![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/moody_eric.png&h=80&w=80&scale=crop.png\")
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Eric MoodyApr 9, 2026, 01:07 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 What you need to know for Thursday’s games<\/p>\n The New York Knicks<\/a> enter Thursday night’s matchup against the Boston Celtics<\/a> in strong form, riding a three-game winning streak and going 7-3 over their last 10 games. At 51-28, New York has been especially dominant at Madison Square Garden, posting a 28-9 home record, and will look to use that advantage against one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. With seeding still in play, the Knicks have added motivation as they continue to push toward the playoffs.<\/p>\n NBA Playoff Challenge<\/p>\n Pick the winners and crown your NBA champion! Create A Bracket<\/a><\/p>\n Boston, meanwhile, has been one of the most consistent teams in the league all season. Sitting at 54-25, the Celtics have won four straight and eight of their last 10 games, powered by elite production on both ends of the floor. Jayson Tatum<\/a> returns to MSG for the first time since suffering a torn Achilles on that court during the 2025 playoffs, while Jaylen Brown<\/a> continues to lead the offense at a high level. Despite Tatum not yet playing at peak form, Boston remains a dangerous and well-balanced team.<\/p>\n This matchup also carries added intrigue as a potential playoff preview. The Knicks lead the season series 2-1, including a convincing win in their last meeting, but Boston enters with momentum and a deeper roster when healthy. Ultimately, the game could come down to availability and execution, with New York looking to capitalize at home while Boston aims to reinforce its standing near the top of the conference.<\/p>\n Here’s a look at the fantasy streamers, betting angles and DFS plays of interest on Thursday’s six-game slate.<\/p>\n Thursday’s fantasy stream team<\/p>\n E.J. Liddell<\/a>, PF, Brooklyn Nets<\/a> (rostered in 0.2% of ESPN leagues): Liddell has made the most of his playing time, scoring at least 30 fantasy points in each of his last two games amid multiple injuries for the Nets. Nic Claxton<\/a>, Day’Ron Sharpe<\/a> and Danny Wolf<\/a> have all been ruled out for Thursday’s game. That should continue to open up opportunities for Liddell, who is a strong DFS value at $4,500 against a Pacers team that has allowed the second-most DraftKings fantasy points per game to power forwards over their last 15 games.<\/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 bets for Thursday<\/p>\n Joel Embiid<\/a> 30+ points (+116): Every game carries significant weight for the 76ers, as they likely need to win out to avoid the Play-In tournament. Embiid has scored at least 30 points in 10 of his last 20 games and has cleared this line in five of his last 10 with Tyrese Maxey<\/a> and Paul George<\/a> both in the lineup. More importantly, when given significant minutes, Embiid consistently delivers, as he’s scored at least 30 points in 12 of 19 games this season when playing at least 32 minutes. With a narrow spread against Houston suggesting a competitive game, Embiid should see ample minutes, putting him in a strong position to clear this line.<\/p>\n Top Daily Fantasy Values of the Day<\/p>\n $8,100+ Salaries<\/p>\n Editor’s Picks Jayson Tatum, PF, Boston Celtics ($10,000): Tatum has averaged 54.8 fantasy points per game over his last seven games. From a film perspective, he looks fully recovered after tearing his Achilles last May. Statistically, Tatum contributes across nearly every category, with blocks being the only exception. He’s largely matchup-proof but could see even more usage against the Knicks, especially with Brown and Derrick White<\/a> both questionable for Thursday’s game.<\/p>\n Joel Embiid, C, Philadelphia 76ers<\/a> ($9,800): Embiid has played in just 38 games this season but is still averaging 45.7 fantasy points per game. He’s not quite the same player he once was due to age and injuries, but he remains an elite scorer. Embiid posted a dominant triple-double with 32 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Rockets on Jan. 22. He continues to offer DFS players a strong combination of floor and ceiling.<\/p>\n $6,100-$8,000 Salaries<\/p>\n Tre Jones<\/a>, PG\/SG, Chicago Bulls<\/a> ($7,100): Jones did an impressive job running the Bulls’ offense on Tuesday, finishing with 37 fantasy points. He likely would have had an even bigger night if the game against the Wizards hadn’t turned into a blowout. He should see similar success against Washington on Thursday, especially with Josh Giddey<\/a> out again. The Wizards rank 28th in defensive rating over their last 15 games and have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game to point guards during that span. Jones is also worth a look in season-long leagues, as he’s rostered in just 48.2% of ESPN leagues.<\/p>\n Payton Pritchard<\/a>, PG\/SG, Boston Celtics ($6,700): Pritchard has now gone six straight games without reaching 30 fantasy points, but don’t let that deter you. With the Celtics mostly healthy, he has shifted back into a bench role, though his playing time still resembles that of a starter, and he remains a reliable fantasy producer. Brown and White could be ruled out for tonight’s game against the Knicks, which would give Pritchard more opportunities. He’s a solid value at this price point.<\/p>\n $3,500-$6,000 Salaries<\/p>\n Leonard Miller<\/a>, SF\/PF, Chicago Bulls ($5,300): Miller has averaged 29 fantasy points per game over his last five games and has played at least 22 minutes in each of them. With the Bulls dealing with multiple frontcourt injuries, Miller should continue to see steady minutes. It’s hard to pass on him given Chicago’s current situation and a matchup against one of the worst defensive teams in the league. He’s also a viable streamer, as he’s rostered in just 1.7% of ESPN leagues.<\/p>\n Ja’Kobe Walter<\/a>, SG,Toronto Raptors<\/a> ($4,800): Walter’s minutes and fantasy production have been trending up. He has played at least 27 minutes and scored 20+ fantasy points in seven consecutive games. Even with Immanuel Quickley<\/a> returning from an eight-game absence due to right foot plantar fasciitis, Walter has maintained a role in the Raptors’ rotation off the bench. The Heat have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game to shooting guards over their last six games.<\/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: Heat +3.5 (-108) | Raptors -3.5 (-112) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Heat: Dru Smith<\/a>, (GTD – Foot); Norman Powell<\/a>, (GTD – Groin); Nikola Jovic<\/a>, (OUT – Ankle); Terry Rozier<\/a>, (OUT – Not Injury Related)<\/p>\n Raptors: Chucky Hepburn<\/a>, (OUT – Knee)<\/p>\n Line: Bulls -6.5 (-108) | Wizards +6.5 (-112) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Bulls: Collin Sexton<\/a>, (GTD – Finger); Isaac Okoro<\/a>, (GTD – Quadriceps); Lachlan Olbrich<\/a>, (GTD – Foot); Patrick Williams<\/a>, (GTD – Thumb); Anfernee Simons<\/a>, (OUT – Wrist); Josh Giddey<\/a>, (OUT – Hamstring); Matas Buzelis<\/a>, (OUT – Illness); Nick Richards<\/a>, (OUT – Elbow); Jalen Smith<\/a>, (OFS – Calf); Noa Essengue<\/a>, (OFS – Shoulder)<\/p>\n Wizards: Anthony Gill<\/a>, (GTD – Back); Bilal Coulibaly<\/a>, (GTD – Heel); Jaden Hardy<\/a>, (GTD – Back); Justin Champagnie<\/a>, (GTD – Knee); Tre Johnson<\/a>, (GTD – Foot); Alex Sarr<\/a>, (OUT – Toe); Tristan Vukcevic<\/a>, (OUT – Knee); Anthony Davis<\/a>, (OFS – Finger); Cam Whitmore<\/a>, (OFS – Shoulder); D’Angelo Russell<\/a>, (OFS – Not Injury Related)<\/p>\n Line: Pacers -2.5 (-112) | Nets +2.5 (-108) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Pacers: Johnny Furphy<\/a>, (OFS – Knee); Ben Sheppard<\/a>, (GTD – Hip); Jarace Walker<\/a>, (GTD – Back); Kobe Brown<\/a>, (GTD – Back); Aaron Nesmith<\/a>, (OUT – Neck); Andrew Nembhard<\/a>, (OUT – Back); Pascal Siakam<\/a>, (OUT – Ankle); T.J. McConnell<\/a>, (OUT – Hamstring); Ivica Zubac<\/a>, (OFS – Ribs); Tyrese Haliburton<\/a>, (OFS – Achilles)<\/p>\n Nets: Josh Minott<\/a>, (OUT – Ankle); Nic Claxton<\/a>, (OUT – Finger); Noah Clowney<\/a>, (OUT – Ankle); Terance Mann<\/a>, (OUT – Knee); Ziaire Williams<\/a>, (OUT – Foot); Danny Wolf<\/a>, (OFS – Ankle); Day’Ron Sharpe<\/a>, (OFS – Thumb); Egor Demin<\/a>, (OFS – Foot); Michael Porter Jr.<\/a>, (OFS – Hamstring)<\/p>\n Line: Celtics +4.5 (-108) | Knicks -4.5 (-112) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Celtics: Derrick White<\/a>, (GTD – Knee); Jaylen Brown<\/a>, (GTD – Achilles); Neemias Queta<\/a>, (GTD – Toe); Sam Hauser<\/a>, (GTD – Back)<\/p>\n Knicks: Tyler Kolek<\/a>, (GTD – Oblique)<\/p>\n Line: 76ers +4.5 (-118) | Rockets -4.5 (-102) Injury Report:<\/p>\n 76ers: Charles Bassey<\/a>, (GTD – Ankle); Johni Broome<\/a>, (OUT – Knee); Cameron Payne<\/a>, (OUT – Hamstring)<\/p>\n Rockets: Fred VanVleet<\/a>, (OUT – Knee); Steven Adams<\/a>, (OFS – Ankle)<\/p>\n Line: Lakers +4.5 (-110) | Warriors -4.5 (-110) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Lakers: Marcus Smart<\/a>, (GTD – Ankle); Jaxson Hayes<\/a>, (OUT – Foot); Austin Reaves<\/a>, (OUT – Oblique); Luka Doncic<\/a>, (OUT – Hamstring)<\/p>\n Warriors: Gui Santos<\/a>, (GTD – Pelvis); Stephen Curry<\/a>, (GTD – Knee); Will Richard<\/a>, (GTD – Back); Kristaps Porzingis<\/a>, (OUT – Illness); Al Horford<\/a>, (OUT – Calf); Quinten Post<\/a>, (OUT – Foot); Jimmy Butler III<\/a>, (OFS – Knee); Moses Moody<\/a>, (OFS – Knee)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Eric MoodyApr 9, 2026, 01:07 PM ET CloseEric Moody is a writer for fantasy football, men’s and women’s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":574328,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[355,99],"class_list":{"0":"post-574327","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\/574327","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=574327"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/574327\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/574328"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=574327"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=574327"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=574327"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/25708cbb-e0d8-41e3-8e3a-3607a9e69d1a.jpeg\")
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![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775757792_516_tor.png\")
Miami Heat<\/a> at Toronto Raptors<\/a>
7 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Heat +136 | Raptors -162
Total: 237.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Raptors by 2.5, straight up 58%, 238.9 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775757792_982_chi.png\")
![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/was.png\")
Chicago Bulls<\/a> at Washington Wizards<\/a>
7 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Bulls -258 | Wizards +210
Total: 248.5 (-112 O, -108 U)
BPI Projection: Bulls by 8.2, straight up 74%, 244.2 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775757793_492_ind.png\")
![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/bkn.png\")
Indiana Pacers<\/a> at Brooklyn Nets<\/a>
7:30 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Pacers -155 | Nets +130
Total: 224.5 (-105 O, -115 U)
BPI Projection: Pacers by 2.5, straight up 58%, 225.1 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775757794_105_bos.png\")
![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775757794_795_ny.png\")
Boston Celtics<\/a> at New York Knicks<\/a>
7:30 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Celtics +154 | Knicks -185
Total: 215.5 (-112 O, -108 U)
BPI Projection: Knicks by 1.9, straight up 56%, 214.8 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775757794_54_phi.png\")
![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775757795_310_hou.png\")
Philadelphia 76ers<\/a> at Houston Rockets<\/a>
8 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: 76ers +145 | Rockets -175
Total: 226.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Rockets by 4.4, straight up 64%, 227.7 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/lal.png\")
![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775757796_444_gs.png\")
Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> at Golden State Warriors<\/a>
10 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Lakers +160 | Warriors -192
Total: 225.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Lakers by 1.7, straight up 55%, 230.5 total points.<\/p>\n