Thursday's Fantasy Basketball Streamers: Davion Mitchell, Collin Sexton, and More
Streaming players from three NBA teams with good matchups on Thursday.
Thursday is a huge day during the NFL season, but now that football has arrived at the postseason, they stick mostly to the weekends, giving Thursday back to the NBA (though there is a college football semifinal game today).
Fans who have their attention split between multiple sports can be forgiven for falling out of touch with early NBA action; the NFL season and MLB playoffs dominate October, and even when baseball ends, no one touches the National Football League. It's almost time for basketball to really spread its wings as the main American sport in action.
Let's look at streaming players from three NBA teams with good matchups on Thursday. We'll focus on the guys who get on the court and are widely available in fantasy leagues. Most stats are from NBA.com.
Use FantasySP's defensive rankings to find the teams and players with the best matchups every day!
Charlotte Hornets vs. Indiana Pacers
The Pacers haven't been here often as a target team, but they are heading in the right direction to be a more frequent visitor. Indiana plays at the 11th-fastest pace and has the ninth-worst defensive rating. Though their pace is just outside the top 10, they are less than one possession per 48 minutes behind fourth place; it's a tightly packed group.
The Hornets are lowly (13-24 record) but not as far down as the Pacers, who have the worst record in basketball. Charlotte hosted a current playoff team in the Raptors yesterday, staying close but ultimately falling 97-96.
Guard
Sexton is the best streamer on the Hornets, averaging 15.1 points and 4.3 assists per game. He missed a little time with injury, and Sexton has mostly been operating as Charlotte's sixth man, but he puts up numbers when on the court. James is a low-level statistical player who is off the fantasy radar.
Forward
Neither forward here is a real fantasy option. Brandon Miller missed yesterday's game, and his absence would give these guys a little more value (particularly McNeeley), but you can probably find a better fantasy option elsewhere.
Center
Ryan Kalkbrenner has been out since December 20, and while he could return here, it looks more likely that he will miss this game. That gives more minutes to the backup centers, Diabate and Hall; neither guy is much of a fantasy player, but they have some lower-level streaming value while Kalkbrenner is out.
Dallas Mavericks @ Utah Jazz
The Jazz play at the fourth-fastest pace and have the worst defensive rating in the league. I talked yesterday about how they have moved into the top spot as our favorite streaming target, leaving opponents with a fantastic outlook every time they face Utah.
Dallas might have a more promising outlook, but they haven't had much better results, sitting within a few games of the Jazz in the standings. Anthony Davis recently said he wanted to stay with the Mavs to sign an extension, but the best thing the team can do is probably get the best return for him and move on from the oft-injured big man. The Luka Doncic trade is already a loss; it doesn't matter what Davis' outcome is with the team.
Guard
We have a lot of low-to-mid-level fantasy depth here. Christie plays the most and has the most fantasy value, but his main contribution is scoring (12.3 points, 2.4 three-pointers per game) without adding a lot else. Williams is at 11.6 points, 3.9 assists, and 1.2 steals, decent deep-league streaming production.
Thompson isn't the player he was, of course, and that takes away from his fantasy value greatly. Like Christie, Thompson's best contributions are his 11.1 points and 2.7 three-pointers per game. Nembhard chips in 5.1 assists to go with his 7.7 points, putting him close to the others despite scoring less.
Forward
Washington missed Dallas' most recent game on Tuesday with an ankle injury, and he is questionable for this one. If he plays, Washington is a solid streamer and maybe a keeper if your league is a bit deeper or you need help at forward: he is averaging 14.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game.
Marshall has gotten a few starting opportunities with Washington out, including 15 points, seven rebounds, and two steals on Tuesday. He's a decent low-level fantasy guy when coming off the bench and gets a bump close to Washington's level if the starter is out.
Center
Gafford is a bit of a lower-level performer but has some value because he can slot in at both forward and center. He is averaging 8.2 points, six rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game and had 10 points and 13 rebounds on Tuesday.
Miami Heat @ Chicago Bulls
Chicago plays at the third-fastest pace and has the seventh-worst defensive rating. The Bulls faced Detroit yesterday, the team with the best record in the East, and the Pistons walked away with a 108-93 victory at home.
This could be a fun one, as Miami has played at the fastest pace in the league essentially all season. These teams played back on November 21, and the Heat won 143-107; it could be another big offensive showing here.
Guard
Mitchell has started all 34 games that he has played (out of 37 total), averaging 9.4 points, 7.4 assists, and 1.2 steals. That's fine work for a lower-level streamer, giving Mitchell some OK value today. Larsson could get a little extra time if the next guy on our list is out today, but Larsson offers 9.5 points per game and not much else, limiting his fantasy value.
Forward
Jaquez missed Tuesday's game against Minnesota and is questionable for this one, so verify his status before putting him into your lineup. Jaquez is owned in close to half of leagues (so he borders on qualifying as a streamer); he's a good fantasy player, with averages of 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game.
Center
Jovic can slot in at both forward and center, giving him a little value boost. He also gets a bump if Jaquez misses this game. Jovic is still just a low-level fantasy player averaging nine points, four rebounds, and three assists per game.
