Jim McCormickJan 10, 2026, 10:37 AM ET
CloseJim McCormick is a contributing writer for fantasy football and men’s basketball at ESPN.
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
A unique Saturday slate features a series of matchups between Western and Eastern Conference teams. With five of today’s six games being cross-conference matchups, we’ll focus on what injury reports and betting metrics might reveal instead of leaning on matchup familiarity and precedent.
Editor’s Picks
2 Related
Betting metrics are encouraging, as the range of spreads today is 1.5 to 7.5 points, with no clear blowout risks. Point totals are also largely positive; only the LA Clippers visiting the Detroit Pistons has a total below 220 points today. The Pistons and Clippers ranking 17th and 29th in pace, respectively, is a key factor driving today’s sluggish total.
The lineups likely to be influenced heavily by injuries today are the Utah Jazz, Chicago Bulls, and Dallas Mavericks. The Jazz are resting Lauri Markkanen, the Bulls are without Josh Giddey and the Mavericks are dealing with another injury to Anthony Davis.
You’ll find some key streaming candidates from these rotations in the section below. With an eye toward uncovering productive fantasy streamers and compelling betting angles, let’s take a look at the day ahead in the NBA.
Saturday’s fantasy stream team
Isaiah Stewart, C/PF, Detroit Pistons (rostered in 17.3% of ESPN leagues): Our guy “Beef Stew” merits more attention. Not just for the awesome moniker, but for a prolific block rate and increased production on offense. Now, don’t expect his recent 31-point opus against the Bulls to resurface, as Stewart just set a new career scoring peak. You can expect lots of rebounds, blocks and efficient scoring to surface.
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Ayo Dosunmu, SG, Chicago Bulls (23.4%): With Giddey ailing, Dosunmu takes on more creation and playmaking duties for the Bulls. With at least 15 points in four straight and the potential to compile points and dimes in bunches, Dosunmu is arguably the top backcourt pickup of the day.
Keldon Johnson, SF/PF, San Antonio Spurs (17.2%): Finding his groove as a scoring source off the bench, Johnson has been even more productive lately in the wake of an injury to Devin Vassell. The assist rate is scarily low, but that’s not what you roster Johnson for; scoring in bunches with a solid rebounding rate is the path to value in a matchup with the Celtics.
Naji Marshall, SF/PF, Dallas Mavericks (16.9%): The absence of Davis for what could be multiple months to a hand injury means more minutes, touches and potential for Marshal to be a top scoring option in the games ahead. The Bulls, meanwhile, struggle to defend forwards.
Brice Sensabaugh, SF, Utah Jazz (2.8%): With Markkanen resting and Kyle Filipowski losing minutes lately, we turn to Sensabaugh as a potential bucket for the Jazz this evening. Meanwhile, this matchup with Charlotte is inviting.
McCormick’s bets for Saturday
Nikola Vucevic OVER 34.5 total points, rebounds, and assists (-105)
This proven offensive hub has seen his potential and realized assist rates spike without Giddey in the lineup. Running the offense from the nail, Vucevic serves as a massive point guard at times for Chicago in the absence of a top creator. The Mavericks, meanwhile, are weaker on the glass and in rim protection without Davis.
James Harden OVER 2.5 3-pointers (-140)
The beard still loves the stepback. Volume from deep remains a major part of Harden’s offensive identity; he’s made at least three 3-pointers in six of his past seven road games and will be vital as a scorer now that the Clippers no longer have easy baskets via pick-and-roll actions.
Top Daily Fantasy values of the day
$8,100+ salaries
Kawhi Leonard, SF, LA Clippers ($9,800): Even deep into his career and after years of battling injuries, Leonard remains a simply special offensive force. The ability to get to his own shot at any time combined with the playmaking and spacing Harden provides serve to support a high floor and ceiling for Leonard.
Jaylen Brown, SF, Boston Celtics ($9,600): The undeniable awesomeness of Brown’s season continues. The Spurs have an elite rim protector, but could struggle to contain Brown in the midrange and on switches. With massive usage and efficiency somehow coexisting, Brown is a strong building block tonight.
$6,100-$8,000 salaries
Nikola Vucevic, C, Chicago Bulls ($7,900): Continuing on the endorsement above, Vucevic is simply an offensive engine whenever Giddey is off the floor. His assist percentage spikes, while rebounding and scoring patterns remain stable.
Jaime Jaquez Jr., SG/SF, Miami Heat ($6,300): Likely to return to his rewarding role as a playmaking forward for the Heat, Jaquez reenters the lineup today after missing a few games to injury. The Heat don’t have a traditional point guard or a heliocentric star, which means Jaquez takes on a rewarding amount of creation possessions.
$3,500-$6,000 salaries
T.J. McConnell, PG, Indiana Pacers ($5,000): A lost season for the Pacers doesn’t change how McConnell plays; the scrappy two-way floor general still provides a stable fantasy floor around 20 DraftKings points in most games. There is potential for more, of course, confirmed by 46.5 DK points in his most recent outing.
Projections and injury reports
Basketball Power Index by ESPN Analytics. Injury aggregation by Rotowire.com. Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.
Minnesota Timberwolves at Cleveland Cavaliers
1 p.m. ET
Line: Timberwolves +5.5 (-118) | Cavaliers -5.5 (-102)
Money line: Timberwolves +150 | Cavaliers -180
Total: 238.5 (-115 O, -105 U)
BPI Projection: Cavaliers by 2.5, straight up 57%, 240.7 total points.
Injury Report:
Timberwolves: Rocco Zikarsky, (GTD – Undisclosed); Anthony Edwards, (GTD – Foot); Julius Randle, (GTD – Thumb); Terrence Shannon Jr., (OUT – Foot)
Cavaliers: Chris Livingston, (OUT – Knee); Dean Wade, (OUT – Knee); Max Strus, (OUT – Foot)
Miami Heat at Indiana Pacers
7 p.m. ET
Line: Heat -7.5 (-115) | Pacers +7.5 (-105)
Money line: Heat -298 | Pacers +240
Total: 234.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Heat by 9.5, straight up 75%, 239.0 total points.
Injury Report:
Heat: Terry Rozier, (OUT – Not Injury Related)
Pacers: Andrew Nembhard, (GTD – Back); Bennedict Mathurin, (OUT – Thumb); Isaiah Jackson, (OUT – Concussion); Obi Toppin, (OUT – Foot); Tyrese Haliburton, (OFS – Achilles)
LA Clippers at Detroit Pistons
7:30 p.m. ET
Line: Clippers +5.5 (-110) | Pistons -5.5 (-110)
Money line: Clippers +195 | Pistons -238
Total: 215.5 (-115 O, -105 U)
BPI Projection: Pistons by 4.9, straight up 64%, 223.9 total points.
Injury Report:
Clippers: Bogdan Bogdanovic, (OUT – Hamstring); Derrick Jones Jr., (OUT – Knee); Bradley Beal, (OFS – Hip)
Pistons: Cade Cunningham, (GTD – Wrist); Wendell Moore Jr., (OUT – Hamstring); Jalen Duren, (OUT – Ankle); Tobias Harris, (OUT – Hip)
San Antonio Spurs at Boston Celtics
8 p.m. ET
Line: Spurs -1.5 (-108) | Celtics +1.5 (-112)
Money line: Spurs -118 | Celtics -102
Total: 232.5 (-105 O, -112 U)
BPI Projection: Celtics by 0.4, straight up 51%, 229.8 total points.
Injury Report:
Spurs: Julian Champagnie, (GTD – Back); Devin Vassell, (OUT – Thigh)
Celtics: Josh Minott, (GTD – Ankle); Jayson Tatum, (OUT – Achilles)
Dallas Mavericks at Chicago Bulls
8 p.m. ET
Line: Mavericks +2.5 (-110) | Bulls -2.5 (-110)
Money line: Mavericks +124 | Bulls -148
Total: 233.5 (-108 O, -112 U)
BPI Projection: Bulls by 2.2, straight up 56%, 237.2 total points.
Injury Report:
Mavericks: Brandon Williams, (OUT – Illness); P.J. Washington, (OUT – Ankle); Anthony Davis, (OUT – Hand); Kyrie Irving, (OUT – Knee); Dante Exum, (OFS – Knee); Dereck Lively II, (OFS – Foot)
Bulls: Zach Collins, (OUT – Toe); Josh Giddey, (OUT – Hamstring); Noa Essengue, (OFS – Shoulder)
Charlotte Hornets at Utah Jazz
9:30 p.m. ET
Line: Hornets -4.5 (-115) | Jazz +4.5 (-105)
Money line: Hornets -185 | Jazz +154
Total: 239.5 (-108 O, -112 U)
BPI Projection: Hornets by 2.3, straight up 57%, 245.3 total points.
Injury Report:
Hornets: Grant Williams, (GTD – Knee); Ryan Kalkbrenner, (GTD – Elbow); Tidjane Salaun, (GTD – Ankle); Mason Plumlee, (OUT – Groin)
Jazz: Jusuf Nurkic, (GTD – Toe); Elijah Harkless, (OUT – Hamstring); Ace Bailey, (OUT – Hip); Georges Niang, (OUT – Foot); Walker Kessler, (OFS – Shoulder)