Playoff weekend is here and games are on your agenda. Friday: Six games. Saturday: 10 games (without Bueno). Sunday: five o’clock. Compose your team with the Knicks (not many options), Celtics, Nets, Nuggets, Wolves and Trail Blazers – these are the best teams to stream Friday through Sunday. Set up your lineup with options that can help you win profits.
Weekend strategy
Before we get into that, Pistons All-Star guard Cade Cunningham suffered a collapsed lung and will be reevaluated in two weeks. Cunningham left the game early against the Wizards on Tuesday with what was initially described as a back injury. This is a huge blow to the Pistons and fantasy managers, who unfortunately have no choice but to give up their first-round pick. When Cade is out of the lineup, look for Dennis Jenkins (13%) and Marcus Sasser (1%) to take over point guard duties.
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If you still have Bulls players after Thursday, let them go — Chicago doesn’t play again until Monday, and you need those spots over the weekend. The Suns and Wizards are the only teams playing three games in four nights from Thursday to Sunday. As I mentioned in Monday’s Playlist article, both teams have fringe players with streaming value in points and 9-cat leagues.
On Thursday, try to get an early start to the weekend by using one of my trades on one or two players who will play both Friday and Sunday. Saturday’s 10-game schedule may not prevent you from incorporating waiver assets into your lineup; plan accordingly based on your needs. It’s important to take a look at your situation mid-week. If you’re typically winning assists but falling behind Cunningham, pivot and refocus on other areas that can help you overcome the deficit or steal in a different category.
Players drop and disappear
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Anthony Edwards: Edwards will be re-evaluated in 1-2 weeks. If your playoffs end in Week 22, he’ll be behind. If your postseason ends in Week 23, I’d keep him in Illinois just in case he comes back to meet the 65-game requirement for the award and All-NBA team.
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Trae Young: Young suffered a quadriceps contusion on Monday, and it’s hard for me to imagine the Wizards taking any caution with Trae. I passed on him because Barb Carrington was more valuable than him off the bench.
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bulls players: With no games after Thursday, Chicago won’t play again until Monday’s 10-game schedule. Any fringe bull you use to tally statistics is going to eat up a roster spot over the course of the weekend.
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Streaming options for this weekend
Shallow leagues (more than 10% of rosters)
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Ayo Dosunmu – PG/SG/SF, Minnesota Timberwolves (29%): With Edwards sidelined, expect Ayo to continue to play 30-plus minutes while putting up valid statistical numbers in the 9-Cat format and enough statistics to be effective in points leagues. The Wolves have games on Friday and Sunday, so he’ll definitely be available in the light league lineup. I only spent 1/3 of my FAAB time on him on Wednesday after a productive 23-9-6 performance and three steals.
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Royce O’Neal – Small Forward/Power Forward, Phoenix Suns (18%): I would add O’Neal in deeper scoring and 9-cat leagues because of the volume of stats in categories like 3 points, steals, rebounds, and assists. Please wait a few hours for us to get more information on whether he will play (he was listed as doubtful on Thursday).
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Will Riley – Small Forward/Power Forward, Washington Wizards (15%): Riley’s minutes look to be the most consistent of any Wizards frontcourt player, and with another back-to-back, I’m more confident he won’t be rested with three games left in the week. The rookie has scored at least 21 points in three of the past five games and has contributed in three-pointers, rebounds and assists.
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Scott Henderson – Point Guard, Portland Trail Blazers (19%): Scores and assists after the playing time limit is lifted. The Trail Blazers have games on Friday and Sunday.
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Nique Clifford – SG/SF, Sacramento Kings (22%): The Kings take on the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, and if you need a final boost in steals, assists or rebounds, check to see if he’s available.
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Mitchell Robinson – C, New York Knicks (13%): Fortunately, the Knicks don’t play back-to-back games, so Robinson is arguably the best rebounding and shot-blocking option off waivers. Catch him before anyone else does.
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Oso Iguodaro – Center, Phoenix Suns (12%): For a big man who is starting and has three games remaining, there is room for upside in steals, rebounds and assists.
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Deep league (less than 10% of roster)
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Bones Hyland – PG/SG, Minnesota Timberwolves (8%): Bones is a microwave bucket and he’ll take advantage of Edwards’ absence. He scored 22 points with five points on Tuesday and went 18-3-2 on Wednesday.
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BooBoo Carrington – PG/SG, Washington Wizards (10%): Young was ruled out of Thursday’s game, and I doubt he’ll be able to play again over the weekend, leaving most of the ball-handling duties to Babb. Sharife Cooper will also get reps, but Carrington is the complementary player who finished Tuesday with a 30-4-2 record.
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Baylor Sherman – SF, Boston Celtics (1%): Sherman once again excelled in a deep league on Friday and Sunday, remaining a steady piece of the rotation despite the return of Jayson Tatum. The big man has recorded at least five rebounds and two assists in five straight games and has one steal in the past three games.
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Raheel Fleming – Power Forward, Phoenix Suns (0%): Just a 3-point and stock guy who would fit in a deeper 9-cat league.
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Tim Hardaway Jr. – SG/SF, Denver Nuggets (13%): Hardaway leads the league in scoring and three-pointers. His skills may be best suited for leagues with points above nine cats.
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Trey Johnson – PG/SG/SF, Washington Wizards – (8%): Johnson played about 24 minutes, which was just desperation for a fantasy manager in need of points and threes.
Others for consideration:
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Danny Wolfe – PF/C, Brooklyn Nets (9%)
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Sandro Mamuklashvili – PF/C, Toronto Raptors (9%)
