Welcome to week 10! Sorry for the absence last week, but I'm back with some quality weekend streamers that should  win you a category or two over the weekend.

This column will be posted every week as part of RotoBaller's regular season NBA coverage for the 2015-16 NBA season. It will focus on available players who could win you your H2H matchup in specific categories.

All of these players will have multiple games over the weekend, but in most cases will only help your team in one or two categories. To be clear, most of these players are “streamers,” meaning that unless they drastically increase their basketball skills overnight, these players should NOT be rostered for an extended period of time in leagues of standard depth. Everyone should only be used if you need help winning a specific category in your matchup and you don’t have to drop anyone valuable.

For long term adds to consider, check out our NBA Waiver Wire Blog, as well as our other Week 10 coverage, including Waiver Wire Centers, Forwards, and Guards.

Last thing, we’ll usually only focus on one player per category, but list other available options underneath. Certain guys might be listed in more than one category, so if you need help in both, be sure to make those players a priority.

Position Eligibility & Ownership Rate Based on Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball Player List

 

NBA Week 10 Category Streamers

Rebounds Streamer

Nikola Jokic (DEN, C) - 28% owned

Weekend Schedule: Sat @ GSW, Sun vs. POR

Nikola Jokic has definitely flown under my radar this season, as do most players on the Denver Nuggets, but he has been playing exceptionally well lately. He's scored double digit points in four out of the last five games, and is providing a steady source of rebounds if you need help heading into the weekend.

The Denver Nuggets will square off against the Warriors on Saturday and fly back home to face off against the Trailblazers on Sunday. I think between these two games Jokic has a lot of potential minutes, and as a result lots of opportunities to grab rebounds. Firstly, the game against the Warriors will be at a much faster pace than the Nuggets normally play. This equals more possessions for both teams, and more specifically Nikola Jokic. If this is over early, Jokic could be going toe to toe with Marreese Speights by the end of the third quarter, which would make things a lot easier to stuff the staff sheet.

On Sunday, the Nuggets should have a much more even contest against the Portland Trailblazers. However, this matchup will also feature two of the worst defenses in the NBA. In addition to bad defense, the Trailblazers also feature the fifth worst rebounding percentage in the NBA. Basically, this is a great matchup for Jokic and has an opportunity to snag double digit rebounds if he gets the playing time.

Speaking of playing time, that will be the biggest risk for Nikola Jokic owners this weekend. The big man has shown he can produce when given minutes, now it’s just up Coach Malone to make him a larger part of the rotation. In two of the last four games he has seen over 25 minutes, but last game against the Thunder he only saw 17 minutes. I wouldn’t put too much stock into that last game, and I think overall his minutes are trending in the right direction.

Also consider:  Cody Zeller (CHA, PF/C)

 

3PM Streamer

Devin Booker (PHX, SG) - 25% owned

Weekend Schedule: Sat vs SAC, Sun @ LAL

You never like to see injuries to young stars like Eric Bledsoe, but his absence makes Devin Booker a must add. Booker is a dead eye shooter with tons of upside, and the Suns will surely give him all the minutes he can handle as their season is likely over.

Jeff Hornacek has confirmed that Booker will likely join the starting unit, and did so earlier this week against the Cavaliers. Although his performance from a fantasy perspective was largely underwhelming, Hornacek trusted Booker enough to play him 29 minutes in a very close game.

Looking at his game logs you might think this is a bit of a flier, but this kid can flat out shoot, and I expect the Suns to give him the green light going forward. This weekend should provide a perfect opportunity for Booker to show a glimpse of his fantasy potential. On Saturday the Suns will play the Kings, in what should be a very high scoring games with lot of threes from both teams. In fact, the Kings allow more 3PA than any team in the NBA, and I would not be surprised to see Booker breakout big numbers from deep.

If Booker doesn’t provide big numbers in the game against Sacramento, there’s always the Lakers on Sunday. The Lakers sport the worst defense in the NBA, and more specifically, feature some of the worst perimeter defenders in the NBA.  Booker will be going against Jordan Clarkson, D'Angelo Russell and Lou Williams, none of whom are known to be even average defenders.

In addition to 3PM Booker has been providing some decent numbers from the free throw line, going 11/14 over his last four games. These two games could combine to be a sort of breakout weekend for Booker, as both matchups feature poor defenses who are particularly weak defending the permiter. Although it might seem a little farfetched considering his game logs, I could see Booker hitting six or seven 3PM this weekend while also contributing in a few other categories.

Also please note, I would hold onto Booker for longer than just this weekend.  Although he might be a little inconsistent to start, he has a ton of upside, and is the kind of young player on a bad team you want heading into the second half of the season.

 

Steals Streamer

Garrett Temple (WAS, PG/SG) - 11% owned

Weekend Schedule: Fri vs. ORL, Sun vs. MIA

This is definitely not a home run pick, but if you are desperate for steals, I think Temple is your best bet. He’s low owned, is getting a lot of playing time, and is definitely known for his defense more than his offense.

Over the last five games, Temple has averaged about 1.5 steals a game, reaching two steals three times over that span. That’s pretty consistent as far as waiver wire streamers go, and this weekend has good enough matchups for me to the roll the dice on him if I need steals.

However, I want to stress that this is not a Tony Allen situation. With Bradley Beal out, the Wizards have looked to Temple to help fill his void on both sides of the ball. Temple has done just that, scoring 20 or more points in three of the last five games, and contributing in a few other categories as well. Basically, even if he doesn’t rack up a ton of steals for you, he’ll help your team in a 3PM, points, and he’ll even chip in a few assists and rebounds.

 

Assists Streamer

J.J. Barea (DAL, PG/SG) - 27% owned

Weekend Schedule: Fri @ MIA, Sat vs NOP

This pickup hinges largely on the status of Deron Williams heading into the weekend. As of right now, he is day to day, so I’d keep a close eye on it. I’ve already recommended Barea a few times this season, and it usually coincides with an injury to another guard on the roster. He’s proven he can produce quality and consistent fantasy numbers when given ample playing time, and this weekend could be a great opportunity to get some extra assists.

Barea will matchup against the Miami Heat and the New Orleans Pelicans this weekend. Although Miami is one of the best interior defenses in the league, if Dallas gets hot from outside, Barea should be able to get at least five assists. New Orleans also features a premiere shot blocker in Anthony Davis, but their defense has been shoddy all season and particularly porous against penetrating guards like J.J.

Overall assists streamers are pretty scarce week to week, and there’s not many players I’d rather count on than J.J. Barea if I’m in need of assists. Also this guy has been red hot lately, and not just in the assists department. Before his game a few nights ago against Milwaukee, Barea had combined for 58 real points, 16 assists, and a whopping 12 3PM in his previous two contests. While I wouldn’t expect the points numbers to continue, I could definitely see J.J come close to reaching 16 assists over the weekend.

Also consider: Jameer Nelson (DEN, PG)

 

NBA & Fantasy Basketball Chat Room