It’s not technically Week 8 yet; the Emirates NBA Cup will be running through this week and concluding on Tuesday, December 17th in Week 8. In the meantime, we’ll take a look at a shorter Week 7.5, of which some teams will only play one game.
Since last week, things haven’t gone much better for the bottom feeders in either conference. The 3-19 Wizards have just one win in their last 10 games, while the Jazz and Pelicans are tied for last in the West, with just five wins apiece. It’s been a true nightmare season for New Orleans, who presumably had playoff aspirations at the beginning of the season with such a strong roster, but they’ve been rendered useless by injuries, much like the Memphis Grizzlies of last season.
The Thunder still sit atop the West, with the Grizzlies, Rockets, and Mavericks trailing closely behind. In the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers still hold a 1.5 game advantage over the second seed Celtics, with the Magic and Knicks trailing behind. I don’t anticipate the Magic staying in this spot for much longer; a brutal oblique injury to Franz Wagner will leave them shorthanded and in certain free fall. Good thing you don’t need to worry about the same fate. We’ve got you covered here at DK Network.
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
Tristan da Silva, SF, Orlando Magic
Da Silva has found himself in a starting role ever since Paolo Banchero went down with an oblique injury. Franz Wagner has now suffered the same fate, but da Silva has failed to capitalize on his new role. He’s been unimpressive in the last two weeks, averaging 6.9 PPG with 3.1 RPG. His usage has been sitting at a woeful 16.3% these last two weeks. I’m not rushing to grab da Silva, but the former Colorado Buffalo has shown that he’s capable of scoring efficiently occasionally.
Cole Anthony, PG, Orlando Magic
Perhaps Anthony is the true beneficiary of the new massive usage gap left in the wake of Wagner’s sideline. Anthony logged a season-high 29 minutes in a five point victory over Phoenix on 12/8 while being +17 in Plus Minus. He put up 14 points, a steal, and two blocks with 14 attempted shots and 24.6% usage. These numbers predict a healthy fantasy output from Anthony in the future, probably more so than da Silva. We also have NBA-sample size on what Anthony can do with a bigger role. He’ll be a reliable source of threes, assists, and steals if he continues to get these minutes.
Jeremy Sochan, PF, San Antonio Spurs
Sochan may not be available in as many leagues, but he’s definitely worth a look at the moment, especially with Keldon Johnson’s status up in the air. Johnson injured his left calf and played just 11 minutes in the Spurs’ victory over the Pelicans on 12/8. If Johnson is forced to miss time, Sochan will happily soak up some of that usage. Sochan’s playing time has been somewhat inconsistent this season. After playing just 27 minutes in the Spurs’ opening night, Sochan played more than 31 minutes in their next five before getting injured. Since returning, he’s cracked 30 minutes just once in four games. His usage is modest, but those minutes should open up again soon.
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