The Playlist: Week 9 fantasy basketball waiver wire pickups and lineup advice
Welcome to The Playlist: my weekly column that lets you know who and what to play — when it comes to music, movies or other things in my rotation — for the upcoming week in fantasy basketball.
Each week, you'll see a compilation of the pickups you need to make, lineup notes (who's in and out of rotations) followed by key takeaways on the schedule.
Before we jump in, I want to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday.
There's plenty going on —between family, friends, presents, fantasy football playoffs and hoops! If you get bored, here are my favorite holiday movies to stream (in no particular order):
"Die Hard"
"Bad Santa"
"Jingle All the Way"
"Friday After Next"
Ok, now it's time to press play and shuffle through the latest fantasy basketball info.
Who's in my rotation: players to add on waivers who are less than 50% rostered in Yahoo leagues
Must adds
Caris LeVert - SG/SF, Cleveland Cavaliers (52% rostered)
LeVert crossed over the 50% threshold early Monday morning but is still widely available in Yahoo leagues. Darius Garland (jaw) will miss a few weeks, so LeVert is the next man up to get a bump in playing time. LeVert is ideal for points leagues because he fills up the box score on both ends but still holds value in category formats despite his inconsistency from the field (he's shooting 42% on the season).
Brandin Podziemski - SG, Golden State Warriors (40% rostered)
Santa Clara University has been responsible for two underrated rookies in fantasy basketball over the past two seasons — Jalen Williams of the OKC Thunder last season and now Podziemski. Podziemski was promoted to the starting unit for the Warriors, and over his previous three starts, he's produced 11.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.3 steals and 0.7 blocks in 33.4 minutes per game. The defensive stats are huge, so don't worry about the inefficiencies — they'll come as he gets used to the game. Pick him up ASAP.
Dante Exum - PG, Dallas Mavericks (44% rostered)
Exum is a must-add until Kyrie Irving (ankle) returns. Irving is still in a walking boot, so Exum still holds value at the moment, averaging 19.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.6 threes, and 1.2 stocks with a wild 68/65/80 shooting split. He's playing at an unreal level and has been the 43rd-ranked player in 9-cat leagues over the past 14 days.
Isaiah Hartenstein - C, New York Knicks (45% rostered)
Fresh off his first double-double of the season on Sunday night, Hartenstein is taking advantage of his expanded role for the Knicks. Mitchell Robinson will be out for a while, and even though Hartenstein is coming off the bench, he's playing meaningful minutes in crunch time and producing.
Hartenstein is averaging 8.4 points with 9.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.8 stocks over his last five games — numbers good enough to be a top-100 player in 9-cat leagues. He should be well over 50% rostered at this point.
Streamable players in Week 9
Nick Richards - C, Charlotte Hornets (21% rostered)
Mark Williams (back) is listed as doubtful on Monday's injury report, so if you're looking for blocks, Richards is a good option. He's averaging 2.3 swats over his last three contests, and he goes up against the Raptors and Jakob Poeltl on Monday and potentially a pace-up game against the Pacers on Wednesday. Should Williams return for Wednesday's tilt, he's obviously a drop, but he's a capable fill-in with Williams out of the lineup.
Derrick Jones Jr. - SF, Dallas Mavericks (13% rostered)
DJJ will continue to get significant minutes, with the Mavs having a ton of injuries in their frontcourt. Grant Williams also plays a lot, but he doesn't do much for fantasy compared to DJJ, who posted 2.8 stocks per game over his last five contests. He's coming off an 18-point performance on Saturday, so if you need a 3&D wing playing nearly 30 minutes a night, add DJJ.
Grayson Allen - SG/SF, Phoenix Suns (35% rostered)
He's over his latest groin injury, and with Bradley Beal injured again (ankle), I prefer Allen over Eric Gordon. Allen is starting and has been more impactful from a fantasy perspective over the past couple of games. While their scoring is similar, Allen offers more regarding efficiency, rebounds and stocks. The Suns have two games in Week 9, but they're at least on lighter slates, so Allen is still worth streaming.
Vince Williams Jr. - SG/SF, Memphis Grizzlies (6% rostered)
Who? But for real, he's started the last two games for the Grizzlies and is proving he belongs — even if it's temporarily. Over his previous three games, Williams has averaged close to 11 points and eight rebounds with over two triples per game. He's streamable as long as he's starting. The Grizzlies play four games this week, including a Monday/Tuesday back-to-back set.
Other streaming options
Patrick Williams - PF, Chicago Bulls (44%)
Caleb Martin - SG/SF, Miami Heat (43%)
Eric Gordon - SG/SF, Phoenix Suns (34%)
Dario Saric - PF/C, Golden State Warriors (38%)
Goga Bitadze - C, Orlando Magic (38%)
Donte DiVincenzo - SG/SF, New York Knicks (14%)
Rotation notes
Heat G Tyler Herro (ankle) and Bam Adebayo (hip) available to play on Monday
The play: It was a good run for Duncan Robinson, but he can be dropped in most leagues with Herro returning after an 18-game absence. However, I would hold Jaime Jaquez Jr., but Orlando Robinson and Kevin Love don't need to be rostered with Adebayo back to full strength.
Hawks C Clint Capela (knee/bone bruise) is questionable on Monday
The play: Check waivers to see if Onyeka Okongwu is out there because he's available in over 30% of Yahoo leagues coming into Monday. He's averaged 15 points with 7.5 rebounds and a block in two starts this year and 11 points, nine rebounds and two blocks as a starter in his career.
Rockets F Tari Eason's minutes are trending up
The play: He's played at least 27 minutes in three of his last four games, posted two double-doubles, and is averaging 16.5 points and 10.5 rebounds, with 1.8 threes and 1.8 steals over that span. He's sitting on waivers in 43% of Yahoo leagues, so make sure you stream him while he's a fixture of the Rockets' rotation.
Jazz G Jordan Clarkson (hamstring) and Keyonte George (foot) listed as out to start Week 9
The play: Collin Sexton will continue to log heavy minutes in the Jazz' backcourt. He's available in 33% of fantasy leagues, so scoop him up if you need a guard who can give you 20 points with five assists.
Schedule notes
No games on Sunday because it'll be Christmas Eve.
The best days to stream are Tuesday and Friday
The Warriors and Suns play on Tuesday and Friday
Daily Games Played
Monday: 11
Tuesday: 4
Wednesday: 10
Thursday: 8
Friday: 6
Saturday: 13
Sunday: 0
15 teams play four games: Bulls, Cavaliers, Clippers, Grizzlies, Hawks, Jazz, Kings, Lakers, Mavericks, Nets, Nuggets, Pacers, Raptors, Rockets and Timberwolves
14 teams play three games: 76ers, Bucks, Celtics, Heat, Hornets, Knicks, Magic, Pelicans, Pistons, Spurs, Thunder, Trail Blazers, Warriors and Wizards
One team plays two games: Suns
Teams with back-to-backs:
Monday/Tuesday: Grizzlies
Tuesday/Wednesday: Celtics
Wednesday/Thursday: Bulls, Cavaliers, Clippers, Jazz, Lakers, Magic, Pacers and Timberwolves
Thursday/Friday: Wizards
Friday/Saturday: Hawks, Nets, Mavericks, Nuggets, Warriors, Rockets, Kings, Raptors
Hawks, Kings, Mavericks, Nets, Nuggets, Raptors, Rockets and Warriors
