Table of Contents
Welcome to The Playlist: my weekly column that lets you know who and what to play (when it comes to music or other things in my rotation) for the upcoming week in fantasy basketball.
Each week, you’ll see a compilation of the picks you need to make, a quick look at the schedule, and lineup notes (who’s coming in and out of rotations).
Press play and stream the latest fantasy basketball information.
Week 2 summary:
Sticky – Tyler the Creator feat. GloRilla, Sexyy Red and Lil Wayne
Best artists:
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Top-rated 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 picks
Five players feature in 39% to 46% of Yahoo leagues and should be added universally:
Other add-ons to make:
Bilal Coulibaly, SG/SF, Washington Wizards (50% enrolled)
Coulibaly shows no signs of slowing down, averaging 19 points with six rebounds, nearly three assists and a steal in his first five games. With Kyle Kuzma (groin) expected to miss a few weeks, Coulibaly’s scoring demand is very high and he is delivering. He is shooting an unsustainable 61% and 48% from three-point range. Still, he should be included in all leagues, considering his potential as a defender and secondary scoring option for the Wizards.
Tari Eason – SF/PF, Houston Rockets (26% on roster)
For years, Eason had a skill set fit for junior leagues. He just hasn’t been able to stay healthy. It doesn’t help that the Rockets have one of the most complete teams in the league. Still, Eason is worth adding in 12-team leagues because he continues to be productive in multiple areas per minute. He’s off to a great start, averaging over three actions in 20 minutes a night along with 11 points, 4.5 rebounds and shooting 56% from the field. He’s legit and will continue to be a rotation fixture. Houston also plays four games this week.
Alex Sarr – PF/C, Washington Wizards (39% registered)
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 are impressive. Sarr averaged 2.8 blocks per game and had a steal in three of five games. He’s coming off his best scoring performance of the year on Saturday, scoring 17 points, and his rebounding is improving as well. His defensive numbers are worth adding, but with Kyle Kuzma out, he should see more volume in this offense.
I see – Little Brother feat. Kanye West
Anthony Black- PG/SG, Orlando Magic (13% on roster)
Black has received rave reviews since the offseason and will be one of the players who will benefit the most from Paolo Banchero’s absence. The second-year pro has a versatile fantasy skill set where he will generate decent counting stats for rebounds, steals, and actions. Playing about 30 minutes a night, add it before it’s too late.
Bennedict Mathurin – SG/SF, Indiana Pacers (27% on roster)
I prefer Mathurin in points leagues, but he has been efficient in his last two outings, going 16 of 32 from the field, 3 of 7 from 3, and 14 of 16 from the line. He started in place of Andrew Nembhard (knee) and could look for more opportunities with Aaron Nesmith dealing with an ankle injury. Mathurin was always a bucket, but expect little in the way of actions or assists.
Jordan Hawkins – SG, New Orleans Pelicans (28% on roster)
The Pelicans are in a bad situation and Hawkins has provided Fantasy managers with a strong source of 3-pointers and points since CJ McCollum and Herb Jones suffered injuries. He’s averaging 38 minutes over the last three games, so the size of the opportunity is too high to ignore. It is worth adding points and category leagues; just keep in mind that it can be inefficient and have little impact on assists or actions.
Yves Missi – C, New Orleans Pelicans (16% on roster)
Missi may be difficult to play in Week 3 with the Pelicans’ unappealing three-game schedule on larger slates (Monday, Wednesday and Friday). However, I’m taking a longer-term view on him because his minutes are increasing and he’s proving to be a reliable blocker, a fairly rare category to find on waivers. Missi is outperforming Daniel Theis and has started the last two games for New Orleans. With so few options in the frontcourt, plus injuries piling up, the Baylor rookie is in a good position to see an increase in production.
Featured schedules:
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Week 3 Daily Game Schedule: Monday (15), Tuesday (0), Wednesday (12), Thursday (3), Friday (13), Saturday (4), Sunday (11)
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Main broadcast days: Thursday and Saturday
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Teams that play on lighter boards: Bulls, Jazz and Spurs (play Thursday and Saturday)
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Teams that play four games: 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 that play three games: Jazz, Nets, Pelicans and Wizards
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Consecutive backs:
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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 work: I will reiterate that he needs to be in all leagues because his minutes continue to increase. He is a top 50 player in 9 leagues and has played more than 27 minutes in five of seven games this year. He remains available in more than 60% of leagues, although he will be heavily relied upon to lead the second unit while also spending time with the starters. He’s in the top 10 in offensive efficiency ratings in the NBA, and he means it.
Just Do It – Jaylen Brown feat. A$AP Ferg
Charlotte Hornets: Mark Williams (foot) and Nick Richards (shoulder) are out Monday.
the work: Expect Grant Williams to play and start at small-ball center. He was disappointing in his last game in that role, so I’ll avoid the situation entirely.
Memphis Grizzlies: Transport me to Scotty (and Santi)
the work: Santi Aldama has started five of seven games so far and Desmond Bane’s recent ankle injury places him in the starting lineup at small forward. He has had two double-doubles and has been a good source of points with a good field goal percentage. Scotty Pippen Jr. was one of my signings last week and has maintained his value as a backup point guard, dishing out double-digit assists in three of his last five outings. Keep riding the wave. It is still available in almost 60% of leagues.
A deep league addition is Jaylen Wells (4% of roster). He will replace 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 3-pointers.
New Orleans Pelicans: Who’s Left? It is what it is.
The work: First it was Trey Murphy III, then Dejounte Murray. CJ McCollum and Herb Jones are on week-to-week schedules and the Pelicans are missing four core players to start the year. It’s time to delve into the fantasy resource bag. I’d be looking at José Alvarado in deep leagues for steals and assists, Jordan Hawkins for scoring, and Yves Missi for blocks and rebounds. Meanwhile, 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’s feat. gunna
Philadelphia 76ers: The return of the (P)G
the work: It’s been real, Kelly Oubre Jr. Unfortunately, it looks like a downfall once Paul George returns to the lineup. Oubre has been inefficient and ranks outside the top 150 in 9-cat leagues. Keep holding Andre Drummond even when Joel Embiid returns because we already know Embiid will be rested periodically throughout the season.
Toronto Raptors: Players take a step forward amid injuries
the work: With Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley out with injuries, Gradey Dick and RJ Barrett have been playing some unreal basketball lately. Barrett ranks 46th in 9-cat leagues and 11th in points per game in point leagues, while Dick ranks 60th and 90th, respectively, in both formats. The deep sleeper benefiting from all the injuries has been Jonathan Mogbo (7% of the roster), who has been pretty good at accumulating 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 lineups.
Utah Jazz: a winless team looking for answers
the work: Rookie forwards Kyle Filipowski (6% of 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 couple of extra broadcasts for production. I prefer Filipowski, as he has proven to have a better fantasy profile.