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We're a few weeks into the new season already and masks are starting to fall. If that guy you picked up so hopefully in the late rounds hasn't lived up to your expectations, don't hang on for too long. He is expendable, and his roster spot is more than likely better used as a streaming spot to maximize the number of games your team plays next week, thus giving you a better chance of triumph.
If you were pondering over which guys to target for the upcoming week based on their schedule and form, you're right where you want to be. Our fantasy basketball streamers for Week 4 are here with an analysis of next week's games and some suggestions on who you should have on your radar.
Good luck with your lineups and matchups this week RotoBallers. Let's get to it!
Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers received five total writing awards and 13 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association, tops in the industry! Congrats to all the award winners and nominees including NBA Writer of the Year, Best NFL Series, MLB Series, PGA Writer and Player Notes writer of the year. Be sure to follow their analysis, rankings and advice all year long, and win big with RotoBaller! Read More!
NBA Schedule Guide - Week 4
We will see a pretty equal amount of basketball on each day this week as there are between six and eight games played every night.
Monday, Thursday and Sunday all have six games played so it is more likely you have some open spots on these days, but with other days having no more than eight, it will depend on who you have on your team. Therefore, I would advise you to take a gander on which days you need help first, to get an idea which players to target.
This being said, guys from teams that play four games with at least two on the days with six games have the best chances to help fantasy owners out, so I will be focusing on them.
Here's the low-down:
Teams with 4 games:
Atlanta Hawks
Boston Celtics
Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets
Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers
Memphis Grizzlies
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans
Philadelphia 76ers
San Antonio Spurs
Teams with 3 games:
Brooklyn Nets
Charlotte Hornets
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers
Dallas Mavericks
Denver Nuggets
Detroit Pistons
Indiana Pacers
Miami Heat
New York Knicks
Orlando Magic
Portland Trail Blazers
Sacramento Kings
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards
Teams with 2 games:
Milwaukee Bucks
Oklahoma City Thunder
Phoenix Suns
Number of teams playing each day:
Monday: 12
Tuesday: 16
Wednesday: 14
Thursday: 12
Friday: 16
Saturday: 16
Sunday: 12
Back-to-Backs (beware of older or banged-up players who might rest):
Monday/Tuesday: DET, UTA
Tuesday/Wednesday: LAL, PHI, POR
Wednesday/Thursday: LAC
Thursday/Friday: -
Friday/Saturday: CHA, HOU, IND, MIN, SAS
Saturday/Sunday: ATL, NOP
Sunday/Monday the following: BOS, CLE
Days with six or fewer games
Monday: 6 games
Thursday: 6 games
Sunday: 6 games
Teams playing on all three of these days:
New Orleans Pelicans (4 games - Mon, Thurs, Sat, Sun)
Teams playing on Mon/Thurs:
Los Angeles Clippers (4 games - Mon, Wed, Thurs, Sat)
Dallas Mavericks (3 games - Mon, Thurs, Sat)
New Orleans Pelicans
Teams playing on Mon/Sun:
Boston Celtics (4 games - Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun)
Golden State Warriors (4 games - Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun)
Memphis Grizzlies (4 games - Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun)
New Orleans Pelicans
Teams playing on Thurs/Sun:
Atlanta Hawks (4 games - Tue, Thurs, Sat, Sun)
Cleveland Cavaliers (3 games - Tue, Thurs, Sun)
Denver Nuggets (3 games - Tue, Thurs, Sun)
New Orleans Pelicans
Teams playing three games over the weekend (from Thursday to Sunday)
Atlanta Hawks
New Orleans Pelicans
Baller Streaming Strategy for Week 4
Monday, Thursday, and Sunday all have six games and therefore should be harder on most fantasy owners. Only the Pelicans play on all three of these days so their players will be the stars of our show.
With the rest of the days having no more than eight games played, it is possible that you will need help on other days as well. This is why we will also take a look at players whose teams play on two of Monday/Thursday/Sunday, and two other days as well, so as to maximize chances they will be able to contribute. There are five teams that fit this description - Atlanta, Boston, Golden State, LA Clippers and Memphis.
Oww, and it's worth mentioning that Milwaukee, Oklahoma, and Phoenix play just two games next week so steer clear of their players for streaming purposes.
So, let's get cracking.
Streaming Options for Week 4
Shallower League Streaming Adds for the Week:
Derrick Favors, PF/C, NOP, (70% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, FG%, STL/BLK
JJ Redick, SG, NOP, (53% Owned) - Strong Cats: FT%, 3PM, TO
Alex Len, PF/C, ATL, (30% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, BLK, 3PM
Kevin Huerter, SG, ATL, (45% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, some AST
Jabari Parker, SF/PF, ATL, (56% Owned) - Strong Cats: PTS, REB, a bit of everything. Additional value now with John Collins out for 20+ games!!!
Marcus Smart, PG/SG, BOS, (72% Owned) - Strong Cats: AST, STL, 3PM - buyer beware: poor FG%. Additional value now with Gordon Hayward out for with a broken hand!!!
Eric Paschall, SF/PF, GSW, (69% Owned) - Strong Cats: PTS, FG%, FT%, a bit of everything - buyer beware: missed his previous game (right hip contusion)
Alec Burks, PG/SG, GSW, (28% Owned) - Strong Cats: PTS, 3PM, FT%
Willie Cauley-Stein, PF/C, GSW, (45% Owned) - Strong Cats: PTS, REB, BLK/STL, FG%
Patrick Beverley, PG/SG, LAC, (62% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL, AST, a bit of everything but low FG%
Ivica Zubac, C, LAC, (32% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, FG%, FT%, BLK
Brandon Clarke, PF/C, MEM, (67% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, BLK/STL, FG%, FT% - buyer beware: missed his previous game (it was a back-to-back though)
Dillon Brooks, SG/SF, MEM, (32% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%, STL
Shallower League Add
Josh Hart, SG/SF, NOP - 63% Owned
Strong Cats: STL, REB, a bit of everything
Hart has found his heart in New Orleans. After a few underwhelming years on the Lakers, he is finally getting enough burn to be fantasy relevant and he is using the opportunity pretty well with averages of 11.9 PTS with 2.0 3PM on 44.7 FG% and 92.9 FT%, 7.0 REB, 1.1 AST, 1.3 STL, 0.4 BLK, and 1.2 TO in 27 minutes per game. This is enough for a top-60 rank at the moment.
Apart from the boards and free throw percentage, Josh has been doing similar stuff in seasons past, just on a smaller scale due to the lack of playing time. This is why it wouldn't surprise me if he was to keep up a version of this production throughout the year.
It is perhaps a bit too optimistic to expect him to be a top-60 guy, but I can easily see him give his owners top-100 value, even when Zion Williamson returns as this shouldn't impact Hart too much.
Furthermore, while Zion is out, and with Lonzo Ball missing his last game (right adductor strain), Hart could provide great value for streaming in all leagues next week.
Deeper League Add
De'Andre Hunter, SF, ATL - 20% Owned
Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS
No one can deny this young man's talent, but he still hasn't shone with all the flash he has in him so far. The #4 pick in the draft has been hot and cold with averages of 8.3 PTS with 0.8 3PM on 36.9 FG% and 80.0 FT%, 4.3 REB, 1.4 AST, 0.5 STL, 0.3 BLK, and 1.6 TO in 27 minutes per game, so it's no wonder his ownership fell from over 40% to a measly 20 in Yahoo leagues.
The minutes are there, and he will surely be given the longest leash of them all as the Hawks only have developing their youth on their minds. The talent is there as well, and we must show him a lot of understanding for the rookie who has yet to turn 22.
Furthermore, with John Collins out for 20+ games with the suspension, there will be even more minutes and touches to be had, and some of them should go to Hunter.
De'Andre is not very dependable nor consistent at the moment, but with his talent and opportunity it is quite possible he could break out at any minute. And with his favorable schedule for next week, it's a perfect moment to hold him and wait for him to make magic.
Insanely Deep League Add
Kenrich Williams, SF/PF, NOP - 1% Owned
Strong Cats: FG%, REB, BLK/STL
Go big or go home move with Kenrich here. His minutes are all over the place so far this season stretching from jus three all the way up to 32. And the rest of his stats follow suit as he went scoreless on one occasion and failed to score more than three points on six of his nine games so far, but then hit six of his eight shots in his previous game to finish with 15 points, three 3-pointers, five boards, three dimes, two steals, one block and no turnovers in 28 minutes of action.
Kenrich will drive you crazy on certain nights but will have gems like this one from time to time. With four nicely distributed games next week, if you're in a deep enough league, it makes sense to take a gamble on him.
Other Deep League Options for the Week
Frank Jackson, PG, NOP, (1% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS
Jahlil Okafor, C, NOP, (18% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, FG%, BLK
Jaxson Hayes, C, NOP, (7% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, FG%, STL/BLK
Deandre Bembry, SG, ATL, (5% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, STL/BLK
Cam Reddish, PG/SG/SF, ATL, (12% Owned) - Strong Cats: STL, FT%, a little bit of everything
Brad Wanamaker, SF/PF, BOS, (0% Owned) -Strong Cats: 3PM, STL, PTS - should see more game time with Hayward out
Grant Williams, PF, BOS, (1% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, STL/BLK - should see more game time with Hayward out
Robert Williams, PF, BOS, (9% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, STL/BLK - buyer beware: Enes Kanter's return could hurt him
Marquese Chriss, PF/C, GSW, (1% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, BLK/STL
Jordan Poole, SG, GSW, (4% Owned) - Strong Cats: PTS, 3PM, FT%
Glenn Robinson III, SG/SF, GSW, (18% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL, FT%
Landry Shamet, PG, LAC, (20% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%
Maurice Harkless, SF, LAC, (4% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, BLK/STL, FG%
JaMychal Green, PF/C, LAC, (9% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, 3PM, STL/BLK
Patrick Patterson, PF/C , LAC, (1% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB
Jae Crowder, SF/PF, MEM, (18% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL, REB
Tyus Jones, PG, MEM, (6% Owned) - Strong Cats: AST, STL
Kyle Anderson, SG/SF/PF, MEM, (23% Owned) - Strong Cats: STL/BLK, FG%, 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.
