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Lance Roberson looks at some early-week waiver wire options for fantasy basketball leagues. These players may be free agents to target on waivers in Week 4.
After an interesting start, it's Week 4 of the 2023-2024 NBA season. Following the James Harden trade, role players on a few teams will see the light of day upon the one-time MVP's departure from Philadelphia. Learn from Daryl Morey; don't get too attached to your players. You may feel confident about your draft decisions, but remember: stars are born and eroded every day. Take a moment to see what's on the other side of the waiver wire.
Most leagues limit how many players you can stream each week in daily leagues. If your league only allows three moves per week, you need to be very efficient with your moves and grab players who will help you maximize your games played and help you win an extra category or two of counting stats.
The goal of this article each Monday morning will be to help you plan your roster moves for the first half of the week. Planning is important, and I always include which teams play on optimal days for streaming in the very first section so you can look for additional players that I don't mention as well. All the rostered percentages used in this article are from Yahoo! Let's see who can help us start the week strong!
Weekly Schedule: Monday to Thursday
Teams that play one or no games (AVOID): Charlotte, Detroit, Houston, Indiana, Los Angeles Clippers, New Orleans
Shallow League Streaming Options
Lonnie Walker IV- SG, SF (33%)
Before Sunday's win over the Washington Wizards, Brooklyn Nets wing Lonnie Walker IV had three consecutive games with as many three-point shots converted. Walker IV averages 15 points on 46 percent from distance in nine games. Fantasy managers beware: the Nets wing momentarily left the court last Sunday due to a nagging knee injury. Nonetheless, at minimum, Lonnie Walker IV's early-season performances warrant renting his services.
Josh Hart - SG, SF (44%)
Although Josh Hart hasn't lit it up on the court, indicative of his lowly 43.6 true shooting percentage, the Villanova alum somewhat compensates by accumulating defensive stats. Hart snagged an average of three steals in his past four outings while also grabbing 5.5 rebounds. Check out Hart for his defense, and possibly get rewarded with a decent outing on offense.
Collin Sexton - PG, SG (45%)
Admittedly, Collin Sexton is a walking red flag of a streamer. However, the potential for Sexton to break out of his slump merits a chance. Rostered at a shockingly high 45 percent, Sexton seems to be getting by on pure reputation. In his last five outings, the "Young Bull" is digging himself quite the whole on offense. Converting only 25 percent from the three-point line, fantasy managers must look at Sexton with contempt. However, as previously mentioned, Sexton is better than his stats suggest.
Kelly Olynyk - PF, C (30%)
Kelly Olynyk is another second-unit Utah Jazz player in question who deserves a chance. Surprisingly, Utah's previous five games haven't treated Olynyk well from distance, as the Gonzaga alum makes his best Sexton impression by also shooting 25 percent at the three-point line.
However, on the season, Olynyk converts 41 percent of his looks from distance. Olynyk as a streaming option makes sense, as his current bad stretch could very well turn into good fortune for the fantasy managers who didn't judge a player in his worst days.
Deep League Streaming Options
Jonathan Isaac - SF, PF (6%)
For as talented and physically gifted as Orlando Magic wing Jonathan Isaac is, injuries cost him years of trust with fantasy managers; however, in his last two games, the Florida State alum scored a total of 22 points, keeping up on the other side of the ball with a total of two steals and two blocks. Potentially, Isaac could become more than a streaming option, but first, he must regain the trust of the fantasy community.
Derrick Jones Jr. - SF (6%)
Playing alongside offensive gurus Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving can only help a career journeyman like Derrick Jones Jr. On career-high averages of nine points and 37 percent on three-point shots, minimum-contract Jones Jr. is on the verge of signing a multi-year deal if he continues his recent production. While his shooting makes for a shocking revelation, the defense provides consistency to your fantasy lineup.
Before last Sunday's performance vs. the New Orleans Pelicans, he had three consecutive outings with at least one steal or block. Derrick Jones Jr. will keep appearing as a streamer candidate in my book. Pick him up for a week and see the results for yourself.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. - SF (11%)
Maybe Jaime Jaquez was worthy of being included in a potential trade for Damian Lillard. The Miami Heat rookie finally had a noteworthy game last Saturday, scoring 20 points. It's not clear whether or not he'll have another performance worth mentioning this season, but such a game warrants monitoring moving forward. Taking a one or two-game flier on the young prospect wouldn't hurt in deep leagues.
Duncan Robinson - SG, SF (17%)
Seeing Duncan Robinson on anything fantasy-related would have been considered malpractice last season. However, after a resurgence during the 2023 playoffs, Robinson has returned to the Heat rotation despite shooting 33 percent from the three-point line. Oddly enough, he leads the Heat in two-point field goals. Despite such a rough three-point percentage, Robinson is a streaky shooter, making for a good rental on the streaming market.
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