RADIO
The trade deadline has come and gone. I hope you nailed some of your speculative adds!
I've missed mine with Omari Spellman in a 20-team league. With the All-Star weekend just around the corner, and the end of the fantasy regular season drawing near I'm going to be letting him go soon. With Dewayne Dedmon and Alex Len remaining in Atlanta, it doesn't seem he will be getting the minutes, and the chase for the fantasy playoffs is heating up. I will keep him for the first part of next week as he has a great schedule but will welcome a streaming spot after that instead of hoping Spellman gets a decent opportunity in such a crowded frontcourt.
If you're in a similar situation with some of your guys, and you have a playoff to qualify for, I suggest you do the same and set your mind to winning your next matchup. Here are our fantasy basketball streamers for Weeks 18 & 19.
NBA Schedule Guide - Weeks 18 & 19
The All-Star break this weekend means that there will be no NBA basketball from Friday (Feb 15) until Wednesday (Feb 20) with the first games before and after the break coming on Thursdays. Fantasy teams will find it harder to field a decent lineup on Tuesday, the first Thursday (Feb 14) and Sunday. None of these days have more than 5 games played.
As for the teams, the Knicks have a five-game week, and all but five teams play four times. Furthermore, the Magic play on all three of the scarce days and have a four-game week, and a couple of other teams play on two of the three aforementioned days so their guys could make decent options for streaming as well.
Here's the low-down:
Teams with 5 games:
New York Knicks
Teams with 4 games:
Atlanta Hawks
Boston Celtics
Brooklyn Nets
Charlotte Hornets
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers
Dallas Mavericks
Denver Nuggets
Detroit Pistons
Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets
Indiana Pacers
Los Angeles Clippers
Memphis Grizzlies
Miami Heat
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans
Oklahoma City Thunder
Orlando Magic
Philadelphia 76ers
Portland Trail Blazers
Toronto Raptors
Washington Wizards
Teams with 3 games:
Los Angeles Lakers
Phoenix Suns
Sacramento Kings
San Antonio Spurs
Utah Jazz
Number of teams playing each day:
Monday (Feb 11): 18
Tuesday (Feb 12): 10
Wednesday (Feb 13): 22
Thursday (Feb 14): 6
Thursday (Feb 21): 12
Friday (Feb 22): 18
Saturday (Feb 23): 24
Sunday (Feb 24): 6
Back-to-Backs (beware of older or banged up players who might rest):
Monday/Tuesday: -
Tuesday/Wednesday: BOS, GSW, MEM, PHI
Wednesday/Thursday: NYK
Thursday (Feb 14)/Thursday (Feb 21): -
Thursday/Friday: -
Friday/Saturday: ATL, CHA, CHI, DAL, DET, IND, MEM, MIN, NOP, OKC, UTA, WAS
Saturday/Sunday: -
Sunday/Monday (Feb 25): LAC, SAS
Days with five or fewer games
Tuesday: 5 games
Thursday (Feb 14): 3 games
Sunday: 3 games
Teams playing on all three days:
Orlando Magic (4 games this week - Tue, Thurs (Feb 14), Fri, Sun)
Teams playing on Tue/Thurs (Feb 14):
Atlanta Hawks (4 games - Tue, Thurs (Feb 14), Fri, Sat)
New Orleans Pelicans (4 games - Tue, Thurs (Feb 14), Fri, Sat)
Orlando Magic
Teams playing on Tue/Sun:
San Antonio Spurs (3 games - Tue, Fri, Sun)
Orlando Magic
Team playing on Thurs (Feb 14)/Sun:
New York Knicks (5 games - Mon, Wed, Thurs (Feb 14), Fri, Sun)
Orlando Magic
Teams playing three games over the weekend (from Thursday to Sunday)
None
Baller Streaming Strategy for Weeks 18 & 19
The Thursday before the All-Star weekend (Feb 14) and Sunday have just three games apiece, so these two days will be the toughest for fantasy owners to weather. Tuesday is also troublesome with just five games. I will rely on players from teams that play on these days to save our fantasy teams on this double week.
The Orlando Magic plays on all three of these days and also has another game this week. The Knicks have a five-game week and play on both Thursday (Feb 14) and Sunday. In addition to guys from these two teams, you could also find that players from the Hawks and Pelicans, who both play four games and play on both Tuesday and Thursday (Feb 14), can help fill some voids. Even some Spurs' players could come in handy despite playing only three games this week, as two of those games come on the scarcest of days - Tuesday and Sunday.
Streaming Options for the Double Week
Shallower League Streaming Adds:
Kevin Knox, PF, NYK, (43% Owned) - Strong Cats: PTS, 3PM, REB
Noah Vonleh, PF, NYK, (27% Owned) - Strong Cats: STL/BLK, REB, AST
Jonathan Isaac, SF/PF, ORL, (66% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, STL/BLK
Terrence Ross, SG/SF, ORL, (61% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%, PTS, STL
Evan Fournier, SG/SF, ORL, (74% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%, PTS, STL
D.J. Augustin, PG, ORL, (41% Owned) - Strong Cats: FT%, AST
Taurean Prince, SG/SF, ATL, (73% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%, STL, a bit of everything
Kevin Huerter, SG, ATL, (35% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL, PTS
Dewayne Dedmon, PF/C, ATL, (68% Owned) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, STL/BLK, 3PM
Kent Bazemore, PF, ATL, (41% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, STL
Kenrich Williams, SG/SF, NOP, (29% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB, BLK, PTS
Bryn Forbes, PG, SAS, (33% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%
Rudy Gay, SF/PF, SAS, (68% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%, STL
Shallower League Add
Jonathan Isaac, SF/PF, ORL, (66% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, STL/BLK
Isaac is finally playing like the Magic hoped he would when they chose him as the sixth overall pick in the 2017 draft. In the last two weeks, he is averaging 11.6 PTS with 1.0 3PM on 44.8 FG% and 93.3 FT%, 8.1 REB, 1.1 AST, 1.4 STL, 2.1 BLK, and 1.3 TO in over 28 minutes per outing. His great rebounding and insane stocks have him ranked in the top-30 for this period.
With his 7'1" wingspan, we always knew Isaac was capable of this kind of production in the defensive department, and now he added an overall production into the mix, so there is no wonder he is delighting his lucky owners with this awesome contribution. And to think this guy was on the waiver wire in my 20-team redraft league back in November and was picked up as a free agent. Not by me, unfortunately...
If you're lucky enough that he is still on your wire, pick him up quickly! There's no time better than the next week, with Orlando having such a favorable schedule, to give him a shot to produce for your team as well.
Deeper League Add
Kenrich Williams, SG/SF, NOP, (29% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB, BLK, PTS
I must admit, this guy caught me by surprise. The undrafted rookie didn't play a single minute of NBA basketball before taking us all by storm since his debut on January 10. He has been killing it in the last 14 days with averages of 12.9 points with 2.3 three-pointers on 48.6% from the field and 54.5% from the line, 9.4 boards, 3.3 dimes, 0.3 steals, 1.1 blocks, and 0.9 turnovers in 34 minutes per game. This extraordinary run of performances has Kenrich ranked at #64 in Yahoo leagues. Crazy!!!
With all the Anthony Davis drama going on in New Orleans, it seems pretty plausible that Williams will be getting his fair share of minutes for the rest of the season. AD's return made no impact on his playing time, and neither did the addition of Stanley Johnson nor the return of E'Twaun Moore, so it's almost certain that Kenrich has the trust of his coach.
If your league hasn't caught up with his performances yet and he is still on the wire, this is a good time to take a dice roll on him. He could prove to be much more than just a streamer.
Insanely Deep League Add
Khem Birch, PF/C, ORL, (1% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, STL/BLK
With the injury to Mo Bamba, Birch is back in the equation in Orlando's frontcourt. He is a backup for Nikola Vucevic and seems to be locked into a 15-20 minute role. This is enough, however, for Khem to get you some decent rebound and block numbers without hurting you anywhere else.
In the previous four games with Bamba out, Birch averaged 5.5 PTS on 66.7 FG% and 85.7 FT%, 5.8 REB, 1.0 AST, 0.8 STL, 1.3 BLK, and 0.8 TO in 17 minutes per game. That's not too bad for a guy who is most probably available in your league and who has such a good schedule that he will almost certainly play at least three times next week, regardless of who you've already got on your team. If you're in a deep league and need a boost in rebounds and defensive stats, Birch is your guy.
Other Deep League Options
Damyean Dotson, SG, NYK, (4% Owned) - Strong Cats: PTS, 3PM
Mario Hezonja, SG, NYK, (23% Owned) - Strong Cats: PTS, STL, REB
Mitchell Robinson, C, NYK, (22% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, BLK, FG%
Kadeem Allen, SG, NYK, (0% Owned) - Strong Cats: PTS, AST
Allonzo Trier, PF, NYK, (6% Owned) - Strong Cats: PTS, 3PM, FT%
Khem Birch, PF/C, ORL, (1% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, BLK
Isaiah Briscoe, PG, ORL, (0% Owned) - Strong Cats: AST, rookie factor
Wes Iwundu, SG/SF, ORL, (0% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, STL/BLK
DeAndre' Bembry, SF, ATL, (4% Owned) - Strong Cats: STL, REB
Alex Len, PF/C, ATL, (12% Owned) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, BLK
Omari Spellman, PF, ATL, (1% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB, STL/BLK
Jeremy Lin, PG/SG, ATL, (8% Owned) - Strong Cats: FT%, AST, PTS
Tim Frazier, PG, NOP, (4% Owned) - Strong Cats: AST, FT%, STL
Darius Miller, SG/SF, NOP, (8% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%, STL
Patty Mills, PG, SAS, (14% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%, AST
Jakob Poeltl, C, SAS, (15% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, BLK, FG%
Davis Bertans, PF/C, SAS, (14% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%, REB
Marco Belinelli, SG/SF, SAS, (16% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%
Hope you guys enjoyed the article and the advice, and I hope that this will help you win your matchups next week and bragging rights for the week after.
