November 18 Fantasy Basketball Streamers: Bennedict Mathurin, Gradey Dick, Isaiah Stewart and More
Five NBA teams with good matchups on Monday and their rotation players who are widely available in fantasy leagues.
Next week is Thanksgiving week. I hate to say it, but it might be true: Holiday season is officially here. There are already Christmas items up in stores, and it’s about time to stop complaining about it being too early for Christmas music. It’s going to be a long ride; strap in.
Let’s look at five NBA teams with good matchups on Monday and the rotation players on those teams who are widely available in fantasy leagues. Most of these guys aren’t going to be permanent solutions; many of them are one-day pickups who will be worth dropping tomorrow.
That’s what streamers are about, though, the guys who can come in and play “hero” for one day/week, or at least hold down a spot in your lineup. The players below can fill a slot if you’re in need on Monday.
Process
I like to use NBA’s measure of pace and defensive rating:
Pace is an estimate of the number of possessions per 48 minutes that a team records. As the name suggests, it measures how fast a team plays. A faster pace means more possessions and more opportunities for fantasy points.
A team’s defensive rating is the number of points they allow per 100 possessions. Defensive rating is not affected by pace because the speed of the possessions doesn’t matter.
By finding teams that rank high in pace and low in defensive rating, we are going after those who allow opponents to score often and play really fast while doing it. More possessions against worse defenses usually results in more fantasy points.
The defensive stats against positions that are listed below are from both our FantasySP defensive fantasy rankings and FantasyPros. All stats and records are correct before Sunday’s games.
Indiana Pacers @ Toronto Raptors
We’ll start with a game in which we can target both teams who hold a similar profile. Indiana and Toronto are 12th and 13th in pace, respectively, just missing out on the top 10. They are both less than one possession behind 10th place, though, so it’s close enough for our purposes.
Both teams are in the bottom 10 in defensive rating, with the Pacers holding the ninth-worst defense and the Raptors the third worst. Given how vulnerable they are on defense, we can overlook each team narrowly falling out of the top 10 in pace.
Forwards have been doing the most damage against Indiana, specifically power forwards. Point guards have also been able to find success from a fantasy perspective.
Every position has done at least OK against Toronto, with point guards seeing the worst results in terms of scoring and fantasy points. Centers have feasted on the Raptors, averaging more fantasy points per game against Toronto than any other team.
Indiana’s Streaming Players
Guard
- Bennedict Mathurin – Mathurin is available in about half of leagues. He’s a worthy keeper who can slot in at guard and forward.
- Ben Sheppard
- T.J. McConnell
Forward
Center
- None
Toronto’s Streaming Players
Guard
- Gradey Dick – Dick is available in about 40% of leagues. He’s second on the team in scoring and makes 2.5 3-pointers per game.
- Ochai Agbaji
- Davion Mitchell
- Jamal Shead
Forward
Center
- None
Detroit Pistons vs. Chicago Bulls
The Bulls play at the fastest pace in the league and have the eighth-worst defensive rating. Chicago has allowed less than 119 points just three times and below 110 only once.
Every position has been better than average against the Bulls in fantasy basketball. Guards in particular have found a ton of success, excelling in most areas.
Detroit’s Streaming Players
Guard
- Tim Hardaway Jr. – Hardaway missed yesterday’s game, so make sure he’s playing before you put him in your lineup.
- Malik Beasley
Forward
Center
New York Knicks vs. Washington Wizards
Washington might be the best fantasy matchup in the league right now by our criteria: The Wizards play at the second-fastest pace and have the worst defensive rating. The Wiz have given up at least 120 points in eight of 11 games.
Every position has had success in fantasy against Washington, especially power forwards and centers. The Wizards also have the second-worst rebounding rate, sitting in the bottom 10 in offensive and defensive percentage.
New York’s Streaming Players
Guard
- Miles McBride - McBride didn't play yesterday, so double-check his status before putting him in your lineup.
- Cameron Payne
Forward
- None
Center
Sacramento Kings vs. Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks play at the third-fastest pace and have the sixth-worst defensive rating. Atlanta has given up at least 111 points in every game and has held their opponent under 120 points just five times in 13 games.
Guards and small forwards have been doing the best against the Hawks, though Atlanta has been tougher on big men from a fantasy perspective.
