Fantasy Basketball Mid-Week Streamers: Week 13

January 18, 2024

Mike Barner looks at some mid-week waiver wire options for fantasy basketball leagues. These players may be free agents to target on waivers in Week 13.

The NBA doesn’t have a packed schedule for the rest of the week. There are eight teams that will play just one more game each. However, it’s also important to note that two teams will play twice each, providing a significant boost to the players on those squads.

Let’s look at the remaining schedules for each team and discuss some players to consider streaming. For those in daily lineup leagues, streaming players with favorable schedules can be key to having a winning week. However, be sure to be aware of your league rules. If you have games played cap for the week, then streaming too much might not be ideal.

All roster percentages used in this article are from Yahoo.

Weekly Schedule: Thursday to Sunday

Teams that play only game (AVOID): Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Golden State, LA Clippers, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Sacramento

Teams that play two or three games (TARGET): Boston, Brooklyn, Chicago, Denver, Pacers, LA Lakers, Memphis, Miami, Minnesota, New York, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, Toronto, Utah, Washington

Teams that play back-to-back (TARGET): Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Philadelphia, San Antonio

Shallow League Streaming Options

Xavier Tillman Sr., PF/C (38%)

This is a lost season for the Grizzlies, who have seen many of their top players go down with injuries. With a youth movement in mind, they also recently waived Bismack Biyombo. That has enabled Tillman to log at least 28 minutes in each of the last four games. During that span, he averaged 12.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.8 blocks. Not only is he someone to add with the Grizzlies having two more games this week, but he could be a valuable fantasy option for the foreseeable future.

GG Jackson II, PF (38%)

Jackson is another player on the Grizzlies who looks to be in line for an expanded role moving forward. First, he logged 27 minutes in a matchup with the Knicks, finishing with 20 points, six rebounds, and two three-pointers. He followed that up with 23 points, six rebounds, two steals, two blocks, and five three-pointers over 29 minutes against the Warriors on Wednesday. Like Tillman, Jackson could also provide value beyond the Grizzlies’ final two games of this week.

Gary Trent Jr., PG/SG (34%)

The Raptors made a significant move Wednesday, trading Pascal Siakam to the Pacers. They received three first-round picks in the deal, which was the main motivation for the trade. In terms of players, they brought back Bruce Brown Jr. and Jordan Nwora. Nwora likely won’t log a ton of minutes, while Brown could be flipped to a contender by the trade deadline. Trent is an excellent three-point shooter and he made eight threes while scoring 28 points against the Heat on Wednesday. With the potential for more minutes coming his way, he’s someone to consider adding.

Nick Richards, C (33%)

The Hornets finally have star point guard LaMelo Ball back from injury. There have been no positive updates regarding Mark Williams (back), though, leaving Richards with a starting role. Since Williams went down, Richards has averaged 8.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks across 18 games. The Hornets still have two more games left this week, so Richards can help those in need of a center.

Deep Leagues Streaming Options

Aaron Nesmith, SF/PF (31%)

The addition of Siakam likely means that Obi Toppin and Jalen Smith are going to take on smaller roles for the Pacers. The losses of Brown and Nwora, though, could have a positive impact on Nesmith. He has already been playing well, averaging 12.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 2.4 three-pointers over 10 games since being moved into the starting lineup. The Pacers are one of the two teams that has three games left to play, which further tilts the scales in Nesmith’s favor. The only downside is that he has missed the last two games with a shin injury and is listed as questionable for Thursday. Still, even if he misses another game or two, he has long-term upside.

Luke Kennard, PG/SG (24%)

Going back to the Grizzlies, they are running out of healthy guards. That has contributed to Kennard logging at least 29 minutes in three of their last four games. During that four-game span, he averaged 12.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.5 three-pointers. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Grizzlies decided to trade Kennard at some point, but for now, he’s worth rostering in fantasy.

Marvin Bagley III, PF/C (14%)

Bagley had fallen out of the Pistons’ rotation, which prompted his trade to the Wizards. While the Pistons had a logjam up front, the same can’t be said for the Wizards. Behind Daniel Gafford, they have very little size up front. To complicate matters, Gafford has entered the concussion protocol and will miss at least Thursday’s matchup versus the Knicks. The Wizards are the other team that has three games left for the week, so look for Bagley to produce enough to be a viable option in deeper formats.

Corey Kispert, SG/SF (6%)

Kispert provides very little in terms of rebounds, assists, and defensive stats. It’s part of the reason why he’s still available in so many leagues. However, he is averaging 11.6 points and 2.0 three-pointers per game. He has been efficient, shooting 48.6 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from behind the arc. Since the Wizards still have three games left to play, those in deep leagues who need a boost in points and three-pointers should give Kispert serious consideration.

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