Fantasy Basketball Streaming Guide: Best Friday NBA Matchups and Waiver Wire Targets
Streaming players from three NBA teams with good matchups on Friday.
With 10 days left in the season, we know which teams will make the postseason, but there aren't many seeds locked in or even ones that we can assume. The Pistons have essentially played themselves into the top seed in the East, and the four play-in teams in the West are pretty much set, but much of the rest is mostly in flex.
While the NBA's regular season keeps losing steam, maybe the league will get lucky and have multiple games on the final day that mean something. More importantly, it could set up for an exciting playoffs that redeem the slog of a season somewhat.
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.
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Charlotte Hornets vs. Indiana Pacers
Both over the full season and in the time just since the All-Star break, Indiana ranks in the top 10 in pace and has a bottom-five defensive rating. They still have the worst rating in the league since the break, though Washington is getting closer. The Pacers are tied for the second-worst record with the Nets, just one game better than the Wizards.
The Hornets could still work their way above the play-in, but it's going to take a strong finish and at least two teams in front of them falling back. Most likely, Charlotte's best bet is to finish with the seventh or eighth seed, so they get two chances to win one game to advance and get to host at least one game if needed.
Guard
Green plays reserve guard minutes but isn't anywhere near a fantasy level, as the top three at the position handle most of the minutes, touches, and shots.
Forward
Williams is generally limited to around 20 minutes per game, putting a cap on his statistical impact. He does some OK scoring at times but generally stays below a fantasy level.
James has the same non-impact in fantasy, though he is a rookie who might be on the way up in future years, while Williams is in his seventh season (though he's only 27).
Center
Diabate plays the most minutes at center on the team, and he put up a few OK numbers in March, averaging 6.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 steal. You can probably find a better option, but if you're desperate or in a deep league, there's a little low-level value.
Kalkbrenner is a lesser statistical player in each of those areas, leaving him off the fantasy radar.
Houston Rockets vs. Utah Jazz
Utah is our favorite target over the full season, ranking second in pace and holding the second-worst defensive ranking. Their numbers are only slightly better when looking at the time since the All-Star game, leaving the Jazz as a prime fantasy target for the last five-ish games.
The Rockets are locked into the playoffs without having to worry about the play-in, currently sitting fifth in the West. They could still climb to fourth with a good finish and a few slip-ups by the Nuggets, but the way it stands now, Houston would have to travel to Denver to start the postseason, a daunting task for any team (it could also be the most fun of all the first-round matchups).
Guard
Houston's best streamers have graduated to being owned in too many leagues, leaving us without many great options for our list. Reed Sheppard was the streaming guard we went after most of the season, but he's now owned in around 65% of leagues, still with a little availability if you're in a shallow league.
Neither Holiday nor Okogie does enough to be a real fantasy option. Both are limited in their minutes, not giving them enough time to come close to a fantasy level with their production.
Forward
Jabari Smith Jr. is the guy who was on our streaming list much of the season but is now owned in over 60% of leagues, like Sheppard. It's worth checking to see if you can grab him, particularly if you're in a shallow league. Tate falls into the same category as the two listed in the guard section, as he doesn't get enough minutes to be a real fantasy option. He also missed about a month from late February into March while injured.
Eason is a real streaming option, though his production is down recently from his best level near the new year. In March, Eason averaged 8.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.1 steals, each number close to his season average aside from the scoring being down a little (10.4 on the season). Eason is a low-level streamer.
Center
Capela plays the backup center role behind Alperen Sengun but rarely gets enough minutes to put up real fantasy stats. He's worth considering if Sengun ever sits out, but he doesn't have much of an outlook here unless the Rockets blow out the Jazz (which could easily happen).
Toronto Raptors @ Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis has a top-10 pace and bottom-10 defensive rating both over the full season and in the time since returning from the All-Star break. Their defense has been especially poor in the latter section of the season, as the Grizzlies have the third-worst defensive rating in that time. Throw in a bottom-10 offensive rating, and Memphis stands out as one of the worst teams of the second half.
The Raptors are another team just outside the top six in the East, well within striking distance of getting above the play-in. They are in strong position to lock in at least the seventh seed, which would allow them to host both play-in games that they would potentially take part in, but with every team so close, there won't be any true favorites in the play-in, leaving it a toss-up as to who will emerge into the proper postseason.
Guard
Both Shead and Walter had times when they were more functional low-level streamers, but they have each fallen below that level until the last week or so. Immanuel Quickley last played on March 22, and each guy listed here has gotten decent minutes in that time.
Walter has scored more, averaging 11 points and 2.8 3-pointers in six games without Quickley. Shead has been at 8.2 points in that time while adding 9.2 assists. Either guy is a low-level option here if you really need a guard.
Forward
Murray-Boyles is the better option here and can also slot in at center in most leagues, giving him a little added bonus. He missed a month between late February and March but has been back for five games, averaging 12.4 points, 5 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks in that time. He has a little intrigue.
Lawson had two good games at the end of March, combining for 38 minutes, 27 points, and seven 3-pointers in those contests, but he otherwise is essentially anonymous, making him way too risky to put into your fantasy lineup.
Center
Mamukelashvili's past six games have been very good, as he averaged 17.7 points, 6 rebounds, and 2.7 3-pointers in that time. That's worthy of a fantasy spot if he can keep it up, but there's plenty of risk that he will regress back to former levels (11.2, 4.9, and 1.4, respectively). Mamu is a decent pickup if you need to fill center minutes.
