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André Snellings
Multiple Authors
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’s games
The NBA has a light schedule on the first Monday back from the All-Star Break, with only three games on tap. But one of those games is a doozy, with the Detroit Pistons defending their best record in the NBA against the San Antonio Spurs, the current second seed out West. This is a measuring stick game for both squads, which means we should see the best of both teams.
The second game of the night has the Memphis Grizzlies hosting the Sacramento Kings. Both of these teams are headed for the lottery, but sometimes those can be some of the best games for fantasy and betting purposes since the squads are equally matched and both playing against poor defenses.
The final game of the night has the Houston Rockets hosting the Utah Jazz. There is blowout potential here, so beware! However, this time of year is also littered with good teams looking past lottery squads and ending up in competitive games.
As always, we’ll dig deeper into the action to identify some fantasy streamers, betting angles and DFS plays of interest for tonight’s games.
Dre’s fantasy stream team for Monday
Kyle Filipowski, PF, Jazz (rostered in 19.6% of ESPN leagues): Filipowski should get the start at center for the Jazz with Jusuf Nurkic missing his third straight game because of a nose injury. In his previous two starts, Filipowski averaged 17.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG and a combined 5.0 blocks and steals per game.
GG Jackson, PF, Grizzlies (16.9% rostered): Jackson is a 3-and-D combo forward who has become a strong all-around producer for the Grizzlies since they embraced the rebuild and traded away Jaren Jackson Jr. GG has scored in double figures in eight of his last nine games, a span in which he has averaged 16.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.8 3PG and a combined 1.7 blocks and steals per game.
Maxime Raynaud, C, Kings (30.1% rostered): Raynaud is locked in as starting center for the Kings with Domantas Sabonis done for the season. Raynaud has started the last six games and averaged a double-double with 14.5 PPG and 10.2 RPG in those games.
Dre’s favorite bets for Monday
Victor Wembanyama OVER 1.5 3-pointers made (-130)
Wembanyama is on a streak of seven straight games with at least one 3-pointer made and is averaging 2.1 3PG in that span. The Pistons have a strong interior defense, allowing the fewest points in the NBA to opposing centers, but they allow the eighth-most 3-pointers to opposing centers. While Jalen Duren is an excellent interior player, he isn’t as natural on the perimeter, so opposing centers like Wemby are able to get their looks from deep.
GG Jackson OVER 15.5 points (-108)
Jackson has stepped up his scoring of late, putting up 21 points in the last game before the All-Star break and following that up by scoring 20 and 28 in his first two games post-break. The 28-point explosion against the Miami Heat came in 26 minutes off the bench, where he gets minutes at both forward spots. The Kings allow the second-most points to opposing power forwards.
Top Daily Fantasy values of the day
$8,100+ salaries
Cade Cunningham, PG, Pistons ($10,500): Cunningham will be counted on for a big game in a monster matchup with the Spurs. He has produced between 56 and 79 fantasy points in four straight games.
$6,100-$8,000 salaries
Maxime Raynaud, C, Kings ($6,100): Raynaud has produced between 38-50 fantasy points in three of his last four games and has a good matchup against the Grizzlies.
$3,000-$6,000 salaries
Ty Jerome, PG, Grizzlies ($6,000): Jerome has notched between 35-45 fantasy points in five of his last six games and has a good matchup at home against the Kings.
GG Jackson, SF, Grizzlies ($5,500): Jackson has scored between 33-46 fantasy points in three straight games and has a significant role in the current Grizzlies offense.
Projections and injury reports
Basketball Power Index by ESPN Analytics. Injury aggregation by Rotowire.com. Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook
San Antonio Spurs at Detroit Pistons
7 p.m. ET on Peacock
Line: Spurs +1.5 (-115) | Pistons -1.5 (-105)
Money line: Spurs -102 | Pistons -118
Total: 231.5 (-112 O, -108 U)
BPI Projection: Pistons by 2.4, straight up 57%, 229.3 total points.
Injury Report:
Spurs: Lindy Waters III, (GTD – Knee); David Jones Garcia, (OFS – Ankle)
Pistons: Isaiah Stewart, (OUT – Suspension)
Sacramento Kings at Memphis Grizzlies
8 p.m. ET
Line: Kings +3.5 (-112) | Grizzlies -3.5 (-108)
Money line: Kings +136 | Grizzlies -162
Total: 233.5 (-108 O, -112 U)
BPI Projection: Grizzlies by 9.6, straight up 76%, 234.9 total points.
Injury Report:
Kings: Dylan Cardwell, (OUT – Ankle); De’Andre Hunter, (OFS – Eye); Domantas Sabonis, (OFS – Knee); Zach LaVine, (OFS – Finger)
Grizzlies: Kyle Anderson, (GTD – Knee); Cedric Coward, (OUT – Knee); Santi Aldama, (OUT – Knee); Brandon Clarke, (OUT – Calf); Zach Edey, (OUT – Ankle); Ja Morant, (OUT – Elbow); Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, (OFS – Finger)
Utah Jazz at Houston Rockets
9:30 p.m. ET on Peacock
Line: Jazz +13.5 (-112) | Rockets -13.5 (-108)
Money line: Jazz +575 | Rockets -850
Total: 229.5 (-105 O, -115 U)
BPI Projection: Rockets by 13.7, straight up 84%, 235.5 total points.
Injury Report:
Jazz: Keyonte George, (GTD – Ankle); Lauri Markkanen, (GTD – Illness); Jusuf Nurkic, (OUT – Nose); Jaren Jackson Jr., (OFS – Knee); Walker Kessler, (OFS – Shoulder)
Rockets: Jae’Sean Tate, (OUT – Knee); Fred VanVleet, (OUT – Knee); Steven Adams, (OFS – Ankle)