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 4:
▶️ “Dove” – Bossman Dlow
🏆 Top Performers:
🎧 Who’s in my rotation: Waiver Pickups
Five players below 50% have been selected for inclusion in all competitions:
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Tari Eason, SF/PF, Houston Rockets (48%)
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Jared McCain – PG/SG, Philadelphia 76ers (44%)
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Brandon Boston Jr. – SG/SF, New Orleans Pelicans (39%)
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Shaedon Sharpe – SG/SF, Portland Trailblazers (37%)
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Luguentz Dort – SG/SF, Oklahoma City Thunder (33%)
Kris Dunn – PG/SG, Los Angeles Clippers (12%)
Dunn will be a decent streamer in category competitions over the next two weeks. The Clippers are one of three teams playing eight games (the most in the NBA) over the next fourteen days. In his previous four games, Dunn averaged 11 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists with 1.8 3s and 1.3 steals per game in 26 minutes per night. He started three of the previous four games and is also shooting an impressive 48% from the field. His role is safe in the short term, so it’s worth adding 9-cat.
▶️ “I Did It Again” – The Charmels
Donovan Clingan – C, Portland Trailblazers (29%)
The rookie center has been working without Deandre Ayton (finger) in the lineup. Clingan’s size is so present and he is already showing his value to fantasy managers as a shot blocker and rebounder. The former Huskie is averaging a low-end double-double with five shares in his last three outings. Ayton reportedly has a deep bruise in his finger and there is no clear date for return, so expect Clingan to be the more reliable addition between him and Robert Williams (27%) while he’s on a daily basis. Clingan can be added in all leagues because of his blocking advantage.
Peyton Watson – SF/PF, Denver Nuggets (20%)
Watson may have been cut due to the Nuggets’ unfavorable schedule in Week 4, or you may see him on waivers after a lackluster scoring performance on Sunday. Despite these circumstances, Watson continues to start in place of Aaron Gordon, earning 33 minutes per night and providing fantasy managers with a decent source of shares, 3s, scores and rebounds. In five games without Gordon, Watson is producing 27 fantasy points per game and averaging 13.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.8 3s and 2.0 shares while shooting 54% from the field. The Nuggets play on Tuesday and are off until a back-to-back set Friday/Saturday, so keep that in mind if you want to stream it.
Goga Bitadze – C, Orlando Magic (26%)
Week 5 is off to a good start for Bitadze, with the Magic playing four games in Week 5 and Wendell Carter Jr. is excluded one day before the start. It doesn’t appear that Carter Jr. returns, so Bitadze continues to maintain a strong position in most formats. He posted a foul on Saturday night, but he’s still putting up good numbers without Carter Jr. in the lineup: 9.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.4 shares and 70% shooting from the field. Bitadze should be on the list for more than 30%. If he’s unavailable, Jonathan Isaac (16% listed) is a nice backup plan for rebounds and shares.
Moussa Diabaté – C, Charlotte Hornets (24%)
The Hornets will play three games on lighter days in Week 5 against the Nets, Pistons and Bucks. There has been minimal reporting on the return of Mark Williams or Nick Richards, and Diabaté has been a beast on the glass and as a rim protector this past week. He averaged nearly twelve rebounds and three shares in 24 minutes per game in Week 4. He also posted two double-doubles, so even though he’s coming off the bench, the Week 5 matchups work in his favor as a decent streaming option.
Ayo Dosunmu – SG/SF, Chicago Bulls (23%)
Dosunmu has quietly been a top 80 player in 9-cat leagues over the past two weeks, mainly due to a combination of production and efficiency. Dosunmu has also eaten Josh Giddey’s minutes, which is always good for fantasy purposes. Over the past fourteen days, Dosunmu has given fantasy managers 14.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.4 3s while shooting 49% from the field and 92% from the line on three attempts per game in that span . The Bulls play four games and because this week is so streamable, Dosunmu can help fantasy managers in points or category leagues.
▶️“Southside” – Community Achievement. Kanye West
Other streaming options with four game weeks:
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Dillon Brooks – SG/SF, Houston Rockets (14%)
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TJ McConnell – PG, Indiana Pacers (8%)
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Jonathan Isaac – SF/PF, Orlando Magic (16%)
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Taurean Prince – SG/SF, Milwaukee Bucks (12%)
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Kevin Porter Jr. -PG, Los Angeles Clippers (5%)
🗓️Plan highlights:
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It’s a great week for streaming, up to eight games per day.
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Week 5 daily schedule: Monday (8), Tuesday (6), Wednesday (8), Thursday (4), Friday (8), Saturday (7), Sunday (6)
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Teams to avoid:
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Thunder and Suns – both teams have no more games after Wednesday
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Heat play on Monday and Sunday
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Timberwolves play on Thursday and Sunday
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Four games: 76ers, Bucks, Bulls, Clippers, Magic, Pacers, Rockets, Warriors
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Three games: Celtics, Cavaliers, Hawks, Hornets, Jazz, Kings, Knicks, Lakers, Mavericks, Nets, Nuggets, Pelicans, Pistons, Raptors, Spurs, Trail Blazers, Wizards
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Two games: Heat, suns, thunder, Timberwolves
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Back to back:
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Tuesday/Wednesday: Cavs, Grizzlies, Pelicans and Thunder
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Wednesday/Thursday: magic
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Friday/Saturday: Bucks, Bulls, Nuggets, Trail Blazers, Rockets and Warriors
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Sunday/Monday: Celtics, Clippers, Kings, Mavericks, Nets, Pacers and Raptors
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🚑 Injury news:
Notable injuries in week 4
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Nuggets C Nikola Jokić (personal) is considered day-to-day
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Mavericks G Luka Dončić (knee) is considered day-to-day
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Trail Blazers C Deandre Ayton (finger) is considered mundane
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Trail Blazers G Anfernee Simons (illness) is considered an everyday occurrence
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Kings F DeMar DeRozan (back) is considered day-to-day
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Kings C Domantas Sabonis (back) is considered day-to-day
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Nets C Nic Claxton (back) will miss at least a week
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Celtics G Jrue Holiday (knee) is considered day-to-day
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Raptors G Immanuel Quickley (elbow) will be re-evaluated this week
Latest injury reports for all NBA teams
NBA Injury Report – Monday, November 18
▶️“I’m not saying anything new” – The Roots
🔁 Rotation Notes:
Detroit Pistons: Doing things that aren’t the hard(a) way
The play: Malik Beasley (27%) was red hot without Tim Hardaway Jr. in the setup. He started his last two games and dropped an average of 38.8 fantasy points per game. Beasley is in the zone and is an option for any fantasy manager who needs scoring and threes. Be sure to stash Ausar Thompson (45%) as it continues to rise.
Los Angeles Lakers: Is it time for Knecht four?
The play: Rui Hachimura missed the past three games due to an ankle injury and the rookie out of Tennessee is thriving, averaging 30 minutes per night with 25 fantasy points per game in Hachimura’s absence. If Hachimura isn’t ready to return by Tuesday, Knecht (20%) has streaming potential.
New Orleans Pelicans: How long should we keep flying them?
The play: The good news: CJ McCollum is practicing and Trey Murphy III is back. The bad news is that the Pelicans are still down four of their original starting five in Week 5. Keep Brandon Boston Jr. on the list, while Yves Missi (19%) should continue to hold value for fantasy managers in need of rebounds, stocks with a high FG%. The Pels play three games in four nights Tuesday through Friday, so it’s a good weekday stream. If you need to continue, do so after Friday’s game.
Portland Trail Blazers: Avdija fades and Ayton hurts
The play: Shaedon Sharpe’s play forces Chauncey Billups to give Deni Avdija fewer minutes. Deandre Ayton’s finger injury has led to Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams splitting time and both have been effective in a timeshare that does not include Ayton. Anfernee Simons is dealing with an illness that opens the door for Scoot Henderson and Dalano Banton (7%). Check the injury report before the Blazers play Wednesday, as Banton and Williams could be decent streams if you miss Clingan.
▶️ “The Change” – Memphis Bleek feat. Beanie Sigel & Jay-Z
Sacramento Kings: Fox on Fire! 🔥
The play: De’Aaron Fox has a 49% usage rate and is averaging 54.5 points per game in two games without a combination of DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis. Both players will miss Monday’s game and in addition to Fox’s offensive explosion, Kevin Huerter (24%) has mixed good games with bad games. Still, he plays Monday and provides a good stream with limited scoring threats outside of Fox and Keegan Murray. The Kings are off until Friday after their Tuesday game, so you don’t have to hold onto him if you don’t want to. Trey Lyles is also another alternative.
