With Marcus Smart set to begin a three-game suspension on Friday, Reed Sheppard should be considered the priority streaming option for this weekend. That won’t bump Sheppard into the starting lineup, but he has been excellent this season when the minutes are there.
When Sheppard has played at least 20 minutes this season, he is averaging 13.2 points, 3.6 assists, 1.8 steals and 2.8 triples per game. Houston has more depth this season, which has limited Sheppard’s role in his third season, but when he has gotten the opportunity, he hasn’t disappointed. This is also a great opportunity for him to prove that he deserves a larger spot in the rotation for the rest of the season. For now, we’ll just take baby steps and hopefully enjoy a strong three-game stretch of production.
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The Hawks, Bulls, Cavaliers, Mavericks, Rockets, Pacers, Clippers, Grizzlies, Heat, Bucks, Pelicans, Knicks, Thunder, Kings and Spurs all play two games this weekend, so prioritize those teams if you’re looking to stream this weekend.
Here are nine other players I’d be comfortable streaming this weekend:
Kingston Flemings, G, Atlanta Hawks
Flemings is questionable for Friday’s game against the Bulls, but he has value for the rest of the season and is still available in far too many leagues. He has started four games for Atlanta and averaged 10.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. The steals haven’t been there yet as a starter, but he is a high-level defender that had two steals in their last game and four swipes in his last game as a reserve. It doesn’t seem like he’ll be giving this starting job up, and he should only get better as the season continues.
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Meleek Thomas, G, Cleveland Cavaliers
Thomas has been fantastic this season as one of the best rookies in fantasy basketball. With Evan Mobley out on Friday with a toe injury and Sam Merrill out with an elbow issue, Thomas should see a nice boost in usage. He is averaging 13.1 points, 1.3 steals and 2.9 triples per game over the past two weeks, which includes a career-best 18 points earlier this week. He has been one of the best rookies in the league this season and is certainly looking like the best value pick of this past summer.
Aaron Wiggins, G/F, Atlanta Hawks
Wiggins is finding himself to be a regular on the list, mostly because he’s been awesome this season, but also because the Hawks continue to have a favorable schedule. Wiggins set season-highs earlier this week with five triples and six assists in a game, and he’ll continue to play a significant role off the bench for Atlanta. He has been an excellent addition for them and is a key piece to this team, giving him value beyond this weekend.
NBA: Utah Jazz at Dallas Mavericks
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Eric Samulski digs into shifting rotations, uncovering which players deserve more attention or are falling out of favor
Pelle Larsson, F, Miami Heat
Larsson replaced Andrew Wiggins as a starter two games ago, and the results thus far have been solid. He is averaging 12.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 triples across his two starts, though he was limited by foul trouble in the first one. Larsson was considered a late-round target for fantasy managers, with the idea he may eventually start in place of Klay Thompson. Well, Klay has played well, but Larsson has still gotten the opportunity to play an expanded role, and he may not relinquish it.
Patrick Williams, F, Chicago Bulls
With Caleb Wilson set to miss four-to-six weeks after fracturing his right hand, Williams has a chance to step into a starting role. Now, Williams has been disappointing since the Bulls took him with the 4th pick in 2020, but the opportunity is enough to stream him in. With how long Wilson will be sidelined, Williams could end up being worth the roster spot for a few weeks. Let’s hope Williams can take advantage of the opportunity before him.
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Jaylon Tyson, F, Cleveland Cavaliers
As I mentioned earlier, Evan Mobley is set to miss a game for the first time this season. While we don’t know exactly what Kenny Atkinson will do, Tyson makes sense as a replacement in the starting lineup. Tyson returned from a six-game absence on Wednesday, and while he didn’t provide much value, he did play 23 minutes, which bumped Mario Hezonja out of the rotation. Tyson has also proven in the past that he is worth rostering when the minutes are there.
Julian Champagnie, F, San Antonio Spurs
Champagnie has been starting for San Antonio recently in place of Devin Vassell, who has missed the last two games with a groin injury. He’s questionable to play on Friday, as is De’Aaron Fox (hip), and if either were to miss the game, Champagnie would remain a starter. He ranks inside the top 100 this season and has scored in double figures in three straight games and has hit 10 three-pointers during that stretch.
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Isaiah Stewart, C, Memphis Grizzlies
Zach Edey (ankle) and Quinten Post (concussion) have both been ruled out for Friday’s game, so Stewart should get the starting nod. Edey should be back on Saturday, but Post’s chances of playing in that game are smaller. Stewart should see a sizable role in both of the Grizzlies’ games this weekend while also getting at least one start.
Dylan Cardwell, C, Sacramento Kings
Things have been weird in Sacramento recently, specifically surrounding Domantas Sabonis and his role. That resulted in Cardwell seeing a big bump in minutes in their last game. Factor in that Precious Achiuwa is also questionable with an ankle injury, which is another path for Cardwell to take on more minutes, which could mean plenty of rebounds and defensive stats.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
