Last Updated on December 6, 2025 12:45 pm by Mike Passador | Published: December 6, 2025

Friday brought a massive slate but unfortunately there weren’t many competitive games.

OKC vs. Dallas went as you’d expect — well maybe you didn’t expect Anthony Davis to finish with two points. So did the Lakers’ trip to Boston on the second night of a back-to-back without Luka and LeBron. Phoenix had no chance to take down Houston without Devin Booker. Same for Milwaukee and Giannis Antetokounmpo vs. Philly. The Jazz got obliterated by New York, trailing by 23 before even hitting the scoreboard — Utah was down by 20-plus for over 40 minutes of the game. Even the Raptors ran out of gas, getting crunched in the second leg of a back-to-back against the Hornets; they were noticeably dead-legged out there and Brandon Ingram has already played six more games than he did all of last season.

We did get a couple burners though, with Miami and Orlando coming down to the wire. Paolo Banchero eased into things in his return, scoring nine points in 20 minutes. That allowed Anthony Black to maintain good value and the Magic have become pretty easy to read for fantasy purposes. Miami was without Tyler Herro but Kel’el Ware didn’t do a ton in this latest starting opportunity. The next time we see these teams meet it’ll be in the NBA Cup quarterfinals, and hopefully everyone is fully healthy for that.

The Clippers and Grizzlies went back and forth until Memphis closed on a 9-0 run for a nine-point win. Ivica Zubac and Zach Edey played to a standstill while James Harden disappeared in the second half. John Collins didn’t make a big impression but did take a ton of shots, which is a reason for optimism. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Vince Williams both struggled but Cam Spencer picked up the slack off the bench and Cedric Coward roared back to life with 23-14-5 after a couple weeks of so-so production. Hold the line there if you can.

The best game was probably Denver vs. Atlanta, which started out as a blowout. The Hawks were up by 18 after the first quarter and led by as much as 23. Jalen Johnson had a triple-double in the first half alone and Nikola Jokic entered the break shooting 2-of-13 from the field. You can only keep him down for so long, however, as Jokic went 11-of-13 in the second half to finish with 40 points in a comeback win. Jamal Murray’s week has gone ankle sprain – 52 points – 23 & 12 with a game-saving block. Not bad at all. Nickeil Alexander-Walker dropped 30 points and Kristaps Porzingis returned from a four-game absence with 25 points off the bench. That’s a new wrinkle that we floated back in the Draft Guide, and if it keeps Porzingis available for more games overall we’re into the idea of a nominal demotion. Lots of threads to follow in that game.

Let’s see your top pickups and then get into Saturday’s slate.

Top Pickups

This is the “general must-add” section regardless of the slate. If these players are being overlooked and remain chilling on the waiver wire, consider adding them to your squad.

Ryan Nembhard (28%)

Nembhard didn’t deliver a big fantasy line last night, but he was able to produce something usable against the juggernaut Thunder in 24 minutes. Over the last three games, Nembhard has accounted for 27 assists and two turnovers against OKC, Miami and Denver. He’s not going to relinquish the starting PG spot anytime soon.

Jaylon Tyson (24%)

Want full access to our Daily Fantasy Basketball Cheat Sheet with Pickups, Slate Notes & Streamers? You’ll need to have an Ethos 360, All-Sport or NBA FantasyPass membership. Click here to learn more and sign up! Premium Access Required  

Join the SportsEthos team! Fill out an application by clicking here!