Welcome to The Playlist: my weekly column that tells you who and what to play — when it comes to music or other things in my rotation — for the week ahead in fantasy basketball.
Each week you’ll see a compilation of the pickups you need to make, a quick look at the schedule, and lineup notes (who’s in and out of the rotations).
Press play and browse the latest fantasy basketball information.
🏀Week 6 wrap
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The Bucks, Grizzlies and Magic are the most popular teams, winning six games in a row, respectively
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The group stage of the Emirates NBA Cup concludes on Tuesday
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Isaiah Hartenstein had an average of 15/14/4 with 1.5 shares in his first week back. Yes.
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Nikola Jokić tied Magic Johnson for third all-time in triple-doubles. Jokić scored 138 triple-doubles in 190 fewer games than Magic 👀
▶️ “Legendary” – Joey Bada$$ feat. J. Cole
🏆 Top performers
🎧 Who’s in my rotation: Waiver Pickups
Remark: The Week 7 scoring period is two weeks. December 2-15.
Nick Richards – C, Charlotte Hornets (36% on list)
Hopefully you noticed Richards when he made my list last week, but here’s another reminder. Richards returned to the Hornets on Saturday and scored 12 points (3-5 FG, 6-7 FT) with 6 boards, 1 assist, 1 steal and 3 blocks in 25 minutes. Moussa Diabaté got the start, but played only 22 minutes. Mark Williams is still not ready to return, so Richards is the player you want to select for fantasy purposes.
Yves Missi – C, New Orleans Pelicans (31% selected)
Add the rookie from Baylor in all competitions. The Pelicans are approaching sales mode and he is one of the few names on their roster who will be unavailable. The big man has found his groove as of late, averaging nearly a double-double with 9.9 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2 shares in 27 minutes per game over his last 10 games. As the starting center on a struggling team, he will continue to provide leadership and production for fantasy managers who need rebounds and blocks.
▶️ “Grand Groove” – Gaddafi tragedy
Goga Bitadze – C, Orlando Magic (29% selected)
Make sure to check your exemption pools for Bitadze. He hasn’t missed a beat since Wendell Carter Jr. returned to the lineup, continued to start and averaged 10.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists with five shares in his last three games. There’s no point in changing the lineup knowing they’re 11-3 with Bitadze as their starting point. If that’s the case, fantasy managers will have a Jakob Poeltl-type player until Paolo Banchero returns. Add him in all competitions.
▶️ “YSIV”- Logic
Julian Champagnie – SF/PF, San Antonio Spurs (23% selected)
Spurs starting small should be included in more competitions. He has the third-highest offensive rating on the Spurs, and his three-point shooting and floor spacing keep him on the court. The Spurs have four games this week and Champagnie is a good streaming option for points, threes and steals in 12-team leagues.
Quentin Grimes – SG/SF, Dallas Mavericks (14% on list)
Klay Thompson has missed the last four games due to a foot injury and Grimes has sat out in his absence. He is riding a streak of three straight games with at least 21 points and four triples, shooting over 53% from the field in that period. Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving have also been in and out of the lineup, but he is seeing minutes in the high 20s and taking advantage of the extra minutes. Wait until you pick it up because the Mavs don’t play until Tuesday. This week’s opponents, however, are the Grizzlies, Wizards and Raptors – all good fantasy matchups for part one of the two-week scoring period.
Vasilije Micić – PG/SG, Charlotte Hornets (12% on list)
The Hornets will be without LaMelo Ball and Tre Mann for at least two weeks, leaving the door open for Micić to start as a point guard. In 21 starts last year, he averaged almost 12 points, 2 boards and 6 assists with a 3. That’s at least 23 fantasy points per game for points leagues and Micić won’t hurt your efficiency numbers in 9-cat leagues. He is a good streamer and knows he will see 30 minutes a night for the next two weeks.
Other streams for week 7, part 1:
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De’Andre Hunter, Rui Hachimura, Zaccharie Risacher, Brandon Clarke, Marcus Smart, Trendon Watford, TJ McConnell and Nikeil Alexander-Walker.
🗓️ Plan highlights
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The Yahoo Week 7 scoring period lasts two weeks: December 2-15
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Daily schedule: Monday (4), Tuesday (11), Wednesday (6), Thursday (8), Friday (7), Saturday (7) and Sunday (12).
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Best streaming days: Monday (4 games) and Wednesday (6 games)
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Teams playing on Monday and Wednesday:
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Celtics, Hawks, Heat, Lakers, Nets and Timberwolves
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Four games: 76ers, Bucks, Bulls, Cavaliers, Celtics, Grizzlies, Hawks, Heat, Hornets, Kings, Lakers, Magic, Nuggets, Pacers, Pelicans, Spurs, Suns, Timberwolves, Warriors and Wizards
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Three games: Blazers, Clippers, Jazz, Mavericks, Nets, Knicks, Pistons, Raptors, Rockets and Thunder
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Back to back:
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Tuesday/Wednesday: 76ers, Bucks, Clippers Magic, Pacers and Pistons
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Thursday/Friday: Bulls, Kings, Spurs and Warriors,
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Friday/Saturday: Celtics
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Saturday/Sunday: Cavaliers, Grizzlies, Heat, Hornets, Nuggets, Pelicans, Suns and Wizards
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🚑Injury news
Notable injuries from week 7
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Hornets G LaMelo Ball (calf) will be re-evaluated in at least two weeks
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Hornets G Tre Mann (back) will be reevaluated in at least two weeks
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Nets G/C Ben Simmons (knee) is day-to-day
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Mavs C Dereck Lively (knee) is day-to-day
Latest injury reports for all NBA teams
NBA Injury Report – Monday, December 2
▶️ “Just a Moment” – Nas (feat. Quan)
🔁 Rotation notes
Dallas Mavericks
The play: I already mentioned that Quentin Grimes was an addition, but the same can be said for Spencer Dinwiddie (20%) should Kyrie Irving (shoulder) be missing at any point heading into Week 7. Dinwiddie scored over 20 points with at least five assists in three of his last four games.
Denver Nuggets
The play: Aaron Gordon returned on Sunday and while Peyton Watson played well in 29 minutes, his run as a streamer is likely permanent. Gordon played just 24 minutes against the Clippers, six minutes less than his season average, so while he will likely need a short ramp-up period, it won’t be long before Gordon is back in the starting lineup with a normal workload.
Memphis Grizzlies
The play: Zach Edey (ankle) should be back early this week, so his return likely dampens Brandon Clarke’s streaming appeal. However, Marcus Smart (28%) was a boost for Memphis. Over his last three games, he has scored more than 11 points, had five assists and picked up a steal.
New Orleans Pelicans
The play: CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray are back, but Brandon Boston Jr. can be streamed while Brandon Ingram (calf) is out. It’s worth noting that Klutch Sports now represents Ingram. Zion Williamson also parted ways with his agent at CAA and is rumored to be joining WME. Don’t be surprised if we see a trade coming in the future.
▶️ “Learn So Softly” – Lil Wayne (feat. Birdman)
Philadelphia 76ers
The play: There is no update on Joel Embiid (knee) and Andre Drummond sprained his ankle this weekend, meaning Guerschon Yabusele (13%) will see an increase in playing time over a four-game week.
▶️ “Just a Moment” – Nas (feat. Quan)
