an All-Star. Pheonix is finding success, though, and hanging around the middle of the league.
Guard
With Grayson Allen injured, both Gillespie and Goodwin have been getting more minutes, and they have both taken advantage. In the five games since Allen last appeared, Gillespie is averaging 17.0 points, 5.0 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game; Goodwin is at 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds in that time. Both players are decent streaming options here, with Gillespie the better player.
Forward
Brooks is owned in about half of fantasy leagues, so you might not be able to grab him, but if so, he is second among healthy players on the team in both minutes and points per game while leading in steals. O'Neale is averaging 30.1 minutes, 11.5 points, and 5.3 rebounds per game, picking up nice volume. Both guys here are decent streamers with Brooks the better option because of his scoring.
Center
Richards plays inconsistent minutes and doesn't put up big stats often, reaching 10 points once and 10 rebounds once in 18 games. Richards is a guy to skip unless you're desperate for a center.
San Antonio Spurs @ Portland Trail Blazers
Portland plays at the third-fastest pace while owning the 11th-worst defensive rating. I like teams that are top-10 in pace and bottom-10 in defensive rating, so while the Blazers barely miss the cut, this is plenty close enough to still target them with fantasy players.
The Spurs have championship upside thanks to Victor Wembanyama, but the big man is out with a calf strain and could miss a few weeks. The season is so long that the team is barely going to feel it, but after Wemby missed the final 30 games last year, it's worth being concerned that the big man will deal with maladies often.
Guard
Harper has missed almost this entire month with an ankle injury, but he is questionable for this one and could make his return. Harper looked good when on the court, but he might take some time to work back into the rotation. He's a player with big upside.
Forward
These three players are all similar in fantasy, providing modest value that makes them decent streamers. Barnes plays the most, but Johnson is the most productive of the group. Any of the three can be considered as streamers today, and I rank them Johnson, Barnes, then Champagnie.
Center
Without Wembanyama, there are a lot of minutes to fill at center. Kornet plays more and puts up better numbers; he's the guy to grab from this team if you need a center. Sochan is a lower-level fantasy player who is fine in deep leagues or if you are desperate for a guy who can fill in at both forward and center.
Toronto Raptors vs. Indiana Pacers
It was expected that the Pacers would have a rough season with Tyrese Haliburton out all year and Myles Turner now in Milwaukee, but falling from Game 7 of the NBA Finals to a 2-15 record has to cause some shellshock for Indiana fans. They play at the ninth-fastest pace and hold the eight-worst defensive rating.
The Raptors started out as one of our target teams, but they improved out of that range, much like Phoenix. Toronto now has the second-best record in the Eastern Conference at 13-5, and they rank in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive rating; against all odds, the Raptors seem like a real threat (though it's still early).
Guard
These three are all lower-level players, averaging less than 20 minutes and 10 points per game. Walter has played more recently, reaching at least 19 minutes in three straight games, but he isn't producing big stats, leaving him with questionable fantasy impact.
Forward
Mamukelashvili averages around 10.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists on the season. He backs up forwards Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes, which doesn't leave a lot of time to put up great stats. This is another guy who can be considered as a low-level streamer.
Center
The ninth overall pick in this year's draft, Murray-Boyles is getting on the court but producing inconsistently, the way we should expect from a rookie. He has reached double-digit points five times but had less then five points in six other games, and that inconsistency is likely to remain all season. With the matchup in his favor, Murray-Boyles is an OK streamer.
