Thursday's Fantasy Basketball Streamers: Derik Queen, Peyton Watson, and More
Streaming players on three teams with good matchups on Thursday.
We've been on hiatus the last two days because the NBA Cup quarterfinals were in action, so there were only two games each day. Here on the streamer list, we're usually targeting the worst teams, so the groups that have advanced in the NBA Cup aren't ones we want to go after; there was no streaming ecosystem.
We're back today, though, as even though there are only four games, we have three strong streamers. There are a few friends of the column that we target and talk about often, and a triumvirate of them are in action today.
Let's look at streaming players on three NBA teams with good matchups on Thursday. We'll 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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Portland Trail Blazers @ New Orleans Pelicans
We'll start with a game in which we have two target teams, as both the Blazers and Pelicans have had rough starts to the season. These squads are a combined 12-37, looking at low play-in position at best (and the worst record in the league at worst).
The Pelicans play at the 14th-fastest pace, but they are less than half a possession away from the top 10. They have the third-worst defensive rating, standing out as a good matchup. Portland plays at the third-fastest pace and has the 10th-worst defensive rating.
Portland Trail Blazers
Guard
We have a lot of names for the Blazers but not many high-level guys. Cissoko does everything at a low level and has only scored in double figures twice. Love has reached that mark five times, including 20 points last Wednesday. Love is getting on the court but putting up limited stats; both these guards are better left on the free agent market.
Forward
Camara is owned in about 50% of leagues, so you might not be able to grab him. He's a good streamer if he is available, though, as Camara is averaging 33.6 minutes per game with 12.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.1 steals. Murray gets on the court but doesn't put up any numbers, staying off the fantasy radar.
Center
Donovan Clingan hasn't played since last Wednesday, leaving more minutes for the backup centers. Williams plays more than Hansen, but he still doesn't put up many numbers, averaging fewer than six points and six rebounds per game. Hansen is a rookie who hasn't played much and hasn't produced when on the court, leaving him below a fantasy level.
New Orleans Pelicans
Guard
The rookie Fears has a starting role and is scoring 15.4 points per game. His stats are modest otherwise, though 1.4 steals are nice; Fears is a good streamer today. Alvarado plays backup minutes and puts up backup stats, scoring 9.1 points but not offering much else.
Forward
Jones plays 30 minutes per game, but he has modest stats, averaging 9.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.6 steals. He's a low-level streamer due to his time on the court.
Bey is the better fantasy player, averaging around 14 points and six rebounds per game. He is owned in close to half of leagues, so he might not be available in your league, but if he is, Bey is a good streamer today.
Center
Queen is another rookie putting up numbers: 12.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. It's not high-level work, but Queen is a feasible fantasy player, and on a day with a good matchup, he is a positive streamer.
Missi was a first-round pick last year, but he has been pushed down into a reserve role and is averaging just over five points and five rebounds per game, below a fantasy level.
Denver Nuggets @ Sacramento Kings
The Kings play at the eighth-fastest pace and have the fifth-worst defensive rating. They are another team near the bottom of the West, sitting with a 6-18 record, more wins than only two teams.
The Nuggets are back among the contenders, 17-6 and with the best offensive rating in the league. Denver is only in the middle in defensive rating, but Aaron Gordon has been out, and there's still plenty of time for the numbers to average out.
Guard
These guys both play a little less than 25 minutes per game, and while Brown doesn't really put up any numbers, Hardaway is scoring 12.2 points per game. He doesn't do anything else, but if you need points, Hardaway is an OK lower-level streamer today.
Forward
With Gordon out, both these guys are getting more minutes and opportunities. Watson's expanded role actually started when Christian Braun went down in mid-November, but the Nuggets have needed everyone to step up with multiple rotation players out, and Watson has played at least 28 minutes in all 12 games since Braun's injury.
Jones has played at least 22 minutes in all but two of his nine games since Gordon went down. He scored 16 and 28 points in back-to-back games in late November and early December, but Jones otherwise hasn't done much statistically. Watson is the better streamer from this duo.
Center
Valanciunas only plays limited minutes behind Nikola Jokic, so he's not really a fantasy option any time the star is active. Remember his name if Jokic misses time, but until then, Valanciunas should be left on the free agent market.
