The NBA’s Tanking Problem is a Fantasy Goldmine: Try These Streamers Friday
Streaming players from three NBA teams with good matchups on Friday.
Tanking happens in every sport. The best way to acquire a superstar is to draft him; only a few lucky franchises generally have a chance to sign top free agents, and trading for one requires painstakingly building assets before sending them all out in one swift move hoping to strike fire.
The NBA decided after decades of tanking that it's finally a problem. The impotent commissioner can shoulder plenty of blame for the state of the league, as things seem to have gone downhill especially since David Stern retired just over 12 years ago, but Adam Silver says he's working to disincentivize tanking. I guess we'll see what they come up with in due time (I'm not holding my breath for anything that makes a real difference).
Moving to fantasy basketball, let's look at streaming players from three NBA teams with good matchups on Friday. 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 each day!
Indiana Pacers @ Washington Wizards
These two teams played yesterday in Washington, a game the Wizards won 112-105. We had both listed as fantasy targets yesterday, and they remain as two of our favorite teams to go after a day later.
The Wizards play at the seventh-fastest pace and have the second-worst defensive rating. The Pacers are 10th in pace and have the 10th-worst defensive rating. Here, we have two of the worst teams in basketball, and the fans in Washington are getting a special double-dipping on the way out of the All-Star break.
Indiana Pacers
Guard
McConnell missed yesterday's game, and Jones left with an injury, leaving both guys highly questionable for Friday. McConnell is a decent lower-level option if he plays, though he might need to ease back into the lineup. Sheppard played 27 minutes yesterday and scored 15 points, including making three of four 3-pointers. He's generally a low-level fantasy guy, but if the others miss, Sheppard will get plenty of chances.
Forward
Walker is the best streamer on Indiana, and he gets a little bump from Pascal Siakam missing his second straight game with a personal matter. He finished with 19 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists yesterday and should have another stat-stuffing game today. Peter has been anonymous most of the season but reached double figures in each of the past two games (one before the break, one after). I'd rather skip Peter and grab Walker.
Center
With both Siakam and Ivica Zubac out, Huff and Potter will handle the center minutes. Yesterday, Huff started and had 15 points and eight rebounds in 21 minutes, while Potter registered 14 points and six rebounds in 27 minutes off the bench. Both guys have similar value in the low-to-mid-level range.
Washington Wizards
Guard
Carrington plays the most and puts up the most stats from this group, but his 10.2 points and 2.1 3-pointers per game are the only numbers that stand out, keeping his ceiling lower. Cooper and Hardy are backups who will do less most games; Cooper had eight points, five rebounds, and seven assists yesterday.
Forward
Coulibaly has real-life intrigue as a guy who could be a good role player around Washington's imported stars next year, but for now, he'll be counted on for more; unfortunately, he doesn't do much from a fantasy perspective. Johnson is more of a guard but can slot in at forward in many fantasy leagues; he's a scorer and shooter (12.9 points, 2.1 3-pointers) but doesn't add much else.
Center
Alexandre Sarr is out through the end of the month, and Anthony Davis is out for the season (surprise), so these two are handling the center minutes in the meantime. Vukcevic has been a little better statistically, scoring double figures in each of his past five games and finishing with 12 points, five rebounds, and five steals yesterday. Gill had 13 points and eight rebounds while playing 31 minutes versus just 17 for Vukcevic.
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Utah Jazz
Utah plays at the second-fastest pace in the league and has the worst defensive rating in the league. What more could we ask for? Well, I guess the fastest pace, but no one is likely to catch Miami, which is nearly two full possessions per 48 minutes above Utah. The Jazz are the same distance from 13th-ranked San Antonio as they are from the Heat.
The Grizzlies have been offloading talent since the offseason and continued by sending Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah at the trade deadline (Jackson is out for the rest of the season). Memphis also has as many as five players listed as doubtful or out for this game, making it tough to know who will be in the lineup; that could be a common problem for a team surely tanking.
Guard
Guard is hurt more than any other position by injuries in Memphis. Clayton is doubtful with a calf injury, leaving Spencer as the clearest example of a guard set for huge minutes. Spencer puts up a few OK numbers (11.6 points, 5.6 assists, 2.2 3-pointers), and with so many guys missing around him, Spencer could be in line for a good game.
Forward
Wells is the standout from this group, though his 12.1 points are his only standout stat. Forward is the healthiest position in Memphis, so there's no great streamer here, as Jackson and Hendricks are both modest statistical guys.
Center
Zach Edey is likely out at least a few more weeks, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him miss the rest of the season given Memphis' standing. Santi Aldama will likely fill many of the center minutes in the meantime, but he has played just two games since January 18 and is out here, leaving center perilously thin.
Anderson is more of a defensive forward type who can shift up in a pinch. Prosper probably won't play much when the team is healthy, but he scored double figures in each of the three most previous games before the All-Star break, including 25 points in 25 minutes on February 7. He's a decent low-level streamer here.
