Welcome back to The Playlist — your weekly scan of the fantasy basketball landscape, where we break down the waiver adds who can keep your roster competitive in 9-cat and points leagues.
You can also read my High Score pickups story for advice in that format.
Fantasy basketball pickups and advice.
Week 8 comes with a twist: the NBA Cup. The Yahoo Fantasy Basketball default schedule doesn’t combine this week and next, which means your outcome will largely depend on how your schedule shakes out.
Here’s what we do know heading into Week 8:
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NBA Cup games take place Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, with the championship next Tuesday.
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The Kings, Pacers, Pelicans and Timberwolves are locked into three games.
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The Heat, Knicks, Magic, Thunder, Suns and Raptors will play either two or three games, depending on the outcomes of the quarterfinal games on Tuesday and Wednesday night.
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Spurs and Lakers will play one or two games, depending on whether they advance.
It’ll be tough to stream this week, but let’s get to the waiver adds.
🎧 Who’s in My Rotation: 9-cat and standard points leagues
Maxime Raynaud – C, Sacramento Kings (19% rostered)
Raynaud should be added in all 12-team or deeper formats — 9-cat or points — as one of the highest-upside stashes under 20% rostered. With Domantas Sabonis sidelined, Raynaud’s minutes have jumped, and Sacramento’s poor record all but guarantees the Kings will shop veterans (like Sabonis) once Dec. 15 rolls around. That clears a long runway for the rookie to emerge as a rest-of-season asset.
He provides rebounds, blocks and efficiency for 9-cat managers, and his overall counting stats will translate to points leagues.
TJ McConnell – PG, Indiana Pacers (15% rostered)
The Pacers play three games in Week 8, making him a strong streaming option. McConnell is efficient, providing a solid source of steals and assists while minimizing turnovers.
In points leagues, his contributions across categories provide a safe 21-30 fantasy-point floor any time he sees extra run. That’s bound to happen in Week 8, facing the Kings, Sixers and Wizards.
Jordan Walsh – SG/SF/PF, Boston Celtics (17% rostered)
Walsh is no longer just a deep-league watchlist guy. He ranks 54th over the past month and 40th over the last two weeks in 9-cat, thanks to his efficiency and stocks. With three-position eligibility, he’s a valuable piece to plug throughout your lineup.
The Celtics only play one game this week, but if you have space, I’d add him after averaging 14 points, 7 rebounds and almost 3 stocks in 28 minutes per game over his last five contests.
[It’s not too late to join or create a fantasy basketball league for the 2025-26 NBA season]
Jose Alvarado – PG, New Orleans Pelicans (10% rostered)
I’d add Jeremiah Fears (28%) as the priority in shallow leagues, but Alvarado is a player to consider if Fears isn’t available. Now, Alvarado is likely playing with borrowed time, but with the Pelicans having three games and Jordan Poole still not ready, I’d stream him on Monday and hold for later in the week if Poole remains out.
Over the past two weeks, Alvarado has averaged 1.6 steals per game while shooting an uncharacteristic 48% from the field. In a tricky schedule week due to the NBA Cup where the volume of games could be the difference between a win and a loss, bet on volume and sneak in another game of production.
Final tip for Week 8
Before picking up Week 7 streaming gems like Pat and Cam Spencer or Jaylen Wells, wait until mid-week to get a clearer picture of stars likes Ja Morant, Stephen Curry, Tyler Herro, Devin Booker and others returning from injury. Since a bulk of the games will come on Thursday, Friday and Sunday, there’s no need to pick up fringe guys who could eventually be dropped preemptively.
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