It's never too early to start streaming. Whether you have an opening due to an injury, you auction-drafted a crew of stars and scrubs, or you just didn't bother putting any effort into your last couple draft picks, you probably have a player or two on your team who isn't must-own. You're better off using that roster spot to stream players to eke out wins in close categories in your weekly head-to-head matchups.
This year, RotoBaller will be making weekly recommendations for extreme short term category specialists every week in all six counting stat categories (points, assists, threes, rebounds, steals, and blocks). Below are my Week 11 offensive category streamers for fantasy basketball - points, threes, and assists are below. All position eligibility and ownership percentages are based on Yahoo! fantasy leagues.
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Three Points Made Streamer
Terrence Ross, SG/SF, TOR, Opponents: Thursday vs. UTA, Saturday @ CHI, Sunday vs. HOU (20% Owned);
I’ve got to hand to it Terrence Ross, when he’s on, he’s on. The Raps have lost three of their last four as they ended their six-game road trip against the Spurs last night. Dwayne Casey’s given him the nod for extra minutes in the last few because he’s been one of the best wing options next to DeMar DeRozan. That and they need all the bodies they could use during this holiday road stretch.
In the last four games, T-Ross has averaged 14.8 points, 2.5 threes and 2.0 steals in 29.0 minutes. Threes and steals are his forte. Toronto has three more games in the late week, including a back-to-back starting in Chicago and ending in Toronto against an up-tempo Rockets team. You can bet Casey will have all hands on deck. I like Ross’ chances to put up a few crooked numbers during that stretch and he should be deployed if you’re looking for treys off the wire. Give him a look, then drop him after the weekend.
Other Options: Channing Frye, PF/C, CLE (10% Owned); Wayne Ellington, SG/SF, MIA (10% Owned); Alex Abrines, SG, OKC (1% Owned); Jodie Meeks, SG, ORL, (3% Owned); Troy Daniels, PG/SG, MEM (7% Owned)
Points Streamer
Thomas Robinson, PF/C, LAL, Opponents: Thursday @ POR, Friday vs. MIA, Sunday vs. ORL (5% Owned)
Since Larry Nance Jr. went down with a knee injury, Thomas Robinson has moved up in the rotation and entered fantasy relevancy once more. To be quite honest, he hasn’t looked bad as the fill-in backup. He’s providing rebounding, depth and toughness on the defensive end, which Luke Walton has found use for. As long as Nance sits, the former Jayhawk should have some sneaky value as a streaming points option.
Robinson has averaged 10.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals on 75.0 FG% in 17.7 minutes over the previous three games. He has three games in the late week, one against the second worst defensive team in the league. Guess who’s first? That’s right, the Lakers. That should be a high-scoring, up-tempo affair with little to no defense sure to look like a video game than anything else. There's obvious risk considering he only saw four minutes last night, but Robinson remains unowned in most leagues so watch the situation closely.
Other Options: Allen Crabbe, PG/SG, POR (24% Owned); Doug McDermott, SF, CHI (6% Owned); Jeremy Lamb, SG/SF, CHA (5% Owned)
Assists Streamer
Raymond Felton, PG/SG, LAC, Opponents: Friday @ SAC, Sunday vs. MIA (4% Owned)
After a torrid start, the Clippers now sit fifth in the Western Conference and nine games above .500. They’ve gone 3-7 in the last 10 with injuries playing a key part. Doc Rivers is adamant about not bringing back Chris Paul until he’s 100%, and rightfully so. That means we’re stuck with the B-team, Austin Rivers and Raymond Felton for at least the short-term. While they’ve both seen a boost in minutes, Felton has been running the primary floor general duties.
Felton has averaged 17.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.7 threes and 1.0 steals in 33.4 minutes over the three games that CP3 has missed. Doc trusts him (not that he has a choice) and he should continue to produce as long as they deal with backcourt injuries. He should be available in most leagues and makes a decent add for the late week if you need assists.
T.J. McConnell also makes for a strong assists streamer, but it depends on Sergio Rodriguez’ status in the late week. You’ll have to play that by ear. Michael Carter-Williams also has value as the starter, but we’re not sure if it’s so much a promotion than a demotion for Rajon Rondo. Jerian Grant could end up the real winner here. All make for strong options.
Other Options: T.J. McConnell, PG, PHI, (7% Owned); Michael Carter-Williams, PG, CHI (24% Owned); Brandon Jennings, PG, NYK (18% Owned);
By popular demand, RotoBaller has aggregated all of our fantasy basketball NBA waiver wire pickups into a running list of NBA waiver options, so bookmark the page and check back often for updates.