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 6 summary:
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The Bucks, Grizzlies and Magic are the hottest teams, winning six straight games, respectively.
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Emirates NBA Cup pool play concludes Tuesday
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Isaiah Hartenstein averaged 15/14/4 with 1.5 actions in his first week back. Oh.
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Nikola Jokić tied Magic Johnson for third all-time in triple-doubles. Jokić accumulated 138 triple-doubles in 190 fewer games than the Magic
“Legendary” – Joey Bada$$ feat. J.Cole
Best artists
Who’s in my rotation: waiver picks
Note: The Week 7 scoring period is two weeks. December 2 to 15.
Nick Richards – C, Charlotte Hornets (36% on roster)
Hopefully you picked Richards when he made my list last week, but here’s another reminder. Richards returned to the Hornets on Saturday, scoring 12 points (3-5 FG, 6-7 Ft.) with 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 3 blocks in 25 minutes. Moussa Diabaté started but only played 22 minutes. Mark Williams isn’t ready to return yet, so Richards is the player you’ll want to include for fantasy purposes.
Yves Missi – C, New Orleans Pelicans (31% registered)
Add in Baylor’s all-league rookie. The Pelicans are approaching sell mode and he is one of the few names on their roster who won’t be available. The big man has found his groove lately, averaging nearly a double-double with 9.9 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2 actions in 27 minutes per game over his last 10 games. As the starting center on a struggling team, he will continue to get run and production for fantasy managers who need rebounds and blocks.
“Grand Groove” – Gaddafi Tragedy
Goga Bitadze – C, Orlando Magic (29% on roster)
Be sure to check your exemption groups for Bitadze. He hasn’t missed a beat since Wendell Carter Jr. returned to the lineup, continuing as a starter and averaging 10.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists with five actions in his last three games. There’s no point changing the lineup, knowing they’re 11-3 with Bitadze as the starting center. If that’s the case, Fantasy coaches will have a Jakob Poeltl-type player until Paolo Banchero returns. Add it in all leagues.
Julian Champagnie – SF/PF, San Antonio Spurs (23% of roster)
The Spurs starting forward needs to be included in more leagues. He has the third-highest offensive rating on the Spurs, and his three-point shooting and floor spacing keep him on the floor. The Spurs play four games this week and Champagnie is a decent streaming option for points, 3-pointers and steals in 12-team leagues.
Quentin Grimes – SG/SF, Dallas Mavericks (14% on roster)
Klay Thompson has missed the last four games with a foot injury and Grimes has been subdued in his absence. He has a streak of three straight games with at least 21 points and four three-pointers, shooting more than 53% from the field in that span. Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving also came in and out of the lineup, but he’s seeing minutes in the 20s and is taking advantage of those extra minutes. Wait to pick it up because the Mavs don’t play until Tuesday. However, this week’s opponents are the Grizzlies, Wizards and Raptors, all good fantasy matchups for the first part of the two-week scoring period.
Vasilije Micić – PG/SG, Charlotte Hornets (12% of roster)
The Hornets will be without LaMelo Ball and Tre Mann for at least two weeks, leaving the door open for Micić to fill in at point guard. In 21 starts last year, he averaged almost 12 points, 2 rebounds 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’s a solid streamer and knows he’ll be watching 30 minutes a night for the next two weeks.
Other broadcasts 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
Featured schedules
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The Week 7 scoring period at Yahoo is 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 that play on Mondays and Wednesdays:
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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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Consecutive backs:
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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 reevaluated 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
Rotation Notes
Dallas Mavericks
The work: I already mentioned that Quentin Grimes would be an addition, but the same can be said for Spencer Dinwiddie (20%) in case Kyrie Irving (shoulder) is lost at some point heading into Week 7. Dinwiddie scored over 20 points with the minus five assists in three of his last four contests.
Denver Nuggets
the work: Aaron Gordon returned on Sunday, and while Peyton Watson played well in 29 minutes, his streaming career is likely over. Gordon played just 24 minutes against the Clippers, six minutes less than his seasonal average, so while he will likely need a brief preparation period, it won’t be long until Gordon rejoins the starting lineup with a normal workload.
Memphis Grizzlies
the work: Zach Edey (ankle) should return early this week, so his return will likely impact Brandon Clarke’s broadcast appeal. Marcus Smart (28%), however, has been a boost off the bench for Memphis. In his last three games, he scored more than 11 points, had five assists and had a steal.
New Orleans Pelicans
the work: CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray are back, but Brandon Boston Jr. can be transmitted as long as Brandon Ingram (calf) is out. It’s worth mentioning that Klutch Sports now represents Ingram. Zion Williamson also broke up with his agent at CAA and is rumored to be joining WME. Don’t be surprised if we see a trade in the future.
“Leather So Soft” – Lil Wayne (feat. Birdman)
Philadelphia 76ers
the work: There has been no update on Joel Embiid (knee) and Andre Drummond sprained his ankle over the weekend, meaning Guerschon Yabusele (13%) will get an increase in playing time in a four-game week.