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 Friday's games
The NBA action continues Friday with a big nine-game slate, including some good matchups to watch closely.
In Orlando, the Magic host the fourth-seeded Raptors in a game between two teams already jockeying for position in the Eastern Conference playoffs race. In Phoenix, the Suns are fresh off defeating the Eastern top-seeded Detroit Pistons and will now host the hottest team in the conference in the streaking Cleveland Cavaliers. Meanwhile, in Denver, the Nuggets host arguably the hottest team in the NBA in a LA Clippers squad that has won nine of their last 10 games.
Lots of storylines will play out in these and the other games on tap. Let's dig into the matchups and identify some fantasy streamers, betting angles and daily fantasy prospects of interest.
Friday's fantasy stream team
Saddiq Bey, SF/PF, New Orleans Pelicans (rostered in 40.0% of ESPN leagues): Bey has been playing well, when healthy, since late November. He has particularly picked it up in the last week-plus, averaging 24.0 PPG and 7.5 RPG in his last four outings.
Moses Moody, SG/SF, Golden State Warriors (11.5%): Moody is one of the Warriors perimeter players that has stepped up his game with Jimmy Butler III out. He has scored in double figures in eight straight games, averaging 15.2 PPG and 3.7 3PG.
Jaylon Tyson, SG/SF, Cavaliers (31.9%): Tyson has been starting and getting heavy minutes with Darius Garland sidelined. In his last seven games, all starts, Tyson has averaged 19.6 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 3.0 3PG on greater than 50% shooting from the field and greater than 85% from the line.
Dre's favorite bets for Friday
Ace Bailey OVER 14.5 points (-119)
Bailey has quietly come on strong in the New Year. He has scored at least 15 points in six of his last eight games, including four of his last five. In those five games, Bailey has averaged 19.2 PPG. Lauri Markkanen is out on Friday, and several other frontcourt Jazz players are questionable, so Bailey should get plenty of minutes and opportunity to continue his strong play against a friendly Brooklyn defense.
LA Clippers -4.5 (DK alternative spread) OVER the Nuggets (-140)
The Clippers, winners of nine of their last 10 games, have played themselves out of an early-season hole and back into playoff contention. Of those nine wins, seven of them were by at least six points. The Clippers won their first game against the Nuggets this season by 14, and that was with Nikola Jokic playing and Kawhi Leonard out. Jokic is out tonight but Leonard may be available, and if so the Clippers should be the better team tonight even on the road.
Paolo Banchero OVER 24.5 points (-102)
Banchero has been on a scoring binge of late, averaging 31.7 PPG in his last three outings with at least 27 points in all three. With Franz Wagner sidelined, Banchero will be called upon to put together another major scoring effort against a playoff-quality opponent. While Banchero didn't quite reach this scoring line the last time he faced Toronto almost exactly a month ago, he did play an outstanding game with a 23-point, 15-rebound, 10-assist triple-double, so he should be comfortable and confident in what he can do tonight.
Cam Spencer OVER 8.5 assists (-125)
Spencer only had six assists in a 15-point loss in his last outing, but in his five starts before that game Spencer had totaled 59 assists (11.8 APG) with at least 11 dimes in each game. Tonight, Spencer faces a New Orleans squad that he just dropped 11 assists against last Friday.
Top Daily Fantasy values of the day
$8,100+ salaries
Michael Porter Jr., SF, Brooklyn Nets ($8,700): Porter has scored 30 or more points in three of his last four games, and tonight faces a Jazz squad that allows the most fantasy points to opposing small forwards.
Donovan Mitchell, SG, Cavaliers ($9,700): Mitchell has scored more than 42 fantasy points in four straight games, including 55 or more fantasy points in three of them. He will continue to carry a heavy load against the Suns tonight with both Darius Garland and Evan Mobley sidelined.
$6,100-$8,000 salaries
Jusuf Nurkic, C, Utah Jazz ($7,800): Nurkic is questionable for tonight's game due to an illness that he was able to play through on Wednesday. Nurkic has scored more than 38 fantasy points in eight of his last nine games.
Immanuel Quickley, SG, Toronto Raptors ($7,200): Quickley had a down effort in his last outing, but in the four games before that averaged more than 47 FP/game.
Dillon Brooks, SG, Phoenix Suns ($6,800): Brooks has stepped up of late with Devin Booker and Jalen Green both out. On Thursday, he dropped a career-high 40 points, his third straight game with at least 26 points.
$3,000-$6,000 salaries
Saddiq Bey, SF, Pelicans ($6,000): Bey has scored more than 46 fantasy points in three straight games but remains a value-priced player.
Jock Landale, C, Memphis Grizzlies ($6,000): Landale had a down effort in his last outing but has still produced more than 30 fantasy points in seven of his last 10 games.
Isaiah Collier, PG, Utah Jazz ($5,800): Collier has scored at least 30 fantasy points in three straight and four of his last five games overall.
Projections and Injury Reports
Basketball Power Index by ESPN Analytics. Injury aggregation by Rotowire.com. Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook
Los Angeles Lakers at Washington Wizards
7 p.m. ET
Line: Lakers -9.5 (-102) | Wizards +9.5 (-118)
Money line: Lakers -375 | Wizards +295
Total: 228.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Lakers by 10.5, straight up 77%, 233.4 total points.
Injury Report:
Lakers: Austin Reaves, (GTD - Calf); Luka Doncic, (GTD - Ankle); Adou Thiero, (OUT - Knee)
Wizards: Khris Middleton, (GTD - Knee); Marvin Bagley III, (GTD - Back); Tre Johnson, (GTD - Ankle); Tristan Vukcevic, (GTD - Hamstring); Trae Young, (OUT - Knee); Cam Whitmore, (OFS - Shoulder)
Toronto Raptors at Orlando Magic
7:30 p.m. ET
Line: Raptors +1.5 (-108) | Magic -1.5 (-112)
Money line: Raptors +110 | Magic -130
Total: 218.5 (-112 O, -108 U)
BPI Projection: Magic by 1.4, straight up 54%, 224.4 total points.
Injury Report:
Raptors: Jakob Poeltl, (OUT - Back); Chucky Hepburn, (OUT - Knee)
Magic: Colin Castleton, (OUT - Thumb); Franz Wagner, (OUT - Ankle)
Sacramento Kings at Boston Celtics
7:30 p.m. ET
Line: Kings +11.5 (-115) | Celtics -11.5 (-105)
Money line: Kings +410 | Celtics -550
Total: 218.5 (-112 O, -108 U)
BPI Projection: Celtics by 12.4, straight up 82%, 226.7 total points.
Injury Report:
Kings: Malik Monk, (GTD - Ankle); Russell Westbrook, (GTD - Foot); Keegan Murray, (OUT - Ankle)
Celtics: Jaylen Brown, (GTD - Hamstring); Neemias Queta, (GTD - Illness); Jayson Tatum, (OUT - Achilles)
Portland Trail Blazers at New York Knicks
7:30 p.m. ET
Line: Blazers +7.5 (-115) | Knicks -7.5 (-105)
Money line: Blazers +230 | Knicks -285
Total: 223.5 (-115 O, -105 U)
BPI Projection: Knicks by 9.7, straight up 75%, 232.9 total points.
Injury Report:
Blazers: Deni Avdija, (GTD - Back); Robert Williams III, (GTD - Knee); Blake Wesley, (OUT - Foot); Matisse Thybulle, (OUT - Knee); Scoot Henderson, (OUT - Hamstring); Kris Murray, (OUT - Back); Damian Lillard, (OFS - Achilles); Duop Reath, (OFS - Foot)
Knicks: Josh Hart, (GTD - Ankle); Miles McBride, (GTD - Ankle)
Memphis Grizzlies at New Orleans Pelicans
7:30 p.m. ET
Line: Grizzlies +2.5 (-110) | Pelicans -2.5 (-110)
Money line: Grizzlies +114 | Pelicans -135
Total: 232.5 (-105 O, -115 U)
BPI Projection: Pelicans by 0.4, straight up 51%, 238.8 total points.
Injury Report:
Grizzlies: Ty Jerome, (GTD - Calf); Santi Aldama, (OUT - Knee); Scotty Pippen Jr., (OUT - Toe); (OUT - Calf); Ja Morant, (OUT - Elbow); Zach Edey, (OUT - Ankle)
Pelicans: Dejounte Murray, (OUT - Achilles)
Cleveland Cavaliers at Phoenix Suns
9 p.m. ET
Line: Cavaliers -3.5 (-112) | Suns +3.5 (-108)
Money line: Cavaliers -170 | Suns +142
Total: 219.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Cavaliers by 2.3, straight up 57%, 233.7 total points.
Injury Report:
Cavaliers: Luke Travers, (GTD - Illness); Darius Garland, (OUT - Toe); Evan Mobley, (OUT - Calf); Max Strus, (OUT - Foot)
Suns: Jalen Green, (GTD - Hamstring); Devin Booker, (OUT - Ankle)
LA Clippers at Denver Nuggets
9 p.m. ET
Line: Clippers -6.5 (-108) | Nuggets +6.5 (-112)
Money line: Clippers -218 | Nuggets +180
Total: 209.5 (-108 O, -112 U)
BPI Projection: Clippers by 5.5, straight up 65%, 226.4 total points.
Injury Report:
Clippers: Kawhi Leonard, (GTD - Knee); TyTy Washington Jr., (GTD - Hamstring); Bogdan Bogdanovic, (OUT - Hamstring); Derrick Jones Jr., (OUT - Knee); Bradley Beal, (OFS - Hip)
Nuggets: Christian Braun, (OUT - Ankle); Cameron Johnson, (OUT - Knee); Nikola Jokic, (OUT - Knee); Aaron Gordon, (OUT - Hamstring); Tamar Bates, (OUT - Foot)
Brooklyn Nets at Utah Jazz
9:30 p.m. ET
Line: Nets +1.5 (-102) | Jazz -1.5 (-118)
Money line: Nets +110 | Jazz -130
Total: 227.5 (-108 O, -112 U)
BPI Projection: Jazz by 1.6, straight up 55%, 235.8 total points.
Injury Report:
Nets: Cam Thomas, (GTD - Hamstring); Egor Demin, (GTD - Foot); Noah Clowney, (GTD - Back); Ziaire Williams, (GTD - Calf); Haywood Highsmith, (OUT - Knee)
Jazz: Cody Williams, (GTD - Illness); Jusuf Nurkic, (GTD - Illness); Elijah Harkless, (OUT - Hamstring); Georges Niang, (OUT - Foot); Walker Kessler, (OFS - Shoulder)
Detroit Pistons at Golden State Warriors
10 p.m. ET
Line: Pistons +2.5 (-110) | Warriors -2.5 (-110)
Money line: Pistons +120 | Warriors -142
Total: 224.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Warriors by 0.4, straight up 51%, 227.2 total points.
Injury Report:
Pistons: Caris LeVert, (GTD - Illness); Tolu Smith, (OUT - Calf)
Warriors: Gui Santos, (GTD - Calf); Seth Curry, (OUT - Back); Jonathan Kuminga, (OUT - Knee); Jimmy Butler III, (OFS - Knee)