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.

Jump ahead
Top streamers | Best bets | Odds & Injury report

What you need to know for Thursday’s games

The NBA features just three games on Thursday’s slate, leading off with the Cleveland Cavaliers hosting the Toronto Raptors to begin a six-game homestand. The Raptors topped the Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse less than two weeks ago in the first game of the NBA Cup, and now the Cavaliers get their chance at payback.

Cleveland enters the second half of this mid-week back-to-back with plenty of confidence. Even with Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley sitting out Wednesday, the Cavaliers pulled off a win against the Miami Heat thanks to a dominant fourth quarter from Jarrett Allen. With several key players getting that night off, Cleveland should have fresh legs against a Raptors team that has won five of its last six.

Let’s break down the action and find some fantasy streamers and betting angles to make the most of tonight’s slate.

Thursday’s fantasy stream team

Ace Bailey, SF/PF, Utah Jazz (rostered in 31.8% of ESPN leagues)

The rookie has looked poised and much more comfortable recently, and he’s starting to see a larger role in the Jazz offense. Bailey has played at least 24 minutes and scored 23 or more fantasy points in three straight games, showing a stable floor. In category formats, points are his main driver, but he also contributes rebounds, assists and steals. Bailey’s growing role and consistent production make him a strong streamer for tonight.

Isaiah Collier, PG, Jazz (19.6% rostered)

Collier is still working his way back from a hamstring injury. He scored 19 fantasy points in 16 minutes against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night and followed that with 46 fantasy points in 27 minutes against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday. Whether he starts or comes off the bench could affect his fantasy ceiling, but he remains a reliable source of points and assists for managers in need Thursday against the Atlanta Hawks.

Isaiah Jackson, PF/C, Pacers (6.7%)

Jackson’s minutes have fluctuated lately, but he has still been productive for fantasy managers. Over his last seven games, he has averaged 22.8 minutes and 27 fantasy points per game. Jackson is a reliable source of points and rebounds and also chips in assists, steals and blocks. If you need a power forward or center to stream, you could do worse than Jackson. The Phoenix Suns are a middle-of-the-road team in terms of defensive rating, making for a solid matchup for Jackson.

Moody’s favorite bets for Thursday

Donovan Mitchell to score 30+ points (+130)

Mitchell was didn’t play Wednesday night’s game but is expected to go Thursday on the second leg of a back-to-back. He has scored 30-plus points in five of 10 games this season, avegaing 20.4 field-goal attempts, 10.4 3-point attempts and 33.9 MPG. He’s shooting 51% from the field with an impressive 32.2% usage rate. The Raptors are a middle-of-the-road defense, and Mitchell has shown he can shine against any opponent.

Andrew Nembhard to go OVER 23.5 points + assists (-120)

The Pacers haven’t been competitive this season, and the frequent blowout risk can make certain player props difficult to trust. Still, Nembhard has cleared this line in two of his last three games. He has played at least 29 minutes in each of those outings and has taken at least 15 shots in all three. Over that span, he has shot 41.1% and recorded six or more assists in every game. With a close spread against the Suns, this is a good spot for Nembhard to shine as both a scorer and facilitator.

Projections and injury reports

Basketball Power Index by ESPN Analytics. Injury aggregation by Rotowire.com. Odds by ESPN BET

Players in italics are available in a majority of ESPN Leagues

Toronto Raptors at Cleveland Cavaliers
7 p.m. ET on NBA TV

Line: Raptors +7.5 (-110) | Cavaliers -7.5 (-110)
Money line: Raptors +240 | Cavaliers -290
Total: 238.5 (-115 O, -105 U)
BPI projection: Cavaliers by 7.8, straight up 71%, 240.2 total points.

Injury report:
Raptors: Ochai Agbaji, (GTD – Back)
Cavaliers: Darius Garland, (GTD – Toe); Jaylon Tyson, (GTD – Concussion); Max Strus, (OUT – Foot); Ty Jerome, (OUT – Calf)

Indiana Pacers at Phoenix Suns
9 p.m. ET

Line: Pacers +4.5 (-110) | Suns -4.5 (-110)
Money line: Pacers +150 | Suns -175
Total: 233.5 (-105 O, -115 U)
BPI projection: Suns by 4.6, straight up 63%, 238.7 total points.

Injury report:
Pacers: Obi Toppin, (OUT – Foot); Tyrese Haliburton, (OFS – Achilles); Bennedict Mathurin, (OUT – Toe); Johnny Furphy, (OUT – Ankle); Quenton Jackson, (OUT – Hamstring)
Suns: Bradley Beal, (OFS – Hip)

Atlanta Hawks at Utah Jazz
9 p.m. ET

Line: Hawks -2.5 (-110) | +Jazz 2.5 (-110)
Money line: Hawks -140 | Jazz +120
Total: 232.5 (-115 O, -105 U)
BPI projection: Hawks by 8.3, straight up 73%, 237.7 total points.

Injury report:
Hawks: Trae Young, (OUT – Knee); Dominick Barlow, (OUT – Elbow); Georges Niang, (OUT – Foot)
Jazz: Walker Kessler, (OFS – Shoulder); Taylor Hendricks, (OUT – Hamstring)