Wednesday's Fantasy Basketball Streamers: Spencer Jones, Danny Wolf, and More
Streaming players from three NBA teams with good matchups on Wednesday.
The NFL takes precedence over everything else, but the NBA gets a chance to take the spotlight on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, when both professional and college football are generally off.
Hockey still takes place every day, but that's not nearly as big of a draw in this country, leaving basketball on top for a few days each week. That's all it will get for a few more months.
Let's look at streaming players from three NBA teams with good matchups on Wednesday. We will focus on the guys who are widely available in fantasy leagues and can easily be picked up. Most stats are from NBA.com.
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Brooklyn Nets @ Chicago Bulls
The Bulls play at the second-fastest pace and own the eighth-worst defensive rating. Chicago has settled in as one of our favorite targets right now, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see them stay in this range based on their roster.
Brooklyn has the second-worst defensive rating, but they also play at a snail's pace, so they're not a team we look to target. They are a poor team, also holding a bottom-10 offensive rating and a 4-16 record. This is a rare chance to examine some of their lesser players.
Guard
Demin and Martin are putting up very similar stats, around 8.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 0.8 steals per game. Powell is a bit lower in each category, making Demin or Martin the better streamer, though they are lower-level guys.
Forward
Williams scores around nine points per game, but he doesn't add much else, making him a limited fantasy player. A first-round pick, Wolf spent time in the G-League, but since rejoining the team after Thanksgiving, he has gotten on the court and scored points, putting up 22 points in 30 minutes on Saturday. Wolf has intrigue as a streamer here.
Center
Clowney has some fantasy value, averaging 27.4 minutes and 12.4 points per game. He doesn't add a lot else, including just 3.5 rebounds, so Clowney is a lower-level player at forward and center.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Portland Trail Blazers
Portland was listed here as a target yesterday also, and they lost to Toronto 121-118. Six players scored double figures for the Raptors, including two guys listed as streamers. The Blazers play at the third-fastest pace and own the 10th-worst defensive rating.
Cleveland is 13-9 and right at the fringe of the top 10 in both offensive and defensive rating. That's the profile of a team that can compete, even if they aren't off to the great start they had last year on the way to the top overall seed.
Guard
Tyson is averaging 12.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game, nice numbers for a streamer. He can fill in at both guard and forward in many leagues, giving him a little extra value. Ball is questionable for this game, so verify his status before putting him in your lineup. He does a little of everything at a modest level, with 5.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.0 steals per game.
Forward
Hunter averages close to 29 minutes, 17 points, 4.5 rebounds, and three assists per game. He is a worthy fantasy player who would fit nicely into a bench spot on your roster. He has a great outlook here against Portland.
Wade and Tomlin both offer only modest stats. Tomlin has gotten more playing time recently with injuries in front of him, and Wade continues to play over 22 minutes per game, but neither offers much from a fantasy perspective.
Center
- None
Denver Nuggets @ Indiana Pacers
Indiana plays at the 11th-fastest pace and has the 11th-worst defensive rating. I'm using looking for the top/bottom 10, but I think that's close enough, don't you? The Pacers are a strong target for fantasy players right now.
The Nuggets rank first in offensive rating but 16th in defensive rating, maybe not a surprise given their top guys. Denver will be a contender as long as they get to the playoffs healthy, and they have a lot of fantasy-worthy players.
Guard
Watson is the most productive player here, averaging 10.4 points and nearly five rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block per game. He's a decent streamer. Hardaway scores a little more (12.0), but he doesn't add anything else, so I prefer Watson. Brown is a low-level fantasy player, not worth a spot in your lineup.
Forward
Jones has played more recently since Aaron Gordon went down injured. On Monday, Jones played 39 minutes and scored 28 points, making four three-pointers. Jones has intrigue in this one with a great matchup and is a decent streamer.
Center
Valanciunas doesn't play many minutes behind Jokic, just 12.6 per game. His 8.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game aren't bad in that short time, but his ceiling is seriously capped. Jokic is questionable in this game, and if he were to sit out, Valanciunas would have a lot of streaming value.
