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.
🏀 Completion of week 2:
▶️ Sticky – Tyler de Schepper feat. GloRilla, Sexyy Red and Lil Wayne
🏆 Top performers:
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Top category player: Nikola Jokić (surprise second, Devin Booker)
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Most fantasy points in Week 2: Nikola Jokić (surprise second, Jalen Johnson)
🎧 Who’s in my rotation: Waiver Pickups
There were five players listed below 50% on Yahoo who should be included in all competitions:
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Andre Drummond – C, Philadelphia 76ers (44%)
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Santi Aldama – PF/C, Memphis Grizzlies (46%)
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Tre Mann – PG/SG, Charlotte Hornets (44%)
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Christian Braun – SG/SF, Denver Nuggets (42%)
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Payton Pritchard – PG, Boston Celtics (39%)
Other additions to make:
Bilal Coulibaly, SG/SF, Washington Wizards (50% selected)
Coulibaly shows no signs of slowing down, averaging 19 points with six boards, nearly three assists and a steal in his first five games. With Kyle Kuzma (groin) expected to miss a few weeks, demand for Coulibaly’s goals is high and he is delivering. He shoots an unsustainable 61% from and 48% from 3. Still, he should be included in all leagues given his upside as a defender and secondary scoring option for the Wizards.
Tari Eason – SF/PF, Houston Rockets (26% selected)
For years, Eason had a category-competition-friendly skill set. He just couldn’t stay healthy. It doesn’t help that the Rockets have one of the deepest rosters in the league. Still, Eason is worth adding to 12-team leagues as he remains productive on a per-minute basis in several areas. He’s off to a great start, averaging over three shares in 20 minutes per night, along with 11 points, 4.5 boards and 56% shooting from the field. He is legit and will remain a fixture in the rotation. Houston also plays four games this week.
Alex Sarr – PF/C, Washington Wizards (39% ranked)
The second overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft has struggled with his shot in four of five games this season, but his defensive contributions have been spot on. Sarr averaged 2.8 blocks per game and got a steal in three of the five games. He had his best scoring performance of the year on Saturday, scoring 17 points, and his recovery is also discussed. His defensive numbers are worth adding, but with Kyle Kuzma out, he should see more volume in this offense.
▶️ I See Now – Little Brother feat. Kanye West
Anthony Black- PG/SG, Orlando Magic (13% on list)
Black has been receiving rave reviews since the offseason and will be one of the players to benefit most from Paolo Banchero’s absence. The second-year pro possesses versatile fantasy skills that allow him to generate decent counting stats for rebounds, steals, and shares. Play for about 30 minutes a night and add it before it’s too late.
Bennedict Mathurin – SG/SF, Indiana Pacers (27% on list)
I prefer Mathurin in the points leagues, but he has been efficient in his last two outings, shooting 16-for-32 from the field, 3-for-7 from 3 and 14-for-16 from the line. He started in place of Andrew Nembhard (knee) and could be looking at more opportunities with Aaron Nesmith dealing with an ankle injury. Mathurin was always a bucket, but don’t expect much in the way of shares or assists.
Jordan Hawkins – SG, New Orleans Pelicans (28% selected)
The Pelicans are trailing poorly and Hawkins has provided fantasy managers with a strong source of 3s and points since CJ McCollum and Herb Jones went down with injuries. He’s averaging 38 minutes over the last three games, so the size of the opportunity is too big to ignore. He is worth adding points and category competitions; Keep in mind that he can be inefficient and have little impact in terms of assists or shares.
Yves Missi – C, New Orleans Pelicans (16% selected)
Playing Missi in Week 3 could be difficult with the Pelicans’ unappealing schedule of three games on bigger schedules (Monday, Wednesday and Friday). I’m taking a longer-term view on him, though, as his minutes are increasing and he’s proving to be a reliable shot blocker – a fairly scarce category to be found on waivers. Missi beat Daniel Theis and started the past two games for New Orleans. With so few frontcourt options and injuries piling up, the rookie out of Baylor is in a good position to see an uptick in production.
🗓️Plan highlights:
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Week 3 daily schedule: Monday (15), Tuesday (0), Wednesday (12), Thursday (3), Friday (13), Saturday (4), Sunday (11)
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Prime streaming days: Thursday and Saturday
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Teams playing on lighter slates: Bulls, Jazz and Spurs (plays on Thursdays and Saturdays)
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Teams playing four matches: 76ers, Bucks, Bulls, Cavaliers, Celtics, Clippers, Grizzlies, Hawks, Heat, Hornets, Kings, Knicks, Lakers, Magic, Mavericks, Nuggets, Pacers, Pistons, Raptors, Rockets, Spurs, Suns, Thunder, Timberwolves, Trail Blazers and Warriors
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Teams playing three matches: Jazz, nets, pelicans and magicians
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Back to back:
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Wednesday/Thursday: Bulls, Spurs
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Thursday/Friday: Bucks and Timberwolves
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Friday/Saturday: Cavaliers, Clippers, Hawks and Nets
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Saturday/Sunday: Raptors
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Sunday/Monday: Kings, Rockets, Thunder and Wizards
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🚑 Injury news:
🔁 Rotation Notes:
Boston Celtics: Payton Pritchard is firmly in the Sixth Man of the Year conversation
The play: I repeat that he should be included in all competitions as his minutes continue to increase. He is a top 50 player in 9-cat leagues and has played more than 27 minutes in five of seven games this year. He remains available in more than 60% of games, even though he will be heavily leaned on to lead the second unit while spending time with the starters. He’s in the top 10 in offensive efficiency ratings in the NBA, and that’s true.
▶️ Just Do It – Jaylen Brown feat. A$AP Ferg
Charlotte Hornets: Mark Williams (foot) and Nick Richards (shoulder) are out on Monday.
The play: Expect Grant Williams to play and start as the small ball center. He was disappointing in his last game in that role, so I’ll avoid the situation altogether.
Memphis Grizzlies: Beam me up Scotty (and Santi)
The play: Santi Aldama has started five of the seven games so far and Desmond Bane’s recent ankle injury has seen him start at small forward. He has posted two double-doubles and has been a good source of points while posting a good FG%. Scotty Pippen Jr. was one of my picks last week, and he has maintained his value as a backup point guard by dishing out double-digit assists in three of his last five appearances. Keep riding the wave. He remains available in almost 60% of competitions.
An addition in the deep league is Jaylen Wells (4% on the roster). He replaces Marcus Smart (ankle) and has provided solid production in his last two starts, averaging 36 minutes and dropping 15.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 3s.
New Orleans Pelicans: Who’s Left? It is what it is.
The play: First it was Trey Murphy III, then Dejounte Murray. CJ McCollum and Herb Jones are following the week-to-week timelines and the Pelicans have four core players on hand to start the year. It’s time to dig deep into the bag for fantasy resources. I would look at Jose Alvarado in deep leagues for steals and assists, Jordan Hawkins for scoring and Yves Missi for blocks and rebounds. In the meantime, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram will continue to lead the way over the next month to keep the Pels in contention in a tough Western Conference.
▶️ It is what it is: Big Sean performance. Gunna
Philadelphia 76ers: Return of the (P)G
The play: It really happened, Kelly Oubre Jr. Unfortunately, he looks like a drop once Paul George returns to the lineup. Oubre has been inefficient and is outside the top 150 in 9-category leagues. Stick with Andre Drummond even if Joel Embiid returns, because we already know Embiid will rest periodically throughout the season.
▶️ Return of the G-Outkast
Toronto Raptors: Players step up amid injuries
The play: With Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley injured, Gradey Dick and RJ Barrett have been playing unreal basketball lately. Barrett ranks 46th in 9-cat leagues and 11th in points per game in points leagues, while Dick is 60th and 90th respectively in both formats. The deep sleeper who benefited from all the injuries is Jonathan Mogbo (7% on the list), who is quietly good at building stock. Keep an eye on him if you need defensive stats and until Immanuel Quickley and Scottie Barnes return, keep Barrett and Dick in your lineup.
Utah Jazz: A winless team looking for answers
The play: Rookie forward Kyle Filipowski (6% roster) and Cody Williams (2%) are getting more minutes after Taylor Hendricks suffered a season-ending injury. Keep both players on your radar in Week 3. They play on Thursdays and Saturdays, lighter days when you can sneak in a few extra streams for production. I prefer Filipowski as he has been shown to have a better fantasy profile.
