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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 8.
After an exciting start, it's Week 8 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 no games (AVOID): Orlando.
Teams that play three games (TARGET): Brooklyn, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami, Sacramento, Utah
Shallow League Streaming Options
Reggie Jackson - PG (37%)
Aside from a subpar shooting performance vs. the Houston Rockets on December 8, backup guard Reggie Jackson filled up the stat sheet in the last five games. During the aforementioned stretch, Jackson converted 40 percent of his three-point shots on five three-point attempts per game. If you played word association with Jackson's name, no one would utter "pass-first point guard" in any circumstance. However, the backup guard averaged four assists to one turnover ratio in the five-game stretch.
The word "defense" will not matter on Monday night as the Denver Nuggets play at the Atlanta Hawks. Look for Jackson not to shy from shooting the ball against a lacking defensive backcourt. Jackson is an excellent early-week streamer, as the Nuggets play three games to start the week.
Norman Powell - SG, SF (33%)
Norman Powell is an unofficial streamer all-star. Unless the Los Angeles Clippers have the night off, check Powell's availability in your league. However, if you reference his last five performances, you'd probably stay away from the typically dependable scorer off the bench. He recorded only 12 fantasy points in his previous five outings, but I swear there is an excellent reason to take a chance on him this week.
Schedule-wise, the Clippers will do damage in the early-week streamer availability. Playing three games in the aforementioned period, Powell has ample opportunity to make up for his dud-of-a-week, in addition to helping round out your fantasy team.
Collin Sexton - PG, SG (41%)
Although similar to Powell's shooting slumps, Collin Sexton isn't as bad as the numbers indicate. Subpar shooting slump aside, Sexton theoretically will play three games early in the week. The law of averages tells me Sexton's shooting will improve soon. Despite his woeful 23 percent mark from deep, Sexton finished 90 percent of his free throws on five attempts per contest. Furthermore, the backup Utah Jazz guard posted 22.6 fantasy points in his last five outings, marking a season-high stretch.
Kyle Lowry - PG (46%)
Going from six All-Star appearances to streamer status is quite the fall. Well, Kyle Lowry is there. Although he's far from what the Miami Heat bargained for in free agency, there is still a pulse regarding fantasy -- averaging 25.7 fantasy points in his last five outings. Miami is one of eight teams that play three games earlier in the week, making Lowry a prime streamer candidate.
Deep League Streaming Options
Dante Exum - PG (6%)
Due to the clumsiness of Dwight Powell, Kyrie Irving will miss games due to a bone bruise suffered on December 8. You'd imagine Seth Curry or Jaden Hardy would be next in line for earned minutes, but another Australian will soon have a minute increase.
On the night Irving experienced his bone bruise, Dante Exum finished the job with 23 points, six rebounds, and seven assists. As a veteran guard with defensive prowess on a team lacking such a skill, Exum seems like the next-best player to fill in the minutes while Irving recovers from injury. The Dallas Mavericks play the 6-15 Memphis Grizzlies on Monday evening. Expect Exum to see significantly more time on the court without Irving in the rotation.
Taurean Prince - SF, PF (14%)
The Lakers' blowout victory over the New Orleans Pelicans acted like NBA 2K's signature takeover gameplay feature to almost everyone on the roster. Everyone seemed to have contributed to the beatdown. Taurean Prince led the way in the three-point department with a stunning 5-8 outing. Aside from the merciless victory over the Pelicans, Prince put forth an ultra-efficient 52 percent from deep in Los Angeles' last five games.
The Lakers play the 22nd-ranked defensive-rating Mavericks on Tuesday, leaving a high possibility for another great shooting performance from Prince. Check out Prince for deep leagues, even if it's solely for three-point purposes.
Nicolas Batum - SF, PF (6%)
The Clippers bench is riddled with players who warrant streamer status, and Nicholas Batum is an excellent example. Although not a great scorer, Batum fills in other statistical categories for a bench player. Los Angeles plays three games early in the week, allowing ample opportunity for Batum to capitalize on his 44 points, 25 rebounds, and 16 assists accumulated through his last five performances.
Bismack Biyombo - C (15%)
Imagining Bismack Biyombo as a fantasy-relevant player seems out of line. However, due to the multitude of injuries to the Memphis Grizzlies frontline, Biyombo finds himself in unfamiliar territory. Although not a stud in any statistical category, Biyombo's defense keeps him in the light for deep-league fantasy managers.
Memphis faces Dallas on Monday -- a team known for having a rookie as its best defender. Even if Biyombo doesn't pan out for the week, such an opponent warrants a look for fantasy managers dealing with injuries to their frontcourt.
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