Fantasy Basketball Mid-Week Streamers: Week 18

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 18.

There are some schedule advantages to exploit for the remainder of this week. Three teams will play three games each, while three teams will play just one game each.

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): Chicago, New Orleans, Sacramento

Teams that play two or three games (TARGET): Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Golden State, Houston, Indiana, L.A. Clippers, L.A. Lakers, Miami, Minnesota, New York, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, Toronto, Utah

Teams that play back-to-back (TARGET): Memphis, Milwaukee, Portland, Washington

Shallow League Streaming Options

Nick Richards, C (52%)

Although Richards is rostered in more than half of leagues, it’s at least worth checking to see if he is available in yours. Since the Hornets made some moves at the trade deadline, Richards has averaged 12.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks over eight games. During that span, he also shot 71.2 percent from the field. The Hornets are one of the three teams that still have three games left this week, making Richards even more appealing.

Brandin Podziemski, SG (47%)

The Warriors are the healthiest that they have been in a while with Chris Paul and Gary Payton II back from injuries. Paul logged 22 minutes in his first game back Tuesday and should continue to play more as he works his way back into shape. However, now Andrew Wiggins (personal) is away from the team for an undetermined period of time. The Warriors are also set to play three more games over the next four days, so Podziemski is still worth deploying in most leagues.

Keyonte George, PG (45%)

George is averaging 25 minutes per game for the season, but he has averaged 33 minutes over the last six games since moving into the starting lineup. He hasn’t disappointed, putting up 14.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.0 steals, and 3.3 three-pointers per game during that span. His 38.8 percent shooting from the field this season is an issue, but for fantasy managers who can absorb that, he is a great target to grab off waivers.

Tre Mann, PG/SG (40%)

The Hornets have still not said when LaMelo Ball (ankle) will return to action. They are only playing for a high draft pick at this point, so they likely won’t rush Ball back. Mann has averaged 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.9 three-pointers since joining the team, so expect him to continue to thrive with Ball out.

Tre Mann from WAY downtown! 🎯 pic.twitter.com/xLsyiW8pfA

— NBA UK (@NBAUK) February 28, 2024

Deep League Streaming Options

GG Jackson II, SF/PF (28%)

Jackson bounced back from a quiet six-point performance against the Nets on Monday to score 14 points versus the Timberwolves on Wednesday. The Grizzlies have two games left this week and both of them will be against the Trail Blazers, who have the ninth-worst defensive rating in the league. They could have a difficult time slowing Jackson down, who has averaged 17.2 points and 14.1 shot attempts over his last nine games.

Grant Williams, PF/C (25%)

The Hornets don’t have much size behind Nick Richards and Miles Bridges, so Williams should play a lot down the stretch. Over seven games since joining the team, he logged an average of 28 minutes. That helped propel him to averages of 13.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.0 three-pointers. With three more games on tap this week, don’t sleep on Williams in deeper formats.

Corey Kispert, SG/SF (21%)

Kispert is instant offense off the bench for the Wizards. Across his last 11 games, he has averaged 16.9 points and 3.0 three-pointers. Part of the reason for his increased production is that he averaged 28 minutes per game during that span. He has shot at least 35.0 percent from behind the arc in each of his first three seasons in the league, so with two games still left this week, he’s a top option for those who need a boost from behind the arc.

"I BELIEVE HE CAN FLY!" -@cmillspxp

GET UP THERE, @corey_kispert 😮 pic.twitter.com/ddaN7PIqIW

— Monumental Sports Network (@MonSportsNet) February 24, 2024

Bol Bol, PF/C (12%)

Looking for a spark within their second unit, Bol has logged at least 24 minutes in both of the last two games. First, he posted 25 points, 14 rebounds, one steal, one block, and two three-pointers over 27 minutes against the Rockets. Then, he recorded 11 points, four rebounds, two blocks, and one three-pointer over 24 minutes against the Lakers. The Suns are the third team that have three games left this week, so if Bol can continue to play at least 20 minutes a game, his versatility makes him a viable deep-league option.

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