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Expecting a tough matchup next week? Looking to maximize your team's chances of winning? Have an expendable player at the bottom of your roster? Streaming is the path for you!
We're looking at NBA teams' schedules for the following week, analyzing which teams have the best chance of helping fantasy owners out based on when their games are played, and handpick players from those teams who are most likely to perform.
Welcome to Rotoballer's fantasy basketball streamers for Week 5.
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 5
This week is a streamer's heaven, with three days being quite critical in the number of games played. Fantasy owners will have to focus on Tuesday with four games, Sunday with five, but especially on Thursday with just two games played. Of course, teams that play on these days will be our focal point today.
The other four days have nine or more games played on them so it will be much easier to field a full starting roster.
Here's the low-down:
Teams with 5 games:
Phoenix Suns
Teams with 4 games:
Brooklyn Nets
Charlotte Hornets
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers
Dallas Mavericks
Houston Rockets
Los Angeles Clippers
Milwaukee Bucks
New Orleans Pelicans
New York Knicks
Portland Trail Blazers
San Antonio Spurs
Utah Jazz
Teams with 3 games:
Atlanta Hawks
Boston Celtics
Denver Nuggets
Detroit Pistons
Golden State Warriors
Los Angeles Lakers
Miami Heat
Minnesota Timberwolves
Oklahoma City Thunder
Philadelphia 76ers
Sacramento Kings
Toronto Raptors
Washington Wizards
Teams with 2 games:
Indiana Pacers
Memphis Grizzlies
Orlando Magic
Number of teams playing each day:
Monday: 18
Tuesday: 8
Wednesday: 22
Thursday: 4
Friday: 20
Saturday: 20
Sunday: 10
Back-to-Backs (beware of older or banged-up players who might rest):
Monday/Tuesday: OKC, PHO, POR
Tuesday/Wednesday: GSW
Wednesday/Thursday: MIL
Thursday/Friday: -
Friday/Saturday: ATL, CHA, CHI, CLE, DET, LAL, MIA, PHI, SAS, UTA
Saturday/Sunday: NOP, NYK, PHO
Sunday/Monday the following: BRO, SAC
Days with six or fewer games
Tuesday: 4 games
Thursday: 2 games
Sunday: 5 games
Teams playing on all three of these days:
Phoenix Suns (5 games - Mon, Tue, Thurs, Sat, Sun)
New Orleans Pelicans (4 games - Tue, Thurs, Sat, Sun)
Teams playing on Tue/Thurs:
Portland Trail Blazers (4 games - Mon, Tue, Thurs, Sat)
Phoenix Suns
New Orleans Pelicans
Teams playing on Tue/Sun:
Sacramento Kings (3 games - Tue, Fri, Sun)
Phoenix Suns
New Orleans Pelicans
Teams playing on Thurs/Sun:
Phoenix Suns
New Orleans Pelicans
Teams playing three games over the weekend (from Thursday to Sunday)
Phoenix Suns
New Orleans Pelicans
Baller Streaming Strategy for Week 5
Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday all have five or fewer games and therefore should be harder on most fantasy owners. Only the Suns and the Pelicans play on all three of these days and their players will be our primary targets. With the Suns playing five games this week, they have a slight advantage over the Pelicans who play four times. Furthermore, there's so much question marks over the health of the Pelicans' players that it's very difficult to figure out who will play next week and who will not.
We also have Portland with four games, two of which are on Tuesday and Thursday, and Sacramento with just three games, but they play both on Tuesday and Sunday, so that can come in handy for fantasy owners as well.
With Thursday only having two games played, it is also worth mentioning that, in addition to Phoenix, New Orleans, and Portland, Milwaukee is the fourth team that plays then. The Bucks have four games in Week 5, and even though only the Thursday nights' fixture comes on a scarce day, their players are also worth mentioning.
Avoid Indiana, Memphis, and Orlando for streaming this week as they all play just two games.
Streaming Options for Week 5
Shallower League Streaming Adds for the Week:
J.J. Redick, SG, NOP, (60% Owned) - Strong Cats: FT%, 3PM, TO - buyer beware: missed the game on 16th of November with a toe sprain
Josh Hart, SG/SF, NOP, (53% Owned) - Strong Cats: STL, REB, a bit of everything - buyer beware: missed the previous two games with a ankle/knee issue
Aron Baynes, PF/C, PHO, (72% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, FG% BLK, 3PM
Dario Saric, PF/C, PHO, (45% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%, REB PTS
Mikal Bridges, SG/SF, PHO, (39% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL/BLK - buyer beware: in very poor form
Richaun Holmes, PF/C, SAC, (56% Owned) - Strong Cats: PTS, REB, BLK/STL, FG%
Harrison Barnes, SF/PF, SAC, (74% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%
Nemanja Bjelica, SF/PF, SAC, (69% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB, a bit of everything
Kent Bazemore, SG/SF, POR, (30% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL/BLK
Shallower League Add
Bogdan Bogdanovic, SG/SF, SAC - 77% Owned
Strong Cats: 3PM, AST, STL, PTS, a bit of everything
Unless you're in a very shallow league, I know it's a long shot that Bogie is still unowned in your league. But if by a long shot he is, pick him up immediately!
He started the season slowly but has picked it up like a $100 bill from the sidewalk, and is ranked in the top-25 on Yahoo for the past two weeks with averages of 18.2 PTS with 3.8 3PM on 47.6 FG% and 92.3 FT%, 3.0 REB, 5.2 AST, 2.0 STL, 0.2 BLK, and 2.6 TO in just under 30 minutes per outing.
It is unrealistic to expect this level going forward as those percentages are quite unsustainable. Also, we are bound to see a dip in the threes and steals. But with De'Aaron Fox out for the next month or more, 2Bog could easily keep it in the top-50, at least during this period. And with those two juicy games on Tuesday and Sunday, Bogdan should not be on your waiver wire.
Deeper League Add
Rodney Hood, SG/SF, POR - 15% Owned
Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%
Hood has been an integral part of the Utah Jazz team for years and has shown how useful he can be as a sharpshooting floor stretcher. This is just what Portland needs with guys like Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum and Hassan Whiteside in the first unit. This guarantees Hood minutes, and so far this season he has played 30 or more in every game except the one he left with a back issue.
Hood did miss three games due to that injury, but has been on fire since his return with averages of 20.5 PTS with 3.5 3PM on 65.2 FG% and 80.0 FT%, 3.0 REB, 1.5 AST, no STL or BLK, and 1.5 TO in the last two games. While it is unlikely that Hood keeps shooting it at this level, it is also quite difficult to see him blank on the defensive stats going forward as well so he should remain in the top-100 conversation.
Now, Portland has added Carmelo Anthony. Even though Melo should play more PF with Hood manning the SF spot, this could still put a small dent into Hood's minutes and especially shots. Nevertheless, if you're a believer in Rodney, then you shouldn't be discouraged by Anthony's arrival. He has been out of the league for quite a while and should be eased back in.
With Portland having such a friendly schedule for the following week, if you need some scoring from beyond the arc, Hood will come in handy.
Insanely Deep League Add
Cameron Johnson, SG/SF, PHO - 1% Owned
Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%
The rookie started the season poorly, but the 11th pick in the draft has come around and is giving his owners top-75 value in the last seven days with averages of 13.7 points with 3.0 three-pointers on 44.4% from the field and no misses on seven attempts from the charity stripe, 4.7 boards, 1.3 dimes, 0.3 steals, 0.7 blocks and 1.0 turnover in 22 minutes per game over a three-game stretch.
Cam was a surprise pick at #11 during this year's draft, but he is starting to show the rest of us what the Suns saw in him. Even though hitting three 3-pointers a game is not something we can expect to be a standard for him, with five games on great days next week, teams that focus on threes, points and free-throw percentage should have Johnson on their radars.
Other Deep League Options for the Week
Frank Jackson, PG, NOP, (2% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS - buyer beware: left the game on 16th of November with a neck issue and did not return
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, SG, NOP, (6% Owned) - Strong Cats: PTS, 3PM, FT%
Jahlil Okafor, C, NOP, (8% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, FG%, BLK - buyer beware: missed the last two games with an ankle injury
Jaxson Hayes, C, NOP, (6% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, FG%, STL/BLK
Kenrich Williams, SF/PF, NOP, (21% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, BLK/STL
Nicolo Melli, PF, NOP, (1% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL
E'Twaun Moore, SG/SF, NOP, (2% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL
Frank Kaminsky, PF/C, PHO, (13% Owned) -Strong Cats: 3PM, REB
Yogi Ferrell, PG/SG, SAC, (1% Owned) - Strong Cats: PTS, 3PM, AST - should see more game time with De'Aaron Fox out
Cory Joseph, PG, SAC, (6% Owned) - Strong Cats: STL, a little bit of everything - should see more game time with De'Aaron Fox out
Anfernee Simons, SG, POR, (21% Owned) - Strong Cats: PTS, 3PM, FT%
Nassir Little, SF, POR, (0% Owned) - Strong Cats: we don't know yet, but based on his college stats out of position FG%, REB, STL/BLK with a little bit of everything
Skal Labissiere, PF/C, POR, (1% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, BLK
Mario Hezonja, SG/SF, POR, (2% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL, FT%
Wesley Matthews, SG/SF, MIL, (4% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%, a bit of everything
Donte Divincenzo, SG, MIL, (1% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL
Sterling Brown, SG/SF, MIL, (2% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, STL
George Hill, PG/SG, MIL, (13% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, AST, STL
Kyle Korver, SG/SF, MIL, (2% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%
Robin Lopez, C, MIL, (1% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, FG%, BLK
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.
