Monday Fantasy Basketball Streaming Pickups and Matchup Analysis
Streaming players from three NBA teams with good matchups on Monday.
If you missed it on Saturday, the Thunder and Wizards had a scuffle that some termed as a “brawl.” Others compared it to the infamous Malice at the Palace because it spilled into the first few rows under the basket, but those people are either exaggerating for social media clout or simply don't know/remember what the Malice really was.
Watch this video; now THAT is a brawl. I'm not advocating that any player, fan, or anyone should ever start fighting like that in any situation, but to call Saturday's scuffle a brawl and compare it to the Malice at the Palace is disrespectful to how insane that Pacers/Pistons interaction truly was.
Moving to fantasy basketball, let's look at streaming players from 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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Atlanta Hawks vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis ranks 10th in pace and has the ninth-worst defensive rating over the full season. They have been even more vulnerable since the All-Star break, still 10th in pace in that time but with the fourth-worst defensive rating. A losing team (2-10 in March), the Grizzlies are a strong target the rest of the way.
The Hawks have gone the opposite way, winning 13 of their past 15, including a stretch of 11 straight. Atlanta is now sixth in the East and could finish anywhere between the fifth seed and the 10th seed, essentially having locked in their postseason spot in some form with 11 games to go.
Guard
Both Kispert and Vincent are usually left below the fantasy level statistically, not getting enough minutes and/or shots to do real damage. Kispert is the better option, and he had two good games against Washington at the end of February, but there hasn't been consistency to his performance.
Forward
Jalen Johnson is questionable after missing Saturday's game, and his absence would give these guys more time. Kuminga has dealt with injuries and inconsistency since coming over from Golden State. He has scored at least 16 points in four of seven games with the team but combined for just 11 points in the other three. There's upside to go along with plenty of risk.
Risacher shows some of that same inconsistency, combining for 33 points over his past two games but only reaching double figures in four of 10 games this month. Both he and Kuminga add a few rebounds but not much else when they're not scoring.
Gueye finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds in 26 minutes on Saturday, but Johnson's return would relegate him to deeper reserve minutes, putting him below a fantasy level, as Gueye doesn't usually put up many numbers.
Center
Landale plays reserve minutes and rarely does enough statistically to be on our radar.
Orlando Magic vs. Indiana Pacers
Indiana has the eighth-fastest pace and the fifth-worst defensive rating over the full season. While they fall to 11th in pace since the All-Star break, they also have the worst defense in basketball since that time, and it's not even close. The Pacers have now lost 16 in a row, giving them the worst record in basketball, one game below Washington and two below Brooklyn.
The Magic are part of that muddled middle in the East, currently in eighth place but only a half game behind the Hawks for No. 6. They have five games against non-playoff teams remaining and two more against teams they are chasing right ahead of them (Toronto and Atlanta), so Orlando can make a move above the play-in if they can finish strong.
Guard
Anthony Black has been out since suffering an injury on March 7, leaving more time for these reserve guards. Both Carter and Howard have been mildly productive, but neither is a consistent fantasy player.
Howard scored more earlier in the month, while Carter has reached double figures in each of the past four games. Neither adds much else, keeping their fantasy value low.
Forward
da Silva has been at his best in March, averaging 13.2 points, 5 rebounds, and 1.3 steals in nearly 30 minutes per game in 12 contests. He's a worthy streamer if you need some help at forward or are in a deep league.
Cain has scored 25 combined points over the past two games but has otherwise been quiet statistically. Penda doesn't have the highs while still feeling the lows, leaving both he and Cain short a fantasy level.
Center
Carter is averaging 11.8 points and 7.6 rebounds on the season. He has essentially matched those numbers in March, making him a decent streamer if you need help at center.
Wagner has been playing more reserve minutes since returning from injury, but Bitadze played at least 18 minutes in each of the past two games, while Wagner didn't play at all on Saturday. Neither guy does enough to be on our fantasy radar when Carter is active.
Toronto Raptors @ Utah Jazz
Utah plays at the third-fastest pace and has the second-worst defense over the full season. Those numbers aren't quite as elite for our purposes since the All-Star break, but you're not going to convince me that the Jazz aren't a great team to target the rest of the way.
The Raptors had a rough one in Phoenix last night, losing 120-98 to the Suns. That puts them just a half game above the Hawks for the fifth seed and 2.5 above Charlotte at No. 10, leaving Toronto vulnerable to falling deep into the play-in.
Guard
Guard is where you will find the most streaming value in Toronto. Their starters handle the bulk of the minutes and shots, often leaving the streamers more hit-and-miss. Shead had seen his production fall off over the past few months, reaching 10 points just three times since the beginning of February and not at all in March.
Walter has been better recently, scoring at least 13 points in each of the past three games while playing just a little more than Shead. Walter has some low-level intrigue if you need scoring at guard.
Forward
Neither Battle nor Dick is close to the level of a fantasy asset. Dick was a first-round pick a few years back and expected to contribute offensively, particularly behind the 3-point line, but he hasn't developed into much of a contributor, playing deep bench minutes.
Center
Mamukelashvili has had some good games when he was able to get on the court more, but he has been pushed into a reserve role since Jakob Poeltl returned from injury around the All-Star break. It's tough to trust Mamu to do real damage, leaving him short of a fantasy level unless you're desperate in a deep league.
