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Milos Zvekic's fantasy basketball waiver wire streamers for head-to-head leagues. He reviews the Week 1 NBA schedule (12/22 - 12/27) and streaming options to pick up.
Yeeeeaaaahhhh!!! (got the CSI Miami theme song playing in my head as I write this)
The NBA is back baby!!! I hope your drafts went well and that you're ready to get that ring! In case you picked up a hurt player and are already planning on stashing him in an IR spot, or your last round pick turns out to be playing for the Portland Trail Blazers or Detroit PIistons (who both play just twice and on congested days) and you're not really high on him anyway - perhaps that slot on your team could be put to best use by streaming your opening fixture of the season to victory!
With just five playing days and most teams playing on Wednesday which will result in many fantasy GMs having playing guys on their benches, streaming can bring you an even bigger edge. Here are my thoughts on the fantasy basketball streamers for Week 1.
NBA Schedule Guide - Week 1
Here's the low-down:
Teams with 4 games:
None
Teams with 3 games:
Boston Celtics
Brooklyn Nets
Charlotte Hornets
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers
Dallas Mavericks
Golden State Warriors
Indiana Pacers
Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans
New York Knicks
Orlando Magic
Philadelphia 76ers
Phoenix Suns
Sacramento Kings
San Antonio Spurs
Washington Wizards
Teams with 2 games:
Atlanta Hawks
Denver Nuggets
Detroit Pistons
Houston Rockets
Memphis Grizzlies
Miami Heat
Oklahoma City Thunder
Portland Trail Blazers
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz
Number of teams playing each day:
Monday: - 0
Tuesday: 4
Wednesday: 26
Thursday: - 0
Friday: 10
Saturday: 20
Sunday: 20
Back-to-Backs (beware of older or banged-up players who might rest):
Monday/Tuesday: -
Tuesday/Wednesday: -
Wednesday/Thursday: -
Thursday/Friday: -
Friday/Saturday: -
Saturday/Sunday: CHA, CHI, CLE, IND, MIN, NYK, ORL, PHI, PHO, SAC, SAS, WAS
Sunday/Monday the following: BKN, LAL
Days with SIX or fewer games:
Tuesday: 2 games
Friday: 5 games
Teams playing on both of these days:
Brooklyn Nets (3 games - Tue, Fri, Sun)
Los Angeles Lakers (3 games - Tue, Fri, Sun)
Los Angeles Clippers (3 games - Tue, Fri, Sun)
Golden State Warriors (3 games - Tue, Fri, Sun)
Teams playing on Friday:
Boston Celtics (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sun)
Dallas Mavericks (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sun)
Milwaukee Bucks (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sun)
New Orleans Pelicans (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sun)
Denver Nuggets (2 games - Wed, Fri)
Miami Heat (2 games - Wed, Fri)
Teams with a GOOD START to the week (three games from Monday to Thursday)
No such teams (a specific week with no games on Monday and Thursday)
Teams with a GOOD END to the week (three games from Thursday to Sunday)
No such teams (a specific week with no games on Monday and Thursday)
Teams with a POOR START to the week (one or no games from Monday to Thursday)
All teams play just once during this period - on either Monday or Tuesday
Teams with a POOR END to the week (one or no games from Thursday to Sunday)
Utah Jazz (2 games - Wed, Sat)
Portland Trail Blazers (2 games - Wed, Sat)
Detroit Pistons (2 games - Wed, Sat)
Memphis Grizzlies (2 games - Wed, Sat)
Toronto Raptors (2 games - Wed, Sat)
Houston Rockets (2 games - Wed, Sat)
Atlanta Hawks (2 games - Wed, Sat)
Oklahoma City Thunder (2 games - Wed, Sat)
Denver Nuggets
Miami Heat
Baller Streaming Strategy for Week 1
Brooklyn, Golden State, and both teams from Los Angeles are the only four teams to play on opening night, so their players are hot commodities off the wire this week. Furthermore, all of these teams play on Friday as well, which is the second most scarce gameday this week with only five games played. And, just to round off their great schedule, they all finish with a game on Sunday.
We will also cover four teams that play on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday - in case some fantasy GMs need help throughout the week. These teams are Boston, Dallas, Milwaukee, and New Orleans.
Streaming Options for Week 1
Shallower League Streaming Adds for the Week (Rostered in 25-75 % of Yahoo leagues):
DeAndre Jordan, C, BKN, (70% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, FG%, STL/BLK - buyer beware: in a timeshare with Jarrett Allen
Joe Harris, SG/SF, BKN, (56% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%, FG%
Spencer Dinwiddie, PG/SG, BKN, (57% Rostered) - Strong Cats: PTS, 3PM, AST
Marquese Chriss, PF/C, GSW, (29% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, BLK/STL - buyer beware: GSW frontcourt is crowded
Ivica Zubac, C, LAC, (30% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, BLK
Marc Gasol, C, LAL, (38% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, BLK
Kyle Kuzma, SF/PF, LAL, (47% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS
Daniel Theis, PF/C, BOS, (60% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, FG%, BLK
Jeff Teague, PG/SG, BOS, (56% Rostered) - Strong Cats: STL, AST, FT% - buyer beware: not certain to get enough minutes to contribute in shallow leagues
Tim Hardaway Jr., SG/SF, DAL, (55% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%
Maxi Kleber, PF/C, DAL, (27% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FT%, 3PM, BLK, REB
Josh Richardson, SG/SF, DAL, (70% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%, STL, a bit of everything
Donte Divincenzo, PG/SG, MIL, (41% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL, REB
JJ Redick, SG, NOP, (25% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%, PTS
Shallower League Add
Josh Richardson, SG/SF, DAL, (70% Rostered)
Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%, STL, a bit of everything
I absolutely LOVE JRich as a sleeper this year! He is ranked at #122 and his ADP is not much higher at #121 either. He was however picked up at #108 in our RotoBaller writers' league, but I project him to get into the top 100 easily this year now that he is expected to get a bigger role in Dallas.
Josh Richardson had a breakout year with the Miami Heat back in 2018-19 when he averaged 16.6 PTS on 41.2 FG% and 86.1 FT%, with 2.2 3PM, 3.6 REB, 4.1 AST, 1.1 STL, 0.5 BLK, and 1.5 TO in just under 35 minutes per game. He was then traded to the 76ers in the Jimmy Butler deal and just couldn't provide as much value in a limited role. Still, he was pretty good given the circumstances with 13.7 points on 43.0% from the field, 80.9% from the charity stripe, 3.2 boards, 2.9 dimes, 0.9 steals, 0.7 blocks and 1.9 turnovers in almost 31 minutes a night.
With him pretty certain to have the starting role and over 30 minutes per game with the Mavs, it is not out of the question for him to back to his form with the Heat, which would provide top 75 value, or even better to FG% punting teams. With three games in the first week, one of which is on a five-game Friday, Josh should be on the wire only in the shallowest of leagues.
Deeper League Add
Talen Horton-Tucker, SG/SF, LAL, (24% Rostered)
Strong Cats: FT%, REB, STL/BLK
Positive circumstance: red hot in the preseason
Talen Horton-Tucker. Not yet a household name, is it? But with how he's played so far in the preseason, it just might well be pretty soon!
The second-round pick from 2019 got a total of five minutes of playing time with the Lakers in his rookie year. But then he got some more run in the bubble with four more games and held his own in them, scoring 10+ points (on decent 48.3 FG%) on three occasions and grabbing 3+ steals two times.
He had 19 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and three steals in his first game against the Clippers. He followed this with 33 points, 10 boards, four dimes, and four steals in the second game against the same opponent. He "cooled off" against the Suns with 18 points, five rebounds, and two assists to finish his great run.
This form has got him a chance to prove himself as a part of the reigning champions. Whether he will keep killing it is anyone's guess, but with the Lakers playing on both Tuesday and Friday, as well as on Sunday next week and on Monday in Week 2 with three other games that week as well, there is no better time to take a dice-roll on Talen.
Insanely Deep League Add
Eric Paschall, SF/PF, GSW, (7% Rostered)
Strong Cats: FG%, REB -
Positive circumstance: should have an increased short-term role with Draymond Green out for the first couple of games
Eric Paschall has been great last year for the Warriors with 14.0 PTS and 0.6 3PM on 49.7 FG%, 77.4 FT%, 4.6 REB, 2.1 AST, 0.5 STL, 0.2 BLK, and 1.6 TO in 27 minutes per game. This season he is sure to see a decreased role with the Warriors roster much more crowded, but Eric could still carve out a role for himself if he keeps improving on last season.
In the short-term, however, and for streaming purposes, his case is further helped by an injury to Draymond Green which will keep him out from the first couple of games. This could mean minutes similar to what he had last season for next week. And if he can get anywhere near his last season's averages, with games on both scarce days (Tuesday and Friday) and on Sunday as well, Paschall could help out many deep league teams get off to a winning start to the new fantasy campaign.
Other Deep League Options for the Week (Rostered in less than 25% of Yahoo leagues)
Taurean Prince, SF/PF, BKN, (2% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, REB, STL - buyer beware: despite playing almost 30 mins a game last season, with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving back in the rotation he is no longer guaranteed minutes
Landry Shamet, PG/SG, BKN, (2% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%
Jeff Green, SF/PF/C, BKN, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: a little bit of everything
Kevon Looney, PF/C, GSW, (4% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, BLK/STL - buyer beware: GSW frontcourt is crowded
Eric Paschall, SF/PF, GSW, (7% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB - positive circumstance: should have an increased short-term role with Draymond Green out for the first couple of games
Kent Bazemore, SG/SF, GSW, (2% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL/BLK, REB
Brad Wanamaker, PG/SG, GSW, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FT%, 3PM STL, AST
Luke Kennard, SG/SF, LAC, (21% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, REB, AST
Nicolas Batum, SF/PF, LAC, (3% Rostered) - Strong Cats: AST, STL, REB, FT% - positive circumstance: should be starting due to Marcus Morris being sidelined - buyer beware: poor FG%
Patrick Beverley, PG/SG, LAC, (13% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB, AST, STL - buyer beware: probably playing around 20 mins per game
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, PG/SG, LAL, (10% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%, STL
Talen Horton-Tucker, SG/SF, LAL, (24% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FT%, REB, STL/BLK - positive circumstance: red hot in the preseason
Robert Williams, PF/C, BOS, (10% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, BLK/STL
Payton Pritchard, PG, BOS, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, AST, STL - buyer beware: not guaranteed minutes
Dwight Powell, PF/C, DAL, (10% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, BLK/STL
Dorian Finney-Smith, SF/PF, DAL, (6% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB, a bit of everything
Bobby Portis, PF/C, MIL, (9% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB
Bryn Forbes, PG/SG, MIL, (2% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%
Jaxson Hayes, C, NOP, (11% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, BLK
Josh Hart, SG/SF, NOP, (13% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB, STL
Nicolo Melli, PF/C, NOP, (0% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, REB
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.
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