The Playlist: Week 18 fantasy basketball waiver wire pickups and start/sit advice

Welcome to The Playlist: my weekly column that lets you know who and what to play — when it comes to setting your lineup or music in my rotation — for the upcoming week in fantasy basketball.

Each week, you'll see a compilation of the pickups you need to make and a quick look at the schedule and lineup notes (who's in and out of rotations).

Press play and shuffle through the latest fantasy basketball info.

Editors note: The default Yahoo Fantasy Basketball trade deadline ends on Thursday, March 6. Make sure you get those trades in and I'll be following up with a buy/sell article later this week.

🏀 Week 17 Wrap Up

• Joel Embiid (knee) and Jalen Suggs (knee) are out for the remainder of the season.

• The Cavs are the first team to reach 50 wins and have three 10-game winning streaks this year.

• Steph Curry splashed 56 points with 12 3s in a win over the Magic. He also dunked in his first game since 2019.

🥇Top Players in Week 17

• Points leagues: Nikola Jokić

• 9-category leagues: Tyrese Haliburton

🎧 Who's in My Rotation

There are a bunch of players between 35-50% rostered in Yahoo fantasy leagues, and since we're approaching the fantasy playoffs, I'm just going to list the players I'd consider must roster as of Monday. This may vary depending on your league size.

Must-add players

• Payton Pritchard

• Toumani Camara

• Bilal Coulibaly

• Alex Sarr

• Shaedon Sharpe

• Malik Beasley

• De'Andre Hunter

• Jeremy Sochan

• Tari Eason

• Isaiah Collier

• Stephon Castle

• Scoot Henderson

Top streams in shallow leagues

Quentin Grimes - SG/SF, Philadelphia 76ers (29%)

C'mon, the kid posted a career-high 44 points (18-14 FG), including 6 3s and 4 stocks against the Warriors on Saturday. Since joining the Sixers, he's averaging 17/5/3 with a steal across 31 minutes per game. Grimes is playing for a new deal and with Philly's season trending down, he's a player I'd want to roster for the rest of the season. I would have put him in the must-add category if he were rostered in more leagues.

Zach Collins - PF/C, Chicago Bulls (34%)

Collins came over from the Spurs at the deadline and he's already surpassed Jalen Smith on the Bulls' depth chart. He had a monster Week 17, averaging 18/10/4 with 1.3 3s, 1.5 stocks and 58/31/84 splits over his last four games. More importantly, Nikola Vučević continues to miss time with a calf injury, and though he could be eyeing a return this week, Collins needs to be rostered until that occurs.

Bol Bol - PF/C, Phoenix Suns (34%)

The Suns may be a disaster, but at least they're allowing Bol to shine. He's started the last four games and is coming off a week where he was valued as a second-rounder in 9-cat leagues. His skill set affects nearly every category, and aside from Sunday's off game, he's been averaging around 29 fantasy points per game over the past week. Bol is a keeper for the rest of the season for the Suns, with only Kevin Durant and him being reliable options in the frontcourt.

Ty Jerome - PG/SG, Cleveland Cavaliers (23%)

As one of the most impactful reserves in the league, Jerome remains relevant in fantasy, whether he plays limited minutes off the bench or steps in as a starter. He ranked 30th in 9-cat leagues last week and has delivered three performances with over 20 points in his last four games. Jerome put on a show on Sunday, scoring 25 points, recording 6 assists, grabbing 5 rebounds, hitting 2 three-pointers and producing 6 steals in 35 minutes. Because of his efficiency and productivity per minute, he falls into the must-add category for me in both 9-cat and points formats.

Top streams in deeper leagues

Guerschon Yabusele - PF/C, Philadelphia 76ers (26%)

Some may prefer Andre Drummond (29%), but I view Yabusele as a more versatile fantasy asset. While Drummond mainly controls the boards with limited points and steals, Yabu has a higher scoring potential and also contributes with three-pointers, rebounds and stocks. With Joel Embiid ruled out for the season, I anticipate Yabusele will split time between power forward and center, keeping him on the court for nearly 30 minutes moving forward.

Kyle Filipowski - C, Utah Jazz (15%)

If you're looking for a double-double threat with sneaky playmaking potential, look no further than Filipowski. The Jazz frequently rest veterans during this period, and the rookie from Duke stands to gain from it. He has recorded three double-doubles in his last four games, and last week, Filipowski ended the scoring period averaging 13 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists, with nearly 2 3-pointers per game. The Jazz have four games this week, and although there aren't any back-to-backs, Filipowski is a player I would hold due to the unpredictable nature of the Jazz's rotation and rest schedules.

Davion Mitchell - PG/SG, Miami Heat (17%)

A gritty defender like Mitchell was destined for success when he was traded to the Heat. His fantasy stock is rising now that he has quickly passed Terry Rozier on the depth chart. In nine games with Miami, Mitchell is playing over 33 minutes a night and averaging 10.1 points, 4.2 assists, 1.7 3s and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 54% from the field and 47% from beyond the arc. Though these numbers aren't game-changing, he's trending upward for a team that's needed a strong on-ball defender who can also run the offense.

Kris Dunn - PG/SG, Los Angeles Clippers (19%)

Dunn is worth streaming, especially if you need steals. He's averaging 3 steals per game over the last month and is coming off a week where he provided fantasy managers with third-round value in 9-cat leagues after adding to his steals with a solid 12/5/4 line. Keep rolling with Dunn as the Clippers play four games with a Tuesday/Wednesday back-to-back where Kawhi Leonard will likely sit.

Kelly Olynyk - PF/C, New Orleans Pelicans (15%)

The Pelicans remain one of the worst teams in the NBA but they're still playing their veterans. Olynyk was rested one game last week, and while it could happen again at the end of the week, his production's been stream-worthy. He's provided 8th-round value in 9-cat leagues over the last week and is coming off scoring a season-high 26 points with 9 boards, 4 assists, 3 3s and a steal. It looks like Karlo Matković is the odd man out in the Pels frontcourt, leaving Yves Missi (30%) and Olynyk as good options in a four-game week.

Quinten Post - C, Golden State Warriors (5%)

Post has been quietly putting in work, finishing 8th in per-game value in 9-cat leagues in Week 17. The rookie 7-footer has been a huge spark for the Warriors, who needed a big who to stretch the floor and bang in the post (pun intended). Golden State has three games in four nights, so picking up Post now will get multiple starts early in the week. When getting at least 20 minutes this season, Post is averaging close to 13 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 3s per game.

Other streaming options:

• Cason Wallace - PG/SG, Oklahoma City Thunder

• Aaron Wiggins - SG/SF, Oklahoma City Thunder

• Caris LeVert - SG/SF, Atlanta Hawks

• Terance Mann - SG/SF, Atlanta Hawks

• Moses Moody - SG/SF, Golden State Warriors

• Dillon Brooks - SG/SF/PF, Houston Rockets

• Brice Sensabaugh - SG/SF, Utah Jazz

• Matas Buzelis - SF/PF, Chicago Bulls

🗓️ Weekly Game Schedule

Here’s how the week breaks down in terms of total NBA games played per day. Use this to identify when streaming options will be the most favorable:

Prime Streaming Days: Monday and Thursday

While Monday and Thursday have the fewest games this week, fantasy managers should have no issue streaming each day. And a final reminder: the Yahoo default trade deadline ends on Thursday, March 6.

🎯Teams to target

Teams with 4 games:

The Jazz, Timberwolves, Mavericks and Clippers have players in the waiver pool who can be streamed during favorable matchups. For instance, Utah's opponents in Week 18 are the Pistons, Wizards, Raptors and Sixers, providing three favorable matchups. Following yesterday's extensive load management effort, the Jazz are fully committed to tanking, so players like Brice Sensabaugh and KJ Martin will likely see increased minutes despite not having any back-to-backs this week.

The Wolves face Philly, Charlotte, Miami and San Antonio this week. These are solid fantasy matchups to consider streaming players like Nickeil Alexander-Walker. With Dallas still trying to navigate life after Luka Dončić, Max Christie is a good streaming option against teams like the Kings, Grizzlies and Suns.

The Hawks, Warriors, Rockets and Sixers play three games in four nights to start the week. Given the even distribution of games, picking up players from these teams to maximize volume and getting multiple games off one transaction would be wise.

Teams with 3 Games:

Twelve teams play three games this week. Of those teams, the Raptors play against the Jazz and Wizards on a back-to-back set. The Wizards face the Jazz and Raptors so that should be good news for young Wizards players like Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington and Alex Sarr since the vets are unlikely to play in those games.

Back-to-Back Sets

• Monday/Tuesday: 76ers, Hawks, Rockets and Warriors

• Tuesday/Wednesday: Bucks, Cavaliers, Clippers and Timberwolves

• Wednesday/Thursday: Celtics

• Thursday/Friday: Knicks

• Friday/Saturday: Heat, Hornets and Raptors

• Saturday/Sunday: Bucks, Pelicans and Pistons

🚑 Injury Roundup

Here’s the latest:

• Bulls: Nikola Vučević (calf) expects to rejoin the team on their upcoming road trip.

• Lakers: Rui Hachimura (knee) will be re-evaluated in one week. Dorian Finney-Smith and Dalton Knecht get a slight boost in fantasy.

• Kings: Domantas Sabonis. (hamstring) will be re-evaluated in one week. Jonas Valančiūnas is a must-add in all leagues and formats.

• Mavericks: Moses Brown was released after his 10-day contract expired. He is now a free agent.

• Rockets: Fred VanVleet (ankle) will miss Monday's contest after re-injuring his ankle.

• Timberwolves: Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo are back. Rudy Gobert remains out.

• Warriors: Jonathan Kuminga remains out on Monday.

Latest injury reporting for all NBA teams

NBA Injury Report - Monday, March 3