RADIO
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 11.
After an exciting start, it's Week 11 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): Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Denver, Los Angeles Lakers, Washington
Teams that play three games (TARGET): Milwaukee
Shallow League Streaming Options
Eric Gordon - SG, SF (36%)
"I came here to win, but what I do is score." Eric Gordon's recent comments revealed slight turmoil in the Phoenix Suns' locker room. However, withstanding the seemingly disgruntled remarks, Gordon's chance to do his job (scoring the ball) will come at full throttle with Bradley Beal back in the lineup after missing two weeks due to an ankle injury. The Suns face the lottery-bound Portland Trail Blazers and Gordon's former team, the Los Angeles Clippers, in the early-week schedule.
Eric Gordon finishes through contact to trim the deficit to 4!
12-4 run for Phoenix 👀
📺 #NBAXmas on ESPN pic.twitter.com/VrWGihK2Cm
— NBA (@NBA) December 26, 2023
Gordon scored 21 points off the bench vs. the Charlotte Hornets on December 29, alluding to what's to come with the 2017 Sixth Man of the Year in his original role. Look for Gordon's numbers to accelerate as he leads the Suns' second unit, leading to positive numbers for your fantasy roster.
Bennedict Mathurin - SG, SF (47%)
Although not performing to the levels necessary for a reliable sixth man, Indiana Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin blessed his team with 35 points over their last two games. Moreover, the Pacers face their soon-to-be-rivals Milwaukee Bucks twice in Week 11. Mathurin averaged 16 points over the game-ball-fiending Bucks in three outings -- averaging an impressive 94 percent from the charity stripe on 19 attempts.
Overall, Mathurin's three-point shooting doesn't inspire any booming praise. However, in the Pacers' last three games, the Arizona alum shot 7-13 on three-point looks. Perhaps he's not worth a full-time roster spot, but at least for this week, you should give Mathurin the old college try.
Malik Beasley - SG, SF (41%)
Calling all fantasy managers requiring three-point shooting support: Malik Beasley is probably available in your league as he's rostered 41 percent across the Yahoo! platform. Converting 10 three-point shots in two games, expect Beasley's production to continue as the Bucks play three times in the early-week schedule, facing the Pacers twice and the lowly San Antonio Spurs on Thursday.
In light of Indiana's upcoming schedule and Beasley's hot streak, struggling fantasy managers passing on him for rental bodes terribly.
Dante Exum - PG, SG - (38%)
Seven years into Dante Exum's NBA career, the Australia native finally found his footing in the league. Nine years removed from his inception into the league, it all comes full circle, as the Utah Jazz, the team who drafted Exum fifth-overall in 2014, host the Dallas Mavericks on New Year's Day.
Dante Exum’s footwork is smooth as silk 👌
— BasketNews (@BasketNews_com) December 31, 2023
Leading up to the reunion match, Exum warrants streamer discussion in light of his past five games in which he averaged 15.8 points on 58 percent shooting from the perimeter. Without going full Cinderella story, I predict quite the performance from Exum in what has to be a special game for the NBA's Australian prodigal son.
Deep League Streaming Options
Derrick Jones Jr. - SF (21%)
It's a good year for career journeymen who play for the Mavericks. Like teammate Dante Exum, Derrick Jones Jr. played himself into at least an above-minimum contract this summer. However, Jones Jr.'s three-point shooting dropped from 34 percent to an ice-old 30 recently.
Derrick Jones Jr. RISES UP and drops the hammer 🔨
📺 #NBAXmas on ESPN pic.twitter.com/NJX3PyqxaA
— NBA (@NBA) December 26, 2023
However, despite the rough shooting stretch, the resilience of an undrafted player shined in his 13.6-point average, in addition to Jones Jr.'s consistent defensive presence with a combined 12 steals and blocks through the aforementioned five-game period. In light of the more leisurely schedule ahead for Dallas, Jones Jr.'s services should amount to a positive outcome in fantasy terms.
Josh Green - SG, SF (3%)
I'm sure a truth serum administered to the Mavericks' front office would reveal their disappointment in Josh Green, especially following the extension signed earlier this season. Averaging only 7.0 points per game and below league-average true shooting numbers, it's clear Green hasn't lived up to his side of the bargain. However, on the heels of a season-high 18-point performance vs. the Golden State Warriors, Dallas' Week 11 schedule comes with a "soft" opportunity for stat-padding.
Alec Burks - PG, SG, SF (4%)
There's no need to beat around the bush: the Detroit Pistons stink. Despite the historic losing streak, though, the veterans on the Detroit roster provide a silver lining for an otherwise dumpster fire of a team. Alec Burks comes to mind when discussing veterans playing quality basketball in spite of such an embarrassing team performance. Posting a 12-point average on 41 percent three-point shooting in his last three outings, Burks' recent play warrants a rental in deep leagues.
Jalen Smith - PF, C (18%)
It's proclamation time: Jalen Smith is not a draft bust despite what the Phoenix Suns thought when trading the big man a year into his NBA career. In a reserve role for the Indiana Pacers, Smith embraces his roster position by shooting 62.9 percent from the three-point line, averaging 10 points.
"SHAKE 'EM UP, SHAKE 'EM UP"
Tyrese Haliburton shakes off the defender and sends the ball to Jalen Smith for the slam 💥 pic.twitter.com/G0Aayc3WBK
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) December 29, 2023
Smith slightly boosted his scoring to a 12-point median in his last five outings. Check for Smith's availability in your league, as he's worthy of a roster spot, especially in deeper leagues.
