NBA Fantasy Basketball Streaming Guide: Monday Waiver Wire Pickups and Best Matchups
Streaming players from three NBA teams with good matchups on Monday.
Mondays are often drab because they bring a new work week; we are as far as possible from the weekend on Monday morning.
On the NBA schedule, Mondays are generally smaller days in terms of the number of teams playing, and that's also the case today, with just six games. We still have three good fantasy targets, though, as the worst teams rarely let us down.
Let's look at streaming players on three NBA teams with good matchups on Monday. We will 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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Boston Celtics @ Indiana Pacers
Indiana plays at the 10th-fastest pace and has the 10th-worst defensive rating. They are right at the edge in both metrics I like to use, and that makes them a much better target than most teams.
The Celtics are hanging around the top of the East, just four games back from the top spot. If Jayson Tatum can return for the end of the season and playoff stretch, Boston might enter the postseason as one of the favorites.
Guard
Boston's guards are strong fantasy players who are owned in most leagues. Scheierman is more of a forward but can also slot in at guard. He is a low statistical player but is coming off a game in which he played 26 minutes and scored 10 points.
Forward
Hauser missed Boston's most recent game with a hamstring injury, and he is questionable for this one. Jaylen Brown is doubtful, so if Hauser plays, he will be a valuable fantasy streamer today.
If Hauser is out, it will open plenty of minutes for Gonzalez and Walsh, along with Scheierman. Neither Gonzalez nor Walsh is much of a fantasy player, and even with extended minutes, they both have a low floor. I prefer Scheierman from that group.
Center
The forward injuries could also give a few more minutes to these two players. Queta plays around 25 minutes per game with 10 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks. Garza doesn't get on the court as much and puts up fewer stats; Queta is the guy you want from this duo.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Utah Jazz
The Jazz play at the fourth-fastest pace and have the worst defensive rating in the league, making them one of our top targets. Utah is about five games better than the bottom of the league, but they have the second-worst point differential in the West and the second worst in basketball.
Cleveland won 64 games last season, 13 games better than anyone else in the conference other than Boston. They are on pace for 45 victories this season, which would still at least put them in the play-in, but it's a far fall from grace for a team that looked like a favorite entering the season.
Guard
Merrill is averaging 14.3 points and 3.7 three-pointers per game. He doesn't add a lot else, but in their most recent game, Merrill scored 20 points and hit five three-pointers. Porter is a low-level fantasy player who is off the radar in pretty much every league.
Forward
Dean Wade is out, which opens more minutes for these two players and Merrill. Hunter and Tyson are close in fantasy value, with Hunter averaging a few more points and one more rebound. Tyson scored 23 points in their last game and made all four of his three-point attempts; both guys are fine low-to-mid-level streamers today with the great matchup.
Center
- None
Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley handle most of the center minutes in Cleveland, and you're not going to find them available in many fantasy leagues.
Los Angeles Lakers @ Sacramento Kings
Sacramento ranks in the middle in pace but is less than one possession per 48 minutes outside the top 10. They own the third-worst defensive rating, ranking the lowest among teams that aren't the inept Wizards and Jazz.
The Lakers are part of a group of about six teams that could argue for being the second best in the West behind Oklahoma City. Luka Doncic is holding up his end of the bargain, but LA might not have the ammo to make an impactful move at the trade deadline for an extra push.
Guard
Smart is getting a little extra time with Austin Reaves out, something that will continue for a few more weeks. In all six games in January, Smart played at least 30 minutes, and while his stats are modest, he's a good low-level streamer. Vincent missed close to a month with injury and returned last Wednesday. He's not on the fantasy radar right now.
Forward
Hachimura has also been injured, last playing on December 28, but he will return for this one. Coach J.J. Reddick said that he will be on a minutes restriction, so Hachimura is a risky fantasy player right now with a low floor.
LaRavia and Vanderbilt lose a little value with Hachimura's return, particularly LaRavia. He will still get his opportunities, but he probably won't play 34 minutes per game, which he reached in all six games that Hachimura missed. Vanderbilt is just a low-level fantasy player who doesn't put up many stats.
Center
Hayes is a backup player who won't really hit the fantasy radar in earnest unless Deandre Ayton misses time in front of him.
