Wednesday's Fantasy Basketball Streamers: Jeremiah Fears, Ayo Dosunmu, and More
Streaming players from three NBA teams with good matchups on Wednesday.
The further we get into the season, the more we can start trusting numbers. Team and player performance can be skewed in a small sample, but with every team now playing at least 30 games, the season is taking form.
Pleasant surprises can start feeling good, but those who are underperforming, like Milwaukee, need to start making their move. (We'll talk more about the Bucks below.)
Let's look at streaming players from three NBA teams with good matchups on Wednesday. We will focus on the guys who get on the court and are widely available in fantasy leagues, able to be picked up. Most stats are from NBA.com.
Use FantasySP's daily and weekly projections to compare players and help make your toughest lineup decisions!
Chicago Bulls vs. New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans Pelicans @ Chicago Bulls
We'll start today with a game in which we have two great target teams playing against each other. While the Bulls sit in play-in position and could hang out in that middling range all season, the Pelicans are the worst team in the West and have the second-worst point differential in the conference.
Chicago plays at the second-fastest pace and has the seventh-worst defensive rating. New Orleans is 10th in pace and has the third-worst defensive rating. Both teams are likely to stay among our streaming targets all season, particularly the Pelicans.
Chicago Bulls
Guard
Both Josh Giddey and Coby White left Monday's game against the Timberwolves with injury. Giddey is out for a few weeks, and if White also misses this game, it will give a lot more fantasy value to Dosunmu and Jones.
Dosunmu averages 26 minutes and 14 points per game. He doesn't offer much outside of scoring, but he's a decent option if you need points. Jones is at 12.2 points, 5.0 assists, and 1.5 steals per game, good streaming numbers with a strong matchup.
Keep an eye on White's status; if he misses this game, both Dosunmu and Jones will be strong fantasy players (and they're still good options even if White plays).
Forward
Huerter scores close to 12 points per game but doesn't offer much else; he could also see an expanded role with the injuries at guard, as Huerter fills in at both guard and forward.
Okoro and Williams are both lower-level fantasy players who don't put up enough stats to reach the fantasy radar. You can find a better player somewhere else.
Center
Zach Collins is out, so Smith is filling the backup center role. He has played at least 22 minutes in each of the previous three games and averaged 9.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game in that small sample. Smith is a fine low-level streamer today.
New Orleans Pelicans
Guard
The seventh pick in the draft, Fears is getting the benefit of playing early because he is on a bad team. In nearly 27 minutes per game, Fears is averaging 14.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.3 steals. There will be growing pains, but Fears gets on the court, and he's a good streamer here.
Poole averages 28 minutes, 16.7 points, and 2.5 three-pointers per game. He doesn't do much else statistically, but Poole is a strong streaming player if you need scoring and shooting. Jose Alvarado is suspended for this game, so these two guards get a little bump.
Forward
Jones hasn't played since last Monday and is questionable for this one, so he needs to be verified as playing before you put him into your lineup. He's not a great fantasy player even if he returns, though, with Bey as the better option.
Bey averages around 30 minutes, 15 points, and six rebounds per game. In their most recent game, Bey scored 26 points in 37 minutes. He is a strong fantasy player here and probably necessitates a spot in someone's lineup.
Center
Missi and Looney play backup minutes behind Derik Queen; neither guy puts up enough numbers to be near the fantasy radar. Queen is owned in too many leagues to be a streamer, but he does have a little availability still and would be a strong pickup today if you can grab him.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Washington Wizards
The Wizards play at the eighth-fastest pace and have the worst defensive rating in the league. Indiana has dropped below them in the Eastern Conference standings, but Washington has a worse point differential by a full 2.5 points per game; the Wizards have been really bad.
Milwaukee got Giannis Antetokounmpo back against the Bulls on Saturday, and he played again on Monday against Charlotte. Giannis played 25 minutes in each game, so he's working his way back, but the Bucks won both games, a much-needed change for a team that was 12-19 before his return.
Guard
Green averages 28.6 minutes and 10.5 points per game. He doesn't add a lot else statistically, but he's on the court, making him a decent low-level streamer. Harris doesn't play enough minutes to be on the fantasy radar; he'll be a name to know when injuries start adding up.
Forward
Kuzma is kind of the epitome of a streamer, a name big enough that most fans know him but not a player productive enough to be a fantasy regular. He is averaging 26.6 minutes, 13.2 points, and 4.9 rebounds per game, not great stats by any means, but enough to put him on the fantasy radar on the right days, like today.
Trent is a lesser fantasy player. He scores 9.6 points per game but doesn't do anything else, leaving him more as a deep-league option.
Center
Portis is at 13.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, and almost two three-pointers per game. He can slot in at both forward and center, and Portis is coming off a game in which he scored 25 points and made five three-pointers. Portis is a strong streaming option here.
