As we enter week 23 in the 2023-24 NBA season, here’s a fantasy basketball guide and analysis.
Fantasy Basketball 2023-24: Week 23 Guide and Analysis
NBA Schedule
The second-last week of the NBA season features a busy schedule, with 26 teams playing four games. Only the Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, and Utah Jazz play three games.
Waiver Wire Adds/Streams
With “silly season” in full effect, here are the best adds and streamers broken down by teams.
Hawks – The best streaming option on the Hawks is De’Andre Hunter, but lately, he’s alternated having good and bad games. In deeper leagues, Bruno Fernando can provide some points, rebounds, and blocks. He only holds some value while Onyeka Okongwu is sidelined.
Celtics – If Boston has any injuries to their star players, managers should look to Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard as streaming options. Both played well with increased roles and will likely be in that position again.
Nets – Surprisingly, Trendon Watford has looked good over the past week. The small forward is a deep league option, and he offers some points, rebounds, threes, and stocks. Dorian Finney-Smith is another deep-league streamer, as his output fluctuates.
Hornets – Charlotte has a plethora of adds and streaming options due to injuries. Tre Mann and Nick Richards are at the top of the list and have better value in standard leagues. Grant Williams also became fantasy-relevant following his trade from the Mavericks, but he has had some struggles with consistency. Finally, Vasilije Micic’s role is solidified with Cody Martin out for the season.
Bulls – Ayo Dosunmu and Alex Caruso are thriving with their increased roles in the backcourt. Andre Drummond looked solid over the past week, but his minutes ranged between 17-20, limiting his upside to just a streamer.
Cavaliers – Cleveland had some players return from injury, which decreased others’ value. But, over the past three games Max Strus posted solid production. Caris LeVert‘s value diminished, but he remains a good streamer.
Mavericks – P.J. Washington strung together a solid stretch of games last week. He is up and down but mostly produces good games.
Nuggets – When Denver’s stars miss games, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Jackson have stepped up.
Pistons – Sitting near the bottom of the league, Detroit has nothing to play for and is dealing with several injuries. As a result, the backcourt load is shifting to Jaden Ivey, who is an add. James Wiseman is a viable streaming option when Jalen Duren is out.
Warriors – Golden State looks disappointing this season, but Trayce Jackson-Davis is the opposite. The rookie has excelled with multi-cat value over the past few weeks and should be rostered.
Rockets – When Alperen Sengun went down, Amen Thompson’s minutes went up. Cam Whitmore’s return put a dent in his usage, but he could still have some value. Make sure to monitor.
Pacers – T.J. McConnell’s hot streak cooled off a bit last week, but he is still offering decent stats to be worthy of consideration in some leagues.
Lakers – LeBron James and Anthony Davis are expected to miss some time down the stretch, meaning Rui Hachimura emerges as a streaming option. He recorded some strong lines recently.
Grizzlies – Memphis’ injury report makes it difficult to stream players. If they have injuries in the backcourt, look to stream Scotty Pippen Jr. and Jordan Goodwin, and Santi Aldama, Jake LaRavia, Luke Kennard, and Brandon Clarke in the frontcourt.
Heat – The usual streamers for Miami have either been sidelined with injuries or are underperforming. In their place, Haywood Highsmith emerged as the better option lately.
Bucks – Malik Beasley is primarily a streamer for managers looking for numbers in points and threes.
Timberwolves – Minnesota has Karl-Anthony Towns sidelined, with Naz Reid being the preferred pickup. He’s difficult to find on the waivers, but Kyle Anderson is more available and contributes to the main categories. Jaden McDaniels can be looked at as a streamer since his production fluctuates.
Pelicans – The duo of Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones are looking much better now, primarily because Brandon Ingram is out with an injury.
Knicks – Some players on New York are facing heavy workloads, and one of them is Miles McBride. He’s played 40+ minutes in several games, giving him good opportunities to have a big production.
Magic – Orlando has a crowded backcourt, but Cole Anthony and Jalen Suggs are good streamers when there are extra minutes to go around.
76ers – The return of Joel Embiid will impact minutes and usage in the frontcourt, namely to guys like Kelly Oubre Jr. and Paul Reed. They are steal holds and adds/streamers for now, as Embiid will need time to ramp up.
Trail Blazers – Portland is one of the most impacted teams by silly season. While this hurts managers who have stars, it also presents some league winners. Dalano Banton is at the forefront, providing well-rounded lines. Scoot Henderson is also displaying his potential as a rookie. Jabari Walker, Duop Reath, and Kris Murray are other options to watch out for.
Kings – Injuries opened more minutes for Keon Ellis, who had some outstanding lines (and some duds) since then. Consistency remains an issue, but he has a solidified role.
Spurs – San Antonio had two key players ruled out for the rest of the season on Monday. As a result, Malaki Branham and Cedi Osman warrant attention in fantasy leagues.
Raptors – Two players could be returning for Toronto early in week 23, but Kelly Olynyk is still a strong add due to the many other injuries the team is dealing with.
Jazz – Another team ravaged by injuries is Utah. At least, two rookies in Keyonte George and Taylor Hendricks have stepped up to offer managers some value.
Wizards – Marvin Bagley III has looked excellent since returning from injury, especially with Richaun Holmes sidelined. Corey Kispert is another enticing option, but consistency issues hold him back from being an add to just a streamer.
Drops
Saddiq Bey – Out for the season.
Trae Young – No timeline to return.
Onyeka Okongwu – Still dealing with a toe sprain and will miss the next seven to 10 days.
Ben Simmons – Out for the season.
Cameron Johnson – Missed multiple games due to injuries and limited to low minutes.
LaMelo Ball – Out for the season.
Mark Williams – Still out indefinitely and likely done for the season.
Zach LaVine – Out for the season.
Patrick Williams – Out for the season.
Dereck Lively II – Lively’s production has slightly improved, but his minutes are still concerning.
Tim Hardaway Jr. – Since the trade deadline, Hardaway’s stats have dropped significantly.
Ausar Thompson – Out for the season.
Isaiah Stewart – Out for the season.
Kevon Looney – He has fallen out of the rotation.
Chris Paul – Since returning from injury Paul has been underwhelming. He is droppable in shallow leagues.
Alperen Sengun – Out for the season.
Tari Eason – Out for the season.
Bennedict Mathurin – Out for the season.
Obi Toppin – Playing low minutes and posting low production.
Aaron Nesmith – Despite having a path to a greater role, Nesmith has been disappointing.
Russell Westbrook – Since returning from injury, Westbrook’s impact has been minimal, something that is unlikely to change.
Spencer Dinwiddie – Dinwiddie is limited to a bench role, offering little production.
Ja Morant – Out for the season.
Marcus Smart – Still out with no clear timeline to return.
Vince Williams Jr. – Dealing with knee tendinitis with no clear return date.
Karl-Anthony Towns – Out for the regular season.
Brandon Ingram – Projected to miss most of the remainder of the season.
Bojan Bogdanovic – Since joining the Pistons, Bogdanovic’s role has been minimal, and so have his stats.
Julius Randle – Return date unclear.
Gordon Hayward – Hayward’s bench role with the Thunder resulted in low minutes and production.
De’Anthony Melton – No clear return date and isn’t close to playing.
Buddy Hield – Hield has been very disappointing over the past few weeks, and low minutes are to blame for his poor output.
Malcolm Brogdon – Will likely miss more games and have little impact on fantasy.
Kevin Huerter – Out for the season.
Devin Vassell – Out for the season.
Jeremy Sochan – Out for the season.
Scottie Barnes – Likely done for the season.
Jakob Poeltl – Out indefinitely.
Lauri Markkanen – Out for the season.
