Multiple Authors
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.
What you need to know for Thursday’s games
The Detroit Pistons and Oklahoma City Thunder both protected their home court in convincing fashion in their series openers.
Detroit handled the Cleveland Cavaliers 111-101 behind another clutch performance from Cade Cunningham, who finished with 23 points and seven assists while continuing his streak of 20-point playoff games. The Pistons also exposed one of Cleveland’s biggest weaknesses by forcing 19 turnovers that turned into 29 points. Game 2 will hinge on whether the Cavaliers can clean up their ball security and whether Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley can respond physically after being outplayed around the rim by Jalen Duren. Tobias Harris’ scoring surge is also becoming a major storyline in the series.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma City reminded everyone why they remain the favorite in the Western Conference with a dominant 108-90 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, despite an unusually quiet game from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Chet Holmgren carried the Thunder with 24 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks, while the Lakers struggled offensively outside of LeBron James. Austin Reaves’ poor shooting night and the continued absence of Luka Doncic leave major questions heading into Game 2. The biggest thing to watch in this game Thursday is whether the Lakers can generate enough offense against Oklahoma City’s elite defense — if SGA returns to MVP form.
Here’s a look at the betting angles and DFS plays of interest for Thursday’s playoff slate.
Moody’s Bets for Thursday
Rui Hachimura 19+ Points, Rebounds and Assists (-108): Hachimura has recorded at least 19 PRAs in all three games against the Thunder this season without Luka Doncic in the lineup. He also logged at least 32 minutes in two of those three matchups and attempted 10 or more field goals in two of them. Oklahoma City relies heavily on drop coverage to protect the rim, using the length of Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein to limit drives to the basket. That defensive approach should continue to create favorable scoring opportunities for Hachimura in Game 2 as the Lakers look to bounce back.
Play Fantasy Women’s Basketball
Fantasy Women’s Basketball is now open! Create or join a league today to get started.
Sign up for free!
Chet Holmgren to record a double double (+135): Holmgren creates significant problems for the Lakers defensively. He has recorded a double-double in three of his last five games against Los Angeles, though it’s worth noting that in the two games he fell short, the Thunder won comfortably, which limited his minutes. Game 2 should be more competitive than Game 1 of this series, as the Lakers will be desperate to avoid falling into a 0-2 hole against a team as talented as Oklahoma City.
Top Daily Fantasy Values of the Day
$8,100+ Salaries
LeBron James, PF, Los Angeles Lakers ($9,300): James finished with 43.5 fantasy points while shooting an impressive 70.6% from the field in Game 1 against the Thunder, marking his third consecutive game with at least 42 fantasy points. The future Hall of Famer continues to pile up points, rebounds and assists, and should maintain a high usage rate throughout the series. However, if the Lakers want to make the series more competitive, they’ll need other players to step up.
James Harden, PG, Cleveland Cavaliers ($8,200): Harden has scored at least 45 fantasy points in three of his last four games. He contributes across every statistical category, including blocks and steals. The Cavaliers will continue to rely heavily on Harden and Donovan Mitchell in this series, especially since the Pistons do a phenomenal job of protecting the paint.
$6,100-$8,000 Salaries
Chet Holmgren, PF, Oklahoma City Thunder ($7,600): Holmgren finished with 51 fantasy points in Game 1 against the Lakers, marking his second consecutive game with at least 49 fantasy points while playing at least 31 minutes. It was clear early on that the Thunder wanted to test the Lakers’ frontcourt, and Holmgren responded with six dunks while also showcasing his versatility by knocking down two 3-pointers. He should continue to create problems for the Lakers, especially considering he produced this performance on a relatively quiet night from Gilgeous-Alexander. If SGA heats up, Holmgren could see even more open looks.
Jalen Duren, C, Detroit Pistons ($6,900): Duren did not shoot the ball well in Game 1 against the Cavaliers, but he still finished with 37 fantasy points thanks to his production in rebounds, blocks and assists. Duren also had success against Allen earlier this season, finishing with 45 fantasy points on March 3rd and 67 fantasy points on Feb. 27th. Duren enters Thursday’s slate as the top DFS option at center.
$3,500-$6,000 Salaries
Max Strus, SG/SF, Cleveland Cavaliers ($4,500): Strus’ minutes and fantasy production have swung back and forth like a pendulum throughout the postseason. However, he has recorded at least 31 fantasy points in each of his last two playoff games, including Game 7 against the Toronto Raptors and Game 1 against the Pistons. The Cavaliers will need more scoring from their perimeter players to win this series, which plays directly into Strus’ strengths.
Daniss Jenkins, PG, Detroit Pistons ($3,900): Jenkins’ minutes and fantasy production have both trended up in consecutive games. He has played at least 29 minutes and scored at least 29 fantasy points in back-to-back contests, including Game 7 against the Orlando Magic and Game 1 against the Cavaliers. Jenkins is a nice value if you’re looking to save salary in your DFS lineup.
Projections and Injury Reports
Basketball Power Index by ESPN Analytics. Injury aggregation by Rotowire.com. Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Detroit Pistons
7 p.m. ET
Line: Cavaliers +3.5 (-110) | Pistons -3.5 (-110)
Money line: Cavaliers +136 | Pistons -162
Total: 215.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Pistons by 7.3, straight up 72%, 219.6 total points.
Injury Report:
Cavaliers: Sam Merrill, (GTD – Hamstring)
Pistons: Kevin Huerter, (GTD – Thigh)
Los Angeles Lakers at Oklahoma City Thunder
9:30 p.m. ET
Line: Lakers +15.5 (-110) | Thunder -15.5 (-110)
Money line: Lakers +600 | Thunder -900
Total: 210.5 (-112 O, -108 U)
BPI Projection: Thunder by 10.9, straight up 80%, 214.6 total points.
Injury Report:
Lakers: Jarred Vanderbilt, (GTD – Finger); Luke Kennard, (GTD – Neck); Luka Doncic, (OUT – Hamstring)
Thunder: Jalen Williams, (OUT – Hamstring); Thomas Sorber, (OFS – Knee)
