Welcome to your midweek guidance for week 15! For many of us, it’s do or die time. You’re probably either in a playoff matchup or battling for position. The aim of this post is to find undervalued streaming options for the rest of this week that will earn you the win.
A lot can happen in a week. Since I last posted, injuries to the Pelicans’ front court resurrected James Johnson’s fantasy value again, and Kelly Olynyk set out to make me regret fading him prior to his trade to the depleted Rockets. Johnson is worth adding until Brandon Ingram returns, while Olynyk looks to have staying power as a starter in Houston.
From last week’s post, Chuma Okeke looks to be a keeper as the shooting percentages remain high. Danny Green maintained twelve-team value on the back of strong peripherals, and Nerlens Noel continued to be thoroughly underwhelming while still producing top 100 value.
For nine-category managers, it is assumed that none of the following players negatively impact turnovers. If I view a player as a solid mid-to-long-term option in twelve-team leagues, I will signal that with an asterisk next to his name. In all other cases, I only recommend these players as options for teams with dedicated streaming spots.
These players have two or more games remaining in the current week and are rostered in 50% or less of Yahoo and/or ESPN leagues.
Four Category Contributors
- Tomas Satoransky* (Assists, Steals, FG%, FT%): Sato has proven to be a twelve-team staple over the past three seasons when given the starting nod. The turnovers have ticked up with the increased role, but they’re relatively low compared to other guards with comparable assist numbers. If you don’t see him as a mid-to-long-term hold, you can at least get a good return from streaming him over three remaining games this week (Thurs, Fri, & Sun).
Three Category Contributors
- Bobby Portis (Points, Rebounds, FG%): Giannis’s dreaded knee issues are reemerging just in time for the fantasy playoffs. Portis is the most obvious beneficiary if he misses more time, which is a strong possibility given the upcoming back-to-back (Plays Thurs, Fri, & Sun).
- Reggie Bullock (Threes, FG%, FT%) The first of two of “Thibs’ Guys” in this post. He gained the coach’s trust and continues to put up numbers. Over his past four games, he averaged 16.5 points and 4.3 threes on 56% from the field. Expect regression in efficiency, but the minutes should be there (Plays Fri & Sun).
- Malachi Flynn (Assists, Steals, FT%): The Raptors’ starting backcourt was ruled out a day in advance for tonight’s matchup, so it’s likely that Flynn starts in at least two of their three remaining games this week. He was the 25th ranked player in nine-category league over the past four games, mostly owing to strong defensive numbers (Plays Thurs, Sat, & Sun).
- Taj Gibson (Rebounds, Blocks, FG%): That sound you hear is the collective despair of all the fantasy hoopers that held Nerlens Noel, just waiting for the day that he stepped into starter’s minutes. Noel hasn’t done himself any favors, but…. (Plays Fri & Sun)
- Jalen Brunson* (Points, Assists, FG%): The minutes keep rollin’ in for Brunson, and he’s taking advantage by shooting over 53% from the field this season. Admittedly, he should have been in last week’s post, but this will have to serve as my atonement (Plays Thurs & Sun).
- Aleksej Pokusevski (Points, Threes, Blocks): If FG% is not highly competitive in your matchup, Pokusevski is a solid option for contributing in two of the more difficult categories to stream: points and blocks. The production is inconsistent, so be prepared to absorb some rough outings (Plays Thurs & Sat).
Two Category Contributors
- Grayson Allen (Threes, FT%) The “Free De’Anthony Melton” movement took another hit this week when he missed Tuesday’s game with leg soreness. If he misses additional time, expect Allen to continue to exceed the 25-minute per game threshold in the near term (Plays Fri & Sun).
- Cole Anthony (Assists, FT%): Anthony was gaining some momentum before his injury, so there’s reason to believe that his fantasy value will increase after the exodus from Orlando. If you’re not in a win or go home situation, he’s worth a speculative add. Just beware of the horrendous FG%, and the fact that he’ll turn the ball over more than most players on this list (Fri & Sun).
- Killian Hayes (Assists, Steals): Another rookie who will be the focus of his team’s developmental efforts as the season winds down. He flashed solid production across the board on Monday before sitting out Tuesday’s game, so there is a high probability that he rests on one end of this weekend’s back-to-back. Like Anthony, the turnovers will likely reflect the fact that he’s a rookie with the rock in his hands (Plays Thurs, Sat, & Sun).
- Goga Bitadze (Rebounds, Blocks) Injuries to both Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis open up an opportunity for Goga as the starter. The tone of the Pacers training staff indicates that at least Sabonis is more than a game away from returning, so this is one to watch if you need big-man stats over the weekend. It remains to be seen whether his assist numbers are trustworthy, but he’s shown upside there as well (Plays Fri & Sun).
If you’re simply looking to pick up additional games and none of the above players are helpful or available, take a look at players on teams with three remaining games this week: Bulls, Cavs, Pistons, Clippers, Bucks, Trailblazers, Raptors.
Hit me up in the comments section if you want any additional feedback or tips. Best of luck!
