Early-Week Fantasy Basketball Category Streamers for Week 2

October 30, 2023

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 2.

Following the nauseating summer of Damian Lillard and James Harden antics...wait, never mind...the latter is still occurring. But anyway, the NBA season is back! While you may feel confident about your draft decisions, 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 only one game (AVOID): Philadelphia, Houston, Oklahoma City

Teams that play three games (TARGET): Toronto, Orlando, Detroit

Shallow League Streaming Options

Alec Burks - PG, SG, SF (19%)

As the Detroit Pistons deal with early-season injuries to Bojan Bogdanovich and Monte Morris, Alec Burks stepped in comfortably, averaging 16 points in the first three contests. Aside from points, look for Burks to help with three-point shooting, as he's recorded 11 such shots early in the season.

Reggie Jackson - PG (12%)

Considering Reggie Jackson's irrelevant status on the Denver Nuggets last season, it's quite the revelation seeing the veteran backup point guard turn a complete 180 regarding production. Although he's not putting up a grand stat line, Jackson accumulated 12 assists in Denver's previous two contests; he also posted 16 points vs. the Memphis Grizzlies on October 27.

REGGIE JACKSON JUST DROPPED LEBRON 😭 pic.twitter.com/MEKHSWPIbG

— ᴅ ʀ ᴇ ᴡ (@FeelLikeDrew) October 25, 2023

Kevin Huerter - SG, SF (52%)

Coming off a 12-point, seven-rebound performance vs. the Los Angeles Lakers last Sunday, Kevin Huerter seems to have caught some of the "red velvet" sauce of last season. Known for three-point shooting, Huerter added a few other skills to his resume; surprisingly, the former Atlanta Hawks guard rejected three blocks in the Sacramento Kings' last two contests.

Deni Avdija - SF, PF (42%)

Preseason frustration with Jordan Poole aside, Deni Avdija is having a good start to the season. In addition to signing his recent contract extension, Advija has some use for fantasy managers seeking refuge on the waiver wire. Averaging 9.5 points, 6.5 assists, and 1.5 steals in Washington's first two games, the 22-year-old wing supplements a few categories.

Norman Powell - SG, SF (49%) 

Seeing Norman Powell in fantasy basketball free agency seems like a cruel trick for the Halloween season. Nonetheless, obtaining Powell on the waiver wire is as good as getting a king-size Snickers in your candy bag. Don't let him sit too long on the market, as the 13-point-per-game wing will surely enhance your three-point shooting and overall scoring,

Deep Leagues Streaming Options

Royce O'Neale - SG, SF (4%)

For deep league fantasy managers, you can't expect much reaching into the bottom of the bucket. However, if you pull out Royce O'Neale from the depths, consider yourself lucky. Although he's not a flashy fantasy player in any respect, he's an adequate piece to the puzzle regarding the rebound and three-point categories.

Bones Hyland - PG, SG (10%)

With much thanks to his irrational confidence, Bones Hyland stays relevant on a Los Angeles Clippers team stacked at the guard position. While the James Harden-repellent Terance Mann recovers from an ankle sprain, Hyland will help your fantasy roster with points and three-point buckets. The Clippers' third-string guard averaged 15 points in Los Angeles' first three games.

Bones Hyland : 18 points on 7-14 shooting, 4-8 from 3 & 3 rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench pic.twitter.com/jdk2VudC5F

— Lee Harvey (@MusikFan4Life) October 30, 2023

Peyton Watson - SG, SF (2%)

We've officially reached deep-cut levels of streaming options with the Nuggets rookie Peyton Watson. Following the Sunday afternoon beatdown on NBA Twitter's favorite team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, Watson made noise by scoring 17 points and grabbing four rebounds. Considering Denver plays its second game on a back-to-back sequence Monday night, expect the young wing to play extra minutes while the veterans rest.

Dorian Finney-Smith - SF, PF (5%)

Not only is Dorian Finney-Smith one of Luka Doncic's favorite teammates of all time, but the Brooklyn Nets forward also makes for a fitting waiver wire acquisition. Although not known as a three-point shooter, Finney-Smith averages three makes in the aforementioned shooting department. Withstanding the absence of an elite play-making star on the Brooklyn roster, Finney-Smith managed to post double-digit scoring efforts in the first two games of the season.

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