Monday's Fantasy Basketball Streamers: Kevin Porter Jr., Reed Sheppard, and More
Streaming players from three NBA teams with good matchups on Monday.
Now into December, every team has played right around 20 games, putting us close to 25% of the way through the season. There's still a long way to go; we're to the point of the year where it's easy to fall out of the day-to-day of the NBA for a while.
Christmas is a big day, but the NFL has co-opted that holiday, taking a lot of eyes away from basketball. The NBA doesn't really get center stage until the All-Star Game, when football is done and basketball has room to breathe.
The fantasy world never stops, though, so let's look at streaming players on three NBA teams with good matchups on Monday. We'll focus on the guys who are widely available in fantasy leagues, able to be picked up. Most stats are from NBA.com.
Use FantasySP's defensive rankings to find the teams and players with the best matchups every day!
Houston Rockets @ Utah Jazz
These teams faced off yesterday in Utah; it's a rare double-dip in Salt Lake City and maybe an unwelcome one for the Jazz, who lost 129-101 on Sunday. Utah plays at the fifth-fastest pace and holds the third-worst defensive rating, and their 6-13 record is indicative of their skill level.
Houston, on the other hand, is third in the West with a 13-4 record. The Rockets will fight for a top-four record all season; they rank second in both offensive rating and defensive rating.
Guard
Sheppard is the guy to have here. He is owned in a little over half of leagues but still has some availability, and he is averaging 14.3 points while making about three three-pointers per game. The other two are low-level streamers, both averaging less than 10 points per game without adding much else.
Forward
Smith is another guy owned in around half of leagues, though he could see that number rise. He averages more than 30 minutes and 15 points per game while sitting just under seven rebounds, two assists, one block, and one steal. An all-around performer who can fill in at both forward and center is a valuable fantasy player.
Center
Adams plays backup minutes (around 20 per game), and his numbers are decent at around six points and nine rebounds per game. That's a low-level streamer if you have a need at center, though Adams has a low ceiling.
Milwaukee Bucks @ Washington Wizards
The Wizards are probably our top target in this column, playing at the fourth-fastest pace with the worst defensive rating in the league. It has been a years-long thing, and it's not likely to change any time soon.
Milwaukee is near the bottom 10 in both offensive and defensive rating, a surprise for a team led by Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis has missed a little time with injury, but this team is also not deep, relying on him, Myles Turner, and not much else for big-name players.
Guard
Porter returned on Saturday for his first game since being injured in the opener. He is likely to be a bigger part of the offense and could be grabbed now, as he is owned in less than half of leagues. That will jump fast if he finds early success.
Green and Trent are lower-level streamers, though they both play just under 30 minutes per game. Green is the more productive player if you're choosing between the two.
Forward
Kuzma averages 26 minutes and 13.5 points per game, making him a decent streamer. Kuzma gets a chance to score the ball, something that's not true of a lot of players on the fantasy free agent market.
Center
Portis is averaging 11 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while making 1.6 three-pointers; that's valuable for a guy who can fill in at both forward and center. Portis isn't a great player, but he has a decent outlook in this one.
Orlando Magic vs. Chicago Bulls
The Bulls started the season by jumping out to one of the best records, but they have fallen off since that time and now sit 9-10 and in a familiar place: 10th in the East. They play at the second-fastest pace and have the eighth-worst defensive rating.
Orlando was seen as a team that could ascend in a wide-open Eastern Conference, and they are doing well so far, sitting 12-8 in sixth place. That leaves them just four games back of the top spot, as no team has had a chance to really separate themselves so early in the season.
Guard
Black averages 13 points per game off the bench for the Magic but doesn't offer a lot else outside of 1.5 steals per game. He has a chance at a good game here against the Bulls.
Forward
da Silva is another guy who puts up points off the bench, averaging 11.3 per game. Like Black, his impact is limited elsewhere, as he puts up around four rebounds and one assist per game.
Center
Carter is worthy of a roster spot in many leagues, averaging nearly 30 minutes per game with 12.1 points and 7.6 rebounds. He's not a high-level performer, but Carter puts up numbers from the center position, which isn't always easy to find.
