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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 16.
After an exciting start, it's Week 16 of the 2023-2024 NBA season. While you want to have faith in the players you drafted, don't get too attached. 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!
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Weekly Schedule: Monday to Thursday
Teams that play one game (AVOID): Boston, Charlotte, Denver, Houston, Oklahoma City, Portland, Washington
Teams that play three games (TARGET): Brooklyn, Cleveland, Dallas, Golden State
Shallow League Streaming Options
Jaden McDaniels - SF, PF (46%)
Surprisingly rostered in 46 percent of Yahoo! leagues, Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels qualifies as a shallow league streamer. Although McDaniels hasn't shot the three-ball particularly well as of late, as noted by his 31 percent mark from such distance in his last five games, the Washington native still provides double-digit scoring efforts. Aside from shooting statistics, McDaniels will pickpocket defensive assignments, notching a steal per contest in his previous five games, including a four-steal performance vs. the San Antonio Spurs on January 27.
Playing two games in the early-week schedule, one against the Chicago Bulls, look for McDaniels to supplement your streamer needs.
Precious Achiuwa - PF, C (29%)
All-Star forward Julius Randle dislocated his shoulder against the Miami Heat on January 27; the New York Knicks are 3-1 with Randle sidelined due to injury. Aside from Jalen Brunson's heroics, New York basketball fans may thank backup Precious Achiuwa for the seemingly seamless basketball without one of their star players in the lineup. Averaging 10.6 points and 8.8 rebounds with a steal and a block per game, Achiuwa provides the necessary interior presence for a team missing multiple starters.
PRECIOUS ACHIUWA WITH THE TIP AND THE GARDEN IS ROARING pic.twitter.com/XfJC7S758Y
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) February 2, 2024
Achiuwa recorded a double-double against the Indiana Pacers, remarkably banged the boards for 18 rebounds, snatched the ball four times, and swatted two shots. I'd grab Achiuwa before your rival fantasy league managers smarten up to the stats.
Caris LeVert - SG, SF (46%)
On quite the surge as they are currently on a five-game winning streak, the Cleveland Cavaliers sit as the third seed in the Eastern Conference. Aside from the usual suspects of causing damage to opposing defenses, Caris LeVert also put in work in light of the 12.4 points, 4.2 assists, and a steal per contest during the successful run.
Moreover, as LeVert experiences quite an individual run, the Cavaliers' three-game early-week schedule makes selecting the Ohio native for streamer status imperative to maximizing your precious last fantasy slots.
Ayo Dosunmu - SG (32%)
Graduating from deep league streamer company to shallow league eligibility after another successful week in the association, Ayo Dosunmu is on a heater of a five-game stretch. He is averaging 16.8 points on 42.9 percent three-point shooting, and from a fantasy standpoint, also produced on the defensive end with a steal and block average during the recent five-game stretch.
Ayo Dosunmu drills the dagger 3 to seal the win for the Bulls! pic.twitter.com/qq4Z7MZ6gH
— CHGO Bulls (@CHGO_Bulls) January 29, 2024
While I'm uncertain if Dosunmu is worthy of a full-time position on your fantasy roster, his efficiency stats convey what's to come for Chicago as it shut down Zach LaVine for the remainder of the season.
Deep League Streaming Options
Lonnie Walker IV - SG, SF (13%)
What can I say? I support Lonnie Walker IV's fantasy prowess as an end-of-the-roster guy for deep-league streamers. I implore fellow fantasy basketball managers to seek Walker IV's services every week. Since cooling down from the last unofficial endorsement of the Brooklyn Nets wing, he converted only 32 percent from three-point range in his previous five outings. Despite such a shooting slump, Walker IV managed 22.4 fantasy points per game.
Lonnie Walker IV out there hooping 🔥pic.twitter.com/eqIj9OG15p
— Nets Nation (@NetsNationCP) February 4, 2024
Brooklyn is scheduled for three games in the early week, and two feature the Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors, with both defenses ranked in the bottom eight teams. Look for Walker IV to bounce back from a relative dip in production against such weak defenses.
Alec Burks - PG, SG, SF (24%)
Discussing the Detroit Pistons does nothing for my basketball morale. However, in a somewhat surprising feel-good stat from an otherwise mecca of struggle in the professional basketball franchise in Detroit, Alec Burks just came off a productive January. Averaging 17.4 points on 46 percent from three-point range and a mean of 25 fantasy points, Burks set quite the precedent for a veteran guard attempting to legitimize a struggling young team. For fantasy managers dealing with a plethora of injuries, consider Burks for your supplementary needs.
Eric Gordon - SG, SF (22%)
On a team loaded with talent on offense, it's hard to stand out as a reliable option. Although not precisely grabbing his role by the horns, Phoenix Suns wing Eric Gordon recently snuck in a 23-point performance against the Heat, successfully keeping the previously disgruntled second-unit option in the conversation for deep-league streamer status. The Suns face the Milwaukee Bucks and Utah Jazz in the early-week schedule, none of which strike fear in offenses league wide.
Simone Fontecchio - SF (8%)
Another week, another curious case of Italian heartthrob Simone Fontecchio. While the Utah Jazz forward isn't necessarily attracting cheers at the same level as Justin Bieber before he took on the appearance of a starving mechanic, from a fantasy standpoint, league managers experience a lesser euphoria thanks to Fontecchio's shooting stats.
Simone Fontecchio with his 4th 3-Pointer of the night
He's been stroking pic.twitter.com/xdeCsRArfu
— Jazz Lead (@JazzLead) January 31, 2024
While Fontecchio hasn't recently recorded double-digit scoring performances consistently, the Italian native will produce multiple three-point shots, making four such shots against a top-10 defense in the Knicks. Keep an eye out for Fontecchio's availability in your league if you are desperate for three-point shooting.
