Top three fantasy basketball streamers for NBA Week 8

The Emirates NBA Cup will reach its conclusion on Tuesday as the Milwaukee Bucks face off against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Las Vegas on ABC. This NBA week will be a short one, with many teams playing just two games and zero scheduled games on the calendar on Tuesday and Wednesday. We’ve got you covered here at DK Network.

Things haven’t changed much in the East. The New York Knicks have displaced the Orlando Magic for the third seed while the Nets fade away, predictably, into obscurity. Dennis Schroder was traded to the Warriors in exchange for De’Anthony Melton. This is a surefire reinforcement of what we already knew: that their season wasn’t serious and that development would be their number one priority. The 3-21 Wizards remain at the bottom; a nasty situation in which they hold fewer home Wins (1) than the Celtics do (3) in their own arena.

Things are tighter in the West, with the Grizzlies surging to the second seed (8-10 in their last 10) while the Clippers, Lakers, Spurs, and Kings all sit with similar records in the periphery of the last playoff spot. I anticipate things will get tense in this region late in the season. Nikola Jokic, my personal pick for MVP, has his Nuggets sitting at 5th; a remarkable achievement considering the state of their roster at the moment.

We’re shooting the Three Lists of Threes today for your weekly dose of fantasy tips: Buy-lows, sell-highs, and streams.

Here are some streams we can consider.

Stream ’em

Ben Simmons, PG/C, Brooklyn Nets

Simmons has been the recent subject of many trade rumors, and if this is the case, then the Nets will want to ramp up his minutes so that he can show what he can do. We see this story often around the NBA when a bad team wants to trade pieces; they’ll give their pieces minutes to increase their stats and value so that they can get the best return offer. Simmons this season is averaging 5.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 6.5 APG. His percentages are insignificant because he takes such few shots both from the field and from the line, but he’s shooting 59.7% and 50%, respectively.

Now is a good time to get in on the Ben Simmons action, especially in the wake of Dennis Schroder’s move to Golden State. There are additional minutes to go around at PG, and Simmons is a good bet to soak in extra usage.

Shake Milton, PG, Brooklyn Nets

The aforementioned additional minutes may also go to Shake Milton, the 28-year-old who impressed in a few games recently. His minutes have been hard to predict, but there’s a window now. He’s averaging per-36 stats of 13.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 4.6 APG. There’s not much of a ceiling here, as it’s clear how good he is, but in fantasy sports, we follow where the minutes go.

Isaiah Stewart, PF/C, Detroit Pistons

Stewart’s minutes have gone up in five consecutive games, but he’s yet to score in double digits in these five. He’s been in a time-share situation with Jalen Duren, but neither player has been effective for the 10-16 Pistons. In the spirit of following trends, Stewart’s worth a look for managers in need of rebounds and blocks. Stewart is averaging 9.9 RPG and 2.1 BPG per-36 minutes, and while those 36 minutes may never come, it’s clear that Detroit intends to give him playing time this season.

Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $150K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st].

All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.

I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.