ESPN's basketball daily cheat sheet is your pregame destination before you lock in daily fantasy and betting decisions for that night's games. Here you'll find our top insights for the slate, including players to target for your daily fantasy rosters, along with game-by-game injury reports.
What you need to know for Monday
Who would have guessed that, at this point, last season's championship finalist New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs would be a combined 1-5?
Or that Giannis Antetokounmpo's new team, the Miami Heat, would be as winless as his old team, the Milwaukee Bucks?
Or that the Memphis Grizzlies would sit undefeated, led by the leading scorer in the NBA ... Ty Jerome?
There are nine games on the slate for tonight, three of which featuring two teams with a combined one loss. One fun matchup pits the undefeated Minnesota Timberwolves, led by the dynamic backcourt of Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball, into Cleveland to face the Cavaliers. Despite the Timberwolves leading the NBA in average scoring margin, the Cavaliers are favored to win the game. More on that, below.
The undefeated Oklahoma City Thunder are double-digit favorites over the visiting Phoenix Suns, despite the Thunder losing star wing Jalen Williams to a leg injury yesterday.
And the Houston Rockets place their unblemished record up against the visiting Atlanta Hawks, who are undefeated in their two road games to date.
Let's dig a little deeper into the slate to identify some potential fantasy streaming options and compelling betting angles.
Fantasy stream team
Players available in at least 50% of leagues
Davion Mitchell, PG, Miami Heat (rostered in 49.4% of ESPN leagues)
Mitchell has quietly become one of the best distributors in the NBA. He has points-assists double-doubles in two of his first three games, including 22 points and 10 assists in his last outing on Saturday.
Ajay Mitchell, PG/SG, Oklahoma City Thunder (21.5%)
Mitchell will likely have a larger role moving forward after the injuries to Jalen Williams (lower leg) and Cason Wallace (shoulder). As a starter last season, Mitchell averaged 14.9 PPG, 3.8 APG and 3.6 RPG in 16 games.
Jaxson Hayes, C, Utah Jazz (22.5%)
Hayes is a role player at center, but he is off to a solid start this season. He blocked six shots in his opening game against tonight's opponents, the Grizzlies. He then scored 17 points in his second game. He has five boards in all three games so far, and has totalled 10 blocks and steals in those games.
Jaylen Wells, SF/SG, Memphis Grizzlies (15.5%)
Wells has scored in mid-double figures in all three games so far, and also has totaled 14 boards, seven 3-pointers and six steals to round out his contributions this season.
Jonathan Kuminga, PF/SF, Minnesota Timberwolves (48.0%)
Kuminga has scored in low double-figures in all three games for the Timberwolves this season, but more importantly fantasy-wise he has notched steals and 3-pointers in each game as well. He has totaled seven steals and seven 3-pointers across his three games.
Dre's bets to make on Monday
Timberwolves +4.5 over Cavaliers
The Timberwolves are off to the best start in the NBA so far, winning all three of their games by an average of 23.3 points per game. Yesterday, they defeated the previously unbeaten Toronto Raptors by 23. The Cavaliers have home court advantage, but they are off to a slower start after losing their opening game to the Philadelphia 76ers and then winning a close battle at home against the Brooklyn Nets. With how both teams are playing, I would have the Timberwolves as a road favorite so them getting 4.5 points only adds to their value for tonight.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker OVER 2.5 3-pointers (-133)
Alexander-Walker averaged 3.2 3PG last season and has continued at or above that pace so far this season. In three games, Alexander-Walker has knocked down 11 3-pointers (3.7 3PG). This includes four 3-pointers on Saturday night, the last time he faced this Rockets defense.
Ty Jerome OVER 26.5 points (-106)
Jerome has scored at least 28 points in all three games he has played this season, but his season-high of 45 points came in the opener against these same Utah Jazz. The Jazz are allowing 36.0 PPG to opposing point guards, the most of any team in the NBA. A good chunk of those points came from Jerome, but on the whole their perimeter defense is porous and very friendly to their opponents.
Projections and Injury Reports
Basketball Power Index by ESPN Analytics. Injury aggregation by Rotowire.com. Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook
Washington Wizards at Charlotte Hornets
7 p.m. ET
Line: Wizards +2.5 (-115) | Hornets -2.5 (-105)
Money line: Wizards +114 | Hornets -135
Total: 227.5 (-105 O, -115 U)
BPI Projection: Hornets by 1.2, straight up 54%, 230.6 total points.
Injury Report:
Wizards: Jamir Watkins (OUT); AJ Dybantsa (OUT); Tristan Vukcevic (OUT)
Hornets: Coby White (OUT); Kon Knueppel (OUT); Grant Williams (OUT)
Minnesota Timberwolves at Cleveland Cavaliers
7 p.m. ET
Line: Timberwolves +5.5 (-112) | Cavaliers -5.5 (-108)
Money line: Timberwolves +170 | Cavaliers -205
Total: 232.5 (-105 O, -115 U)
BPI Projection: Timberwolves by 1.8, straight up 56%, 231.0 total points.
Injury Report:
Timberwolves: Donte DiVincenzo (OUT)
Cavaliers: None reported
Chicago Bulls at Boston Celtics
7:30 p.m. ET
Line: Bulls +14.5 (-115) | Celtics -14.5 (-105)
Money line: Bulls +525 | Celtics -750
Total: 231.5 (-112 O, -108 U)
BPI Projection: Celtics by 13.5, straight up 84%, 231.5 total points.
Injury Report:
Bulls: Noa Essengue (GTD); Patrick Williams (GTD); Nic Claxton (OUT)
Celtics: Devin Carter (OUT)
Dallas Mavericks at Miami Heat
7:30 p.m. ET
Line: Mavericks +7.5 (-105) | Heat -7.5 (-115)
Money line: Mavericks +230 | Heat -285
Total: 241.5 (-105 O, -115 U)
BPI Projection: Heat by 6.7, straight up 70%, 233.8 total points.
Injury Report:
Mavericks: Caleb Martin (GTD); Cooper Flagg (GTD); Dereck Lively II (OUT); Naji Marshall (OUT); Santi Aldama (OUT); Tarik Biberovic (OUT)
Heat: None reported
Indiana Pacers at Milwaukee Bucks
8 p.m. ET
Line: Pacers -4.5 (-108) | Bucks +4.5 (-112)
Money line: Pacers -180 | Bucks +150
Total: 238.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Pacers by 4.6, straight up 64%, 235.7 total points.
Injury Report:
Pacers: Ivica Zubac (GTD); T.J. McConnell (GTD); Ben Sheppard (OUT)
Bucks: None reported
Phoenix Suns at Oklahoma City Thunder
8 p.m. ET
Line: Suns +10.5 (-110) | Thunder -10.5 (-110)
Money line: Suns +320 | Thunder -410
Total: 220.5 (-112 O, -108 U)
BPI Projection: Thunder by 11.4, straight up 81%, 216.7 total points.
Injury Report:
Suns: Mark Williams (OUT); Oso Ighodaro (GTD)
Thunder: Cason Wallace (GTD); Jaylin Williams (GTD); Nikola Topic (GTD); Thomas Sorber (GTD); Jalen Williams (OUT) #N/A Line: Hawks +4.5 (-105) | Rockets -4.5 (-115)
Money line: Hawks +170 | Rockets -205
Total: 229.5 (-112 O, -108 U)
BPI Projection: Rockets by 2.1, straight up 57%, 228.4 total points.
Injury Report:
Hawks: Henri Veesaar (OFS); Mouhamed Gueye (OUT)
Rockets: Marcus Smart (GTD); Steven Adams (OUT)
Memphis Grizzlies at Utah Jazz
9 p.m. ET
Line: Grizzlies -1.5 (100) | Jazz +1.5 (-120)
Money line: Grizzlies -110 | Jazz -110
Total: 237.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Jazz by 2.8, straight up 59%, 236.9 total points.
Injury Report:
Grizzlies: Karim Lopez (GTD); Zach Edey (GTD)
Jazz: Trey Alexander (GTDGTD); Jusuf Nurkic (OUTOUT)
Golden State Warriors at Denver Nuggets
10 p.m. ET
Line: Warriors +6.5 (-102) | Nuggets -6.5 (-118)
Money line: Warriors +220 | Nuggets -270
Total: 236.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Nuggets by 9, straight up 75%, 234.4 total points.
Injury Report:
Warriors: Jimmy Butler III (OUT); Brandon Williams (GTD); Charles Bassey (GTD); Gui Santos (GTD); Kristaps Porzingis (OUT); Moses Moody (OUT)
Nuggets: Alpha Diallo (GTD); Cameron Johnson (GTD); Spencer Jones (OUT); Julian Strawther (OUT)