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Milos Zvekic analyzes Week 13 streaming opportunities for head-to-head fantasy basketball leagues. He reviews the upcoming NBA schedule and players to add.
Streaming is a very powerful strategy to use in your weekly matchups as it will allow you to maximize the number of games played by your team (unless you have a weekly limit) and to focus on certain categories which you believe you can take with some help from the WWW (waiver wire workforce).
If you have a guy that you're not completely in love with, and he is not really going to help you win next week, or ever actually for that matter - don't hold on too tight. Swap him for a guy who is a blocks specialist for example. He will help you get that fifth category in close combat and get away with a W which you could have never pulled off without him.
Here are our Fantasy Basketball Streamers for Week 13.
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NBA Schedule Guide - Week 13
Streaming will be both simple and complicated next week.
Why simple? Well, only Thursday has a really low number of games with just four, so most fantasy teams will have difficulty to field a full team.
Why complicated? All other days have seven or more games, so it will be up to each individual fantasy owner to check their own team's schedule and see which days they need help on - apart from Thursday, of course.
Here's the low-down:
Teams with 5 games:
Denver Nuggets
Teams with 4 games:
Atlanta Hawks
Boston Celtics
Cleveland Cavaliers
Dallas Mavericks
Detroit Pistons
Houston Rockets
Los Angeles Lakers
Milwaukee Bucks
New York Knicks
Orlando Magic
Philadelphia 76ers
Portland Trail Blazers
Sacramento Kings
San Antonio Spurs
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards
Teams with 3 games:
Brooklyn Nets
Charlotte Hornets
Chicago Bulls
Golden State Warriors
Indiana Pacers
Los Angeles Clippers
Memphis Grizzlies
Miami Heat
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans
Oklahoma City Thunder
Phoenix Suns
Toronto Raptors
Number of teams playing each day:
Monday: 16
Tuesday: 16
Wednesday: 20
Thursday: 8
Friday: 18
Saturday: 16
Sunday: 14
Back-to-Backs (beware of older or banged up players who might rest):
Monday/Tuesday: DEN, NYK, SAC
Tuesday/Wednesday: ATL, CLE, IND, PHI, PHO, WAS
Wednesday/Thursday: BOS, DET, SAS
Thursday/Friday: -
Friday/Saturday: CHA, CHI, MIN, UTA
Saturday/Sunday: DEN, ORL
Sunday/Monday the following: HOU, POR
Days with five or fewer games
Thursday: 4 games
Teams playing on Thursday:
Denver Nuggets (5 games this week - Mon, Tue, Thurs, Sat, Sun)
Boston Celtics (4 games - Mon, Wed, Thurs, Sat)
Detroit Pistons (4 games - Mon, Wed, Thurs, Sat)
Sacramento Kings (4 games - Mon, Tue, Thurs, Sat)
San Antonio Spurs (4 games - Mon, Wed, Thurs, Sat)
Los Angeles Clippers (3 games - Tue, Thurs, Sat)
Miami Heat (3 games - Tue, Thurs, Sat)
Oklahoma City Thunder (3 games - Tue, Thurs, Sat)
Teams playing three games over the weekend (from Thursday to Sunday)
Denver Nuggets
Baller Streaming Strategy for Week 13
So it's clear that Thursday should be our focus for this week. It is also clear that Denver with five games will be the best place to look for streamers.
In addition to Denver, we also have four teams with four games next week that play on Thursday as well. These teams are the Boston Celtics, the Detroit Pistons, the Sacramento Kings and the San Antonio Spurs.
Furthermore, three teams that play on Thursday have three games next week. I'm not making this stuff up! These are the Los Angeles Clippers, the Miami Heat, and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
These eight teams will give us our streaming options for this week. Also, watch out if you need help on Sunday (seven games played) as none of these teams, apart from Denver of course, play on that day.
Streaming Options for the Week
Shallower League Streaming Adds for the Week:
Marcus Smart, PG/SG, BOS, (33% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL, AST
Terry Rozier, PG/SG, BOS, (48% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL, REB, AST
Jaylen Brown, PG/SG, BOS, (52% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, REB, a bit of everything
Reggie Jackson, PG/SG, DET, (66% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, AST
Bogdan Bogdanovic, SG/SF, SAC, (76% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, a bit of everything
Bryn Forbes, PG, SAS, (33% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%
Derrick White, PG, SAS, (42% Owned) - Strong Cats: AST, a bit of everything
Rudy Gay, SF/PF, SAS, (71% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%, STL
Eric Gordon, SG, HOU, (75% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%
P.J. Tucker, SG/SF, HOU, (43% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB, STL
Jaylen Brown, PG/SG, BOS, (52% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, REB, a bit of everything
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, PG/SG, LAC (31% Owned) - Strong Cats: FT%, STL/BLK, AST, a bit of everything
Tyler Johnson, PG/SG, MIA (36% Owned) - Strong Cats: STL/BLK, 3PM
Justise Winslow, SF/PF, MIA, (66% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, AST, STL/BLK - buyer beware: poor percentages
Dwyane Wade, SG/SF, MIA (28% Owned) - Strong Cats: PTS, 3PM, AST, STL/BLK - buyer beware: DNP - Old
James Johnson, SF/PF, MIA, (30% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, AST, STL/BLK, a bit of everything
Kelly Olynyk, PF/C, MIA, (30% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, 3PM, FT%, PTS, a bit of everything
Jerami Grant, SF/PF, OKC, (70% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL/BLK, FG%
Dennis Schroder, PG, OKC, (72% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, AST
Player Recommendations
Shallower League Add
Nemanja Bjelica, PF, SAC, (58% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, 3PM, a bit of everything
Bjelica is a great player with a high basketball IQ. It took a while for him to get a proper opportunity, but it's finally here as a veteran leader of this young Kings team. And he is making the most of it! He is ranked at #84 in Yahoo on the season with averages of 11.2 PTS with 1.6 3PM on 50.2 FG% and 76.8 FT%, 6.2 REB, 2.0 AST, 0.8 STL, 0.9 BLK, and 1.4 TO in 25 minutes per game.
A roto league dream, Bjelica has carved out a decent role and is providing his owners with great contributions on a nightly basis. His all-around game that fills in all the usual fantasy categories is worth gold, and with him owned in just 58% of the leagues, and his Kings playing four games next week, he is definitely a prime streaming target. And I wouldn't be surprised if you decided to keep him on even after this week if he impresses you.
Deep League Add
Malik Beasley, PG/SG, DEN, (24% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, STL
The third-year guard has really stepped up in the absence of Gary Harris and Will Barton with averages of 16.5 PTS with 2.8 3PM on 45.0 FG% and 100.00 FT%, 4.0 REB, 2.0 AST, 1.5 STL, 0.2 BLK, and 0.3 TO in 28 minutes per game in the last two weeks. That has him in the top-50 on Yahoo.
Harris has returned though and that will probably mean that Beasley will play a little less and provide a little less to his fantasy owners as well. But with two back-to-backs next week and the fact that Harris has played just two games so far since his return from injury might mean that he gets a rest or two during next week's hectic schedule for the Nuggets.
Furthermore, Malik hasn't slowed down much with Harris back, providing a combined six three-pointers, 30 points, nine rebounds, five dimes, a steal and a block apiece with no turnovers in those two games. Not too shabby, ey?
Deep League Add
Mason Plumlee, PF/C, DEN, (14% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, BLK, STL, FG%
I recommended Plumlee last week, and by God, I'll do it again! Even with Paul Millsap back for the last three games, Plumlee held on to both his minutes and value with 9.0 PTS on 70.6 FG% and 50.0 FT%, no 3PM, 8.3 REB, 3.0 AST, 1.3 STL, 0.3 BLK, and 2.0 TO in over 25 minutes per game. That was good enough to keep him just outside of top-100 in the Yahoo rankings for that period.
Now the blocks were missing, he is not great from the charity stripe and that amount of turnovers from your streaming center is unheard of. But the rest of the goodies that Mason brings to the table, multiplied by five games next week... That's something that could provide your fantasy team with a decent boost in several categories in your battle next week.
Other Deep League Options for the Week
Torrey Craig, SF, DEN, (1% Owned) -Strong Cats: 3PM, REB
Trey Lyles, PF, DEN (6% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, a bit of everything
Monte Morris, PG, DEN, (19% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, AST, STL, FT%, FG%
Juan Hernangomez, SF/PF, DEN, (22% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB, PTS, a bit of everything
Daniel Theis, PF/C, BOS, (3% Owned) - Strong Cats: BLK, REB, FG%
Langston Galloway, PG/SG, DET, (2% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, AST
Reggie Bullock, SG/SF, DET, (22% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%
Luke Kennard, SG, DET, (3% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS
Bruce Brown Jr., PG/SG, DET, (0% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, AST
Iman Shumpert, SG/SF/PF, SAC, (8% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, STL
Justin Jackson, SF, SAC, (1% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB
Jakob Poeltl, C, SAS, (17% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, BLK, FG%
Davis Bertans, PF/C, SAS, (6% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%, REB
Marco Belinelli, SG/SF, SAS, (10% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%
Patty Mills, PG, SAS, (10% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%, AST
Boban Marjanovic, C, LAC, (4% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, BLK, FG%, FT%, PTS - buyer beware: they just refuse to unleash the Boban
Patrick Beverley, PG/SG, LAC (15% Owned) - Strong Cats: STL, AST, 3PM, REB
Marcin Gortat, C, LAC, (17% Owned) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, BLK
Avery Bradley, PG/SG, LAC, (6% Owned) - Strong Cats: none really, but he once was a great fantasy player and is getting 30 minutes a night
Bam Adebayo, SG/SF, MIA, (24% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, STL/BLK, FG%
Derrick Jones Jr., SF, MIA (8% Owned) - Strong Cats: STL/BLK, REB, FG%
Rodney McGruder, SG/SF, MIA, (14% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL, REB
Nerlens Noel, PF/C, OKC, (12% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, BLK/STL
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.
