Saturday's Fantasy Basketball Streamers: Dillon Brooks, Bobby Portis, and More
Streaming players from three NBA teams with good matchups on Saturday.
In case you missed it (since the game finished after midnight), Nikola Jokic put up a historic game to close out Christmas, finishing with 56 points, 16 rebounds, and 15 assists in an overtime win over the Timberwolves.
Jokic is fifth in points, first in rebounds, and first in assists per game among guys who have played at least 15 games. Other guys are also having great seasons, and there is a long way to go, but Jokic has to be the MVP favorite. DraftKings agrees, listing Jokic as the slight betting favorite over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (with no one close to those two).
Moving to fantasy basketball, let's look at streaming players from three NBA teams with good matchups on Saturday. 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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Milwaukee Bucks @ Chicago Bulls
Chicago plays at the second-fastest pace and has the eighth-worst defensive rating. A fellow Bulls fan and I were joking after Chicago's 5-0 start about how it should be about a week before they fell back into play-in position. Well, it didn't take much longer, as the Bulls went 5-15 after that, but Chicago has now won five straight again heading into Saturday.
The Bucks played in Memphis yesterday, losing 125-104. Giannis Antetokounmpo is out with a calf injury, something that has been true since he got injured on December 3, and they can't get him back quickly enough, as Milwaukee is 12-19 and sits below play-in position.
(LATE NOTE: After publication, Antetokounmpo is now expected to play in this game if he can get through pregame with no setbacks.)
Guard
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Green scores 10.5 points per game but doesn't add much else statistically, keeping him as a lower-level fantasy player. Trent is a step lower than Green in about every category, and Harris only has low-level streaming value if Trent misses this game again, as he has most of the past two. No one here is a real fantasy option.
Forward
There's much more to like at forward, where Portis can fill in at both forward and center and is averaging 12.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and about two three-pointers per game, making him a nice streamer. Kuzma averages about one more point and one more assist per game than Portis, but he is 1.3 rebounds lower, making these two close in fantasy value (I slightly prefer Portis). They have a little extra value if Giannis is out.
Center
Sims plays backup minutes and puts up backup stats, not often standing out in fantasy. He's another guy with a little boost if Giannis is out of the lineup, but he doesn't do enough to really be on the fantasy radar.
Phoenix Suns @ New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans play at the ninth-fastest pace and have the fourth-worst defensive rating. These teams also played last night in New Orleans, with the Suns taking a 115-108 victory.
That's not a major surprise, as the Pelicans are one of the lowliest teams in the league, while Phoenix is surprisingly in play-in position at 17-13. It's best to expect a similar outcome today in the rematch.
Guard
Grayson Allen has been out injured, leaving more room for the other guys. Allen could return here, and if he does, he's an intriguing fantasy option, but if not, then Gillespie is averaging 13.3 points, 4.9 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, nice numbers for a streamer with a good matchup. Goodwin is a backup and doesn't put up much for stats.
Forward
Brooks is the guy you want from this group if you can grab him. He has a surprising about of availability for a guy who is scoring nearly 22 points per game (owned in around 45% of leagues), but he doesn't do a lot else. O'Neale and Dunn are low-level fantasy guys, with O'Neale having the slight advantage.
Center
Ighodaro plays backup minutes and doesn't put up many numbers. He would be of interest if Mark Williams went down for an extended stretch.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Utah Jazz
The Jazz are our top target today: They play at the third-fastest pace and have the second-worst defensive rating. Utah said they weren't looking to tank this season, and while their 10-19 record isn't among the worst, it still leaves them well below a playoff level and even outside the play-in. Their offensive rating is near the middle, so maybe there are better things coming.
San Antonio has now beat the Thunder three times, all within the past two weeks. Oklahoma City has only lost five games total. Could Victor Wembanyama be the answer to taking down the reigning champions? The two teams will face off two more times: January 13 in OKC and February 4 in San Antonio.
Guard
Harper is the intriguing player from San Antonio, but the second overall pick missed time with injury and is in a reserve role. There are flashes; he has scored 20 points three times this month without ever playing 30 minutes. There is inconsistency, though, bringing some risk.
Champagnie plays a little more (27.7 minutes per game) and has put up OK low-level fantasy numbers (10.4 points and 5.6 rebounds), but the team is healthy now, so his opportunities might be limited. Champagnie reached double-digit points only once in the past seven games.
Forward
Both Barnes and Johnson score about 13 points per game. Johnson also averages 6.3 rebounds, but neither player offers much else statistically, leaving them as lower-level fantasy guys. They are OK streamers in deeper leagues or if you just really need a forward.
Center
With Wemby back from injury, Kornet is pushed back down into a reserve role, even after he started the past two games as the superstar worked into the lineup off the bench while continuing his recovery. His time will be limited, and Kornet is averaging just 8.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, low-level fantasy numbers unless you're desperate at center.
