Fantasy Basketball Week 2 Streamers

December 28, 2020

Milos Zvekic's fantasy basketball waiver wire streamers for head-to-head leagues. He reviews the Week 2 NBA schedule (12/28 - 1/3) and streaming options to pick up.

Aaaanddd they're offfff! (Wacky Races on my mind this time around)

We got our precious NBA (and perhaps even more precious NBA fantasy) back last week and our free time has taken a significant hit as a result. Slacking off at work (analyzing your next opponent's team), neglecting your family, snapping back at your loved ones when Elfrid Payton just can't do anything and you picked him up from the #100 spot... These are just some of the side effects that come with being a fantasy GM.

This morning, I'll be neglecting my own family so you guys can have a bit more time with yours. I'm taking a look at the NBA schedule for next week, pinpointing the days that will be the most difficult to field a decent team for fantasy managers, and suggesting the pickups that should be available to fill those gaps. Here are my thoughts on the fantasy basketball streamers for Week 2. 

NBA Schedule Guide - Week 2

Here's the low-down:

Teams with 4 games:
Oklahoma City Thunder
Phoenix Suns
Los Angeles Clippers
Detroit Pistons
Washington Wizards
Chicago Bulls
Denver Nuggets
Boston Celtics
Memphis Grizzlies
Portland Trail Blazers
Utah Jazz
Atlanta Hawks
Brooklyn Nets
Los Angeles Lakers

Teams with 3 games:
Philadelphia 76ers
Cleveland Cavaliers
Miami Heat
Sacramento Kings
Indiana Pacers
New Orleans Pelicans
Toronto Raptors
Orlando Magic
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
Golden State Warriors
New York Knicks
Houston Rockets
Charlotte Hornets
Dallas Mavericks
San Antonio Spurs

Teams with 2 games:
-

Number of teams playing each day:
Monday: - 10
Tuesday: 20
Wednesday: 12
Thursday: - 14
Friday: 20
Saturday: 12
Sunday: 16

Back-to-Backs (beware of older or banged-up players who might rest):
Monday/Tuesday: DEN, DET, OKC
Tuesday/Wednesday: BOS, MIA, MIL, LAC
Wednesday/Thursday: -
Thursday/Friday: CHI, PHO, UTA, WAS
Friday/Saturday: ATL, CHA
Saturday/Sunday: -
Sunday/Monday the following: BOS, DAL, DET, GSW

Days with SIX or fewer games:
Monday: 5 games
Wednesday: 6 games
Saturday: 6 games

Teams playing on all three of these days:
Atlanta Hawks (4 games - Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat)

Teams playing on Monday and Wednesday:
Atlanta Hawks (4 games - Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat)
Brooklyn Nets (4 games - Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun)
Los Angeles Lakers (4 games - Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun)
Memphis Grizzlies (4 games - Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun)
Portland Trail Blazers (4 games - Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun)

Teams playing on Monday and Saturday:
Atlanta Hawks (4 games - Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat)
Oklahoma City Thunder (4 games - Mon, Tue, Thurs, Sat)
Houston Rockets (3 games - Mon, Thurs, Sat)

Teams playing on Wednesday and Saturday:
Atlanta Hawks (4 games - Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat)
Charlotte Hornets (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sat)

Teams with a GOOD START to the week (three games from Monday to Thursday)
Oklahoma City Thunder (4 games - Mon, Tue, Thurs, Sat)

Teams with a GOOD END to the week (three games from Thursday to Sunday)
Chicago Bulls (4 games - Tue, Thurs, Fri, Sun)
Phoenix Suns (4 games - Tue, Thurs, Fri, Sun)
Utah Jazz (4 games - Mon, Thurs, Fri, Sun)
Washington Wizards (4 games - Tue, Thurs, Fri, Sun)

Teams with a POOR START to the week (one or no games from Monday to Thursday)
Charlotte Hornets (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sat)
Dallas Mavericks (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sun)
Golden State Warriors (3 games - Tue, Fri, Sun)
Minnesota Timberwolves (3 games - Tue, Fri, Sun)
San Antonio Spurs (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sun)

Teams with a POOR END to the week (one or no games from Thursday to Sunday)
Miami Heat (3 games - Tue, Wed, Fri)
Milwaukee Bucks (3 games - Tue, Wed, Fri)

Baller Streaming Strategy for Week 2

With Monday, Wednesday and Saturday being the only three days with six or fewer games, we will focus on teams that play at least twice on these days during the next week.

Atlanta Hawks' players will be quite valuable for streaming purposes next week, as they play on all three of these days.

We will take a look at options from the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies and Portland Trail Blazers who all have four games and play on both Monday and Wednesday, as well as the Oklahoma City Thunder who also have four games and play on both Monday and Saturday)

Streaming Options for Week 2

Shallower League Streaming Adds for the Week (Rostered in 25-75 % of Yahoo leagues):

Cam Reddish, SF/PF, ATL, (55% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%, STL
Kevin Huerter, SG/SF, ATL, (47% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%, a bit of everything
De'Andre Hunter, SF/PF, ATL, (30% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS
DeAndre Jordan, C, BKN, (66% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, FG%, STL/BLK - buyer beware: in a timeshare with Jarrett Allen
Joe Harris, SG/SF, BKN, (55% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%, FG%
Spencer Dinwiddie, PG/SG, BKN, (50% Rostered) - Strong Cats: PTS, 3PM, AST
Marc Gasol, C, LAL, (26% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, BLK
Kyle Kuzma, SF/PF, LAL, (48% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS
Brandon Clarke, PF/C, MEM, (73% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, BLK/STL
Dillon Brooks, SF/PF, MEM, (48% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS
Darius Bazley, SF/PF, OKC, (56% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, FG%, BLK
Carmelo Anthony, SF/PF, POR, (44% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%

Shallower League Add

Darius Bazley, SF/PF, OKC, (56% Rostered)

Strong Cats: REB, FG%, BLK

The hype around Bazley seems to be justified if we are judging by his first game of the season. He hit 7-of-12 from the field, including one three-pointer, for 15 points, 10 boards, one dime, one steal, two blocks, and just a single turnover in 33 minutes of action against the Charlotte Hornets. And the game was close with OKC winning by two points, so it is very positive that he played so many minutes in the clutch as well.

He was doing not great but not terrible during his rookie campaign last season, but then he really showed up to the bubble with 13.0 PTS and 2.4 3PM on 42.5 FG%, 73.3 FT%, 6.3 REB, 1.5 AST, 0.4 STL, 0.8 BLK, and 0.6 TO in 27 minutes per game. Furthermore, he had 10.9 FG attempts (3rd most on the team behind Chris Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) and 5.1 3PM attempts (most on the team). This got some heads turning.

And now, with the Thunder fully devoted to developing their youth movement, he should be getting all the run he can handle. If you're in a league where he is still sitting on the wire, and he is someone who could help you out with his strengths, this week is as good as any to give him a shot. He might just stick in your team for the long run if he keeps it up.

Deeper League Add

Kyle Anderson, SF/PF, MEM, (18% Rostered)

Strong Cats: REB, AST, STL/BLK, FG%

Positive circumstance: he is starting while Jaren Jackson Jr. is out

Ever since his days back in San Antonio, Kyle has been an intriguing fantasy prospect. His high FG% for the SF position (he used to have an SG tag as well) with decent output in AST, STL and BLK with low TO was perfect for a punting FT%, PTS, and/or 3PM.

When he got out of the crowded Spurs and took his talents to Memphis last season, a lot was expected from him. But in his first season with the Grizzlies, Kyle didnt deliver and finished outside the top 200 for the season, playing just 20 minutes a night.

He seems to be back in his usual groove this season though. He slid into the starting role with Jaren Jackson Jr. injured at the moment, to start the season and took full advantage with 13.5 points including 1.5 threes on 47.8% from the field and no misses in his two attempts from the line, 12.0 boards, 1.5 assists, no steals, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 turnovers in 32 minutes on average over his first two games. This is good enough for the #41 spot in Yahoo at the moment.

JJJ is out for another few weeks at the least, so Kyle should continue to get 30+ minutes on a nightly basis, and if he keeps playing like this, he could keep a large enough role for a top-100 finish for the rest of the season as well.
But for now, he is a decent deep league option for Week 2 streaming purposes with him being available in plenty of leagues and Memphis having such a favorable schedule.

Insanely Deep League Add

Derrick Jones Jr., SG/SF, POR, (9% Rostered) 

Strong Cats: REB, STL, FG%

Derrick has been showing glimpses of his potential for the past two seasons with the Miami Heat. His mix of contributing across the board is great for fantasy, but he never really got enough playing time to fully propel himself into the top-100. That looked to be the case this season as well with him signing for the crowded Blazers. But if the first two games of the season are any indicator of things to come, fantasy GMs who have him in their team might just be in for a treat.

The stats themselves over the first two games weren't great - 7.5 PTS, 1.5 3PM, 38.5 FG%, 50.0 FT%, 5.0 REB, 0.5 AST, 0.5 STL, 0.5 BLK, and 0.5 TO. Nothing special, even in the deepest of leagues. But he played 26 and 36 minutes in these two games (true, the 36 was including overtime against Houston, but still). We are talking about a guy who had over 1.5 combined blocks/steals and 3,9+ boards for the past two seasons in a row for Miami while playing 19 and 23 minutes a night. He is SG eligible!

Jones will not be to everyone's liking perhaps, as his FT% is not very good (68.8% in his career) and he doesn't contribute too much in either AST or PTS. But for those teams that don't care much for these categories, he could be a good flier, especially in the next week. And if he continues to get these minutes, and starts grabbing those boards and stocks, he could help win a matchup or two for his fantasy GMs.

Other Deep League Options for the Week (Rostered in less than 25% of Yahoo leagues)

Rajon Rondo, PG, ATL, (5% Rostered) - Strong Cats: AST, STL - buyer beware: coming off a minor injury, but yet to make his debut for the Hawks
Bruno Fernando, C, ATL, (0% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB - buyer beware: only has a slight value in deepest of leagues while Clint Capela is out
Solomon Hill, SG/SF, ATL, (0% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL - buyer beware: a pure 3 and D player, no significant contributions outside of 3PM and STL
Taurean Prince, SF/PF, BKN, (2% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, REB, STL - buyer beware: despite playing almost 30 mins a game last season, with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving back in the rotation he is no longer guaranteed minutes
Landry Shamet, PG/SG, BKN, (2% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%
Jeff Green, SF/PF/C, BKN, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: a little bit of everything
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, PG/SG, LAL, (12% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%, STL
Talen Horton-Tucker, SG/SF, LAL, (12% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FT%, REB, STL/BLK - buyer beware: played just nine minutes on average over the first two games
Alex Caruso, PG/SG, LAL, (5% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, AST, STL
Markieff Morris, PF/C, LAL, (12% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB
Kyle Anderson, SF/PF, MEM, (18% Rostered) - Strong Cats: AST, STL/BLK, REB, FG% - positive circumstance: he is starting while Jaren Jackson Jr. is out
De'Anthony Melton, PG/SG, MEM, (7% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB, AST, STL - buyer beware: missed the previous game due to COVID protocols and it is uncertain at this point how much time he will miss
Grayson Allen, SG/SF, MEM, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS
Luguentz Dort, OKC, (11% Rostered) - Strong Cats: STL, 3PM
Mike Muscala, PF/C, OKC, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%
Theo Maledon, PG, OKC, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, AST - positive circumstance: rookie factor
Hamidou Diallo, SG/SF, OKC, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS
George Hill, PG/SG, OKC, (8% Rostered) - Strong Cats: STL, AST, FT%, 3PM
Enes Kanter, C, POR, (11% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, FT%
Derrick Jones Jr., SG/SF, POR, (9% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, STL, FG%
Gary Trent Jr.,SG/SF, POR, (11% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%

Potential Diamonds in the Rough (Rostered in less than 20% of Yahoo leagues but could be worth a season-long pickup)

Isaac Okoro, SF, CLE, (18% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, STL/BLK - positive circumstances: rookie factor + played 76 minutes over the first two games
Luguentz Dort, OKC, (11% Rostered) - Strong Cats: STL, 3PM - positive circumstances: played 35 minutes in the first game
Kyle Anderson, SF/PF, MEM, (18% Rostered) - Strong Cats: AST, STL/BLK, REB, FG% - positive circumstance: he is starting while Jaren Jackson Jr. is out
Dorian Finney-Smith, SF/PF, DAL, (12% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB, a bit of everything
Derrick Jones Jr., SG/SF, POR, (9% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, STL, FG%
Lonnie Walker IV, SF/PF, SAS, (19% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS
Cameron Johnson, SF/PF, PHO, (8% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, STL
Josh Jackson, SG/SF, DET, (14% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, STL/BLK, 3PM
Dwight Powell, PF/C, DAL, (10% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, BLK/STL
George Hill, PG/SG, OKC, (8% Rostered) - Strong Cats: STL, AST, FT%, 3PM
Jarrett Culver, PG/SG, MIN, (8% Rostered) - Strong Cats: STL, PTS, REB, 3PM
Enes Kanter, C, POR, (11% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, FT%
Cedi Osman, SF/PF, CLE, (6% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, REB
Jae'sean Tate, SG, HOU, (0% Rostered) - Strong Cats: STL/BLK, PTS, REB

I hope you guys enjoyed the article and I hope that this will help you win your matchups next week and bragging rights for the week after.

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