![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1774716308_944_mccormick_jim.png&h=80&w=80&scale=crop.png\")
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Jim McCormickMar 28, 2026, 11:30 AM ET<\/p>\n
Close<\/a>Jim McCormick is a contributing writer for fantasy football and men’s basketball at ESPN.<\/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 Saturday’s gamesEditor’s Picks<\/p>\n 2 Related<\/p>\n A six-pack of professional hoops awaits fantasy managers and bettors on Saturday. As you might expect for this final weekend in March, teams are motivated either by playoff preparation or securing draft positioning.<\/p>\n Even with superstars Cade Cunningham<\/a> and Anthony Edwards<\/a> sidelined for today’s matchup between the Detroit Pistons<\/a> and Minnesota Timberwolves<\/a>, the contest is projected to be competitive given the depth and gritty identity these teams claim. The Wolves are just slight home favorites, signalling a playoff-like atmosphere.<\/p>\n Today’s injury report carries some positive news, as both Tyrese Maxey<\/a> and Kelly Oubre Jr<\/a>. are set to return from respective multi-week absences for the Philadelphia 76ers<\/a>. With their rotation at full strength for the first time in months, the 76ers visit the Charlotte Hornets<\/a> in a compelling matchup of dark-horse conference contenders.<\/p>\n Given that it’s nearly April, we are also presented with a series of large spreads, as lottery-bound teams such as the Sacramento Kings<\/a> and Utah Jazz<\/a> prove no match for the contending class of teams. A losing record doesn’t preclude teams from producing useful fantasy and betting options, as today’s game between the Chicago Bulls<\/a> and Memphis Grizzlies<\/a> is set with a close point spread and the highest total on the slate by a wide margin. This matchup surfaces several times in the sections below.<\/p>\n With an eye toward uncovering productive fantasy streamers and compelling betting angles, let’s take a look at the day ahead in the NBA.<\/p>\n Saturday’s fantasy stream team<\/p>\n GG Jackson<\/a>, PF, Memphis Grizzlies (Rostered in 14.7% of ESPN leagues): Scoring is a skill that Jackson has flashed since his first NBA minutes. One of the rare established vets in the Memphis rotation, Jackson, at just 21 years old, is commanding touches on the block and steady minutes. Today’s matchup with a soft Chicago defense only adds to the upside.<\/p>\n Dylan Harper<\/a>, PG\/SG, San Antonio Spurs<\/a> (33.9%): It’s not often you find a gifted young player still in fantasy free agency this deep into the season, but Harper’s limited playing time has curbed production throughout. There are moments, however, when Harper can shine and show off the talent that made him such a coveted prospect. The Bucks are sending out a skeleton crew today, setting up Harper for potential big minutes and more touches.<\/p>\n Kennedy Chandler<\/a>, PG, Utah Jazz (12.2%): For those chasing fantasy titles in these final weeks, Chandler is the type of interim addition that can sway outcomes. The Jazz are likely without both Isaiah Collier<\/a> and Keyonte George<\/a> due to respective hamstring injuries. In just a handful of games with the Jazz, Chandler has become a key creator and is in the best stretch of his NBA career. Chandler will likely play a large role against the Suns tonight. Teammate Cody Williams<\/a>, younger brother of Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a> star Jalen Williams<\/a>, is also positioned to help fantasy teams tonight.<\/p>\n Tre Jones<\/a>, PG, Chicago Bulls (40.1%): A helpful addition in shallower leagues, Jones has been busy as a secondary creator for Chicago since the break. The Bulls added a glut of scoring guards at the break, but no offensive organizers. Jones should produce against this young, patchworked Memphis backcourt.<\/p>\n McCormick’s favorite bets for Saturday<\/p>\n Hornets vs. 76ers OVER 233.5 points (-108)<\/p>\n Over the past 15 games, the Hornets lead the NBA in offensive rating and net rating, meaning they score at an absurd level and often drub opponents with buckets. The 76ers, meanwhile, have strong offensive splits when their full collective of guards, wings and Joel Embiid<\/a> are on the floor. Today offers that rare window of availability for Philly, setting up an offensive showdown in Charlotte.<\/p>\n Ty Jerome<\/a> OVER 5.5 assists (-130)<\/p>\n As the offensive engine for the Grizzlies down the stretch, Jerome has the green light to hunt for his own shot and create for teammates. The Bulls don’t offer much resistance at the point of attack, giving Jerome the space and time to find teammates in what should be a game with plenty of easy buckets.<\/p>\n Top Daily Fantasy values of the day<\/p>\n Play DFS basketball at DraftKings.<\/a><\/p>\n $8,100+ salaries<\/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. Jalen Johnson<\/a>, PF, Atlanta Hawks<\/a> ($10,600) <\/p>\n We’ve seen Johnson take his game to new heights this season as both a scorer and playmaker. The Kings offer nearly no defensive resistance, especially when Maxime Raynaud<\/a> is in the paint. Even as there are playing time risks to consider with the huge spread in this game, Johnson’s ability to get what he wants is more predictive of production.<\/p>\n Joel Embiid, C, Philadelphia 76ers ($9,200) <\/p>\n The risk with Embiid is if he’ll play, not how much or how well. He’s not even on the injury report today, signalling big minutes and Luka-like usage for the all-time leader in points per 36 minutes. Even without the rebounding volume of his prime, Embiid’s scoring is prolific enough to trust the process tonight.<\/p>\n $6,100-$8,000 salaries<\/p>\n Rudy Gobert<\/a>, C, Minnesota Timberwolves ($7,200) <\/p>\n If Embiid presents too much risk, how about the ultimate floor play? Gobert is bound to get gobs of boards and eat up lobs against a capable Detroit frontcourt. The opponent isn’t easy, but with Edwards out, Gobert figures to serve a bigger role, well, rolling to the basket.<\/p>\n $3,500-$6,000 salaries<\/p>\n Moussa Diabate<\/a>, C, Charlotte Hornets ($5,700) <\/p>\n Diabate can prove risky in the wrong matchup, like when an opponent might go small and work him off the court. The 76ers aren’t that opponent, as Embiid will play big minutes, requiring Diabate’s size and resistance at the rim. While foul trouble is part of the story, there’s also immense rebounding upside against a Philly group that is among the worst in the league at cleaning the glass.<\/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: Spurs -18.5 (-105) | Bucks +18.5 (-115) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Spurs: David Jones Garcia<\/a>, (OFS – Ankle)<\/p>\n Bucks: Bobby Portis<\/a>, (GTD – Wrist); Gary Harris<\/a>, (GTD – Groin); Kyle Kuzma<\/a>, (GTD – Achilles); Myles Turner<\/a>, (GTD – Calf); Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/a>, (OUT – Knee); Kevin Porter Jr.<\/a>, (OUT – Knee)<\/p>\n Line: Pistons -1.5 (-105) | Timberwolves +1.5 (-115) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Pistons: Ausar Thompson<\/a>, (GTD – Ankle); Caris LeVert<\/a>, (GTD – Knee); Duncan Robinson<\/a>, (GTD – Hip); Jalen Duren<\/a>, (GTD – Knee); Marcus Sasser<\/a>, (GTD – Hip); Tobias Harris<\/a>, (GTD – Hip); Isaiah Stewart<\/a>, (OUT – Calf); Cade Cunningham<\/a>, (OUT – Chest)<\/p>\n Timberwolves: Ayo Dosunmu<\/a>, (GTD – Calf); Anthony Edwards<\/a>, (OUT – Knee); Jaden McDaniels<\/a>, (OUT – Knee)<\/p>\n Line: 76ers +6.5 (-115) | Hornets -6.5 (-105) Injury Report:<\/p>\n 76ers: Kelly Oubre Jr.<\/a>, (GTD – Elbow); Tyrese Maxey<\/a>, (GTD – Finger); Johni Broome<\/a>, (OUT – Knee)<\/p>\n Hornets: Tidjane Salaun<\/a>, (OUT – Calf)<\/p>\n Line: Kings +14.5 (-105) | Hawks -14.5 (-115) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Kings: Isaiah Stevens<\/a>, (GTD – Ankle); Killian Hayes<\/a>, (GTD – Finger); Nique Clifford<\/a>, (GTD – Foot); Keegan Murray<\/a>, (OUT – Ankle); 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 Hawks: Jock Landale<\/a>, (GTD – Shoulder)<\/p>\n Line: Bulls -3.5 (-118) | Grizzlies +3.5 (-102) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Bulls: Anfernee Simons<\/a>, (GTD – Wrist); Nick Richards<\/a>, (GTD – Elbow); Yuki Kawamura<\/a>, (GTD – Quadriceps); Jaden Ivey<\/a>, (OFS – Knee); Jalen Smith<\/a>, (OFS – Calf); Noa Essengue<\/a>, (OFS – Shoulder); Zach Collins<\/a>, (OFS – Toe)<\/p>\n Grizzlies: Jahmai Mashack<\/a>, (GTD – Ankle); Jaylen Wells<\/a>, (GTD – Toe); Ty Jerome<\/a>, (GTD – Ankle); Brandon Clarke<\/a>, (OFS – Calf); Ja Morant<\/a>, (OFS – Elbow); Kentavious Caldwell-Pope<\/a>, (OFS – Finger); Santi Aldama<\/a>, (OFS – Knee); Scotty Pippen Jr.<\/a>, (OFS – Toe); Zach Edey<\/a>, (OFS – Ankle)<\/p>\n Line: Jazz +16.5 (-105) | Suns -16.5 (-115) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Jazz: Isaiah Collier<\/a>, (GTD – Hamstring); Keyonte George<\/a>, (GTD – Hamstring); Lauri Markkanen<\/a>, (OUT – Hip); Jaren Jackson Jr.<\/a>, (OFS – Knee); Jusuf Nurkic<\/a>, (OFS – Nose); Walker Kessler<\/a>, (OFS – Shoulder)<\/p>\n Suns: Amir Coffey<\/a>, (OUT – Ankle); Dillon Brooks<\/a>, (OUT – Hand); Haywood Highsmith<\/a>, (OUT – Knee); Mark Williams<\/a>, (OUT – Foot)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jim McCormickMar 28, 2026, 11:30 AM ET CloseJim McCormick is a contributing writer for fantasy football and men’s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":550759,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[355,99],"class_list":{"0":"post-550758","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\/550758","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=550758"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/550758\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/550759"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=550758"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=550758"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=550758"}],"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\/1774716310_158_sa.png\")
![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1774716311_465_mil.png\")
San Antonio Spurs<\/a> at Milwaukee Bucks<\/a>
3 p.m. ET on Prime Video<\/p>\n
Money line: Spurs -2100 | Bucks +1100
Total: 226.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Spurs by 12.4, straight up 83%, 229.0 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1774716311_666_det.png\")
![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1774716311_575_min.png\")
Detroit Pistons<\/a> at Minnesota Timberwolves<\/a>
5:30 p.m. ET on ABC<\/p>\n
Money line: Pistons -125 | Timberwolves +105
Total: 223.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Timberwolves by 1, straight up 53%, 229.7 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1774716312_898_phi.png\")
![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1774716312_154_cha.png\")
Philadelphia 76ers<\/a> at Charlotte Hornets<\/a>
6 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: 76ers +190 | Hornets -230
Total: 232.5 (-112 O, -108 U)
BPI Projection: Hornets by 5, straight up 66%, 230.7 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1774716313_785_sac.png\")
![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1774716313_675_atl.png\")
Sacramento Kings<\/a> at Atlanta Hawks<\/a>
7:30 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Kings +675 | Hawks -1050
Total: 236.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Hawks by 14, straight up 86%, 238.6 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1774716313_421_chi.png\")
![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1774716314_886_mem.png\")
Chicago Bulls<\/a> at Memphis Grizzlies<\/a>
8 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Bulls -175 | Grizzlies +145
Total: 245.5 (-115 O, -105 U)
BPI Projection: Grizzlies by 0.4, straight up 51%, 244.9 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1774716314_569_utah.png\")
![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1774716314_409_phx.png\")
Utah Jazz<\/a> at Phoenix Suns<\/a>
10 p.m. ET on NBA TV<\/p>\n
Money line: Jazz +850 | Suns -1450
Total: 231.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Suns by 14.7, straight up 87%, 236.3 total points.<\/p>\n