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It's NBA fantasy playoffs time!
All bets are off, and almost everybody is expendable if their schedule doesn't go well with the rest of your team. Anything to get that W and advance to the next round!
As always, I have taken a look ahead at the NBA schedule for next week, and here are the fantasy basketball streamers for Week 21.
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NBA Schedule Guide - Week 21
Thursday is the weak spot in the schedule for next week with just one game played, followed by Tuesday and Saturday (both with four games). Only Detroit and Orlando play on at least two of these days (Detroit actually plays on all three), so their players could be quite valuable for streaming purposes.
Here's the low-down:
Teams with 4 games:
Atlanta Hawks
Cleveland Cavaliers
Denver Nuggets
Los Angeles Lakers
Oklahoma City Thunder
Philadelphia 76ers
Phoenix Suns
Portland Trail Blazers
Sacramento Kings
San Antonio Spurs
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards
Teams with 3 games:
Boston Celtics
Brooklyn Nets
Charlotte Hornets
Chicago Bulls
Dallas Mavericks
Detroit Pistons
Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets
Indiana Pacers
Los Angeles Clippers
Memphis Grizzlies
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans
New York Knicks
Orlando Magic
Teams with 2 games:
Miami Heat
Number of teams playing each day:
Monday: 18
Tuesday: 8
Wednesday: 24
Thursday: 2
Friday: 24
Saturday: 8
Sunday: 18
Back-to-Backs (beware of older or banged-up players who might rest):
Monday/Tuesday: -
Tuesday/Wednesday: BKN, PHO
Wednesday/Thursday: -
Thursday/Friday: -
Friday/Saturday: CLE, DAL, LAL, WAS
Saturday/Sunday: -
Sunday/Monday the following: BOS, HOU, NOP, OKC, PHI, POR, TOR, UTA
Days with FOUR or fewer games
Tuesday: 4 games
Thursday: 1 game
Saturday: 4 games
Teams playing on two-game Thursday:
Detroit Pistons (3 games - Tues, Thurs, Sat)
Orlando Magic (3 games - Tues, Thurs, Sun)
Teams with a GOOD START to the week (three games from Monday to Thursday)
-
Teams with a GOOD END to the week (three games from Thursday to Sunday)
-
Teams with a POOR START to the week (one or no games from Monday to Thursday)
Miami Heat (3 games - Tues, Fri)
Boston Celtics (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sun)
Houston Rockets (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sun)
New York Knicks (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sun)
Dallas Mavericks (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sat)
Indiana Pacers (3 games - Tues, Fri, Sun)
Memphis Grizzlies (3 games - Tues, Fri, Sun)
New Orleans Pelicans (3 games - Tues, Fri, Sun)
Teams with a POOR END to the week (one or no games from Thursday to Sunday)
Miami Heat (3 games - Tues, Fri)
Brooklyn Nets (3 games - Tues, Wed, Fri)
Charlotte Hornets (3 games - Mon, Wed, Sat)
Chicago Bulls (3 games - Mon, Wed, Fri)
Golden State Warriors (3 games - Mon, Wed, Sun)
Los Angeles Clippers (3 games - Mon, Wed, Fri)
Milwaukee Bucks (3 games - Mon, Wed, Sat)
Minnesota Timberwolves (3 games - Mon, Wed, Sat)
Baller Streaming Strategy for Week 21
This week is quite challenging for streaming, as there is a lack of teams playing multiple games on scarce days (Thursday with just one game and Tuesday and Saturday with four games apiece).
Therefore, we will focus on:
- Teams that play on at least two of these days:
- Detroit Pistons (3 games - Tues, Thurs, Sat)
- Orlando Magic (3 games - Tues, Thurs, Sun)
- Teams that play either on Tuesday or Saturday, and also have a four-game week:
- Phoenix Suns (4 games - Tues, Wed, Fri, Sun)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (4 games - Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat)
- Los Angeles Lakers (4 games - Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat)
- Washington Wizards (4 games - Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat)
Streaming Options for Week 21
Shallower League Streaming Adds for the Week (Rostered in 25-70% of Yahoo leagues):
Isaiah Stewart, SG/SF, DET, (70% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, STL/BLK, FG% - buyer beware: missed his previous three games but not listed on the injury report for Tuesday
Marvin Bagley III, PF/C, DET, (57% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, PTS, FG%
Jalen Suggs, PG/SG, ORL, (54% Rostered) - Strong Cats: AST, PTS, STL - buyer beware: listed as questionable for Tuesday
Chuma Okeke, SF/PF, ORL, (40% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL, REB, FT%
Jae Crowder, SG/SF, PHO, (55% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL, REB, PTS
Cameron Payne, PG/SG, PHO, (70% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL, AST, PTS, REB
Kevin Love, PF/C, CLE, (69% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, 3PM, FT%
Carmelo Anthony, SG/SF, LAL, (59% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, a bit of REB, FT%, STL/BLK
Malik Monk, PG/SG, LAL, (55% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, STL, a bit of AST, REB - buyer beware: is listed probable for Tuesday
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, PG/SG/SF, WAS, (59% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%, STL
Daniel Gafford, C, WAS, (56% Rostered) -Strong Cats: FG%, REB, BLK
Shallower League Add
Cameron Payne, PG/SG, PHO, (70% Rostered)
Strong Cats: 3PM, STL, AST, PTS, REB
Payne is going berserk with Chris Paul out. He is averaging 40.0 FG%, 76.5 FT%, 2.0 3PM, 15.3 PTS, 4.0 REB, 9.9 AST, 1.1 STL, 0.4 BLK and 2.4 TO in just over 30 minutes a night in his previous seven games without CP3. This is enough for top 55 value in Yahoo 9-cat leagues.
Devin Booker has been missing for four of those seven games as well, but even in the three games that Booker has been back for, Payne did quite well.
If you don't mind the TO and the sub-par %s, Payne is a no-brainer at the moment for those in shallow enough leagues to have him waiting around on the waiver wire.
Deeper League Add
Markelle Fultz, PG/SG, ORL, (23% Rostered)
Strong Cats: AST, STL
Buyer Beware: plays limited minutes since his recent return from a long-term injury
It's slim picking in this category of 15-35% rostered players so I'm going with pure upside here. The #1 pick in a highly regarded draft class of 2017 is not living up to expectations so far. His questionable shooting mechanics and bad luck with injuries have made a mark on his career so far.
But he is back now and is playing for the Magic who primarily want to develop their youngsters, rather than make a playoffs push. This may benefit Fultz and give him time and space to show why he was once considered one of the future NBA stars.
In the six games that he's been back, Fultz is playing 17 minutes a night and averaging 10.0 points on decent shooting averages (53.3 FG% and 76.9 FT%) with 2.8 boards, 5.5 dimes, 0.8 steals, 0.2 blocks and 1.7 turnovers.
He is being rested on back-to-backs, but there are none this week, so Fultz should be good to go for all three games this week. And with Orlando being just one of two teams playing on Thursday, he could provide decent value for his fantasy GMs, primarily in the dimes and steals departments.
Insanely Deep League Add
Talen Horton-Tucker, SG/SF, LAL, (8% Rostered)
Strong Cats: a bit of REB, AST, STL/BLK
Buyer Beware: is listed probable for Tuesday
Now this one's a real hit-or-miss. THT has scored between two and 18 points in his last nine games. Actually, he has scored (from the earliest to the most recent) 17, 3, 16, 5, 8, 2, 18, 15, 3. Not exactly consistent, is he?
But in this period, he is also getting 0.8 threes, 3.4 boards, 2.7 dimes, 0.9 steals and 0.8 blocks. So the production is pretty well-rounded.
Percentages are not great (41.0 FG%, 72.7 FT%), and the turnovers could be lower (1.2), but he is still getting 27 minutes a game and has the potential to hit one of his gems during the four-game week. With him being rostered in just 8% of leagues, it's not crazy to take a gamble on Talen.
Other Deep League Options for the Week
Rostered in less than 25% of Yahoo leagues
Hamidou Diallo, SG/SF, DET, (11% Rostered) - Strong Cats: PTS, REB, STL, a bit of BLK, AST, FG% - buyer beware: he will not play on Tuesday due to a finger injury
Killian Hayes, PG/SG, DET, (7% Rostered) - Strong Cats: AST, STL, REB, but poor FG% - buyer beware: missed his previous three games but is listed probable for Tuesday
Cory Joseph, PG/SG, DET, (4% Rostered) - Strong Cats: AST, 3PM, FT%
Markelle Fultz, PG/SG, ORL, (23% Rostered) - Strong Cats: AST, STL - buyer beware: plays limited minutes since his recent return from a long-term injury
Terrence Ross, SG/SF, ORL, (13% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%
Moritz Wagner, PF/C, ORL, (6% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%
R.J. Hampton, PG/SG, ORL, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, AST, STL
Gary Harris, SG/SF, ORL, (7% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT% - buyer beware: listed as a Game-time decision for Tuesday
JaVale McGee, C, PHO, (18% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, STL/BLK, FG%
Aaron Holiday, PG, PHO, (3% Rostered) - Strong Cats: STL, AST, 3PM
Landry Shamet, PG/SG, PHO, (4% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM
Cedi Osman, SF/PF, CLE, (11% Rostered) - Strong Cats: PTS, 3PM, STL
Isaac Okoro, SG/SF, CLE, (6% Rostered) - Strong Cats: a bit of PTS, 3PM, STL, REB
Lamar Stevens, SF, CLE, (0% Rostered) - Strong Cats: not much so far but is expected to start on Monday
Talen Horton-Tucker, SG/SF, LAL, (8% Rostered) - Strong Cats: a bit of REB, AST, STL/BLK - buyer beware: is listed probable for Tuesday
Dwight Howard, C, LAL, (9% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, FG%, BLK/STL - buyer beware: plays limited minutes
Austin Reaves, SG, LAL, (9% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%
Stanley Johnson, PF, LAL, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, STL
Thomas Bryant, C, WAS, (8% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, BLK, a bit of everything
Rui Hachimura, SF/PF, WAS, (16% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, a bit of STL, REB
Ish Smith, PG, WAS, (8% Rostered) - Strong Cats: AST, STL
Raul Neto, PG, WAS, (6% Rostered) - Strong Cats: AST, STL
Corey Kispert, SG/SF, WAS, (7% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%
Deni Avdija, SG/SF, WAS, (8% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, STL/BLK
Tomas Satoransky, PG, WAS, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: AST, STL
Ahhh, I can smell the trophy already! Can you?
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