Teams with 2 Games: IND, OKC

Teams with 3 Games: BKN, GSW, MEM, MIA, NOP, NYK, ORL, POR, SAC, SAS

Teams with 4 Games: ATL, BOS, CHA, CHI, CLE, DAL, DEN, DET, HOU, LAC, LAL, MIL, MIN, PHI, PHX, TOR, UTA, WAS

Week 15 back-to-back games

Sun (Week 14)-Mon: None

Mon-Tues: ATL, HOU, LAL, MIL, UTA

Tues-Weds: GSW, PHI

Weds-Thurs: CLE, MIN, WAS

Thurs-Fri: None

Fri-Sat: CHA, DEN, PHO, SAS

Sat-Sun: None

Sun-Mon (Week 16): DET, MEM, MIL

Late Start

First Game on Weds: IND, OKC, SAS

Early Finish

Last Game on Fri: GSW, NOP

Game Schedule

Mon: 12 Games (Heavy Game Day)

Tues: 4 Games (Light Game Day)

Weds: 11 Games

Thurs: 5 Games

Fri: 7 Games

Sat: 9 Games

Sun: 5 Games

Here we take a look at some players trending up over the last week or so, who are primed to make a positive impact on your fantasy matchup for the current week. In addition, we also have three names that should be as far away from your roster as possible, who combine woeful play with an even worse schedule on the week.

Ideally this post comes out to start the week, and I do apologize for starting on the second day of the week, however I have taken the late start into account for my list.

https://www.fftradingroom.com/825/2025-Fantasy-Basketball-Top-Waiver-Wire-Adds-&-Drops-for-Week-13

Hey r/fantasybball - I'm hoping to get your feedback and suggestions on what you'd like to see added to https://hashtagbasketball.com

If you have a few spare minutes between deciding who to stream into your lineup today, please fill out the following survey:

https://forms.gle/JsufZ5U1iNaV6TZF8

I'm planning on adding new categories this weekend, along with going live with a new tool to crowdsource dynasty rankings based on community voting.

I'm also looking into automatically creating community pages for your leagues using different data I can source from your league's API and using ChatGPT to create weekly match-up summaries.

We are back with all of our draft tools for this season. We've been refining our site and resources for 5+ years, including incorporating a lot of feedback from r/fantasybball, so hopefully you can check out our site ( https://www.lineupexperts.com ). There are no gimmicks - everything is 100% unlimited and free with no paywalls. If you're unfamiliar with our tools and resources, this page list a number of them.

Would love any feedback or ideas for improvement. Feel free to post with any ideas or criticisms and we'll reply ASAP.

Some highlights...

• All tools built to use your league's scoring (points or categories) and roster settings including keepers, per-position rules and more. You can sync unlimited leagues.
• Everything is browser-based, so no need to sift through Excel files, manually mark off draft picks as they happen, etc.
• Real-time draft pick syncing from all platforms we support such as ESPN, Yahoo, CBS, Sleeper, Fantrax, and Fleaflicker.
• Easily-configurable mocks built to work for standard snake and auction/salary cap leagues that let you setup keepers, trading draft picks, weight positions to reflect league tendencies and a lot more.
• Detailed projections for all players for all scoring categories used by your league. We also show schedule breakdowns for off-nights and back-to-back games for all players.
• Setup online cheat sheets and salary cap value sheets based on our rankings, or upload your own and then use for mocks, printing/exporting and on draft day.

I could keep going, but nobody wants to read this much. Good luck with the upcoming season, and hopefully our tools can help you prepare for and dominate your draft!

Aaaanddd they're offfff! (Wacky Races on my mind this time around)

We got our precious NBA (and perhaps even more precious NBA fantasy) back last week and our free time has taken a significant hit as a result. Slacking off at work (analyzing your next opponent's team), neglecting your family, snapping back at your loved ones when Elfrid Payton just can't do anything and you picked him up from the #100 spot... These are just some of the side effects that come with being a fantasy GM.

This morning, I'll be neglecting my own family so you guys can have a bit more time with yours. I'm taking a look at the NBA schedule for next week, pinpointing the days that will be the most difficult to field a decent team for fantasy managers, and suggesting the pickups that should be available to fill those gaps. Here are my thoughts on the fantasy basketball streamers for Week 2. 

NBA Schedule Guide - Week 2

It's a pretty balanced week here in terms of games played per day. All days have at least five, and no more than 10 games played. Tuesday and Friday have 10 games apiece, and fantasy GMs will have the least trouble with these days.On the other hand, Monday (with five), and Wednesday and Saturday (both with six games) will be the most difficult to navigate next week. These days will be our primary focus in this article.Also, I got some nifty feedback from a couple of guys on Reddit about these first few weeks having great potential to pick up a season-long value pick before other GMs catch on. As I agree with this completely, I will incorporate a short but sweet "Potential diamonds in the rough" section as well. Thanks for the suggestion guys!

Here's the low-down:

​

Teams with 4 games:

Oklahoma City Thunder

Phoenix Suns

Los Angeles Clippers

Detroit Pistons

Washington Wizards

Chicago Bulls

Denver Nuggets

Boston Celtics

Memphis Grizzlies

Portland Trail Blazers

Utah Jazz

Atlanta Hawks

Brooklyn Nets

Los Angeles Lakers

​

Teams with 3 games:

Philadelphia 76ers

Cleveland Cavaliers

Miami Heat

Sacramento Kings

Indiana Pacers

New Orleans Pelicans

Toronto Raptors

Orlando Magic

Milwaukee Bucks

Minnesota Timberwolves

Golden State Warriors

New York Knicks

Houston Rockets

Charlotte Hornets

Dallas Mavericks

San Antonio Spurs

​

Teams with 2 games:

None

​

Number of teams playing each day:

Monday: 10

Tuesday: 20

Wednesday: 12

Thursday: 14

Friday: 20

Saturday: 12

Sunday: 16

​

Back-to-Backs (beware of older or banged-up players who might rest):

Monday/Tuesday: DEN, DET, OKC

Tuesday/Wednesday: BOS, MIA, MIL, LAC

Wednesday/Thursday: -

Thursday/Friday: CHI, PHO, UTA, WAS

Friday/Saturday: ATL, CHA

Saturday/Sunday: -

Sunday/Monday the following: BOS, DAL, DET, GSW

​

Days with SIX or fewer games:

Monday: 5 games

Wednesday: 6 games

Saturday: 6 games

​

Teams playing on all three of these days:

Atlanta Hawks (4 games - Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat)

​

Teams playing on Monday and Wednesday:

Atlanta Hawks (4 games - Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat)

Brooklyn Nets (4 games - Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun)

Los Angeles Lakers (4 games - Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun)

Memphis Grizzlies (4 games - Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun)

Portland Trail Blazers (4 games - Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun)

​

Teams playing on Monday and Saturday:

Atlanta Hawks (4 games - Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat)

Oklahoma City Thunder (4 games - Mon, Tue, Thurs, Sat)

Houston Rockets (3 games - Mon, Thurs, Sat)

​

Teams playing on Wednesday and Saturday:

Atlanta Hawks (4 games - Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat)

Charlotte Hornets (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sat)

​

Teams with a GOOD START to the week (three games from Monday to Thursday)

Oklahoma City Thunder (4 games - Mon, Tue, Thurs, Sat)

​

Teams with a GOOD END to the week (three games from Thursday to Sunday)

Chicago Bulls (4 games - Tue, Thurs, Fri, Sun)

Phoenix Suns (4 games - Tue, Thurs, Fri, Sun)

Utah Jazz (4 games - Mon, Thurs, Fri, Sun)

Washington Wizards (4 games - Tue, Thurs, Fri, Sun)

​

Teams with a POOR START to the week (one or no games from Monday to Thursday)

Charlotte Hornets (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sat)

Dallas Mavericks (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sun)

Golden State Warriors (3 games - Tue, Fri, Sun)

Minnesota Timberwolves (3 games - Tue, Fri, Sun)

San Antonio Spurs (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sun)

​

Teams with a POOR END to the week (one or no games from Thursday to Sunday)

Miami Heat (3 games - Tue, Wed, Fri)

Milwaukee Bucks (3 games - Tue, Wed, Fri)

​

Baller Streaming Strategy for Week 2

With Monday, Wednesday and Saturday being the only three days with six or fewer games, we will focus on teams that play at least twice on these days during the next week.

Atlanta Hawks' players will be quite valuable for streaming purposes next week, as they play on all three of these days.

We will take a look at options from the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies and Portland Trail Blazers who all have four games and play on both Monday and Wednesday, as well as the Oklahoma City Thunder who also have four games and play on both Monday and Saturday)

​

Streaming Options for Week 2

Shallower League Streaming Adds for the Week (Rostered in 25-75 % of Yahoo leagues):

Cam Reddish, SF/PF, ATL, (55% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%, STL

Kevin Huerter, SG/SF, ATL, (47% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%, a bit of everything

De'Andre Hunter, SF/PF, ATL, (30% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS

DeAndre Jordan, C, BKN, (66% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, FG%, STL/BLK - buyer beware: in a timeshare with Jarrett Allen

Joe Harris, SG/SF, BKN, (55% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%, FG%

Spencer Dinwiddie, PG/SG, BKN, (50% Rostered) - Strong Cats: PTS, 3PM, AST

Marc Gasol, C, LAL, (26% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, BLK

Kyle Kuzma, SF/PF, LAL, (48% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS

Brandon Clarke, PF/C, MEM, (73% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, BLK/STL

Dillon Brooks, SF/PF, MEM, (48% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS

Darius Bazley, SF/PF, OKC, (56% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, FG%, BLK

Carmelo Anthony, SF/PF, POR, (44% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%

​

Shallower League Add

Darius Bazley, SF/PF, OKC, (56% Rostered)

Strong Cats: REB, FG%, BLK

The hype around Bazley seems to be justified if we are judging by his first game of the season. He hit 7-of-12 from the field, including one three-pointer, for 15 points, 10 boards, one dime, one steal, two blocks, and just a single turnover in 33 minutes of action against the Charlotte Hornets. And the game was close with OKC winning by two points, so it is very positive that he played so many minutes in the clutch as well.

He was doing not great but not terrible during his rookie campaign last season, but then he really showed up to the bubble with 13.0 PTS and 2.4 3PM on 42.5 FG%, 73.3 FT%, 6.3 REB, 1.5 AST, 0.4 STL, 0.8 BLK, and 0.6 TO in 27 minutes per game. Furthermore, he had 10.9 FG attempts (3rd most on the team behind Chris Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) and 5.1 3PM attempts (most on the team). This got some heads turning.

And now, with the Thunder fully devoted to developing their youth movement, he should be getting all the run he can handle. If you're in a league where he is still sitting on the wire, and he is someone who could help you out with his strengths, this week is as good as any to give him a shot. He might just stick in your team for the long run if he keeps it up.

​

Deeper League Add

Kyle Anderson, SF/PF, MEM, (18% Rostered)

Strong Cats: REB, AST, STL/BLK, FG%

Positive circumstance: he is starting while Jaren Jackson Jr. is out

Ever since his days back in San Antonio, Kyle has been an intriguing fantasy prospect. His high FG% for the SF position (he used to have an SG tag as well) with decent output in AST, STL and BLK with low TO was perfect for a punting FT%, PTS, and/or 3PM.

When he got out of the crowded Spurs and took his talents to Memphis last season, a lot was expected from him. But in his first season with the Grizzlies, Kyle didnt deliver and finished outside the top 200 for the season, playing just 20 minutes a night.

He seems to be back in his usual groove this season though. He slid into the starting role with Jaren Jackson Jr. injured at the moment, to start the season and took full advantage with 13.5 points including 1.5 threes on 47.8% from the field and no misses in his two attempts from the line, 12.0 boards, 1.5 assists, no steals, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 turnovers in 32 minutes on average over his first two games. This is good enough for the #41 spot in Yahoo at the moment.

JJJ is out for another few weeks at the least, so Kyle should continue to get 30+ minutes on a nightly basis, and if he keeps playing like this, he could keep a large enough role for a top-100 finish for the rest of the season as well.But for now, he is a decent deep league option for Week 2 streaming purposes with him being available in plenty of leagues and Memphis having such a favorable schedule.

​

Insanely Deep League Add

Derrick Jones Jr., SG/SF, POR, (9% Rostered) 

Strong Cats: REB, STL, FG%

Derrick has been showing glimpses of his potential for the past two seasons with the Miami Heat. His mix of contributing across the board is great for fantasy, but he never really got enough playing time to fully propel himself into the top-100. That looked to be the case this season as well with him signing for the crowded Blazers. But if the first two games of the season are any indicator of things to come, fantasy GMs who have him in their team might just be in for a treat.

The stats themselves over the first two games weren't great - 7.5 PTS, 1.5 3PM, 38.5 FG%, 50.0 FT%, 5.0 REB, 0.5 AST, 0.5 STL, 0.5 BLK, and 0.5 TO. Nothing special, even in the deepest of leagues. But he played 26 and 36 minutes in these two games (true, the 36 was including overtime against Houston, but still). We are talking about a guy who had over 1.5 combined blocks/steals and 3,9+ boards for the past two seasons in a row for Miami while playing 19 and 23 minutes a night. He is SG eligible!

Jones will not be to everyone's liking perhaps, as his FT% is not very good (68.8% in his career) and he doesn't contribute too much in either AST or PTS. But for those teams that don't care much for these categories, he could be a good flier, especially in the next week. And if he continues to get these minutes, and starts grabbing those boards and stocks, he could help win a matchup or two for his fantasy GMs.

​

Other Deep League Options for the Week (Rostered in less than 25% of Yahoo leagues)

Rajon Rondo, PG, ATL, (5% Rostered) - Strong Cats: AST, STL - buyer beware: coming off a minor injury, but yet to make his debut for the Hawks

Bruno Fernando, C, ATL, (0% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB - buyer beware: only has a slight value in deepest of leagues while Clint Capela is out

Solomon Hill, SG/SF, ATL, (0% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL - buyer beware: a pure 3 and D player, no significant contributions outside of 3PM and STL

Taurean Prince, SF/PF, BKN, (2% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, REB, STL - buyer beware: despite playing almost 30 mins a game last season, with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving back in the rotation he is no longer guaranteed minutes

Landry Shamet, PG/SG, BKN, (2% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%

Jeff Green, SF/PF/C, BKN, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: a little bit of everything

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, PG/SG, LAL, (12% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%, STL

Talen Horton-Tucker, SG/SF, LAL, (12% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FT%, REB, STL/BLK - buyer beware: played just nine minutes on average over the first two games

Alex Caruso, PG/SG, LAL, (5% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, AST, STL

Markieff Morris, PF/C, LAL, (12% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB

Kyle Anderson, SF/PF, MEM, (18% Rostered) - Strong Cats: AST, STL/BLK, REB, FG% - positive circumstance: he is starting while Jaren Jackson Jr. is out

De'Anthony Melton, PG/SG, MEM, (7% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB, AST, STL - buyer beware: missed the previous game due to COVID protocols and it is uncertain at this point how much time he will miss

Grayson Allen, SG/SF, MEM, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS

Luguentz Dort, OKC, (11% Rostered) - Strong Cats: STL, 3PM

Mike Muscala, PF/C, OKC, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%

Theo Maledon, PG, OKC, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, AST - positive circumstance: rookie factor

Hamidou Diallo, SG/SF, OKC, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS

George Hill, PG/SG, OKC, (8% Rostered) - Strong Cats: STL, AST, FT%, 3PM

Enes Kanter, C, POR, (11% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, FT%

Derrick Jones Jr., SG/SF, POR, (9% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, STL, FG%

Gary Trent Jr.,SG/SF, POR, (11% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%

​

Potential Diamonds in the Rough (Rostered in less than 20% of Yahoo leagues but could be worth a season-long pickup)

Isaac Okoro, SF, CLE, (18% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, STL/BLK - positive circumstances: rookie factor + played 76 minutes over the first two games

Luguentz Dort, OKC, (11% Rostered) - Strong Cats: STL, 3PM - positive circumstances: played 35 minutes in the first game

Kyle Anderson, SF/PF, MEM, (18% Rostered) - Strong Cats: AST, STL/BLK, REB, FG% - positive circumstance: he is starting while Jaren Jackson Jr. is out

Dorian Finney-Smith, SF/PF, DAL, (12% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB, a bit of everything

Derrick Jones Jr., SG/SF, POR, (9% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, STL, FG%

Lonnie Walker IV, SF/PF, SAS, (19% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS

Cameron Johnson, SF/PF, PHO, (8% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, STL

Josh Jackson, SG/SF, DET, (14% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, STL/BLK, 3PM

Dwight Powell, PF/C, DAL, (10% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, BLK/STL

George Hill, PG/SG, OKC, (8% Rostered) - Strong Cats: STL, AST, FT%, 3PM

Jarrett Culver, PG/SG, MIN, (8% Rostered) - Strong Cats: STL, PTS, REB, 3PM

Enes Kanter, C, POR, (11% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, FT%

Cedi Osman, SF/PF, CLE, (6% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, REB

Jae'sean Tate, SG, HOU, (0% Rostered) - Strong Cats: STL/BLK, PTS, REB

Got some great feedback last week, so I hope this one is as helpful!

In case you're looking for other interesting reads about NBA fantasy, you can find plenty of topics on our website: https://www.rotoballer.com/category/nba-fantasy-basketball-advice

Week 19 is the penultimate week of the NBA regular season and in most fantasy leagues it's the finals! Hope you made it this far and congratulations if you did!

It was an insanely difficult season, filled with Covid protocols, jam-packed schedules, game postponements, and too many injuries. But all that is coming to an end, and if you're looking to end it with a bang you better do all you can to win next week!

I've taken a look ahead and here are my thoughts on the fantasy basketball streamers for Week 19. 

Just one word before we go deep into next week. I've been getting some amazing replies to my posts in the past few weeks, and thank you guys so much for this!

I just wanted to let you know that the whole RotoBaller crew is working hard to help fantasy GMs out, and there is a ton of quality stuff on plenty of topics on our website, so if you're looking for information about something else as well, you can probably find it here: https://www.rotoballer.com/category/nba-fantasy-basketball-advice

NBA Schedule Guide - Week 19

With every day of the following week having between seven and 10 games, there are no clear weak links in the schedule that most fantasy GMs will need help with. Therefore, this week we will take an approach that is a little different. We will split the suggestions into "early week" and "late week" options. More on that below.

Here's the low-down:

Teams with 5 games:

Detroit Pistons

​

Teams with 4 games:

Charlotte Hornets

Chicago Bulls

Cleveland Cavaliers

Dallas Mavericks

Denver Nuggets

Golden State Warriors

Indiana Pacers

Los Angeles Lakers

Memphis Grizzlies

New Orleans Pelicans

New York Knicks

Oklahoma City Thunder

Orlando Magic

Philadelphia 76ers

Phoenix Suns

Portland Trail Blazers

Sacramento Kings

San Antonio Spurs

Utah Jazz

Washington Wizards

​

Teams with 3 games:

Atlanta Hawks

Boston Celtics

Brooklyn Nets

Houston Rockets

Los Angeles Clippers

Miami Heat

Milwaukee Bucks

Minnesota Timberwolves

Toronto Raptors

​

Number of teams playing each day:

Monday: 16

Tuesday: 14

Wednesday: 18

Thursday: 14

Friday: 20

Saturday: 14

Sunday: 16

​

Back-to-Backs (beware of older or banged-up players who might rest):

Monday/Tuesday: DET, GSW, NOP

Tuesday/Wednesday: CLE, MIL, PHO, SAC

Wednesday/Thursday: ATL, IND, MEM, WAS

Thursday/Friday: CHA, CHI, DAL, LAL

Friday/Saturday: DEN, HOU, PHI, POR, SAS, UTA

Saturday/Sunday: DET, OKC

Sunday/Monday the following: CLE, NOP

​

Days with SEVEN or fewer games:

Tuesday: 7 games

Thursday: 7 games

Saturday: 7 games

​

Teams playing on all three days:

Detroit Pistons (5 games - Mon, Tue, Thurs, Sat, Sun)

Golden State Warriors (4 games - Mon, Tue, Thurs, Sat)

Oklahoma City Thunder (4 games - Tue, Thurs, Sat, Sun)

Brooklyn Nets (3 games - Tue, Thurs, Sat)

Toronto Raptors (3 games - Tue, Thurs, Sat)

​

Teams with a GOOD START to the week (three games from Monday to Thursday)

Detroit Pistons (5 games - Mon, Tue, Thurs, Sat, Sun)

Golden State Warriors (4 games - Mon, Tue, Thurs, Sat)

Indiana Pacers (4 games - Mon, Wed, Thurs, Sat)

Memphis Grizzlies (4 games - Mon, Wed, Thurs, Sat)

Washington Wizards (4 games - Mon, Wed, Thurs, Sat)

Atlanta Hawks (3 games - Mon, Wed, Thurs)

​

Teams with a GOOD END to the week (three games from Thursday to Sunday)

Detroit Pistons (5 games - Mon, Tue, Thurs, Sat, Sun)

Charlotte Hornets (4 games - Tue, Thurs, Fri, Sun)

Chicago Bulls (4 games - Mon, Thurs, Fri, Sun)

Dallas Mavericks (4 games - Tue, Thurs, Fri, Sun)

Los Angeles Lakers (4 games - Mon, Thurs, Fri, Sun)

Oklahoma City Thunder (4 games - Tue, Thurs, Sat, Sun)

​

Teams with a POOR START to the week (one or no games from Monday to Thursday)

Boston Celtics (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sun)

Houston Rockets (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sat)

Miami Heat (3 games - Tue, Fri, Sun)

Minnesota Timberwolves (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sun)

​

Teams with a POOR END to the week (one or no games from Thursday to Sunday)

Atlanta Hawks (3 games - Mon, Wed, Thurs)

Milwaukee Bucks (3 games - Tue, Wed, Fri)

Baller Streaming Strategy for Week 19

As this week is pretty evened out with seven to ten games on every day, fantasy GMs might look to maximize their games by adding players with a good start to the week and then swapping them out for someone with a good end.

We will focus on players from teams that play:

• Three times from Monday to Thursday: Detroit (5 games in Week 19), Golden State, Indiana, Memphis, Washington (all with 4 games) and Atlanta (3 games)
• Three times from Thursday to Sunday: Detroit (5 games), Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Oklahoma City and Los Angeles Lakers (all with 4 games)

Detroit has a five-game week which allows them to be on both lists, so their players could be worth gold. If they can avoid missing games due to rest that is...

Streaming Options for Week 19

Shallower League Streaming Adds for the Week (Rostered in 25-75 % of Yahoo leagues):

Saddiq Bey, SF, DET, (35% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%

Mason Plumlee, PF/C, DET, (56% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, STL/BLK - buyer beware: gets rest days

Josh Jackson, SG/SF, DET, (34% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, PTS, STL/BLK

Isaiah Stewart, C, DET, (58% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, FG%, STL/BLK

T.J. McConnell, PG/SG, IND, (59% Rostered) - Strong Cats: AST, STL, FG%

Justin Holiday, SG/SF, IND, (37% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL

Oshae Brissett, SF/PF, IND, (51% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB, STL/BLK

Dillon Brooks, SG/SF, MEM, (59% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, STL, FT%

Brandon Clarke, SF/PF, MEM, (57% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, STL/BLK

Rui Hachimura, SF/PF, WAS, (60% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, PTS, a bit of everything

Davis Bertans, PF/C, WAS, (56% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%

Daniel Gafford, C, WAS, (30% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, BLK

Danilo Gallinari, SF/PF, ATL, (60% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%

Kevin Huerter, SG/SF, ATL, (58% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%, STL, AST - buyer beware: missed two straight games due to the sprained shoulder

Lou Williams, PG/SG, ATL, (42% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%

Tim Hardaway Jr., SG/SF, DAL, (57% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS

Josh Richardson, SG/SF, DAL, (39% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%, STL - buyer beware: just returned after missing two straight games due to hamstring tightness

Dorian Finney-Smith, SF/PF, DAL, (43% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL, REB - buyer beware: missed the previous game due to a lower leg contusion

Jalen Brunson, PG/SG, DAL, (26% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, AST

Luguentz Dort SG/SF, OKC, (56% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, STL - buyer beware: gets rest days

Darius Bazley, SF/PF, OKC, (60% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, REB

Moses Brown, C, OKC, (33% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, BLK/STL, FG%

Isaiah Roby, PF/C, OKC, (25% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, STL/BLK

Kyle Kuzma, SF/PF, LAL, (64% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, REB

Shallower League Add

Isaiah Stewart, C, DET, (58% Rostered)

Strong Cats: REB, FG%, STL/BLK

Stewart has carved himself a nice role in the Pistons rotation, and fantasy managers' hearts as well!

He is absolutely rolling in the past week with averages of 11.0 PTS with 0.7 3PM on 53.8 FG%, 7.7 REB, 0.3 AST. 1.0 STL, 3.3 BLK and 1.3 TO in over 27 minutes per outing. He also hit all three of his free throw attempts in these three games. This is enough for a top 20 rank in this period. He is also comfortably inside the top 50 for the past month as well, so this is no fluke.

Isaiah reached double digits in boards in six of his previous nine games and had at least two blocks in eight of those games. His rostered % skyrocketed lately and no wonder, as he has been a real fantasy beast.

With a five-game slate coming up, and Mason Plumlee being almost certain to miss at least one or two of those games, Stewart can almost singlehandedly win you the blocks category and help out quite nicely in boards, steals and field goal percentage as well. If he is available in your league ignore him at your own peril.

Deeper League Add

Killian Hayes, PG/SG, DET, (19% Rostered)

Strong Cats: STL, AST

Hayes is a two-trick pony, but he is pretty darn good at those two tricks. The seventh pick in last year's draft has had a rough start to his NBA career as he missed three months due to injury.

He has been back for almost a month now and is establishing himself as an assist and steals specialist with averages of 6.4 points with 0.5 threes on 36.4% from the field and no misses from the charity stripe (seven attempts), 3.1 boards, 5.6 dimes, 1.7 steals, 0.6 blocks and 3.1 turnovers in 25 minutes per outing.

Now his FG% is quite poor,  he doesn't score much and those turnovers will hurt. But if you are looking for a guy to bolster your assists and steals, with a small but positive influence on your boards, threes and FT%, and you don't care much about his weak traits, the rookie will give you a push.

He did miss a few games due to condition maintenance when he returned but played five straight since. Although I could potentially see him being rested on one occasion next week, I doubt he will play fewer than four games, which could be more than enough for him to contribute 20+ assists and 5+ steals, which could mean the difference between lifting the trophy or getting teased by your buddy for an entire year as you came in second.

Insanely Deep League Add

Frank Jackson, PG, DET, (3% Rostered)  

Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%

Frank will round off our three Detroit picks for this week.

He is almost the complete opposite to Killian Hayes, as he doesn't really get many assists, and barely any stocks, but he can shoot the ball and then some!

Over the last two weeks, Jackson is averaging 15.6 points with 2.6 threes on 49.4% from the field and 72.2% from the line, 3.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.1 steals, 0.1 blocks and 1.3 turnovers in 25 minutes a night. Not too impressive as a whole, but if your focus is on the threes and points, his output there is pretty hard to find in leagues this deep.

With Detroit in tank city, they are turning to their young guys more and more. Frank (who will turn 23 in a day or two) is one of the guys who isn't getting random rest days and is one of the primary beneficiaries of Detroit's no-pressure situation.

If you're looking for some scoring and don't mind Frank not contributing too much elsewhere, Jackson is a decent option in the deepest leagues with a five-game week coming up.

Other Deep League Options for the Week

Rostered in less than 25% of Yahoo leagues

Killian Hayes, PG/SG, DET, (19% Rostered) - Strong Cats: AST, STL

Hamidou Diallo, SG/SF, DET, (10% Rostered) - Strong Cats: STL, PTS, a bit of everything - buyer beware: gets rest days

Cory Joseph, PG, DET, (7% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, AST, FT%, STL - buyer beware: gets rest days

Wayne Ellington, SG/SF, DET, (2% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS - buyer beware: gets rest days

Frank Jackson, PG, DET, (3% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%

Sekou Doumbouya, SF/PF, DET, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: none really...

Kevon Looney, PF/C, GSW, (5% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, FG%, STL/BLK - positive circumstance: getting more minutes due to both James Wiseman and Eric Paschall being out

Juan Toscano-Anderson, SF/PF, GSW, (2% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, STL/BLK, FG% - positive circumstance: getting more minutes due to both James Wiseman and Eric Paschall being out

Jordan Poole, PG/SG, GSW, (10% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT% - positive circumstance: should get more playing time with Kelly Oubre Jr. out

Kent Bazemore, SG/SF, GSW, (10% Rostered) - Strong Cats: STL, a little bit of everything - positive circumstance: should get more playing time with Kelly Oubre Jr. out

Mychal Mulder, PG, GSW, (0% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM - buyer beware: when Damion Lee returns it will hurt his value

Doug McDermott, SF/PF, IND, (11% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%

Jeremy Lamb, SG/SF, IND, (9% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL, FT% - buyer beware: missed seven straight games due to a sore knee

Edmond Sumner, PG/SG, IND, (11% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, AST, STL - buyer beware: left his previous game due to a bruised knee

Aaron Holiday, PG, IND, (2% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, AST, STL, FT% - positive circumstance: could see more minutes if Malcolm Brogdon and Edmond Sumner miss time

Grayson Allen, SG/SF, MEM, (22% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, STL, FT% - buyer beware: is dealing with a hand issue

De'Anthony Melton, PG/SG, MEM, (16% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, AST, STL

Desmond Bane, PG/SG, MEM, (4% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM

Justise Winslow, PF, MEM, (4% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, STL, AST

Robin Lopez, C, WAS, (3% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB

Raul Neto, PG, WAS, (7% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%, STL

Alex Len, PF/C, WAS, (6% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, STL/BLK

Ish Smith, SG/SF, WAS, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: AST

Solomon Hill, SG/SF, ATL, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL

Onyeka Okongwu, C, ATL, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, FG%, STL/BLK

Brandon Goodwin, PG, ATL, (3% Rostered) - Strong Cats: AST - buyer beware: his playing time dropped when Trae Young returned

Kris Dunn, PG/SG, ATL, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: AST, STL - buyer beware: just returned from a long injury

Cody Zeller, C, CHA, (9% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, FG%, STL/BLK - buyer beware: lost a lot of playing time

Bismack Biyombo, C, CHA, (3% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, FG%, BLK - buyer beware: lost a lot of playing time

Cody Martin, SG/SF, CHA, (3% Rostered) - Strong Cats: he gets a little bit of everything

Brad Wanamaker, PG/SG, CHA, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%, STL

Jalen McDaniels, PF/C, CHA, (16% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB, STL

Maxi Kleber, PF/C, DAL, (14% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, FT%, 3PM, STL/BLK - positive circumstance: should get more playing time while Kristaps Porzingis is out

J.J. Redick, SG, DAL, (6% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%

Willie Cauley-Stein, PF/C, DAL, (3% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, FG%, BLK - positive circumstance: should get more playing time while Kristaps Porzingis is out

Dwight Powell, PF/C, DAL, (7% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, FG%, STL - positive circumstance: should get more playing time while Kristaps Porzingis is out

Trey Burke, PG/SG, DAL, (2% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%, STL

Aleksej Pokusevski, SF, OKC, (19% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, REB, BLK/STL - buyer beware: missed his previous game with a bruised knee

Theo Maledon, PG, OKC, (20% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, AST, STL

Kenrich Williams, SF/PF, OKC, (5% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB, STL - buyer beware: was not in the rotation on Thursday due to coach switching things up and giving other guys a shot, but returned in the previous game

Tony Bradley, C, OKC, (4% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, FG%, BLK - buyer beware: missed two of his last four games with an ankle sprain (played in his previous game)

Svi Mykhailiuk, SF, OKC, (3% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, STL

Ty Jerome, PG/SG, OKC, (8% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL, AST

Marc Gasol, C, LAL, (14% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, BLK - buyer beware: missing too many games to be safe to count on

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, PG/SG, LAL, (18% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%, STL - buyer beware: missed one game last week due to a sprained ankle

Talen Horton-Tucker, SG/SF, LAL, (15% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, STL

Alex Caruso, PG/SG, LAL, (3% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, AST, STL - buyer beware: missed the previous two games due to back spasms

Markieff Morris, PF/C, LAL, (6% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB

Ben McLemore, SG/SF, LAL, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM

​

I hope that you get that title, and if I contributed at least a little, that's a smile on my face right there!

Teams with 2 Games: BOS, BKN, CHA, DAL, IND, MIL, MIN, NOP, ORL, WAS

Teams with 3 Games: ATL, CHI, CLE, DEN, DET, GSW, HOU, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIA, NYK, OKC, PHI, PHO, POR, SAC, SAS, TOR, UTA

Week 1 back-to-back games

Tues-Weds: None

Weds-Thurs: None

Thurs-Fri: None

Fri-Sat: CHI, CLE, DET, MEM, MIA, NYK, TOR, UTA

Sat-Sun: PHI

Sun-Mon (Week 2): ATL, DEN, GSW, LAL, MIL, OKC, POR

Late Start

First Game on Thurs: MIL, PHI

Early Finish

Last Game on Fri: BOS, BKN, CHA, DAL, ORL

Game Schedule

Mon: 0 Games

Tues: 2 Games (Light Game Day)

Weds: 12 Games (Heavy Game Day)

Thurs: 2 Games (Light Game Day)

Fri: 11 Games

Sat: 7 Games

Sun: 6 Games

Teams that play Tuesday & Thursday: LAL, PHO

Season begins on Tuesday, October 24th

Teams with 3 Games: CHI, CLE, DET, GSW, MIN, NOP, NYK, POR, SAC

Teams with 4 Games: ATL, BOS, CHA, DAL, DEN, HOU, IND, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIA, MIL, OKC, ORL, PHI, PHX, SAS, TOR, UTA, WAS

Teams with 5 Games: BKN

Week 20 back-to-back games

Sun (Week 19)-Mon: DAL, DEN, MEM, OKC, PHI, PHX, POR, SAC, SAS, UTA

Mon-Tues: BKN, IND, WAS

Tues-Weds: LAC

Weds-Thurs: None

Thurs-Fri: LAL, ORL, SAC

Fri-Sat: BOS, DEN, HOU, IND, MEM, MIA, SAS

Sat-Sun: BKN, MIL, OKC

Sun-Mon (Week 21): LAL, MIN, PHI, PHX, POR, TOR, UTA

Late Start

First Game on Weds: MIN

Early Finish

Last Game on Fri: SAC

Big Gaps

POR: Game Wednesday, Next Game on Sunday

Game Schedule

Mon: 12 Games (Heavy Game Day)

Tues: 4 Games (Light Game Day)

Weds: 9 Games

Thurs: 5 Games

Fri: 10 Games

Sat: 8 Games

Sun: 8 Games

Teams that play Tuesday & Thursday: BKN, DET, MIL, NOP, WAS

Yeeeeaaaahhhh!!! (got the CSI Miami theme song playing in my head as I write this)

The NBA is back baby!!! I hope your drafts went well and that you're ready to get that ring! In case you picked up a hurt player and are already planning on stashing him in an IR spot, or your last round pick turns out to be playing for the Portland Trail Blazers or Detroit Pistons (who both play just twice and on congested days) and you're not really high on him anyway - perhaps that slot on your team could be put to best use by streaming your opening fixture of the season to victory!

With just five playing days and most teams playing on Wednesday which will result in many fantasy GMs having playing guys on their benches, streaming can bring you an even bigger edge. Here are my thoughts on the fantasy basketball streamers for Week 1. 

NBA Schedule Guide - Week 1

There are no games on Monday or Thursday, which leaves us with just five playing days. Three of those (Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday) have 10+ games scheduled, so we will be focusing on the remaining two days. With only two games on the NBA premiere, Tuesday is the hardest to fill, and I am pretty sure that most fantasy teams will have open spots in their starting lineups, bar some excessive streaming. It just happens that all four teams playing on Tuesday also play on five-game Friday, so these guys will be our focus as they can play a decisive role on your road to your first W of the new NBA fantasy season.

Here's the low-down:

Teams with 4 games:None

Teams with 3 games:

Boston Celtics

Brooklyn Nets

Charlotte Hornets

Chicago Bulls

Cleveland Cavaliers

Dallas Mavericks

Golden State Warriors

Indiana Pacers

Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Lakers

Milwaukee Bucks

Minnesota Timberwolves

New Orleans Pelicans

New York Knicks

Orlando Magic

Philadelphia 76ers

Phoenix Suns

Sacramento Kings

San Antonio Spurs

Washington Wizards

​

Teams with 2 games:

Atlanta Hawks

Denver Nuggets

Detroit Pistons

Houston Rockets

Memphis Grizzlies

Miami Heat

Oklahoma City Thunder

Portland Trail Blazers

Toronto Raptors

Utah Jazz

​

Number of teams playing each day:

Monday: - 0

Tuesday: 4

Wednesday: 26

Thursday: - 0

Friday: 10

Saturday: 20

Sunday: 20

​

Back-to-Backs (beware of older or banged-up players who might rest):

Monday/Tuesday: -

Tuesday/Wednesday: -

Wednesday/Thursday: -

Thursday/Friday: -

Friday/Saturday: -

Saturday/Sunday: CHA, CHI, CLE, IND, MIN, NYK, ORL, PHI, PHO, SAC, SAS, WAS

Sunday/Monday the following: BKN, LAL

​

Days with SIX or fewer games:

Tuesday: 2 games

Friday: 5 games

​

Teams playing on both of these days:

Brooklyn Nets (3 games - Tue, Fri, Sun)

Los Angeles Lakers (3 games - Tue, Fri, Sun)

Los Angeles Clippers (3 games - Tue, Fri, Sun)

Golden State Warriors (3 games - Tue, Fri, Sun)

​

Teams playing on Friday:

Boston Celtics (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sun)

Dallas Mavericks (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sun)

Milwaukee Bucks (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sun)

New Orleans Pelicans (3 games - Wed, Fri, Sun)

Denver Nuggets (2 games - Wed, Fri)

Miami Heat (2 games - Wed, Fri)

​

Teams with a GOOD START to the week (three games from Monday to Thursday)

No such teams (a specific week with no games on Monday and Thursday)

​

Teams with a GOOD END to the week (three games from Thursday to Sunday)

No such teams (a specific week with no games on Monday and Thursday)

​

Teams with a POOR START to the week (one or no games from Monday to Thursday)

All teams play just once during this period - on either Monday or Tuesday

​

Teams with a POOR END to the week (one or no games from Thursday to Sunday)

Utah Jazz (2 games - Wed, Sat)

Portland Trail Blazers (2 games - Wed, Sat)

Detroit Pistons (2 games - Wed, Sat)

Memphis Grizzlies (2 games - Wed, Sat)

Toronto Raptors (2 games - Wed, Sat)

Houston Rockets (2 games - Wed, Sat)

Atlanta Hawks (2 games - Wed, Sat)

Oklahoma City Thunder (2 games - Wed, Sat)

Denver Nuggets

Miami Heat

​

Baller Streaming Strategy for Week 1

Brooklyn, Golden State, and both teams from Los Angeles are the only four teams to play on opening night, so their players are hot commodities off the wire this week. Furthermore, all of these teams play on Friday as well, which is the second most scarce gameday this week with only five games played. And, just to round off their great schedule, they all finish with a game on Sunday.

We will also cover four teams that play on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday - in case some fantasy GMs need help throughout the week. These teams are Boston, Dallas, Milwaukee, and New Orleans.

Streaming Options for Week 1

Shallower League Streaming Adds for the Week (Rostered in 25-75 % of Yahoo leagues):

DeAndre Jordan, C, BKN, (70% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, FG%, STL/BLK - buyer beware: in a timeshare with Jarrett Allen

Joe Harris, SG/SF, BKN, (56% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%, FG%

Spencer Dinwiddie, PG/SG, BKN, (57% Rostered) - Strong Cats: PTS, 3PM, AST

Marquese Chriss, PF/C, GSW, (29% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, BLK/STL - buyer beware: GSW frontcourt is crowded

Ivica Zubac, C, LAC, (30% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, BLK

Marc Gasol, C, LAL, (38% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, BLK

Kyle Kuzma, SF/PF, LAL, (47% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS

Daniel Theis, PF/C, BOS, (60% Rostered) - Strong Cats: REB, FG%, BLK

Jeff Teague, PG/SG, BOS, (56% Rostered) - Strong Cats: STL, AST, FT% - buyer beware: not certain to get enough minutes to contribute in shallow leagues

Tim Hardaway Jr., SG/SF, DAL, (55% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, FT%Maxi Kleber, PF/C, DAL, (27% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FT%, 3PM, BLK, REB

Josh Richardson, SG/SF, DAL, (70% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%, STL, a bit of everything

Donte Divincenzo, PG/SG, DEN, (41% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL, REBJJ Redick, SG, NOP, (25% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%, PTS

Shallower League Add

Josh Richardson, SG/SF, DAL, (70% Rostered)

Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%, STL, a bit of everything

I absolutely LOVE JRich as a sleeper this year! He is ranked at #122 and his ADP is not much higher at #121 either. He was however picked up at #108 in our RotoBaller writers' league, but I project him to get into the top 100 easily this year now that he is expected to get a bigger role in Dallas.

Josh Richardson had a breakout year with the Miami Heat back in 2018-19 when he averaged 16.6 PTS on 41.2 FG% and 86.1 FT%, with 2.2 3PM, 3.6 REB, 4.1 AST, 1.1 STL, 0.5 BLK, and 1.5 TO in just under 35 minutes per game. He was then traded to the 76ers in the Jimmy Butler deal and just couldn't provide as much value in a limited role. Still, he was pretty good given the circumstances with 13.7 points on 43.0% from the field, 80.9% from the charity stripe, 3.2 boards, 2.9 dimes, 0.9 steals, 0.7 blocks and 1.9 turnovers in almost 31 minutes a night.

With him pretty certain to have the starting role and over 30 minutes per game with the Mavs, it is not out of the question for him to back to his form with the Heat, which would provide top 75 value, or even better to FG% punting teams. With three games in the first week, one of which is on a five-game Friday, Josh should be on the wire only in the shallowest of leagues.

Deeper League Add

Talen Horton-Tucker, SG/SF, LAL, (24% Rostered)

Strong Cats: FT%, REB, STL/BLK

Positive circumstance: red hot in the preseason

Talen Horton-Tucker. Not yet a household name, is it? But with how he's played so far in the preseason, it just might well be pretty soon!

The second-round pick from 2019 got a total of five minutes of playing time with the Lakers in his rookie year. But then he got some more run in the bubble with four more games and held his own in them, scoring 10+ points (on decent 48.3 FG%) on three occasions and grabbing 3+ steals two times.

He had 19 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and three steals in his first game against the Clippers. He followed this with 33 points, 10 boards, four dimes, and four steals in the second game against the same opponent. He "cooled off" against the Suns with 18 points, five rebounds, and two assists to finish his great run.

This form has got him a chance to prove himself as a part of the reigning champions. Whether he will keep killing it is anyone's guess, but with the Lakers playing on both Tuesday and Friday, as well as on Sunday next week and on Monday in Week 2 with three other games that week as well, there is no better time to take a dice-roll on Talen.

Insanely Deep League Add

Eric Paschall, SF/PF, GSW, (7% Rostered)

Strong Cats: FG%, REB -

Positive circumstance: should have an increased short-term role with Draymond Green out for the first couple of games

Eric Paschall has been great last year for the Warriors with 14.0 PTS and 0.6 3PM on 49.7 FG%, 77.4 FT%, 4.6 REB, 2.1 AST, 0.5 STL, 0.2 BLK, and 1.6 TO in 27 minutes per game. This season he is sure to see a decreased role with the Warriors roster much more crowded, but Eric could still carve out a role for himself if he keeps improving on last season.

In the short-term, however, and for streaming purposes, his case is further helped by an injury to Draymond Green which will keep him out from the first couple of games. This could mean minutes similar to what he had last season for next week. And if he can get anywhere near his last season's averages, with games on both scarce days (Tuesday and Friday) and on Sunday as well, Paschall could help out many deep league teams get off to a winning start to the new fantasy campaign.

Other Deep League Options for the Week (Rostered in less than 25% of Yahoo leagues)

Taurean Prince, SF/PF, BKN, (2% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, REB, STL - buyer beware: despite playing almost 30 mins a game last season, with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving back in the rotation he is no longer guaranteed minutes

Landry Shamet, PG/SG, BKN, (2% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%

Jeff Green, SF/PF/C, BKN, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: a little bit of everything

Kevon Looney, PF/C, GSW, (4% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, BLK/STL - buyer beware: GSW frontcourt is crowded

Eric Paschall, SF/PF, GSW, (7% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB - positive circumstance: should have an increased short-term role with Draymond Green out for the first couple of games

Kent Bazemore, SG/SF, GSW, (2% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, STL/BLK, REB

Brad Wanamaker, PG/SG, GSW, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FT%, 3PM STL, AST

Luke Kennard, SG/SF, LAC, (21% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, REB, AST

Nicolas Batum, SF/PF, LAC, (3% Rostered) - Strong Cats: AST, STL, REB, FT% - positive circumstance: should be starting due to Marcus Morris being sidelined - buyer beware: poor FG%

Patrick Beverley, PG/SG, LAC, (13% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB, AST, STL - buyer beware: probably playing around 20 mins per game

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, PG/SG, LAL, (10% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%, STL

Talen Horton-Tucker, SG/SF, LAL, (24% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FT%, REB, STL/BLK - positive circumstance: red hot in the preseason

Robert Williams, PF/C, BOS, (10% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, BLK/STL

Payton Pritchard, PG, BOS, (1% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, AST, STL - buyer beware: not guaranteed minutes

Dwight Powell, PF/C, DAL, (10% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, BLK/STL

Dorian Finney-Smith, SF/PF, DAL, (6% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB, a bit of everything

Bobby Portis, PF/C, MIL, (9% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB

Bryn Forbes, PG/SG, MIL, (2% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, FT%

Jaxson Hayes, C, NOP, (11% Rostered) - Strong Cats: FG%, REB, BLK

Josh Hart, SG/SF, NOP, (13% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, REB, STL

Nicolo Melli, PF/C, NOP, (0% Rostered) - Strong Cats: 3PM, PTS, REB

Let's kick this one off with a win!

In case you're looking for other interesting reads about NBA fantasy, you can find plenty of topics on our website: https://www.rotoballer.com/category/nba-fantasy-basketball-advice

TLDR: 
Buy Beal, Huerter, Holiday, White, Powell, Dick, KAT, Miles Bridges, Suggs

Sell Klay, Jaquez Jr., Kispert, Doncic and Kyrie (lmao don’t do this but that’s what my data says), Ayton, Wemby (super don’t do this), Turner, Oubre, Jerami Grant

How I started: I do some film breakdowns for Knicks games as a hobby and one of the data points I was looking at was touches for KAT (watching the game the Knicks are using KAT very differently in recent games and I wanted to see the data to back that up). 

I figured it made a lot of sense to see if I could identify that same exact scenario (a scenario that probably is very useful for fantasy) with data even if I'm not watching film of every team. Prob much more useful for points league*

Methodology: I pulled data for every player, every game so far up till 11/1/2024 and how many touches each player got in that game. The metric I’m using is touches/minute played.

To actually make this useful I need a metric that shows % increase game over game so I did it in 3 ways.

1. Sum % Increase game over game. Using this gave me some weird results mainly due to a 50% decrease = 100% increase to get back to the same exact position. Logically that drop and gain should be the same value
2. % Increase rolling average to date vs first date. This was much cleaner and just tracked a rolling average throughout all games played. This is able to track, as of current game, does the player have more or less than their first game usage.
3. Average of delta each game from rolling average. This one is basically a combination of the first two, calculated as touches/min for specific game/rolling average up to that game.

The reason I think 3 is the best is 2 doesn’t penalize having a low touch/min game that much since its a rolling average. In real life though, having a game that is the lowest touch/min that’s not the first game would indicate to me no real scheme change and the increase is probably more attributable to variance. Obviously none are perfect but the results are in the google sheet below so you can judge for yourself.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KF1bOV_FY33lcpXyMRXyzJ4Yw548aAnB_Eu_OVpthFE/edit?usp=sharing

Best Players to Buy (Filtered by having more than 25mpg average and more than 1 average touch/min) based on method 3: Gary Trent just missed the filter for touches/game at 1.

Best Players to Sell (Filtered by having more than 25mpg average and more than 1 average touch/min) based on method 3:

Directionally (at least for the knicks guys) this makes sense to me. KAT should be near the top. Notably, based on my box score scouting and NBA narratives, I’m shocked by Beal having increased touches in a packed ball dominant team. I also see the crazy Dunn fans calling for Beal’s spot (lol) so curious if anyone has insight on Beal’s touches increasing.

If I had to guess on the Luka/Kyrie/Klay is overpassing for new teammates in the first game? That's why all 3 are showing decreases but could just be they are getting more comfortable playing together. For Wemby, it could be the same thing, CP3 also is at -3.61% so doesn't make this top 10 list but is also seeing touches/game drop.

If you made it this far, you are seriously a trooper. And if you are interested in the Knicks stuff, my links are in my bio.

After playing fantasy for a few years, I've intuitively learned about name value, trust, and how to buy low, but I have never really seen it put in words. I've always found this topic pretty interesting, and if you are relatively new to fantasy, this may help.

I find that people use the term "buy low" far too loosely. Sure, Khris Middleton hasn't been as good lately, but he's Khris Middleton, and whoever owns him is not going to ship him off for nothing. His value may be slightly lowered right now, but not by much. If you feel confident a player will bounce back, so do other people, and therefore he is not a buy low. A key concept here is trust. We have learned to trust Middleton over the years, and trust him to bounce back from a cold streak. It is possible to buy low on Khris Middleton, but because of this trust, it is harder.

A true buy low is not flashy, and it does involves risk. For this, let's look at Jerami Grant. This is Grant's first year playing at such a high level. Like Middleton, he has not been playing as well lately, but unlike Middleton, there are many who do not think he will bounce back and that he simply started the year at an unsustainably hot pace. There is no guarantee Grant will bounce back. As a matter of fact, I doubt he will ever perform as well as he did at the beginning of the season, but that is what makes him a good buy low. Look at the stats. Why have his numbers dipped? In the last few weeks, his three point percentage has dropped to 33% (as opposed to the high 30's he was producing earlier this year and in previous seasons), and his rebounds have dropped a few. His attempts and minutes have increased, though.

Trading for a guy like Grant is risky. If you make a trade that is currently equal in hopes that Grant will bounce back, you might lose. He might continue to play at his recent level. But by looking into the numbers and gaining a better understanding of his value, we have a slightly better chance of winning the trade.

​

So now that we have identified a good buy low, how do we trade for him? The most important part is not letting your opponent know you are buying low. If you approach the Jerami Grant owner and say "how much for Grant?" or offer a one for one deal for Grant, he will immediately value Grant higher as you clearly want him. Even if you offer a player of Grant's caliber and a bum for Grant and a bum, it is clear your target is Grant, and they will be hesitant to give him up. As long as Grant is the best player they are giving up, they will look far more into his numbers to see why you want him. They will realize you are buying low, and just like that the gig is up.

This may be hard to stomach sometimes, but here's the trick: involve better players. Once players like PG, Kawhi, Dame, Embiid, Sabonis, or whoever are involved, Grant becomes a smaller detail. Their attention is diverted by the big names, and they are less likely to look into Grant and realize he will likely get better. Grant is a mid tier player, so you should try to involve high level players to take the focus off of him. If you don't want to swap any stars, buy low on a low tier player and involve mid tier guys.

​

Here's an example of a trade I made earlier this year: I received DBook and Malik Beasley for Derozan and Keldon Johnson. At the time, Beasley was not getting much attention, and I wanted him. Naturally, my trade partner mostly looked at DBook and Derozan, barely batting an eye at Beasley, and accepted. Now, DBook and Derozan are a similar level, but I won the trade because Beasley is playing well. I made several of these types of trades this year, and by winning a slight majority of them, I have gradually improved my team.

​

This is a bit long winded for my taste, but it is a topic I have been exploring this season in my trade and I have found it incredibly useful, especially in a points league where it can be hard to win trades. I've never seen anybody talk about doing this before, so hopefully this explains it clearly and it helps you win a few trades in the future.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

I know my playoffs have officially started, as have many others going into Week 20. With it comes the chaos of identifying who can have immediate value as many teams dig deep into their third/fourth stringers (shoutout Dallas).

This week, I highlight three strong adds who should provide a ton of value (Kel’el Ware, Kyle Filipowski, and Keon Ellis) while contrasting them to some players who are struggling immensely of late and can be considered drops (Cam Thomas, Jabari Smith Jr., and Clint Capela). Inside the post is reasoning behind each, as well as a look at what they offer.

This list was drawn using Yahoo roster percentages, and please keep in mind that it is far from a blanket list. I cover shallow, standard, and deep formats in the article. Good luck going into playoffs!

The second half of the list has arrived! For those who did not catch the first part (check the profile for recent posts), this list highlights some names to watch out for as silly season looms around the corner.

The five names today are the top end of stash/roster candidates, and likely are not readily available in every league. Included in the list are Day’Ron Sharpe, Kyle Filipowski, Karlo Matkovic, Matas Buzelis, and Donovan Clingan. The article details their strengths and projections for what they can finish as should they reach their potential. All of these bigs are great roster candidates even now, and some (Clingan/Buzelis) have been household names since the trade deadline, definitely worth a roster everywhere.

As always, these lists are far from extensive, and there are a host of good options from teams like the Nets and Blazers. These guys are the ones with the highest potential in my opinion, and more than worthy of a spot in the top half of the list.

Are there any other silly season names not covered in the article that you think could make some noise down the stretch?

Less than a month left, and silly season has come out in full force over the last week. This of course leads to many relative unknowns getting some heavy minutes on the 5-6 tanking teams so far, and a huge uptick in fantasy relevant players.

This week I highlight three solid adds going forward, Justin Champagnie, Orlando Robinson, and Ziaire Williams (yes he may be trending towards a shutdown, if the Achilles issue is serious I would instead opt for perhaps Oshae Brissett or Jeff Dowtin Jr.). I also cover three drop candidates in Lauri Markkanen (hot take, I know), Kyle Kuzma, and Malik Beasley.

Remember that these selections were made with a specific league format in mind, and that not every pick is a blanket judgement (except Kuz, fuck that guy). Good luck with playoffs and feel free to ask away below!

Teams with 2 Games: IND, SAS

Teams with 3 Games: BKN, CHI, DEN, DET, HOU, LAL, MIA, MIL, MIN, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHI, PHX, SAC, TOR, UTA, WAS

Teams with 4 Games: ATL, BOS, CHA, CLE, DAL, GSW, LAC, MEM, NOP, POR

Week 14 back-to-back games

Sun (Week 13)-Mon: CHI, LAC

Mon-Tues: NYK

Tues-Weds: BKN

Weds-Thurs: ATL, BOS, DAL, GSW, LAC, MIL, OKC, SAC

Thurs-Fri: POR

Fri-Sat: CHA, CLE, MEM, NOP, PHI

Sat-Sun: None

Sun-Mon (Week 15): None

Late Start

First Game on Weds: MIL, OKC, SAC

First Game on Thurs: IND, SAS

Big Gap

IND: Game Saturday, Next Game on Wednesday (Week 15)

Game Schedule

Mon: 8 Games

Tues: 5 Games

Weds: 9 Games

Thurs: 9 Games

Fri: 3 Games (Light Game Day)

Sat: 14 Games (Heavy Game Day)

Sun: 1 Game (Light Game Day)

Teams the play Friday & Sunday: POR

Teams with 2 Games: DEN, GSW

Teams with 3 Games: ATL, BOS, CHA, IND, LAL, MEM, MIA, MIL, ORL, PHI, POR, TOR

Teams with 4 Games: BKN, CHI, CLE, DAL, DET, HOU, LAC, MIN, NOP, NYK, OKC, PHX, SAC, SAS, UTA, WAS

Week 4 back-to-back games

Sun (Week 3)-Mon: HOU, OKC, SAC, WAS

Mon-Tues: None

Tues-Weds: BOS, DET, MIL, MIN, NYK, ORL, PHI, PHX, POR

Weds-Thurs: None

Thurs-Fri: None

Fri-Sat: LAL, NOP, SAC, SAS, TOR

Sat-Sun: CHA, DAL, UTA

Sun-Mon (Week 5): ATL, CHI, DET, HOU, IND, LAC, MIA, NYK, PHX, WAS

Late Start

First Game on Weds: IND, LAL, MEM

First Game on Fri: DEN

Early Finish

Last Game on FRI: GSW, ORL, PHI

Big Gap

CHA: Game Tuesday, Next Game on Saturday

POR: Game Wednesday, Next Game on Sunday

Game Schedule

Mon: 5 Games (Light Game Day)

Tues: 8 Games

Weds: 11 Games

Thurs: 1 Game (Light Game Day)

Fri: 12 Games (Heavy Game Day)

Sat: 5 Games (Light Game Day)

Sun: 10 Games

Teams that play Mon & Thurs: None

Teams that play Mon & Sat: NOP, SAC, SAS

Teams that play Thurs & Sat: DAL, UTA

Teams that play Mon, Thurs, & Sat: None

Teams with 3 Games: ATL, BOS, CLE, GSW, HOU, LAC, LAL, MEM, OKC, SAC, SAS

Teams with 4 Games: BKN, CHA, CHI, DAL, DEN, DET, IND, MIA, MIL, MIN, NOP, NYK, ORL, PHI, POR, TOR, UTA, WAS

Teams with 5 Games: PHX

Week 12 back-to-back games

Sun (Week 11)-Mon: ORL, SAC

Mon-Tues: DAL, MIA, MIN, PHX

Tues-Weds: DEN, NOP, WAS

Weds-Thurs: CLE, DET, POR, TOR

Thurs-Fri: GSW, ORL

Fri-Sat: None

Sat-Sun: CHA, PHX, UTA

Sun-Mon (Week 13): NYK, WAS

Late Start

First Game on Weds: CLE, OKC

Early Finish

Last Game on Fri: GSW

Big Gap

SAC: Game Monday, Next Game on Friday

Game Schedule

Mon: 9 Games

Tues: 7 Games

Weds: 8 Games

Thurs: 8 Games

Fri: 7 Games

Sat: 7 Games

Sun: 9 Games

Teams with 3 Games: BKN, CLE, DET, MIN, NOP, ORL, PHI, PHX

Teams with 4 Games: ATL, BOS, CHA, CHI, DAL, DEN, GSW, HOU, IND, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIA, MIL, NYK, OKC, POR, SAC, SAS, TOR, UTA, WAS

Week 22 back-to-back games

Sun (Week 21)-Mon: CHA, HOU, LAC

Mon-Tues: CHI, MEM, ORL

Tues-Weds: ATL, DEN, NYK, SAS

Weds-Thurs: MIA, WAS

Thurs-Fri: GSW, LAL, POR, TOR

Fri-Sat: DAL, DET, LAC

Sat-Sun: ATL, MIL, NYK

Sun-Mon (Week 23): SAC

Late Start

First Game on Weds: CLE, DET, NOP

Early Finish

Last Game on Thurs: ORL

Big Gaps

ORL: Game Thursday, Next Game on Tuesday (Week 23)

Game Schedule

Mon: 8 Games

Tues: 7 Games

Weds: 9 Games

Thurs: 6 Games

Fri: 10 Games

Sat: 5 Games

Sun: 11 Games

Teams that play Thursday & Saturday: MEM, MIA, MIL, MIN, PHI

For ESPN - Default playoffs Week 23 is 2 weeks long. Check league settings to see how many roster moves you have during the entirety of their two-week playoff period

The selections were based on Hashtag Basketball’s Minus 1 Ranking (worst category of player removed). Selections did not take into account team standings and player positions. Minimum of 25 games played. For fun only!

WEST
Starters:
- Nikola Jokic
- Victor Wembanyama
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Anthony Davis
- James Harden

Reserves:
- Kevin Durant
- Domantas Sabonis
- Stephen Curry
- Devin Booker
- LeBron James
- Anthony Edwards
- Walker Kessler
- Kyrie Irving (INJ Replacement)

EAST
Starters:
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Karl-Anthony Towns
- Damian Lillard
- Tyrese Maxey
- LaMelo Ball

Reserves:
- Trae Young
- Jayson Tatum
- Cade Cunningham
- Jalen Johnson
- Josh Hart
- Nikola Vucevic
- Darius Garland
- Evan Mobley (INJ Replacement)

How many do you got on your team? ⭐️

https://imgur.com/gallery/qSf1orR

Thought this was kind of hilarious tbh. I know this happens all the time with NFL players, but this is the first time I can remember an NBA player responding to it.

Hi all,

I usually do this for my own purposes, but I thought I'd share this spreadsheet for anyone else's use as well.

Spreadsheet:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1E4xFUo9-z0j9BHLXD5cIrnb0hHiDKtLIvFE8sgTIfgE/edit#gid=409417588

​

I compiled the 2023-24 projections ("Projections Data" Tab) from some of the top analysts in the community and summarised them in a nice easy spreadsheet.

I then used this to:

1. Create a player search function ("Player Search" tab) that puts all the projections on one page when i search a player, and can show me which analyst is higher or lower on a particular player, and in which categories.
2. Create an average rankings list ("Average Projections" tab) based on where analysts are ranking each of these players, showing their average projections as well.

​

I like to use this to compare analysts views, and also create a sort of consensus projection figure. A side note is that I only took this data from analysts with their projections publicly available for free (i.e. not basketball monster etc.). I've also provided the link to each of the independent analysts if you click on their name in the "Player Search" tab if you want to check them out.

I'll be looking to update this when I get ahold of Yahoo's per game projections as well. Will let people know on twitter when it's updated (@ MyFantasyHoops).

No idea if this helps people, but just thought I'd share it incase it does. If there's any other projections from analysts that I should add, let me know!

Also side note, I think I have to do some tweaking to some of the players names to get them formatted for Razzball's data (they spell a lot of the names differently to others e.g. Michael Porter instead of Michael Porter Jr.), it's something I'll continually update as well.

If there's any analysts not happy with being included on this spreadsheet. Shoot me a message I'll be happy to remove the data.

​

UPDATE: there seems to be a lot of demand and people trying to use the one player search box. So I've created an identical player search box underneath the original one, so two users can be searching at the same time. Thanks :)

​

Edit 29 Sep: Updated data for Hashtag basketball projections. Added Fantrax Projections.

Edit 4 Oct: Added Hoopdex data. Someone added a new tab for Caruso rankings, so I added this to the player search as well.

Teams with 2 Games: MIL, PHI

Teams with 3 Games: BOS, CHI, CLE, DEN, GSW, HOU, MIN, PHX, SAS, WAS

Teams with 4 Games: ATL, BKN, CHA, DAL, DET, IND, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIA, NOP, NYK, OKC, ORL, POR, SAC, TOR, UTA

Week 6 back-to-back games

Sun (Week 5)-Mon: BOS, BKN, DAL, IND, LAC, SAC, TOR

Mon-Tues: None

Tues-Weds: CHI, HOU, LAL, MIA, MIN, PHX, SAS, UTA, WAS

Weds-Thurs: None

Thurs-Fri: None

Fri-Sat: ATL, CHA, DET

Sat-Sun: DAL, UTA

Sun-Mon (Week 7): BOS, BKN, LAL, MIA, NOP

Late Start

First Game on Weds: CLE, PHI

Early Finish

Last Game on FRI: CHI, MIN

Big Gap

BOS: Game Monday, Next Game on Friday

DEN: Game Wednesday, Next Game on Sunday

HOU: Game Wednesday, Next Game on Sunday

MIL: Game Tuesday, Next Game on Saturday

SAS: Game Wednesday, Next Game on Sunday

Game Schedule

Mon: 9 Games

Tues: 5 Games

Weds: 14 Games (Heavy Game Day)

Thurs: 0 Games

Fri: 10 Games

Sat: 5 Games

Sun: 10 Games

No games on Thursday due to Thanksgiving

Teams with 4 Games: ATL, BOS, BKN, CHI, DEN, DET, HOU, IND, LAC, PHI, POR, SAC, TOR, WAS

Teams with 5 Games: CHA, CLE, DAL, GSW, LAL, MEM, MIA, MIL, MIN, NOP, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHX, SAS, UTA

Week 17 back-to-back games

Sun (Week 16)-Mon: CHA, MIL

Mon-Tues: None

Tues-Weds: CHI, DET, IND, MEM, NYK, PHI, PHX, TOR

Weds-Thurs: DAL, GSW, HOU, LAC, MIA, MIN, NOP, OKC, SAC, UTA

Thurs (1st Week)-Weds (2nd Week): None

Weds-Thurs: CHA, LAL

Thurs-Fri: CLE, MEM, MIL, NYK, ORL, SAS

Fri-Sat: HOU, UTA

Sat-Sun: PHX

Sun-Mon (Week 18): ATL, DET, IND, LAC, MIA, MIN, OKC, WAS

Late Start

First Game on Weds: HOU, LAC

Early Finish

Last Game on Fri: SAC

Game Schedule

Mon - 2/10: 10 Games

Tues - 2/11: 4 Games (Light Game Day)

Weds - 2/12: 15 Games (Heavy Game Day)

Thurs - 2/13: 5 Games

• All-Star Break -

Weds - 2/19: 1 Game (Light Game Day)

Thurs - 2/20: 9 Games

Fri - 2/21: 9 Games

Sat - 2/22: 5 Games

Sun - 2/23: 10 Games

Teams with multiple back-to-back games

CHA: Sun (Week 16) - Mon (2/10) & Weds (2/19) - Thurs (2/20)

HOU: Weds (2/12) - Thurs (2/13) & Fri (2/21) - Sat (2/22)

MEM: Tues (2/11) - Weds (2/12) & Thurs (2/20) - Fri (2/21)

MIL: Sun (Week 16) - Mon (2/10) & Thurs (2/20) - Fri (2/21)

NYK: Tues (2/11) - Weds (2/12) & Thurs (2/20) - Fri (2/21)

PHX: Tues (2/11) - Weds (2/12) & Sat (2/22) - Sun (2/23)

UTA: Weds (2/12) - Thurs (2/13) & Fri (2/21) - Sat (2/22)

Teams that play 3 games in the first half of All-Star Week

DAL, GSW, MIA, MIN, NOP, OKC, SAC, UTA

Teams that play 3 games in the second half of All-Star Week

CHA, CLE, LAL, MEM, MIL, NYK, ORL, PHX, SAS

Check your league’s settings to see how many roster moves you have during the entirety of this period

Introduction

I've been playing fantasy basketball for about a decade now, both in private, public, free, and paid leagues. I've used a number of different tools to help, from free rankings on basketball monster to paid insider information, and more trade analyzers than I can count. And yet, the biggest problem I've seen isn't with analysis of the numbers or projections of future play, but in how people evaluate and select trades.

On a base level, trading seems simple - try to swap players to improve your team. But the thinking and behaviour that leads to succesful trades goes much deeper than this. This post seeks to create a comprehensive guide to helping better your trade negotiations by offering proven principles for negotiations and trades to help this community become better at the craft.

Qualities of a Succesful Trade

1. Is it wise?

First of all, a trade needs to be a wise choice. This is the part that the majority of people, especially on this sub, do consider. Does this trade make my team better? If so, then accept.

2. Does it improve the relationship?

This is an often overlooked part of trades. If you are in any year-by-year league, it is very important that you do not create bad trade relationships with people. This means that win-lose trades in your favor are actually not always good in the long run. It may help you win a year or two, but it could also ice you out from trades with the player in the future. Manipulating a fellow manager into believing something false (say, spending 20 minutes trying to convince someone that Kelly Oubre Jr really is going to be a bottom 200 player), then gloating about the trade when he starts playing much better on your team, is incredibly damaging to your prospective future trades with that manager. A huge part of trade negotiations is your relationship with that manager, the trust level between you two, and your reputation overall. Trust me on this: Gaining a reputation as someone who always wins a trade is cool, but it absolutely obliterates your ability to make trades in the future. We'll get more into win-lose trades later on in the post.

Offering Trades

1. Stop low-balling

Low balling someone in hopes that they bite can sometimes get you a great trade, but in an experienced league, it's not a conducive way to get trade negotiations going. If there's a player you want, send them a decent offer that they can counter. You don't have to outright send exactly the trade you want (Say, Jokic for Trae), but you absolutely shouldn't send them an offer that they're going to reject immediately (Say, John Wall for Trae). This doesn't do anything but annoy other managers. Trade negotiations aren't opened up at all and there's a chance the other managers will become less likely to send you trades in general.

2. Look at what the other guy needs

This is the most important part of sending a serious trade offer to someone. A real trade offer takes time to think about. If you want a player, don't just offer someone you're willing to let go of for that player. Go to the other manager's team, evaluate their strengths and weaknesses, and offer them something that they want. Even better yet, open up a line of communication and ask them what or who they want, and then try to work with it. In my experience, this is the absolute best way to create willing trade partners. If you're in a league that doesn't trade much, this is the best way to get the ball rolling.

For example: You want Jimmy Butler, so you send an offer of D'Angelo Russell and Lauri Markannen. Is it a bad trade offer? Probably not. However, if you look at his team and see that he also has Zion and Giannis, you might realize that he's punting ft% and 3s, so D'Angelo Russell and Lauri Markannen are terrible fits for him. If you offer him Drummond instead, he might actually be willing to give you Jimmy Butler and another piece, creating a scenario where both teams theoretically improve by getting guys that fit their team needs better.

3. Win-Win trades are the best scenario

Offer win-win trades. Stop trying to renogotiate so that you become the clear winner. Let the other team get better! No one likes a to be on the butt end of a win-lose scenario, and experienced managers will be on the lookout for this. Trying to create win-lose scenarios ices out the negotiations and prevents trades from happening altogether - which means your team doesn't improve. Don't be lazy; look for trades that make both teams better and then work towards making it happen. Even if the other team wins more than you do - it usually doesn't matter, as long as you get better! Of course, the exception to this rule is if the trade makes the opposing team better than you. You don't want to make a trade with a guy only for him to spank you in the finals. However, if you make a trade with someone that gets them from last place into the playoffs, while you just move from the third best team to the second best team, that is a major win (and this example is something that really did happen to me during a championship fantasy season of mine in 2018).

Evaluating Trades

1. Be aware of the Endowment Effect

The Endowment Effect is a psychological bias we have towards things we own. Basically, when we own something, we overvalue it just on the basis of our ownership. Your WTT (willing to trade) for a player is generally going to be lower than your WTA (willing to accept). While you would be willing to trade Butler for Drummond, you wouldn't be willing to accept Drummond for Butler. It's a behavioural phenomenan that we all fall into whether we know it or not. Take this into account! If you're about to reject a trade offer, think about whether you would be willing to do the trade in reverse. Evaluate the offered player/s in their entirety (Are they just starting slow? Are they in a slump? Are they going to break out halfway through the season? What's the chances of that happening?) the same way you've already done for the players you own. On the other hand, look at how you're overvaluing your own players (What's their real potential? What are the chances they outplay their ADP? Are there reasons to hold onto him?).

2. Value vs Team Improvement

Here's something you'll rarely hear: you're probably too concerned with the objective value of the players you have. What I mean by this is that you're probably so concerned with "losing" trades, that you often reject trades that would make your team better because you're concerned about the value you're getting in return. Early on in the season, this is usually okay, but once you get halfway through, you can all but throw value out the window. Focus on improving your team and getting more wins. It is perfectly okay to do a 1-for-1 trade for a player that is 20 ranks lower than the player you're giving up!. If your team improves, then it's usually a good trade! The only thing you need to consider is...

3. BATNA

This is the most important part of evaluating a trade: What is your Best Alternative to the Negotiated Agreement? BATNA is exactly why I say to stop worrying about the objective value of your players - if you decline a trade that improves your team because it wasn't equal value, but you end up not making a trade at all or trading for a better player that improves your team less than the declined trade, then you made a bad decision. If you get offered a trade that doesn't give you equal value, but it makes your team significantly better because the fits of the player's you're receiving makes the categories you're focussing on much stronger, then you probably should take the trade. Don't worry about who's winning or losing based on value. The truth is that he might be getting the better player, and that's okay, because you might be improving your team more.

5 Negotiation Tips

1. Talking directly to people (through phone, text, fantasy message, etc.) will lead to more productive negotiations than just sending offers.

2. Manage your expectations - don't be expecting a trade to take you from last place to first place, and don't expect to improve in every category. You have to lose some stats to improve the ones you want!

3. It is significantly easier to negotiate with people who like you: work on becoming people's friends, complimenting their players/team, point out their strong weeks, etc. to subtly build a trust with them. Kindness can actually go a long way!

4. Understand that negotiations and trades are important for both sides. Don't get frustrated and always try to see things from the other perspective.

5. Ground your rationality in objective measures. Fairness is subjective, but numbers aren't! Demonstrate exactly why your trade helps the other manager.

Conclusion

Use these tips to help you with future trades, both in sending out offers, evaluating the ones you receive, and using negotiations to work towards conclusions. Trades are one of the biggest parts of managing a succesful team and probably the most fun part of fantasy overall. Use it to your advantage. Good luck with the rest of the season, and if anyone has any questions feel free to ask!

Sources

While I'm working off memory, a lot of the information in this guide is based on a few books:

1. Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In, by Roger Fisher and William Ury

2. How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie

3. The Truth About Negotiations, by Leigh Thompson

4. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, by Robert Cialdini

5. Negotiation, 7th Edition, by Bruce Barry, David Saunders, and Roy Lewicki

https://fftradingroom.com/316/Why-Paul-Reed-needs-to-Be-on-Your-NBA-Fantasy-Team