RADIO
Milos Zvekic analyzes Week 15 streaming opportunities for head-to-head fantasy basketball leagues. He reviews the upcoming NBA schedule and players to add.
A chilling wind is blowing outside. It picks up a leaf and tosses it around as if it is playing with it. Just like a cat does when it catches a mouse. I watch this wicked game from my window. It's mesmerizing for some reason. I stand for hours, just watching the wind pick the leaf up, just to set it down again moments later, ever so gently. It painfully reminds me of the plastic bag scene from "American Beauty".
I have a strange feeling, that I just can't shake. I can't explain it. And the longer I stare, more and more I am consumed by the sense of unease. The unsettling sound of this cold breeze has me completely spooked. It's like it's trying to tell me something. I can almost hear it. But what is it trying to say?
The warm voice of my girlfriend snaps me out of this trance: "Hun, when are you going to write your streaming article?" Right! That's why I thought the wind was talking to me. I knew I forgot something... "Thanks, babe! I'll get right on it!" Here are our fantasy basketball streamers for Week 15.
NBA Schedule Guide - Week 15
Pretty decent week for streaming with three days with five or fewer games. Those will definitely give fantasy owners the most headaches, so we will try and provide an aspirin for it.
Here's the low-down:
Teams with 4 games:
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers
Dallas Mavericks
Houston Rockets
Los Angeles Clippers
Memphis Grizzlies
Miami Heat
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans
New York Knicks
Oklahoma City Thunder
Orlando Magic
Phoenix Suns
Portland Trail Blazers
Sacramento Kings
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards
Teams with 3 games:
Atlanta Hawks
Boston Celtics
Brooklyn Nets
Denver Nuggets
Detroit Pistons
Golden State Warriors
Los Angeles Lakers
Milwaukee Bucks
Philadelphia 76ers
San Antonio Spurs
Teams with 2 games:
Charlotte Hornets
Indiana Pacers
Number of teams playing each day:
Monday: 22
Tuesday: 8
Wednesday: 20
Thursday: 8
Friday: 20
Saturday: 10
Sunday: 18
Back-to-Backs (beware of older or banged up players who might rest):
Monday/Tuesday: DAL, OKC, POR, SAC
Tuesday/Wednesday: TOR, LAC
Wednesday/Thursday: NOP
Thursday/Friday: MIN, PHO, WAS
Friday/Saturday: DEN, MEM
Saturday/Sunday: SAS
Sunday/Monday the following: LAC, NYK
Days with five or fewer games
Tuesday: 4 games
Thursday: 4 games
Saturday: 5 games
Teams playing on all three days:
Portland Trail Blazers (4 games this week - Mon, Tues, Thurs, Sat)
Teams playing on Tue/Thurs:
Minnesota Timberwolves (4 games - Tue, Thurs, Fri, Sun)
Oklahoma City Thunder (4 games - Mon, Tues, Thurs, Sun)
Phoenix Suns (4 games - Tue, Thurs, Fri, Sun)
Portland Trail Blazers
Teams playing on Tue/Sat:
Portland Trail Blazers
Team playing on Thurs/Sat:
Golden State Warriors (3 games - Mon, Thurs, Sat)
New Orleans Pelicans (4 games - Mon, Wed, Thurs, Sat)
Portland Trail Blazers
Teams playing three games over the weekend (from Thursday to Sunday)
Minnesota Timberwolves
Phoenix Suns
Washington Wizards
Baller Streaming Strategy for Week 15
Tuesday and Thursday have just four games apiece and Saturday has five. Having a full starting lineup on these days will be the biggest test. All other days have at least nine games, and most fantasy owners shouldn't have too difficult a challenge here.
Only one team plays on all three of the scarcest days - the Portland Trail Blazers. Their players will be in the spotlight today.
Also, five other teams play either on Tuesday and Thursday or on Thursday and Saturday. These teams are the Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors and the New Orleans Pelicans. Players from these teams will also feature in our story - but more of a supporting cast.
Streaming Options for the Week
Shallower League Streaming Adds for the Week:
Dario Saric, PF/C, MIN, (58% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, 3PM, FT%, PTS
Taj Gibson, PF/C, MIN, (49% Owned)- Strong Cats: REB, FG%, STL/BLK
Jerami Grant, SF/PF, OKC, (74% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL/BLK, FG%
Dennis Schroder, PG, OKC, (69% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, AST
Josh Jackson, SG/SF, PHO (29% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, STL/BLK - buyer beware: poor percentages
Mikal Bridges, SG/SF, PHO, (24% Owned) - Strong Cats: STL/BLK, 3PM, FT% - buyer beware: poor FG% and quite inconsistent
Kelly Oubre Jr., SG/SF, PHO, (62% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%, STL/BLK
Richaun Holmes, PF/C, PHO, (28% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, FG%, BLK
E'Twaun Moore, SG/SF, NOP, (25% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL
Elfrid Payton, PG, NOP, (65% Owned) - Strong Cats: AST, STL, FG%
Shallower League Add
Al-Farouq Aminu, SF/PF, POR, (61% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB, STL/BLK - buyer beware: can go on a shooting slump
Aminu has been a top-100 player since the beginning of the season and it still puzzles me how he is still owned in just 61% of the leagues. His season averages will show us why he is ranked so high: 9.7 PTS with 1.4 3PM on 42.8 FG% and 83.5 FT%, 8.2 REB, 1.1 AST, 1.0 STL, 0.4 BLK, and 0.8 TO in 30 minutes a night. Apart from the high FT% (he is a 73.6% career free throw shooter), everyting else is sustainable.
I think of him as a poor man's Russell Westbrook - contributes in every counting category (less in the assist column, but a little more in blocks) but will hurt your percentages. Of course, Westy's impact is far greater, but at least Aminu won't effectively ruin your TO.
Farouq has been even better last week with averages of 12.8 PTS with 1.8 3PM on 44.1 FG% and 82.4 FT%, 10.0 REB, 2.0 AST, 1.3 STL, no BLK, and 1.0 TO in four games over this period. This has him ranked just outside of the top-50.
With a four-game week ahead, and such a favorable schedule Aminu should be one of your primary streaming targets - unless his FG% will carry more damage than his other contributions can mend.
Deeper League Add
Evan Turner, SG/SF, POR, (7% Owned) - Strong Cats: STL, REB, AST
I feel slightly uneasy, recommending Turner, I must admit. He once was a great fantasy player, and still is a great basketball player, no doubt. But he is pretty inconsistent, and his rank of just inside the top-250 confirms this.
He has been able to string together some decent performances though recently, and seems like a new man in the new year. In the past two weeks, his 10.3 points with 0.4 threes on 51.7% from the field and 70.8% from the charity stripe, 4.8 boards, 4.0 dimes, 0.6 steals, 0.3 blocks, and just 0.6 turnovers in 25 minutes a game have him inside the top-150 for this period.
Now the FG% will not stick as Turner is a 43.5% career shooter, but his FT% should climb though (78.2% career average) and all other stats seem sustainable. Even with Moe Harkless back after an injury, this shouldn't affect Turner too much, and if he keeps getting 25 minutes per game, and there is no reason to doubt that he will, he is worth owning in deeper leagues - especially next week with Portland having such a good schedule.
Insanely Deep League Add
Maurice Harkless, SF, POR, (2% Owned) - Strong Cats: STL/BLK, a bit of everything
Moe has been very unlucky with injuries this season. He has played just 27 out of Portland's 47 games so far due to different issues but has returned and posted a decent line of 12 points on 4-of-6 from the field (0-of-2 from three) and 4-of-4 from the line, along with two rebounds, one assist, one block and one turnover in 20 minutes.
When healthy, Harkless flirts with top-100 value so he could prove to be more than just your short-term streaming pickup. On the other hand, he has been unable to avoid the injuries, and with Portland having a back-to-back set on Monday and Tuesday I wouldn't be too surprised to see his minutes limited.
The upside is there with Moe, but the threat is high as well. Luckily, all fantasy owners will risk is a bottom of the bench spot, and if Harkless gets injured again, back to the waivers he goes.
Other Deep League Options for the Week
Zach Collins, PF/C, POR, (9% Owned) -Strong Cats: REB, BLK, FG%
Seth Curry, PG/SG, POR (2% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, AST
Nik Stauskas, SG/SF, POR (2% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%
Jake Layman, PF, POR, (1% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM
Josh Okogie, SG, MIN, (2% Owned) - Strong Cats: STL/BLK
Anthony Tolliver, SF/PF, MIN, (0% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB
Gorgui Dieng, PF/C, MIN, (2% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, BLK/STL, FG%, FT%
Terrance Ferguson, SG/SF, OKC, (1% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM
De'Anthony Melton, PG, PHO (6% Owned) - Strong Cats: STL, AST, 3PM
Elie Okobo, PG, PHO (6% Owned) - Strong Cats: STL, AST, 3PM
Andre Iguodala, SG/SF, GSW, (7% Owned) - Strong Cats: REB, AST, STL/BLK
Kevon Looney, PF/C, GSW, (7% Owned) - Strong Cats: BLK, REB, FG%
Darius Miller, SG/SF, NOP, (2% Owned) - Strong Cats: 3PM, 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.
