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Andr\u00e9 SnellingsJan 16, 2026, 12:09 PM ET<\/p>\n
Close<\/a>Dr. Andr\u00e9 Snellings is a senior writer for men’s and women’s fantasy basketball and sports betting at ESPN. Andr\u00e9 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Jump ahead What you need to know for Friday<\/p>\n The NBA has six games on tap for Friday, four in the early window and two late. The highest-profile game pits two Western Conference powers against one another as the Minnesota Timberwolves<\/a> go on the road to face the Houston Rockets<\/a>. The game will be missing Anthony Edwards<\/a>, though, who will be out for the second straight contest with a foot injury.<\/p>\n Play the No. 1 fantasy game for free<\/p>\n Create or join a fantasy basketball league on ESPN. Your championship run starts today!<\/p>\n Sign up today!<\/a><\/p>\n The other game tonight between two winning teams is the rematch between the Cleveland Cavaliers<\/a> and the Philadelphia 76ers<\/a>. These two just faced off on Wednesday, also in Philadelphia, with the Cavaliers winning in a 26-point rout. The 76ers would need to improve dramatically to make Friday’s game more competitive — and any improvement would likely need to be led by Tyrese Maxey<\/a>, who was an ice-cold 5-for-16 from the field on Wednesday.<\/p>\n North of the border, the surprising fourth-seeded Toronto Raptors<\/a> host the suddenly red-hot LA Clippers<\/a>. Kawhi Leonard<\/a> returns to the city he helped lead to an NBA championship in 2019 and tonight’s game likely swings on whether the Raptors’ talented wings can do enough to counter him.<\/p>\n As always, let’s dig deeper into these and the other storylines on display to identify fantasy streamers, betting angles and DFS plays of interest on this Friday slate.<\/p>\n Friday’s fantasy stream team<\/p>\n Egor Demin<\/a>, PG, Brooklyn Nets<\/a> (rostered in 35.0% of ESPN leagues): Demin returned on Wednesday from a one-game absence and didn’t miss a beat, scoring 17 points with five assists and five 3-pointers in 29 minutes. Demin has averaged 15.1 PPG, 3.7 3PG and 3.5 APG over his last 12 outings.<\/p>\n Ayo Dosunmu<\/a>, SG, Chicago Bulls<\/a> (29.4% rostered): Dosunmu remains productive in his sixth-man role for the Bulls, particularly with Josh Giddey<\/a> sidelined. He dropped 15 points and six assists on Wednesday and is averaging 16.3 PPG and 5.1 APG over his last seven outings.<\/p>\n Tre Jones<\/a>, PG, Bulls (32.8% rostered): Jones has started the last eight games for the Bulls with Giddey injured, and has responded by averaging 13.3 PPG and 7.6 APG in those starts.<\/p>\n Collin Murray-Boyles<\/a>, PF, Toronto Raptors<\/a> (24.1% rostered): Murray-Boyles notched a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double on Wednesday, his second double-double in his last three games. Murray-Boyles continues to start in place of Jakob Poeltl<\/a> (back). In his last six starts, he has averaged 11.2 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 2.0 SPG and 1.0 BPG in 31.8 MPG.<\/p>\n Snellings’ bets for Friday<\/p>\n Donovan Mitchell<\/a> OVER 29.5 points (-109) <\/p>\n Mitchell will carry a larger offensive role on Friday with Darius Garland<\/a> (toe) sidelined. Even playing next to Garland, Mitchell had been in his scoring bag of late, averaging 30.1 PPG over his last seven outings, with at least 30 points in five of those seven games. He just dropped 35 points against this same 76ers defense on Wednesday.<\/p>\n Kawhi Leonard<\/a> OVER 1.5 steals (-124) <\/p>\n Leonard (ankle) has been listed as questionable with this injury for several games, but hasn’t missed a game since November and continues to play at a high level. Defensively, Leonard has at least two steals in nine of his last 11 games, averaging 2.8 SPG over that span.<\/p>\n Michael Porter Jr<\/a>. OVER 3.5 3-pointers (-147)<\/p>\n Porter has been one of the most prolific 3-point shooting forwards in the NBA all season long, but particularly since the start of December. In his 15 games since missing two in late November, Porter has averaged 4.5 3-pointers per game while knocking down at least four in 12 of those contests. His Friday opponent, the Bulls, ranks in the bottom third of the NBA (21st) in 3-pointers allowed to opposing small forwards.<\/p>\n Julius Randle<\/a> OVER 24.5 points (-113)<\/p>\n The Timberwolves will be without Anthony Edwards<\/a> on Friday and, when he sits, Randle tends to explode. Randle has averaged 25.9 PPG in the eight games Edwards has missed this season, including the 29 points he dropped on Tuesday. While the Rockets have a strong defensive power forward in Jabari Smith Jr<\/a>., Randle likes to play bully ball and his stocky frame should give him an advantage in the paint against the more slender Smith.<\/p>\n Top Daily Fantasy values of the day<\/p>\n $8,100+ salaries<\/p>\n Editor’s Picks 1 Related<\/p>\n Tyrese Maxey<\/a>, PG, Philadelphia 76ers<\/a> ($9,700): Maxey will look to bounce back after a down performance against the Cavaliers on Wednesday. For the season, the Cavaliers are allowing the fourth-most points in the NBA to opposing point guards.<\/p>\n Donovan Mitchell, SG, Cleveland Cavaliers<\/a> ($9,600): Mitchell has scored more than 47 fantasy points in six of his last seven games, including the 61.2 FP he dropped against the 76ers on Wednesday.<\/p>\n $6,100-$8,000 salaries<\/p>\n Donte DiVincenzo<\/a>, PG, Minnesota Timberwolves<\/a> ($6,900): DiVincenzo will have a larger role with Edwards sidelined, and has averaged 16.8 PPG, 6.0 APG, 4.3 RPG and 4.3 3PG over his last four outings.<\/p>\n $3,500-$6,000 salaries<\/p>\n Tre Jones, PG, Bulls ($5,900): Jones is a steady producer with upside as the starting point guard for the Bulls, averaging more than 30 fantasy points per game over his last four outings — with a high mark in that span of 50.5 FP on Tuesday.<\/p>\n Collin Murray-Boyles, PF, Raptors ($5,800): Murray-Boyles has scored more than 28 fantasy points in five of his last six games starting in place of Poeltl, including more than 46 fantasy points in two of them.<\/p>\n Projections and Injury Reports<\/p>\n Basketball Power Index<\/a> by ESPN Analytics. Injury aggregation by Rotowire.com. Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook<\/p>\n Line: Pelicans +3.5 (-112) | Pacers -3.5 (-108) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Pelicans: Herbert Jones<\/a>, (OUT – Ankle); Jose Alvarado<\/a>, (OUT – Oblique); Dejounte Murray<\/a>, (OUT – Achilles)<\/p>\n Pacers: Bennedict Mathurin<\/a>, (OUT – Thumb); Obi Toppin<\/a>, (OUT – Foot); Tyrese Haliburton<\/a>, (OFS – Achilles)<\/p>\n Line: Cavaliers +2.5 (-115) | 76ers -2.5 (-105) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Cavaliers: Chris Livingston<\/a>, (OUT – Knee); Darius Garland<\/a>, (OUT – Toe)<\/p>\n 76ers: Dominick Barlow<\/a>, (GTD – Back); Joel Embiid<\/a>, (GTD – Knee); Paul George<\/a>, (GTD – Knee)<\/p>\n Line: Bulls +2.5 (-115) | Nets -2.5 (-105) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Bulls: Julian Phillips<\/a>, (GTD – Wrist); Kevin Huerter<\/a>, (GTD – Hip); Yuki Kawamura<\/a>, (OUT – Lower Leg); Josh Giddey<\/a>, (OUT – Hamstring); Zach Collins<\/a>, (OUT – Toe); Noa Essengue<\/a>, (OFS – Shoulder)<\/p>\n Nets: Ziaire Williams<\/a>, (OUT – Illness); Haywood Highsmith<\/a>, (OUT – Knee)<\/p>\n Line: Clippers -2.5 (-105) | Raptors +2.5 (-115) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Clippers: Ivica Zubac<\/a>, (GTD – Ankle); John Collins<\/a>, (GTD – Groin); Kawhi Leonard<\/a>, (GTD – Ankle); Bogdan Bogdanovic<\/a>, (OUT – Hamstring); Derrick Jones Jr.<\/a>, (OUT – Knee); Bradley Beal<\/a>, (OFS – Hip)<\/p>\n Raptors: Garrett Temple<\/a>, (GTD – Back); Immanuel Quickley<\/a>, (GTD – Back); Jamison Battle<\/a>, (GTD – Ankle); Sandro Mamukelashvili<\/a>, (GTD – Illness); Ja’Kobe Walter<\/a>, (OUT – Hip); Jakob Poeltl<\/a>, (OUT – Back); RJ Barrett<\/a>, (OUT – Ankle); Chucky Hepburn<\/a>, (OUT – Knee)<\/p>\n Line: Timberwolves +4.5 (-115) | Rockets -4.5 (-105) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards<\/a>, (OUT – Foot); Terrence Shannon Jr.<\/a>, (OUT – Foot)<\/p>\n Rockets: Dorian Finney-Smith<\/a>, (GTD – Ankle); Tari Eason<\/a>, (GTD – Ankle); Fred VanVleet<\/a>, (OUT – Knee)<\/p>\n Line: Wizards +7.5 (-115) | Kings -7.5 (-105) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Wizards: Bilal Coulibaly<\/a>, (OUT – Back); Khris Middleton<\/a>, (OUT – Knee); Tristan Vukcevic<\/a>, (OUT – Knee); Trae Young<\/a>, (OUT – Quadriceps); Cam Whitmore<\/a>, (OUT – Illness)<\/p>\n Kings: Domantas Sabonis<\/a>, (GTD – Knee); Isaiah Stevens<\/a>, (OUT – Hamstring); Keegan Murray<\/a>, (OUT – Ankle)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Andr\u00e9 SnellingsJan 16, 2026, 12:09 PM ET CloseDr. Andr\u00e9 Snellings is a senior writer for men’s and women’s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":411350,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[355,99],"class_list":{"0":"post-411349","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nba","8":"tag-nba","9":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/411349","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=411349"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/411349\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/411350"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=411349"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=411349"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=411349"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Top streamers<\/a> | Best bets<\/a> | DFS picks<\/a> | Odds & injury report<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/fba-1320x528_01.jpg\")
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New Orleans Pelicans<\/a> at Indiana Pacers<\/a>
7 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Pelicans +130 | Pacers -155
Total: 239.5 (-105 O, -115 U)
BPI Projection: Pacers by 1.8, straight up 56%, 238.8 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768587611_373_cle.png\")
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Cleveland Cavaliers<\/a> at Philadelphia 76ers<\/a>
7 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Cavaliers +114 | 76ers -135
Total: 234.5 (-112 O, -108 U)
BPI Projection: Cavaliers by 1.2, straight up 54%, 243.1 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768587612_630_chi.png\")
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Chicago Bulls<\/a> at Brooklyn Nets<\/a>
7:30 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Bulls +105 | Nets -125
Total: 225.5 (-115 O, -105 U)
BPI Projection: Bulls by 0.3, straight up 51%, 228.4 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768587612_588_lac.png\")
![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768587613_410_tor.png\")
LA Clippers<\/a> at Toronto Raptors<\/a>
7:30 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Clippers -125 | Raptors +105
Total: 215.5 (-108 O, -112 U)
BPI Projection: Raptors by 0.8, straight up 53%, 219.5 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768587613_44_min.png\")
![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768587613_607_hou.png\")
Minnesota Timberwolves<\/a> at Houston Rockets<\/a>
9:30 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Timberwolves +142 | Rockets -170
Total: 222.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Rockets by 1.6, straight up 55%, 230.9 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768587613_479_wsh.png\")
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Washington Wizards<\/a> at Sacramento Kings<\/a>
10 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Wizards +230 | Kings -285
Total: 231.5 (-115 O, -105 U)
BPI Projection: Kings by 8.2, straight up 72%, 235.5 total points.<\/p>\n