André SnellingsJan 26, 2026, 01:05 PM ET
CloseDr. André Snellings is a senior writer for men’s and women’s fantasy basketball and sports betting at ESPN. André has a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Michigan. He joined ESPN in 2017 after a 16-year career as a neural engineer, during which time he was also a writer and analyst for Rotowire.
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
There are seven games on the schedule Monday, starting with an afternoon tip-off between the Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks won the first matchup between the teams by 20 points, but that was back on Halloween night, long before the Hawks made their franchise-changing Trae Young deal. And the Pacers are coming off their biggest win of the season, on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder. This suddenly shapes up as an exciting matchup.
Another fun afternoon matchup starts a little later between the Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Hornets. Although Joel Embiid and Paul George are out for the first half of a back-to-back, this game should still be chock full of plus scorers that have explosive potential. I’m expecting some “overs” in this game, but we’ll talk more about that below.
The last game on the schedule tonight is in Minnesota, where the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves go head-to-head for the second straight day. The Warriors won the first half of the back-to-back in a blowout, so the Timberwolves have their work cut out for them tonight.
All of these, and many other storylines are on display to start this week. Let’s dig in and identify some fantasy streamers, betting angles and daily fantasy prospects of interest.
Monday’s fantasy stream team
Kelly Oubre Jr., SF/SG, Philadelphia 76ers (rostered in 48.3% of ESPN leagues): Oubre has started the last four games for the 76ers, averaging 19.8 PPG, 3.0 3PG and 1.5 SPG in that span. He should have more offensive responsibilities Monday with Embiid and George sidelined.
Editor’s Picks
2 Related
Toumani Camara, PF/SF, Portland Trail Blazers (49.7% rostered): Camara is a 3-and-D specialist, but he has shown flashes of scoring this season. He’s on another plus scoring run, with three straight games of at least 16 points and averages of 16.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG and 2.7 3PG over that span.
Cam Spencer, SG/PG, Memphis Grizzlies (31.1%): Spencer is starting in place of Ja Morant, and as a starter he is a walking double-double. In 11 starts this season, Spencer has averaged 12.3 PPG and 9.5 APG.
Jock Landale, C, Grizzlies (15.7%): Landale is in the midst of a monster week. In his last three games, he has averaged 19.3 PPG and 10.0 RPG with double-doubles in two of the three games.
Dre’s favorite bets for Monday
Jalen Johnson OVER 11.5 rebounds (+102)
This is a plus-money bet that Johnson has comfortably achieved in three straight games. Johnson has been on a rebounding tear of late, grabbing at least 15 boards in three straight games and averaging 16.3 RPG in that span. He’ll be facing a Pacers squad that allows the sixth-most rebounds in the NBA to opposing power forwards, a team he grabbed 13 boards against when they played back in October.
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Tyrese Maxey OVER 6.5 assists (-138)
Maxey has averaged 8.0 APG over his last five games, dishing seven or more in four of the five games. With Embiid and George out, Maxey’s usage should only increase, which should give him more assist opportunities. Maxey has faced the Hornets already this season, and he dropped nine assists in that game.
Jaylen Brown OVER 29.5 points (-108)
Brown has averaged 32.6 PPG in his last five outings, scoring 30 or more in four of those games. Brown will be facing the Trail Blazers for the second time in less than a month, and in the first game Edwards dropped 37 points in 37 minutes. On the season, the Trail Blazers allow the 10th-most points in the NBA to opposing small forwards.
Anthony Edwards OVER 29.5 points (-114)
Edwards has scored 30 or more points in three of his last four games, averaging 36.3 PPG in that span. This includes his Sunday game against the Warriors when he scored 32 points in 34 minutes. He would likely have played (and scored) more if the game hadn’t been a blowout in the fourth quarter that allowed him to rest with the other starters. But Edwards was scoring on the Warriors with ease Sunday, so if he maintains that level of play, he has a good chance to go over.
Top Daily Fantasy values of the day
$8,100+ salaries
Jaylen Brown, SF, Boston Celtics ($9,700): Brown has dropped more than 51 fantasy points in five straight games, with a high of 65 in that span, and the last time he faced the Trail Blazers he scored 49.8.
Anthony Edwards, SG, Minnesota Timberwolves ($9,300): Edwards has produced more than 50 fantasy points in three of his last four games, including the 50.2 he scored against this same Warriors team yesterday.
$6,100-$8,000 salaries
Donovan Clingan, C, Portland Trail Blazers ($6,600): Clingan has scored more than 39 fantasy points in three of his last four games. When he faced the Celtics last month, he produced 43.
Cam Spencer SG/PG, Memphis Grizzlies ($6,500): Spencer is starting at point guard in place of the injured Ja Morant. In his last start, on Friday, he dropped a 21-point/11-assist double-double in only 28 minutes.
$,500-$6,000 salaries
Jock Landale, C, Grizzlies ($5,700): Landale has produced more than 30 fantasy points in seven of his last nine games, and has averaged 36.8 in his last three games.
Projections and injury reports
Basketball Power Index by ESPN Analytics. Injury aggregation by Rotowire.com. Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.
Indiana Pacers at Atlanta Hawks
1:30 p.m. ET
Line: Pacers +5.5 (-105) | Hawks -5.5 (-115)
Money line: Pacers +185 | Hawks -225
Total: 233.5 (-112 O, -108 U)
BPI Projection: Hawks by 7.6, straight up 70%, 238.7 total points.
Injury Report:
Pacers: Bennedict Mathurin, (GTD – Thumb); Quenton Jackson, (GTD – Ankle); Obi Toppin, (OUT – Foot); Tyrese Haliburton, (OFS – Achilles)
Hawks: N’Faly Dante, (OFS – Knee); Kristaps Porzingis, (OUT – Achilles); Zaccharie Risacher, (OUT – Knee)
Philadelphia 76ers at Charlotte Hornets
3 p.m. ET
Line: 76ers +2.5 (-110) | Hornets -2.5 (-110)
Money line: 76ers +114 | Hornets -135
Total: 228.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Hornets by 0.2, straight up 51%, 230.7 total points.
Injury Report:
76ers: Joel Embiid, (OUT – Knee); Paul George, (OUT – Knee); MarJon Beauchamp, (OUT – Ankle)
Hornets: Collin Sexton, (GTD – Hamstring); KJ Simpson, (OUT – Hip); Mason Plumlee, (OUT – Groin)
Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers
7 p.m. ET on Peacock
Line: Magic +6.5 (-118) | Cavaliers -6.5 (-102)
Money line: Magic +205 | Cavaliers -250
Total: 227.5 (-115 O, -105 U)
BPI Projection: Cavaliers by 4.9, straight up 64%, 236.8 total points.
Injury Report:
Magic: Colin Castleton, (OUT – Thumb); Franz Wagner, (OUT – Ankle)
Cavaliers: Darius Garland, (OUT – Toe); Luke Travers, (OUT – Illness); Max Strus, (OUT – Foot)
Portland Trail Blazers at Boston Celtics
8 p.m. ET on Peacock
Line: Blazers +8.5 (-115) | Celtics -8.5 (-105)
Money line: Blazers +245 | Celtics -305
Total: 224.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Celtics by 7.8, straight up 71%, 230.3 total points.
Injury Report:
Blazers: Deni Avdija, (GTD – Back); Robert Williams III, (GTD – Knee); Duop Reath, (OUT – Foot); Blake Wesley, (OUT – Foot); Kris Murray, (OUT – Back); Matisse Thybulle, (OUT – Knee); Scoot Henderson, (OUT – Hamstring); Damian Lillard, (OFS – Achilles)
Celtics: Josh Minott, (GTD – Ankle); Neemias Queta, (GTD – Illness); Jayson Tatum, (OUT – Achilles)
Los Angeles Lakers at Chicago Bulls
8 p.m. ET
Line: Lakers -1.5 (-105) | Bulls +1.5 (-115)
Money line: Lakers -118 | Bulls -102
Total: 235.5 (-108 O, -112 U)
BPI Projection: Lakers by 2.7, straight up 58%, 238.0 total points.
Injury Report:
Lakers: Jake LaRavia, (GTD – Quadriceps); Austin Reaves, (OUT – Calf); Adou Thiero, (OUT – Knee)
Bulls: Tre Jones, (OUT – Hamstring); Zach Collins, (OUT – Toe); Noa Essengue, (OFS – Shoulder)
Memphis Grizzlies at Houston Rockets
8 p.m. ET
Line: Grizzlies +10.5 (-118) | Rockets -10.5 (-102)
Money line: Grizzlies +340 | Rockets -440
Total: 224.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Rockets by 10.5, straight up 77%, 228.7 total points.
Injury Report:
Grizzlies: Santi Aldama, (GTD – Knee); Ty Jerome, (OUT – Calf); , (OUT – Calf); Ja Morant, (OUT – Elbow); Scotty Pippen Jr., (OUT – Toe); Zach Edey, (OUT – Ankle)
Rockets: Aaron Holiday, (GTD – Back); Steven Adams, (OUT – Ankle); Fred VanVleet, (OUT – Knee)
Golden State Warriors at Minnesota Timberwolves
9:30 p.m. ET on Peacock
Line: Warriors +7.5 (-115) | Timberwolves -7.5 (-105)
Money line: Warriors +225 | Timberwolves -278
Total: 232.5 (-108 O, -112 U)
BPI Projection: Timberwolves by 3.8, straight up 61%, 231.5 total points.
Injury Report:
Warriors: Al Horford, (OUT – Toe); De’Anthony Melton, (OUT – Knee); Seth Curry, (OUT – Back); Jonathan Kuminga, (OUT – Knee); Jimmy Butler III, (OFS – Knee)
Timberwolves: Terrence Shannon Jr., (GTD – Foot)