For being the seventh overall pick in the NBA 2K League Draft, Hotshot still flies under the radar.

Part of it has to do with his unassuming personality. Part is a result of Heat Check Gaming’s up-and-down season.

Well, guess what? Heat Check is trending upward, and it’s no coincidence Hotshot is too in this week’s list of contenders in the Race for the MVP.

1. OneWildWalnut, Blazer5 Gaming

Stats: 19.3 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, 2.4 steals

Last week: 1

Everything was seemingly going in favor of Walnut and Co. early in Friday’s matchup vs Celtics Crossover Gaming. The tide would quickly shift as Blazer5 suffered their first loss of the regular season. Walnut turned in a solid performance with 15 points, 12 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks. The narrow loss isn’t a strike against the MVP favorite for the league’s first-place team.

2. Radiant, 76ers GC

Stats: 19.8 points, 12.7 assists, 2.1 steals

Last week: 3

In the ever-changing battle for distinction of league’s top point guard, Radiant takes home the honors this week. He put together a nearly flawless effort in a win over Warriors Gaming Squad, notching 23 points and 19 assists. He did it while only turning the ball over once. The only thing he didn’t do is record a steal, which was a rare occurrence.

3. Mama Im Dat Man, Blazer5 Gaming

Stats: 21.2 points, 12.3 assists, 1.7 steals

Last week: 2

When Blazer5 needed buckets in their showdown with Celtics Crossover, Mama was the guy they turned to. He scored a game-high 24 points in a head-to-head matchup with oFAB. Mama’s passing took a backseat to his scoring as he finished with just 4 assists in the loss. It was well shy of his season average, although he still ranks fourth in the league in the category.

4. oFAB, Celtics Crossover Gaming

Stats: 17.9 points, 17.9 assists, 2.5 steals

Last week: 4

oFAB has stated if he gets 20 assists in a given game, it all but guarantees a victory. He didn’t quite hit the mark against Blazer5, but his 18 dimes were still enough to pace Celtics Crossover as he consistently found teammates on deep leakouts for easy buckets. oFAB added 15 points but also committed 7 turnovers, and surprisingly failed to register a steal despite being second in the league in takeaways.

5. Dimez, Mavs Gaming

Stats: 20.6 points, 12.8 assists, 2.7 steals

Last week: 5

Dimez turned in another steady performance over the weekend, but it wasn’t enough to propel his team to victory. He finished with 20 points, 15 assists and 4 steals as Mavs Gaming let an early lead slip away in losing to Wizards District Gaming. He protected the ball, only committing one turnover, but couldn’t get it going from distance in missing all four 3-pointers.

6. Boo Painter, Wizards District Gaming

Stats: 25.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.3 blocks, 1.1 steals

Last week: 6

A slow start didn’t keep Boo down against Mavs Gaming. Despite being held to just 4 points at halftime, the big man regrouped in the second half to help carry his squad to a comeback win. Boo, the league’s second-leading scorer, fell shy of his scoring average with 18 points in the win, but he filled up the statsheet in adding 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 6 blocks and a steal.

7. Hotshot, Heat Check Gaming

Stats: 24.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.9 steals, 1.9 blocks

Last week: 9

Hotshot has been, well, hot of late. His latest performance might be one of his best. He flirted with a monstrous triple-double, recording 36 points, 14 rebounds and 8 assists in a huge win over Jazz Gaming this week. He was 14-for-21 from the floor and made all 8 free-throw attempts, while adding two blocks for good measure. It’s no surprise that Heat Check’s resurgence has coincided with his elevated play.

8. Dat Boy Shotz, Blazer5 Gaming

Stats: 21.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.7 steals, 1.2 blocks

Last week: 8

Shotz faced toughed sledding against Celtics Crossover. The league’s fourth-leading scorer (21.6 PPG) didn’t have much room to operate in the paint, scoring 14 points on just 6-for-16 shooting. He found other ways to contribute with 9 rebounds and 7 assists. Interestingly enough, he didn’t get to the free-throw line once in the loss despite having the most free-throw attempts in the league.

9. Hood, Cavs Legion GC

Stats: 29.6 points, 6.0 assists, 5.2 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 1.0 blocks

Last week: Unranked

This week’s newcomer would have been on the the list sooner if not for having missed some time earlier in the season. He’s back in the lineup and has his team riding a three-game winning streak. Oh ya, he just so happens to lead the league in scoring (30.0 PPG) and is currently playing power forward, his third position of the season. He’s coming off a 26-point, 12-rebound performance against Knicks Gaming.

10. Yeah I Compete, Jazz Gaming

Stats: 15.5 points, 11.6 assists, 1.4 steals

Last week: 7

Chalk this week up as a rough one for Compete. He and the rest of his teammates never got comfortable in a lopsided loss to Heat Check. Compete scored just one basket in the first half while finishing with 11 points for the game, shooting 3-for-12 in the process. He finished near his average with 9 assists but was also responsible for 6 turnovers in a game he’d rather forget.