Fantasy Basketball Streaming Picks: Impact of Anthony Davis Injury and Saturday Matchups
Streaming players from three NBA teams with good matchups on Saturday.
Absent intriguing in-season storylines, the best thing NBA fans can hope for is movement at the trade deadline if they are looking for drama. We have a good start, as Trae Young was traded to Washington, and the Grizzlies made it known that they are open to moving Ja Morant.
It's still close to a month until the deadline, so there's a calm before the storm. Get ready for possible fireworks, though, if you haven't been drawn in by the season yet.
Moving to fantasy, let's look at streaming players from three NBA teams that have good matchups on Saturday. We'll focus on the guys who get on the court and are widely available in fantasy leagues. Most stats are from NBA.com.
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Charlotte Hornets @ Utah Jazz
Utah plays at the fourth-fastest pace and has the worst defensive rating in the league. There are very few sure things in life, but the Jazz showing up as one of our fantasy basketball target teams is one of them.
Charlotte has been here often recently, with matchups against the Bulls and Pacers over the past week. They didn't necessarily take advantage, scoring 112 points in each game (below their season average) and losing to the league-worst Pacers, but the matchup is as good as could be in this one.
Guard
Sexton is a decent fantasy player, averaging 15.1 points and 4.3 assists per game mostly working as Charlotte's sixth man. James plays a few more minutes but is far less productive, holding only low-level, deep-league streaming value.
Forward
Salaun is probable for this game while dealing with an ankle sprain. On top of that uncertainty, he is a low-level fantasy player, not producing much in any area.
Center
Ryan Kalkbrenner remains out, giving more value to these two. Diabate is averaging around eight points and eight rebounds per game, and he has a decent outlook while getting starter minutes. Hall is still just in a reserve role and not doing much statistically.
Dallas Mavericks @ Chicago Bulls
The Bulls play at the third-fastest pace and have the sixth-worst defensive rating. The Jazz and Wizards stand out as our must-target teams, but Chicago settles in third based on those two metrics.
Dallas is another team we've seen here often recently; their last two games were against Sacramento and Utah, prime targets. The Mavs followed the same pattern as Charlotte, averaging just 107 points in those games, but we are following the process, which points toward Dallas as a team with streamers again.
The Mavericks found out yesterday that Anthony Davis will be out for months after sustaining a hand injury, maybe ending his season. The lineup will likely form up to and past the trade deadline for a team in flux.
Guard
Brandon Williams is out for this game with an illness, giving more value to the other three (particularly Thompson and Nembhard). Christie is a starter and gets on the court the most, making him the best option of the group. Both he and Thompson do a bit of scoring and shooting (over 11 points, 2.5 three-pointers per game), but they don't add much else. Nembhard is a lower-level contributor who trades some scoring for assists.
Forward
P.J. Washington is out for this one along with Davis, opening plenty of forward minutes. Marshall becomes a strong fantasy player while moving into the starting lineup, and Martin will get plenty of looks, though he is a lesser fantasy option. Feel good about Marshall in your lineup today.
Center
With Davis out, Gafford is going to be the main big man that Dallas is counting on, and he becomes a sneaky player to move into mid-level fantasy production. Gafford is a nice pickup if you need help at center (and he can slot in at forward). Powell moves into a featured reserve role; that's not enough to be a fantasy option now, but he's headed the right direction.
Miami Heat @ Indiana Pacers
Indiana was better to start the season, but they have fallen to the worst record in the league at 7-31. It was predictable, as they lost a lot of talent from last season (including the injured Tyrese Haliburton), and the Pacers stand out as a fantasy target, playing at the 11th-fastest pace and holding the eighth-worst defensive rating.
The Heat have the fifth-best defensive rating, but they are slightly below average on offense. They are 20-17 and fighting to get above play-in position; Miami could use an infusion at the trade deadline (Morant could fit well here).
Guard
Mitchell is a starter and plays over 30 minutes per game; that's not something we can say about a lot of guys who end up on our streaming list. At 9.3 points, 7.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game, he is a fine low-to-mid-level streamer. Larsson scores 9.4 points per game, but he doesn't do much else, mostly keeping him off the fantasy radar.
Forward
Jaquez was hurt for a short time but is now back healthy. He is owned in close to half of fantasy leagues and is a strong contributor, averaging 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.7 assists.
Center
Jovic is another guy who can slot in at both forward and center, giving him a little fantasy boost. He is just a low-level stat guy, putting up nine points and four rebounds per game.
