When you are trying to stream players to win your head-to-head fantasy basketball matchup, often when your streamer is playing matters as much as who he is. A player with games on Wednesday and Friday doesn't help when you've already got a full lineup worth of players playing on each of those days. However, a player with a game on Thursday would help a lot if the vast majority of your existing players have the day off. Games on mostly "off" days like that are called "quality games." Here we'll feature a few enticing streamer options for players with quality games in Week 2 who are available in the majority of Yahoo! leagues.
All position eligibility and ownership rates based on Yahoo! fantasy leagues.
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Tuesday 11/8 Quality Game Streamers
Sean Kilpatrick, SG, Brooklyn vs. Minnesota (Owned in 11% of Yahoo! Leagues)
Even the worst teams in the league put up stats, so its tough to disregard the Brooklyn Nets who can't technically tank (since Boston owns their upcoming draft pick) even though don't have enough talent to compete for a playoff spot. They're now stuck somewhere in between, making it a optimal stretch of time to evaluate young talent for their franchise's future. With the recent hamstring injury to Jeremy Lin (will be evaluated in two weeks) Brooklyn will need to temporarily plug the hole that is Lin's 25% usage rate.
A good bet for an extended role during Lin's absence as well as through his eventual return is Sean Kilpatrick, second year SG. Throughout his first six games Kilpatrick has demonstrated a much improved ability to score the basketball, and his minutes have been trending up ever since the injury (played 28 and 32 minutes), so its safe to say for now that he has the trust of his coach. As for what to expect with Kilpatrick, he has averaged 17 PPG, 2 3PM, 4.2 RPG, 2.0 AST, 1.2 SPG, while shooting 44.6% from the field and a solid 41.4% from deep. Without any real scorers in their starting five outside of Brook Lopez, Kilpatrick has shown the ability hit the outside shot and score in a somewhat efficient manner. Even though the Nets draw a tough match-up with Minnesota, there is still plenty of room for Kilpatrick to put up some useful counting stats.
Other options: JaMychal Green, PF, Memphis vs. Denver (31% owned); Moe Harkless, SF, Portland vs. Phoenix (12% owned); Isaiah Whitehead, SG, Brooklyn vs. Minnesota (1% owned)
Thursday 11/10 Quality Game Streamers
Matthew Dellavedova, PG/SG, Milwaukee vs. New Orleans (Owned in 44% of Yahoo! Leagues)
Coming off an NBA championship Matthew Dellavedova got himself a big raise by signing with the Milwaukee Bucks. Now their starting "point guard," Dellavedova has shown in the early part of the season that he can be a reliable fantasy contributor, as coach Jason Kidd seems to be a fan, giving Dellavedova about 30 MPG out of the gate. He has also demonstrated great chemistry with the Bucks' franchise superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, playing alongside the Greek freak as a complimentary ball handler and outside shooter.
Dellavedova, as many of you well know, isn't a flashy scorer or facilitator. He is primarily out there for defense, but on offense he more often than not makes the right pass or takes his shots when there is opportunity. Defensively, he is giving as much effort as anyone in the league and this ends up boosting his defensive counting stats in the form of steals. Ranked 92nd (nine-cat leagues) through five games, Dellavedova has produced solid value in the form of his 5.8 APG, 1 3PM, and 1.2 SPG. If on Thursday's four game slate your team is lacking in any of these categories, then Delly would be a great plug and play against a underwhelming Pelicans squad.
Other options: Lance Stephenson, SG/SF, New Orleans vs. Milwaukee (13% owned); Tyler Johnson, PG/SG, Miami vs. Chicago (26% owned); Jamal Murray, SG, Denver vs. Golden State (28% owned) (This game has blowout potential, meaning there could be lots of garbage time minutes for the rookie)
Sunday 11/13 Quality Game Streamers
Evan Turner, SG/SF, Portland vs. Denver (Owned in 43% of Yahoo! Leagues)
Another player coming off a fresh and lucrative contract is Portland Trailblazers forward Evan Turner, who makes for a great streaming option on the last day of week three fantasy match-ups. Over the last few seasons in Boston, coach Brad Stevens turned Turner into a Swiss army knife player, meaning he did a bit of everything for the team. Ever since then, Turner has adopted that mentality and become a player than can be plugged in almost any situational role during the game and he will adequately perform his duty regardless of who he's matched up against or what position he plays.
Turner has started out his stint in Portland in a bit of a shooting slump, hitting only 40.4% of his shots, compared to 45.6 and 47.8% his previous two seasons; so its safe to assume that the law of averages will catch up and pull his field goal percentage up as the season goes along. With that bump in FG% a scoring increase is also in the cards for Turner, but his most important contributions usually come in the form of rebounds, assists, and steals, as he fielded averages of 4.9 RPG, 4.4 APG, and 1 SPG during his 81 games in Boston last year. Both Portland and their opponent on Sunday, the Nuggets, rank inside the top 11 for team scoring, so it should be a fast paced game with plenty of shots, making Turner an appealing play for those looking for some last minute counting stats.
Other options: Frank Kaminsky, PF/C, Charlotte vs. Cleveland (11% owned); Lou Williams, PG/SG, Los Angeles vs. Minnesota (39% owned); Allen Crabbe, PG/SG, Portland vs. Denver (40% owned)
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