Fantasy Basketball Mid-Week Streamers: Week 17

Mike Barner looks at some mid-week waiver wire options for fantasy basketball leagues. These players may be free agents to target on waivers in Week 17.

The NBA comes out of the All-Star break with a packed finish to the week. There are 14 teams that will play three games each, while just two teams will only play once each. That creates some significant fantasy advantages.

Let’s look at the remaining schedules for each team and discuss some players to consider streaming. For those in daily lineup leagues, streaming players with favorable schedules can be key to having a winning week. However, be sure to be aware of your league rules. If you have games played cap for the week, then streaming too much might not be ideal.

All roster percentages used in this article are from Yahoo.

Weekly Schedule: Thursday to Sunday

Teams that play only game (AVOID): Memphis, Miami

Teams that play two or three games (TARGET): Atlanta, Boston, Brooklyn, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Golden State, Houston, Indiana, L.A. Clippers, L.A. Lakers, Milwaukee, New Orleans, New York, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio, Utah, Washington

Teams that play back-to-back (TARGET): Minnesota, Toronto

Shallow League Streaming Options

Marvin Bagley III, PF/C (49%)

The stars are aligning for Bagley to be a difference-maker down the stretch. With Daniel Gafford gone, Bagley is lined up to start at center for the Wizards moving forward. He logged at least 28 minutes in both of the last two games before the break, producing a double-double in both contests. He’s a great option not only for the Wizards’ remaining three games this week, but for the duration of the season.

Tre Mann, PG/SG (46%)

Mann has started all three games since being acquired from the Thunder. Over those matchups, he averaged 13.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.3 steals. LaMelo Ball (ankle) returned to practice Wednesday, but he will not play Thursday against the Jazz. The Hornets could be cautious with his minutes at first when he does actually return. With three games upcoming this week, Mann is still a viable streaming option.

Tre Mann from DEEP #LetsFly35 pic.twitter.com/k6xr0sPDU0

— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) February 15, 2024

Nick Richards, C (46%)

How is Richards not rostered in more than half of leagues yet? Mark Williams (back) might be done for the season. Since taking over as the starting center for the Hornets, Richards has averaged 10.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks over 32 games. Without anyone on the depth chart to challenge him for playing time, Richards should remain productive down the stretch.

Norman Powell, SG/SF (38%)

The Clippers are another one of the teams that have three games left this week. That makes Powell a viable streaming option. While he provides very little in terms of rebounds, assists and defensive stats, he is averaging 13.4 points and 2.1 three-pointers per game. He is also shooting 49.5 percent from the field, including a career-high 45.3 percent from behind the arc.

Deep League Streaming Options

Grant Williams, PF (29%)

Williams is another player who has benefited from landing with the Hornets. With P.J. Washington having been dealt, Williams has immediately assumed a prominent role off the bench for his new squad. That has helped him average 17.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists over three games. There’s no reason to believe that his role will decline anytime soon.

Grant Williams as a Hornet:

17.0 PPG
7.3 RPG
50/35/90%

3-0. https://t.co/6ev4nglrFN

— StatMuse (@statmuse) February 16, 2024

Cam Whitmore, SF/PF (16%)

Whitmore missed the last three games for the Rockets with an ankle injury. However, he is not listed on the injury report for Thursday’s matchup with the Pelicans, putting him on pace to play in all three of the team’s remaining games this week. He was playing well before getting hurt, providing 17.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.7 three-pointers over his last nine games. Even though Fred VanVleet is back from injury, the absence of Tari Eason (leg) should continue to benefit Whitmore.

Corey Kispert, SG/SF (15%)

For fantasy managers who need a boost in scoring and three-pointers, Kispert has the potential to be an excellent streaming option. Over the last eight games, he has averaged 16.8 points and 2.9 three-pointers. The key was he logged 28 minutes per game during that stretch, compared to his season average of 23 minutes per game. The Wizards’ lack of size behind Bagley could lead them to play smaller lineups, which should help Kispert remain in a prominent role.

Vasilije Micic, PG (7%)

Mann has grabbed all the headlines with his play since joining the Hornets, but don’t sleep on Micic. After barely finding his way onto the floor with the Thunder, he has logged at least 20 minutes in all three games with the Hornets. He used his added opportunities to average 11.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists. Finding assists on the waiver wire is not easy in most leagues, especially deep ones. With three games upcoming, Micic could provide a significant boost in that department. The impending return of Ball makes Micic a little riskier, but in deep leagues, he could still be worth it.

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