Fantasy Basketball Streaming Targets: Best Tuesday Waiver Wire Picks and Matchup Analysis
Streaming players on three NBA teams with good matchups on Tuesday.
We are over halfway through March, another month flying past right before our eyes. The NBA regular season ends on April 12, meaning we have less than four weeks remaining for teams, both real and fantasy, to make their final moves.
Moving to fantasy basketball, let's look at streaming players from three NBA teams with good matchups on Tuesday. 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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Detroit Pistons @ Washington Wizards
Washington plays at the sixth-fastest pace and has the second-worst defensive rating. Since the All-Star break, they are second fastest and have the third-worst defense, leaving them as the quintessential streaming target over the final month.
The Pistons have a 3.5-game lead in the Eastern Conference. With 15 games left (and 14 for the second-place Celtics), Detroit isn't in the clear yet, but they likely only need to win about 10 of those 15 to lock in the top seed, a win rate that they have outpaced all season.
Guard
We have a bunch of names here; the trick is deciding who is most likely to do damage. Robinson is the real player of note, averaging just under 12 points and three 3-pointers per game. He doesn't add much else, but Robinson can help in those areas.
The other three are all reserves who are getting minutes but not putting up many numbers. Sasser got a few games with more time when players in front of him were out, but his minutes and production have been inconsistent, leaving him as just a low-level, deep-league option. The other two haven't done enough to be anywhere near the fantasy radar.
Forward
Another stack of names here, this time with a little more production but still not many great options. Harris stands out (and is owned in nearly 50% of leagues), averaging more than 28 minutes, 13 points, and five rebounds per game. Each of those numbers is about as good or better in March, giving him a little intrigue.
The fifth overall pick in 2024, Holland surely has plenty of room to grow but hasn't yet put it together to be an impactful fantasy player. He's just 20 years old; there's still time. For now, it's probably better to look elsewhere, though.
Both Green and Huerter are eligible at forward and guard in many leagues, but they haven't put together enough consistent production to be real options unless you're in a super-deep league or find yourself in desperation mode.
Center
Isaiah Stewart is out indefinitely, moving Reed into the primary backup center role for Detroit. He put up some numbers in February when he got extended time, but he hasn't been on the court much recently, making it tough to trust him here.
New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers
Indiana ranks eighth in pace and has the seventh-worst defensive rating over the full season. It's even better when looking at the post-All-Star break: The Pacers are fourth in pace and have the worst defense by a decent margin. This is another prime target the rest of the way.
The Knicks are five games behind the Pistons at the top and 1.5 behind the Celtics for the second seed in the East. They should easily be able to hold onto homecourt advantage in the first round, but moving up to second would set up New York to make a big run at a second straight trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Guard
Jalen Brunson is questionable for this one, and his absence would change the whole outlook of New York's streamers; Brunson averages team highs with around 35 minutes, 26 points, and 20 shot attempts per game.
Shamet had his best month in February, averaging 12.4 points and 2.9 3-pointers per game. Both numbers are down in March (9.8 and 1.7), but Shamet can offer some low-level shooting and scoring value.
Alvarado has been minimized since arriving in New York at the deadline, playing just 13 minutes per game in March. Brunson's absence would give him more time (and probably Tyler Kolek too), but Alvarado isn't much of a statistical player and is better skipped.
Forward
Clarkson might see the biggest benefit if Brunson misses, as he can make up the attacking and scoring better than either guy listed in the Guard section. Clarkson was injured and out of the lineup for a stretch in February and into March, but in his past three games, he has averaged 16.3 points and two 3-pointers while playing 22.3 minutes; there's some intrigue.
Diawara's stats are minimized in a reserve role, leaving him short of fantasy relevance.
Center
Robinson does a lot of dirty work, which makes him an ideal backup center but limits his fantasy impact. Karl-Anthony Towns was out when the Knicks played the Pacers on Friday, though, and Robinson took full advantage, finishing with 12 points, 22 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks in 31 minutes. Towns is back for this one, likely limiting Robinson again, but we saw what can happen when the backup gets starter minutes.
San Antonio Spurs @ Sacramento Kings
Sacramento has the third-worst defensive rating while ranking in the middle in pace over the full season. Like our other two targets, though, things have been much nicer for the Kings' opponents since the All-Star break, as they have played at the fifth-fastest pace with the eighth-worst defensive rating in the latter sample.
The Spurs are three games behind the Thunder at the top of the West. They own the tiebreaker, so they have a chance to overtake OKC, but that's still a tall order when asking the team with the best record in the league to lose over 20% of their remaining games.
Guard
Champagnie is averaging 11.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.4 3-pointers per game, decent low-to-mid-level production. His February and March numbers are both close in each category, making him an option here.
Johnson doesn't hit 3s, but he is at 12.8 points and 5.5 rebounds on the season. He's a step below Champagnie but worthy of consideration if you're in need.
Forward
Barnes' numbers have gone down since the New Year, leaving him below a fantasy level after previously being a decent streaming option.
The rookie Bryant has gotten more minutes and production over the past few months, but he is still below the mark of a productive fantasy player. He has a brighter future than present.
Center
Kornet missed yesterday's game with a sore knee and is questionable for this one. Even if he plays, Kornet is limited behind Victor Wembanyama and doesn't do enough to get onto the fantasy radar often.
