Fantasy Basketball Mid-Week Streamers: Week 24

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 24.

We have reached the final four days of the regular season. For fantasy managers still battling for a title, streaming the correct players down the stretch could end up being the difference.

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): None

Teams that play two games (TARGET): Atlanta, Brooklyn, Charlotte, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Indiana, LA Clippers, LA Lakers, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, Toronto, Washington

Teams that play three games (TARGET): Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Golden State, Houston, New Orleans, New York, Portland, Sacramento, Utah

Shallow League Streaming Options

Dalano Banton, PG/SG (53%)

This is cheating a bit because Banton is rostered in more than half of leagues. However, with the Trail Blazers set to play three more games, it’s worth checking to see if he might still be available in yours. With the Trail Blazers sitting many of their top players down the stretch, Banton has logged an average of 33 minutes over the last 20 games. He turned that opportunity into averages of 18.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.4 three-pointers.

Brandin Podziemski, SG (32%)

The Warriors are in an interesting spot. They have locked up a spot in the Play-In Tournament, but they could still move up from the 10th seed to as high as the seventh seed. Still, it would be a surprise if they pushed their veterans to play heavy minutes during a stretch of three games in four nights. That should lead to added minutes for Podziemski, who has proven he can contribute in multiple categories when given enough playing time.

Payton Pritchard, PG/SG (27%)

The Celtics have wrapped up the best record in the NBA. They will play three games in four nights to conclude the regular season. Don’t expect to see much of their starters. Enter Pritchard, who has already averaged 29 minutes over their last 13 games. That has made him fantasy-relevant, given his averages of 13.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 2.2 three-pointers during that stretch. He also shot 48.9 percent from the field.

Payton Pritchard punch dribble into the spin for the lay 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/GQXEjSui2Q

— Swish Cultures (@swishcultures_) April 4, 2024

Jabari Walker, SF/PF (20%)

Walker doesn’t provide much in the way of assists or defensive stats. However, for those specifically searching for rebounds, he makes for a viable target on the waiver wire. Over the last 12 games, he has averaged 10.0 points and 9.5 rebounds, while playing 31 minutes a night.

Deep League Streaming Options

Chimezie Metu, PF/C (14%)

We’ve reached the really fun part of this column. For those in deep leagues, there are actually plenty of appealing options to add. One of them is Metu, who has averaged 30 minutes over the last nine games with the Pistons sitting players. He has quietly played well, averaging 10.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 2.0 steals during that span. The Pistons still have three games left, so don’t be afraid to take a chance on Metu, especially if you need steals.

Scotty Pippen Jr., PG (13%)

The Grizzlies have officially packed it in. Don’t expect to see any of their key starters down the stretch. They could also limit the minutes for some of their key reserves. Pippen has moved into the starting lineup with Memphis sitting players, which has resulted in him averaging 13.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.3 three-pointers across the last nine games. The Grizzlies only have two games left, but Pippen is another appealing streamer.

Marcus Sasser, PG (4%)

Cade Cunningham (knee) has missed the last four games for the Pistons and might not take the floor again this season. Sasser has already moved into the starting lineup, which helped him average 10.7 points, 4.4 assists, and 1.6 three-pointers over his last seven games. The downside that comes with rostering him is that he shot 31.6 percent from the field during that span. For the season, he is shooting just 42.2 percent.

Javonte Green, SG (3%)

Green has gone from being out of the league to being a key contributor for the injury-riddled Bulls. He has started both of the last two games and averaged 28 minutes over their last three games, overall. His averages during that span were 16.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 1.3 blocks, and 1.0 three-pointers. The Bulls still have three games left, and Green should play a lot, so be sure not to overlook him in deeper formats.

A career night for Javonte Green 🙌

25 PTS (career high)
13 REB (career high)
10-14 FGM
Bulls W pic.twitter.com/rvSpaNUzTV

— NBA (@NBA) April 6, 2024

Omer Yurtseven, C (3%)

There was a stretch during the 2021-22 season in which Yurtseven was playing a lot for the Heat with Bam Adebayo injured. He stepped up to average 11.6 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists over a 14-game span. Yurtseven battled injuries last year before joining the Jazz for this season. He has been buried on the bench, but that might no longer be a problem with Lauri Markkanen (shoulder), John Collins (back), and Walker Kessler (nose) all possibly done for the season. He has started each of the last three games with that trio sidelined, averaging 13.3 points and 8.3 rebounds. The Jazz still have three games left, so look to Yurtseven if you need a boost at center.

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