The 14-Day Sprint: These Streaming Targets Could Save Your Fantasy Basketball Season
Streaming players from three NBA teams with good matchups on Monday.
Two weeks; 14 days. That's how long until the NBA regular season comes to an end. Teams have one last push toward locking in their postseason position, and others are fighting for the best lottery odds before the league takes steps to curb tanking (good luck).
Fantasy teams have the same crunch, as they are pushing toward the championship and/or already in the fantasy playoffs, depending on league structure. Fantasy basketball won't be easy, as players are in and out of the lineup in the final games, but dutiful owners will have an advantage if they put in a few extra minutes each day.
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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Cleveland Cavaliers @ Utah Jazz
Utah is our favorite target based on season-long numbers, ranking second in pace and essentially tied for last in defensive rating with the Wizards. In just the post-All-Star-break timeframe, the Jazz are fourth in pace and have the sixth-worst defensive rating, keeping them among our best streaming targets.
The Cavs have essentially locked in homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs, though they haven't quite clinched it. They could move up to third, but it's unlikely that they reach the second seed, limiting them to just one round with home court. The fourth seed might be appealing if Cade Cunningham doesn't make it back for Detroit or is limited in the playoffs.
Guard
Schroder was a little better statistically when he first joined the Cavs from Sacramento, but he has been well below a fantasy level since after the first week in March. Schroder hasn't reached double-digit points in 11 straight games, and he doesn't generally add a lot else, leaving him off our radar.
Merrill shoots and scores, averaging 13 points and 3.1 3-pointers over the full season. He is at 12.4 and 2.5, respectively, in March, but he has been at his best over the past seven games, when he reached double-digit points and at least two 3-pointers in each contest.
Forward
Wade has missed the past two games and is questionable for this one. Even if he is on the court, he doesn't do enough to really be worth fantasy consideration. We can say the same about Ellis, though at least he adds around one steal and one block per game.
Strus didn't make his debut until March 15 and has played just six games after spending most of the season recovering from foot surgery. He has had two really good games and four that were middling or worse, though his best performance came in the most recent game on Friday, when he finished with 29 points, eight rebounds, and eight made 3-pointers against Miami. There's a little risky intrigue here with a low floor involved.
Center
Bryant gets a little court time behind Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, though those minutes are generally limited. In both February and March, he is around 14 minutes per game with 7.8 points and 4 rebounds, not enough to be on the radar outside the deepest leagues.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Washington Wizards
If Utah isn't the best target, it's Washington. I mentioned above that the two teams are jockeying for the title of worst defense, and the Wizards play at the sixth-fastest pace on the season. After the All-Star game, Washington ranks third in pace and has the third-worst defense, a fantastic fantasy target.
The Lakers are in strong position to end up with homecourt advantage in the first round, though they won't get any higher than third, limiting them to one round with that plus. Oklahoma City and San Antonio stand out as the top teams in the West, leaving Los Angeles with a tough outlook if they make it past the first round.
Guard
Luka Doncic is suspended for this game due to too many technicals (and it's well deserved for maybe the player who complains more than anyone else in the league), leaving a lot of shots and touches to be filled. Smart has missed the past three games and is questionable here, bringing plenty of risk even if he is active.
Kennard's best asset is his shooting, but he hasn't been able to do a lot of it since joining the Lakers, acting more as a deeper role player. He could get a bump from Doncic's absence.
Forward
Hachimura had times earlier in the season when he was a little better statistically, but he has slowed down later in the year, down to 8.7 points per game in March without adding much else.
LaRavia could be another guy who gets a bump from Doncic's absence (and possibly Smart's). His production is so far down, though, that it's tough to expect even a decent fantasy game.
Center
Deandre Ayton didn't play on Wednesday because of back soreness then played just 22 minutes on Friday, leaving more time for Hayes. The backup big man took advantage, combining for 62 minutes, 31 points, 18 rebounds, and seven blocks. When Ayton is at full strength, Hayes is generally limited to fewer than 20 minutes per game, but he has some intrigue when Ayton is out or compromised; it's unclear how healthy he is here.
Phoenix Suns @ Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis fits our archetype of top-10 pace/bottom-10 defensive rating both over the full season and in just the time since the All-Star break. It has been something of a lost season for the Grizzlies, as they watched Ja Morant and Zach Edey miss the majority of the games. There could be major changes coming in the offseason, particularly if someone will take on Morant's contract.
The Suns have a faint hope of making it above the play-in, but most likely, they will finish with the seventh seed and get two chances to win one game to advance to the playoffs, hosting both potential play-in games. Advancing means a matchup with the Thunder or Spurs, so it's not necessarily appealing, but that's the danger of ending up in the play-in.
Guard
Gillespie and Allen are both owned in close to half of fantasy leagues and are worthy of consideration if you need a guard. Gillespie does some low-level stat-sheet stuffing, averaging 13.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and 3 3-pointers per game on the season. He's close to each of those numbers this month, giving him decent fantasy value.
Allen scores a little more, sitting at 16.4 points and 3.1 3-pointers in March with 4.9 assists and 1.5 steals. He doesn't rebound quite as well, but Allen is on par with Gillespie as a fantasy player. Goodwin is a deeper reserve who gets fewer minutes and puts up fewer stats for the most part.
Forward
O'Neale is the best of this group, averaging 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 3 3-pointers in March, all close to his season-long numbers. It's not great work, but O'Neale is an OK deep-league option.
Fleming and Dunn are lesser statistical players who generally don't put up enough numbers to be on our radar.
Center
Mark Williams is nearing his return, possibly coming as early as today. Williams is owned in over 60% of fantasy leagues, so his return is most impactful on Ighodaro for our streaming purposes. In 14 March games (only one of which came with Williams), Ighodaro is at 9.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. That gives him a little low-level value, but when the starter returns, Ighodaro is unlikely to be a real fantasy option.
