Only 3 NBA Games Today? These Fantasy Streaming Targets Are Must-Adds
Streaming players from three NBA teams with good matchups on Monday.
It's an extra-short day on the NBA schedule today; we only have three games in action. That leaves us with a dearth of fantasy players and makes finding feasible streamers even tougher. Luckily, we have enough low-level teams in action to give us decent options on the waiver wire to fill a hole or two.
Let's look at streaming players on three NBA teams with good matchups on Monday. 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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Sacramento Kings @ Memphis Grizzlies
We'll start with a game in which we will target both teams, though each of them is more of a secondary (or tertiary) target rather than a top option. While Sacramento has the worst record in the league, the Grizzlies could sneak into play-in position if they get a few guys back from injury and get hot.
Sacramento plays at a slightly below-average pace, but they have the second-worst defensive rating in the league, putting them squarely on our radar. Memphis is 10th in pace and in the middle on defense, not as strong of a target as the Kings, but it will have to do today.
Memphis Grizzlies
Guard
Jerome has played just seven games this season and Pippen four games, but they have put up numbers in their short time (19.3 points, 5.7 assists, 1.3 steals, and 2.4 3-pointers per game for Jerome, 12.5 points and 4.8 assists for Pippen). Jerome is owned in close to 50% of leagues, and he's well worth the pickup if you can grab him. Clayton is a backup who doesn't put up enough stats to be a fantasy asset most days.
Forward
Wells is the top player here, but his 12.4 points per game is really the only number that stands out. Wells is on a bit of a hot streak, having scored in double figures in all seven February games and in 13 of his past 14.
Jackson's numbers are lower over the full season, but he is another guy doing better recently, topping 10 points in seven of eight February games and 11 of his past 13. Hendricks is less of a statistical player; the other two are much better options here.
Center
Santi Aldama has been out most of the past month-plus, and while he could return here, he will likely have to work his way into the lineup (and he could miss this one too). Anderson is doubtful for this one, and if he's out, Prosper will get plenty of minutes. Prosper is averaging 13.6 points and 5 rebounds in seven February games, twice topping 20 points.
Sacramento Kings
Guard
Injuries have been an issue most of the season, and now Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis, and De'Andre Hunter are all out for the season. Monk operates as the sixth man, not having started any of his 45 games. He is averaging 12.6 points and 2.1 3-pointers per game and not much else, but he could get more touches and shots moving forward.
Clifford is a lesser fantasy player, but he did have four straight games in double digits right before the All-Star break, including 30 points on February 7.
Forward
Murray has only played 21 of 58 games, but he leads the Kings by playing nearly 36 minutes per game; he's bound to run into some stats. Murray is averaging 14.9 points, 6 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game, decent production. Achiuwa is a lesser fantasy player, but he did score 14 points in both his games since the All-Star break; he's only a low-level streamer.
Center
Sabonis only played 19 games in a lost season, and now that he's out, the backup centers will get a little fantasy boost, starting with Raynaud. The rookie second-round pick out of Stanford is averaging 10.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game for the season, and he has been even better in February (13.4 and 9, respectively).
Eubanks doesn't get on the court enough or put up enough numbers to be under consideration.
Houston Rockets vs. Utah Jazz
Utah plays at the second-fastest pace and has the league's worst defensive rating. The tanking Jazz are just outside the bottom 10 in offensive rating also, and with guys out and more surely to join as we reach the final few weeks of the season, it's unlikely we'll see much better out of Utah.
The Rockets are on the other side, sitting eighth in offensive rating and sixth in defensive rating. They were tied for fourth in the West heading into Sunday but the third- through sixth-place teams are all within a game of each other, so it will be a battle for homecourt advantage in the first round.
Guard
This is the best place to find fantasy value on the Rockets. Eason and Sheppard are both owned in more leagues than our average streamer, but they still have enough availability to check given the fantastic matchup.
Sheppard is averaging 12.6 points, 2.4 3-pointers, and 1.4 steals per game. As a second-year player around veterans and/or high-usage ball handlers, Sheppard is only going to be a secondary offensive player, but his shooting and scoring make him a worthy streamer with a good matchup. Eason is close in season-long numbers to Sheppard, adding more rebounds with fewer assists. The guy you prefer depends on which category you need more stats in.
Forward
There aren't any good streaming options in the frontcourt for the Rockets, as guys like Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun are heavily owned in fantasy leagues and play most of the minutes. Finney-Smith has played 22 games, hasn't reached double-digit points in any of them, and doesn't add much else, leaving him as a low-level fantasy guy.
Center
Capela is just a backup player who doesn't get on the court enough to have a real fantasy impact. Check back if Sengun ever goes down for an extended period.
