ESPN's fantasy basketball daily cheat sheet is your pregame destination before you set your lineups for that night's games. Here you'll read our best advice for the night, including a selection of players you can stream as well as game-by-game injury reports.
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Top streamers | Best bets | DFS picks | Odds & Injury report
What you need to know for Monday
The NBA starts off this week with six games on the schedule. Three are in the early window, one on Central time and two in the late window. One of the more fun matchups of the day is a rematch of yesterday's game between the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors. Sunday's matchup went to overtime, with the Raptors winning by one point on a free throw with less than a second left in the game.
The other game tonight with the closest spread, according to DraftKings, is the Brooklyn Nets at the Dallas Mavericks (-3.5). This game features two exciting lottery rookies in first overall pick Cooper Flagg and eighth selection Egor Demin. Both are playing well enough to make an All-Rookie team and are of interest to both fantasy and betting audiences.
The game with by-far the highest total of the night, per DraftKings, is the Utah Jazz at Cleveland Cavaliers. Their line of 250.5 total points is more than 20 points higher than the second-highest of the night, and often high-scoring games can lead to fantasy and game prop interest. But caution, because this game also has the highest spread of the night at 13.5 points, and if it does become a blowout that often means less minutes for the main players who may not play much in the fourth quarter.
These and many other storylines are in play tonight. As always, we'll dig deeper into the action to identify fantasy streamers, betting angles and DFS plays of interest.
Monday's fantasy stream team
Jusuf Nurkic, C, Jazz (rostered in 33.7% of ESPN leagues): Nurkic is probable to return tonight after a two-game injury absence. Nurkic has been a walking double-double all season, but of late he has been borderline elite when on the court. In his last five games, Nurkic has flirted with being a 20-10-5 guy, with averages of 18.8 PPG, 10.6 RPG and 5.6 APG.
Collin Murray-Boyles, PF, Raptors (11.3% rostered): Murray-Boyles is facing the 76ers for the second straight day. Yesterday, he had a career-day with 17 points, 15 rebounds, three steals and three blocks in 42 minutes. Today could be more challenging for him, though, if Joel Embiid returns for the 76ers after missing yesterday's game.
T.J. McConnell, PG, Indiana Pacers (38.5%): McConnell is still a reserve for the Pacers, but he is getting more run with Bennedict Mathurin out. He is coming off consecutive strong games as an offense generator, in which he has totaled 35 points and 15 assists in those two games.
Sam Merrill, SG, Cavaliers (14.2%): Merrill has been wielding the blowtorch from behind the arc of late. He has made at least four 3-pointers in five straight games while shooting 58.7% from behind the arc, with overall averages of 18.4 PPG and 5.0 3PG in that span.
Dre's favorite bets for Monday
Jusuf Nurkic OVER 9.5 rebounds (-107)
Nurkic has grabbed 11 or more rebounds in four of his last six games, averaging 11.2 RPG in that span. His opponents, the Cavs, allow opposing centers to grab 15.1 total boards per game, tied for the sixth-most in the NBA.
Derrick White OVER 24.5 points (-102)
With Jaylen Brown doubtful to play tonight, White and Payton Pritchard are most likely to pick up the offensive slack. White already has five games with at least 29 points in the last month while playing next to Brown, and in one of the two games he played without Brown this season he dropped 30. His opponents, the Pacers, allow the second-most points in the NBA to opposing shooting guards this season.
Tyrese Maxey OVER 27.5 points (-115)
Maxey averages more than 30 PPG this season whether Embiid plays or not, and his average is actually slightly higher (31.4 PPG) when Embiid plays. Either way, Maxey has a good matchup Monday against the same Raptors team he dropped 38 points on yesterday. Maxey and Scottie Barnes had a heated exchange late in the game that led to a Barnes technical foul, and Maxey later had another verbal altercation with another Raptor. Plus, the 76ers lost a heartbreaker. All of these things point to a motivated Maxey against a team that allows the seventh-most point to opposing point guards, and against whom Maxey has dropped 31 or more points in two of three meetings this season.
Cooper Flagg OVER 12.5 assists + rebounds (-101)
Flagg had a down game overall in his last outing, a blowout loss to the Bulls, but that broke a streak of five straight games with at least 13 total assists and rebounds. In that span, he has averaged 7.6 RPG and 7.0 APG with at least six of each in every game. His Monday night opponent, the Nets, allow the third-most assists to opposing small forwards.
Top Daily Fantasy values of the day
$8,100+ salaries
Scottie Barnes, SF, Raptors ($8,200)
Barnes has dropped more than 43 fantasy points in five of his last seven games, including 50.2 FP against his Monday opponent the 76ers in their game yesterday.
Donovan Mitchell, SG, Cavaliers ($9,400)
While there is some blowout risk, Mitchell has an excellent matchup against a very friendly Jazz squad that allows the most fantasy points in the NBA to both opposing point guards and shooting guards. Mittchell has also dropped more than 47 fantasy points in five straight games.
$6,100-$8,000 salaries
Darius Garland, PG, Cavaliers ($7,400)
Like teammate Donovan Mitchell, Garland has some blowout risk but an otherwise wonderful matchup against an extremely poor Jazz perimeter defense.
Payton Pritchard, PG, Boston Celtics ($6,900)
In two games without Jaylen Brown this season, Pritchard has totaled 53 points, 18 assists and 13 rebounds. Brown is doubtful to play tonight.
$3,500-$6,000 salaries
Neemias Queta, C, Celticss ($5,200)
Queta has quietly played very well since the New Year, notching more than 31 fantasy points in three of his last four games.
Noah Clowney, PF, Nets ($5,200)
Clowney has more than 27 fantasy points in three of his last four games, including 35 or more in two of those games. And he's facing a Mavericks frontline without defensive anchor Anthony Davis.
Projections and injury reports
Basketball Power Index by ESPN Analytics. Injury aggregation by Rotowire.com. Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook
Utah Jazz at Cleveland Cavaliers
7 p.m. ET
Line: Jazz +13.5 (-118) | Cavaliers -13.5 (-102)
Money line: Jazz +500 | Cavaliers -700
Total: 250.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Cavaliers by 14.7, straight up 87%, 253.6 total points.
Injury Report:
Jazz: Elijah Harkless, (GTD - Hamstring); Ace Bailey, (GTD - Hip); Jusuf Nurkic, (GTD - Toe); Georges Niang, (OUT - Foot); Walker Kessler, (OFS - Shoulder)
Cavaliers: Chris Livingston, (GTD - Knee); Dean Wade, (OUT - Knee); Max Strus, (OUT - Foot)
Boston Celtics at Indiana Pacers
7:30 p.m. ET on Peacock
Line: Celtics -5.5 (-115) | Pacers +5.5 (-105)
Money line: Celtics -230 | Pacers +190
Total: 225.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Celtics by 7.3, straight up 70%, 226.7 total points.
Injury Report:
Celtics: Sam Hauser, (GTD - Hamstring); Jaylen Brown, (OUT - Back); Josh Minott, (OUT - Ankle); Jayson Tatum, (OUT - Achilles)
Pacers: Andrew Nembhard, (GTD - Back); Bennedict Mathurin, (OUT - Thumb); Obi Toppin, (OUT - Foot); Tyrese Haliburton, (OFS - Achilles)
Philadelphia 76ers at Toronto Raptors
7:30 p.m. ET
Line: 76ers -3.5 (-110) | Raptors +3.5 (-110)
Money line: 76ers -155 | Raptors +130
Total: 221.5 (EVEN O, -120 U)
BPI Projection: Raptors by 0.6, straight up 52%, 230.4 total points.
Injury Report:
76ers: Joel Embiid, (GTD - Knee); Paul George, (GTD - Knee)
Raptors: Brandon Ingram, (GTD - Thumb); Ja'Kobe Walter, (GTD - Hip); Jakob Poeltl, (GTD - Back); RJ Barrett, (GTD - Ankle); Chucky Hepburn, (OUT - Knee)
Brooklyn Nets at Dallas Mavericks
8:30 p.m. ET
Line: Nets +3.5 (-105) | Mavericks -3.5 (-115)
Money line: Nets +142 | Mavericks -170
Total: 221.5 (-105 O, -115 U)
BPI Projection: Mavericks by 4.8, straight up 64%, 222.5 total points.
Injury Report:
Nets: Drake Powell, (GTD - Knee); E.J. Liddell, (GTD - Knee); Haywood Highsmith, (GTD - Knee); Ziaire Williams, (GTD - Illness)
Mavericks: Brandon Williams, (GTD - Illness); Moussa Cisse, (GTD - Shoulder); P.J. Washington, (GTD - Ankle); Anthony Davis, (OUT - Finger); Kyrie Irving, (OUT - Knee); Dante Exum, (OFS - Knee); Dereck Lively II, (OFS - Foot)
Los Angeles Lakers at Sacramento Kings
10 p.m. ET
Line: Lakers -9.5 (-105) | Kings +9.5 (-115)
Money line: Lakers -380 | Kings +300
Total: 226.5 (-112 O, -108 U)
BPI Projection: Lakers by 9.4, straight up 75%, 231.9 total points.
Injury Report:
Lakers: Austin Reaves, (OUT - Calf); Adou Thiero, (OUT - Knee)
Kings: Isaiah Stevens, (GTD - Hamstring); Dennis Schroder, (OUT - Suspension); Domantas Sabonis, (OUT - Knee); Keegan Murray, (OUT - Ankle)
Charlotte Hornets at LA Clippers
10:30 p.m. ET
Line: Hornets +4.5 (-110) | Clippers -4.5 (-110)
Money line: Hornets +154 | Clippers -185
Total: 223.5 (-105 O, -115 U)
BPI Projection: Clippers by 4.5, straight up 63%, 223.8 total points.
Injury Report:
Hornets: Collin Sexton, (GTD - Hamstring); Miles Bridges, (GTD - Knee); Pat Connaughton, (GTD - Illness); Mason Plumlee, (OUT - Groin)
Clippers: Kawhi Leonard, (GTD - Ankle); Bogdan Bogdanovic, (OUT - Hamstring); Derrick Jones Jr., (OUT - Knee); Bradley Beal, (OFS - Hip)