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Eric MoodyMar 26, 2026, 12:20 PM ET<\/p>\n
Close<\/a>Eric Moody is a writer for fantasy football, men’s and women’s basketball, and sports betting at ESPN. Eric joined ESPN in 2021 after working as a senior fantasy analyst at Pro Football Network. Prior to that, he spent much of his career as a manager at a Fortune 100 financial services company.<\/p>\n Multiple Authors<\/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 Thursday’s games<\/p>\n There are three games on Thursday’s NBA slate.<\/p>\n Editor’s Picks<\/p>\n 2 Related<\/p>\n The New York Knicks<\/a> enter tonight’s matchup against the Charlotte Hornets<\/a> playing some of their best basketball of the season, riding a seven-game winning streak and coming off a win over the New Orleans Pelicans<\/a>. They’ve been sharp on both ends with their defense now ranking among the top units in the league in defensive rating. Offensively, everything continues to run through Jalen Brunson<\/a>, whose scoring and playmaking have elevated the team, while Karl-Anthony Towns<\/a> has provided a steady interior presence with consistent double-doubles.<\/p>\n The Hornets, on the other hand, have quietly been one of the hottest teams in the league, winning four straight and going 22-6 over their last stretch. They’ve built their success around a high-powered offense that ranks among the league’s best, fueled by LaMelo Ball<\/a>‘s playmaking and strong scoring contributions from Brandon Miller<\/a> and Miles Bridges<\/a>. Charlotte also spaces the floor extremely well, ranking near the top of the league in 3-point shooting, while maintaining a solid defensive presence that keeps them competitive on most nights.<\/p>\n This matchup sets up as a clash between two teams trending upward, with the Knicks relying on balanced play and defensive intensity, while the Hornets lean into its offensive firepower and perimeter shooting. Ultimately, the game may come down to whether New York can contain Charlotte’s shooting or if the Hornets’ spacing and momentum prove too difficult to overcome.<\/p>\n Let’s dig deeper into these and the other storylines to identify fantasy streamers, betting angles and DFS plays of interest on this Thursday slate.<\/p>\n Thursday’s fantasy stream team<\/p>\n Moussa Diabate<\/a>, PF\/C, Charlotte Hornets (rostered in 33.6% of ESPN leagues): Diabate has scored at least 40 fantasy points in each of his last two games and is in the midst of a breakout season. He has started every game since late December and has averaged 8.4 PPG, 9.5 RPG and 1.1 BPG over his last 35 outings. Diabate should stay busy in a matchup against the New York Knicks and is also a reliable DFS option at this price point ($5,700).<\/p>\n Daeqwon Plowden<\/a>, SG, Sacramento Kings<\/a> (4.6% rostered): Plowden has been superb over his last eight games, averaging 24.2 fantasy points per contest during that span. Even though Sacramento is fully in “silly season,” there are still viable fantasy options to lean on, and Plowden is one of them against a middle-of-the-pack Magic defense. He’s also a solid DFS value at $5,300.<\/p>\n *Additional streaming options in ESPN leagues can be found in the Top Daily Fantasy values of the day section.<\/p>\n Moody’s favorite bet for Thursday<\/p>\n Jalen Brunson to score 30+ points (+182)<\/p>\n Brunson has scored 30 or more points in 24 of his 68 games this season and has averaged 20.8 field goal attempts per game over that span. More importantly, he’s hit the 30-point mark this season in 12 of the 19 games in which he’s played at least 37 minutes, highlighting his upside when playing ample minutes. With their next game not until Sunday against the Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a>, Brunson should see heavy minutes. He’ll likely be relied upon as a primary scorer against a Hornets defense that stays home on shooters and packs the paint. That approach forces midrange looks, an area where Brunson thrives.<\/p>\n *Additional streaming options in ESPN leagues can be found in the Top Daily Fantasy values of the day section.<\/p>\n Top Daily Fantasy values of the day<\/p>\n Play DFS basketball at DraftKings.<\/a><\/p>\n $8,100+ salaries<\/p>\n Paolo Banchero<\/a>, PF, Orlando Magic<\/a> ($9,100)<\/p>\n Start a free fantasy baseball league<\/p>\n The 2026 fantasy baseball season is here! Get the gang back together, or start a brand new tradition. Banchero has been phenomenal over his last five games, scoring at least 37 fantasy points in each, including three performances of 54+ points. He’s essentially matchup-proof and should have no issues against a Kings defense that’s been picked apart all season. The Kings have also allowed the 11th-most fantasy points per game to power forwards over their last 30 games.<\/p>\n $6,100-$8,000 salaries<\/p>\n Desmond Bane<\/a>, SG\/SF, Orlando Magic ($7,400)<\/p>\n Bane has scored at least 30 fantasy points in five of his last seven games and hasn’t missed a game all season, continuing to provide steady production for DFS players. He draws an excellent matchup against a Kings team that ranks 24th in defensive rating and 10th in pace over the last 15 games. The biggest risk with Bane and Banchero is that the Magic are heavy favorites, but this game still carries the highest total on the slate.<\/p>\n Maxime Raynaud<\/a>, C, Sacramento Kings ($7,100)<\/p>\n Raynaud has played well for the Kings since the All-Star break, as Sacramento continues to evaluate talent heading into next season. He’s averaged 32.8 fantasy points per game over his last seven outings. While Raynaud faces a Magic defense that has been strong against centers over the last 30 games, that shouldn’t be a major deterrent, as Raynaud scored 49.8 fantasy points against the San Antonio Spurs<\/a> on March 17. He’s a viable option if you’re looking to save salary at the center position and a reliable streamer (47.8% rostered) if available in your league.<\/p>\n Daniss Jenkins<\/a>, PG, Detroit Pistons<\/a> ($6,200)<\/p>\n Jenkins has scored at least 38 fantasy points and played 38-plus minutes in three consecutive games. Cade Cunningham<\/a> is still sidelined due to a left lung pneumothorax, so Jenkins should continue to play significant minutes. He draws a favorable matchup against a Pelicans team that ranks 24th in defensive rating. Jenkins is also a solid streaming option and is currently rostered in 39.3% of ESPN leagues.<\/p>\n $3,500-$6,000 salaries<\/p>\n Wendell Carter Jr<\/a>., C, Orlando Magic ($5,300)<\/p>\n Carter continues to play an important role for the Magic, even though he hasn’t topped 30 fantasy points since March 12 against the Washington Wizards<\/a>. Still, he’s been steady, having averaged 26.8 fantasy points per game over his last six outings. Carter provides a solid floor at this price point, and given the matchup, there’s potential for a higher ceiling on Thursday night. He’s also firmly on the streaming radar, rostered in 33.2% of ESPN leagues.<\/p>\n Tristan da Silva<\/a>, SF\/PF Orlando Magic ($5,000)<\/p>\n Da Silva, like Banchero and Bane, benefits from a favorable matchup against the Kings. He has scored at least 31 fantasy points in each of his last two games and should see solid minutes regardless of game flow. He’s also firmly on the streaming radar, currently rostered in just 16.4% of leagues.<\/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: Knicks +1.5 (-118) | Hornets -1.5 (-102) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Knicks: Kevin McCullar Jr.<\/a>, (GTD – Quadriceps); Landry Shamet<\/a>, (OUT – Knee); Miles McBride<\/a>, (OUT – Pelvis)<\/p>\n Hornets: Pat Connaughton<\/a>, (GTD – Illness); Tidjane Salaun<\/a>, (OUT – Calf)<\/p>\n Line: Pelicans +3.5 (-110) | Pistons -3.5 (-110) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Pelicans: Trey Murphy III<\/a>, (GTD – Ankle); Bryce McGowens<\/a>, (OUT – Toe)<\/p>\n Pistons: Marcus Sasser<\/a>, (GTD – Hip); Isaiah Stewart<\/a>, (OUT – Calf); Cade Cunningham<\/a>, (OUT – Chest)<\/p>\n Line: Kings +15.5 (-110) | Magic -15.5 (-110) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Kings: Isaiah Stevens<\/a>, (GTD – Ankle); Killian Hayes<\/a>, (GTD – Foot); Precious Achiuwa<\/a>, (GTD – Back); Keegan Murray<\/a>, (OUT – Ankle); Nique Clifford<\/a>, (OUT – Foot); Russell Westbrook<\/a>, (OUT – Toe); De’Andre Hunter<\/a>, (OFS – Eye); Domantas Sabonis<\/a>, (OFS – Knee); Drew Eubanks<\/a>, (OFS – Thumb); Zach LaVine<\/a>, (OFS – Finger)<\/p>\n Magic: Jalen Suggs<\/a>, (GTD – Illness); Anthony Black<\/a>, (OUT – Abdomen); Franz Wagner<\/a>, (OUT – Ankle); Jonathan Isaac<\/a>, (OUT – Knee)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Eric MoodyMar 26, 2026, 12:20 PM ET CloseEric Moody is a writer for fantasy football, men’s and women’s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":546828,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[355,99],"class_list":{"0":"post-546827","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\/546827","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=546827"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/546827\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/546828"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=546827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=546827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=546827"}],"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\/2026\/01\/flb-1320x528_03.jpg\")
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Start or reactivate a league >><\/a><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1774546630_781_ny.png\")
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New York Knicks<\/a> at Charlotte Hornets<\/a>
7 p.m. ET on NBA TV<\/p>\n
Money line: Knicks +EVEN | Hornets -120
Total: 222.5 (-108 O, -112 U)
BPI Projection: Knicks by 0.5, straight up 52%, 220.8 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1774546630_951_no.png\")
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New Orleans Pelicans<\/a> at Detroit Pistons<\/a>
7 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Pelicans +145 | Pistons -175
Total: 227.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Pistons by 8.9, straight up 76%, 232.1 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1774546631_406_sac.png\")
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Sacramento Kings<\/a> at Orlando Magic<\/a>
7 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Kings +800 | Magic -1350
Total: 230.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Magic by 11, straight up 80%, 231.5 total points.<\/p>\n