The Hashtag Basketball Schedule Primer is back to get head-to-head players ready for their Week 3 matchup.  Our focus to improve your lineup by providing streamers to maximize game played in your league.

The article is making a monumental shift this week.  In year two, we are leaving ESPN and switching over to Yahoo percentages owned. 

Why do you ask?  Take a look at Robert Covington.  A consensus top-60 player and a fantasy stud.  Covington should be owned in every league.  Head over to Yahoo and see him at 94 percent.  Then, flip to ESPN where he is owned in 22 percent of leagues and it has dropped 12 percent this week.  The Sixers have an amazing schedule (more to come) and Covington is playing well, so there is no reason he’s ownership should be going down.

The percentages just seem more accurate on Yahoo, so we are making the switch.  Let us know your feedback on Twitter.  You can find me @tylerpwatts or Tweet our main account @hashbasketball.  Okay with that said, on to what you came here to read. 

Weekly lock leagues

Tips for the week: The Philadelphia 76ers and the Portland Trail Blazers both play five games this week.  If you play on ESPN, get Covington and put him in your lineup ASAP.  12 teams play four games this week and the remaining 16 have three contests.  Adding two extra games in your weekly league could be huge so be sure to check your wires.

I would start all my studs with three games this week.  Once, we start looking at players outside the top-50 it becomes a consideration on who to start.  I’d probably aim closer to 75 and below to sit this week with three games depending on my matchup.  Here is a look at the top replacements.

Top 10 potential pickups playing five or four games: (All ownership percentages based on Yahoo leagues and ownership percentage under 50 was the cut-off for available on the waiver wire).

1. Al-Farouq Aminu- Portland Trail Blazers (34%)- Aminu averaged 9.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 1.8 3-pointers made last season. He is playing similar minutes and should give a nice four-category boost for the week.
2. Evan Turner- Portland Trail Blazers (6%)- More offensive responsibilities are falling in Turner’s lap this season. He should provide enough rebounds, assists, and steals to be a worthy add in your lineup this week.
3. Nemanja Bjelica- Sacramento Kings (45%)- Bjelica is starting in Sacramento and putting up a solid across the board stat line that is worth rostering in most leagues.
4. Alex Len- Atlanta Hawks (32%)- Len is always a per-minute producer who has found playing time in the Hawks injured frontcourt.
5. Cam Payne- Chicago Bulls (27%)- Starting point guard in Chicago with no viable option to take minutes away.
6. Mario Hezonja- New York Knicks (38%)- A good fantasy producer if the Knicks give him the minutes.
7. Bryn Forbes- San Antonio Spurs (21%)- Forbes is starting for the Spurs and playing over 30 minutes. He is just a points and 3-pointers made streamer, though.
8. Justin Holiday- Chicago Bulls (26%)- A steady producer playing over 30 minutes again this season.
9. Zach Collins- Portland Trail Blazers (26%)- Upside chance on a hot player producing at unsustainable levels.
10. E’Twaun Moore- New Orleans Pelicans (36%)- Another safe streamer who helps you win categories in a four-game week.

Daily roster changes

First, a word on the schedule itself: The streaming could be difficult and a bit all over the place this week.  No day features double-digit games, but there are no light schedule days either.  Thursday has the fewest amount with six contest.  Two days feature seven games, three have eight, and Monday has the most with nine.  We will have every day covered, so you can maximize your week.

Back-to-backs

Monday- Tuesday

Miami Heat

Kelly Olynyk (24%)- An interesting points and threes add at power forward who occasionally produces a massive game.

Dwayne Wade (18%)- Should average 12.0 points and 3.5 assists for the season.

Bam Adebayo (14%)- Rebounds streamer only while playing under 20 minutes a night.

Atlanta Hawks

Alex Len (32%)- Len is a per-minute rebound and block stud still seeing significant minutes as Dedmon rounds into form and Collins gets healthy.

DeAndre’ Bembry (6%)- Bembry is playing over 25 minutes per game early in the season and has the potential to provide an interesting steal and block combination from a wing.  More of a speculative upside add at this point.

Sacramento Kings

Nemanja Bjelica (45%)- Bjelica is starting and playing 26.3 minutes for Sacramento through six games.  He figures to be a solid source of rebounds, steals, and 3-pointers made.

Toronto Raptors

Pascal Siakam (30%)- An intriguing source of rebounds, steals and blocks if given 30 minutes.  Someone to monitor.

Philadelphia 76ers

Landry Shamet (0%)- Deep league 3-pointers made streamer who is playing 19 minutes per game in the early season.

Portland Trail Blazers

Al-Farouq Aminu (34%)- Stream him for rebounds and steals with smaller contributions in threes, blocks, and points.

Zach Collins (26%)- Collins started off the year hot despite playing limited minutes.  He is averaging 2.3 blocks in 19.8 minutes, but he was not a contributor in that category as a rookie.  Likely, he gives you a solid 5.5 rebounds and seven points per game with 0.7 blocks.

Nik Stauskas (17%)- Another fast start, but only stream Stauskas for 3-pointers made and double-digit points in 23 minutes a night.

Evan Turner (6%)- Turner is being asked to do more playmaking this year and the bump in assists is there.  He should provide 3.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 0.8 steals and 9.0 points per game going forward.

Maurice Harkless (2%)- Playing under 20 minutes a night, but Harkless has the skills to average over a steal and block per game.  His minutes would need to boost over 25 to make it happen, though.

Tuesday-Wednesday

Detroit Pistons

Ish Smith (24%)- Playing 29 minutes per game and should average 12 points and 5 assists in that playing time.

Reggie Bullock (18%)- Points and 3-pointers made streamer playing 34.3 minutes a night in three games.

Wednesday-Thursday

Denver Nuggets

Monte Morris (16%)- Morris is only playing 21 minutes per game, but has shown strong per-minute numbers in steals, assists, and points.  With the injuries in Denver, Morris could be a sneaky add.

New Orleans Pelicans

E’Twaun Moore (36%)- Moore should produce similar numbers to last season meaning 12.5 points and a steal per game.

Thursday-Friday

LA Clippers

Patrick Beverly (28%)- Steals and assists streamer.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (24%)- Must own in a deeper league as the production should only continue to increase this season.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Nerlens Noel (9%)- Deep league defensive stats target.

Friday-Saturday

Houston Rockets

P.J. Tucker (24%)- Steals, rebounds, and 3-pointers made streamer.

James Ennis III (1%)- Steals and threes target.

Utah Jazz

No recommended streamers.

Chicago Bulls

Cam Payne (27%)- The starting point guard with Kris Dunn out with a knee injury, Payne should be able to average 2.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 steal, and 10 points per game.

Justin Holiday (26%)- Holiday is once again a streamer for steals, 3-pointers, and a dozen point per game as he plays significant minutes on the Bulls.

Indiana Pacers

Cory Joseph (4%)- Deeper league add for rebounds, assists, and steals.  Joseph should average 3.5 boards, 3.5 dimes, and a steal per game.

Saturday-Sunday

Los Angeles Lakers

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (44%)- Limited minutes this season meaning he should likely be dropped in all standard leagues.  KCP is 14 and 16 team league viable, though.

San Antonio Spurs

Bryn Forbes (21%)- Forbes is playing over 30 minutes per game on an injury-riddled Spurs team.  He should be a solid source of points and 3-pointers while the playing time is over 30.

Philadelphia 76ers

Listed under Monday-Tuesday.

Portland Trail Blazers

Listed under Monday-Tuesday.

Looking ahead to next week

On Monday, November 5, there are nine games.  Tuesday of Week 4 only has four games, so we will explore what owners should do if they wrap up their matchup or just want to get a jumpstart on their next matchup.

Sunday-Monday of Week 4

Memphis Grizzlies

Garrett Temple (11%)- Playing over 30 minutes makes Temple a steals streamer.

Orlando Magic

D.J. Augustin (29%)- Starting point guard who is worth adding for the assists, but the contributions elsewhere are minimal.

Terrance Ross (4%)- Points, threes, and steal streamer.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Josh Okogie (2%)- The rookie will be out of the rotation on some nights, but offers upside for 1.3 steals and 5.0 rebounds per game in 30 minutes a night.  He is a player to monitor going forward.

New York Knicks

Mario Hezonja (38%)- Interesting fantasy upside, but needs to average a new career-high in minutes to unlock it.  The Knicks rotation is in flux, so it is worth taking a second look closer to time you are making this move.

Trey Burke (26%)- In over 21 minutes, Burke should provide another assists and points to be standard league streamable. 

Damyean Dotson (22%)- Upside flier, but playing 29.5 minutes a night through four games.  Dotson should be a source of points, rebounds, and steals in near 30 minutes of action.

Frank Ntilikina (9%)- Steals streamer who should average 1.3 or better for the season playing over 29 minutes.

Noah Vonleh (4%)- Rebounds streamer in a deeper league.

Mitchell Robinson (3%)- Chalk full of potential for rebounds and blocks if the Knicks give him significant minutes.  Robinson is a watch list player.

Toronto Raptors

Listed under Monday-Tuesday.

Sunday- Tuesday of Week 4 pseudo

Milwaukee Bucks

No recommended streamers.

Phoenix Suns

Isaiah Canaan (5%)- Starting point guard playing nearly 30 minutes and helping in rebounds and assists.

Washington Wizards

No recommended streamers.

Brooklyn Nets

Joe Harris (49%)- Points and 3-pointers made streamer who is playing 29 minutes per game with DeMarre Carroll out.

Portland Trail Blazers

Listed under Monday-Tuesday.

Final thoughts

That wraps up another edition of the Hashtag Basketball Weekly Schedule Primer.  Check out the Watching the Boxes Podcast for everything else you need to know throughout the week.