Fantasy basketball picks, DFS and betting tips for Friday’s NBA games

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.

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Top streamers | Best bets | DFS picks

What you need to know for Friday’s games

The NBA closes out the work week with a massive, 12-game slate. That means that 24 out of 30 teams, or 80% of the league, will be in action tonight.

According to DraftKings, the game with the highest over-under line of the night is an all Florida affair, with the Miami Heat traveling up the turnpike to see the Orlando Magic. The Heat lead the league in pace, so the 241.5 point line is not unusual when they are on the court. The most exciting aspect of the game, though, is that Paolo Banchero (groin) has been upgraded to questionable and has a chance to return after a 10-game absence.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics renew their historic rivalry tonight, both on the second half of back-to-backs after winning on Thursday. But all eyes will be on whether either teams’ star players will play on Friday after sitting out Thursday; Luka Doncic for personal reasons and Jaylen Brown with an illness. The availability or lack thereof for either star player will change the face of this matchup.

The Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets, authors of the biggest trade in the offseason, face off again on Friday. This time, the Suns will be without both Devin Booker and the traded-for Jalen Green while the Rockets should have Kevin Durant on the court. Unsurprisingly, the Rockets are favored by double-digits in the game, one of three double-digit spreads tonight.

These and many other storylines will be on display tonight. As always, we will dig deeper into matchups to identify fantasy hoops streamers, betting angles of interest and value DFS plays on this first Friday of the month.

Friday’s fantasy stream team

Collin Gillespie, PG, Phoenix Suns (Rostered in 42.2% of ESPN leagues): Gillespie has been playing starter minutes and producing for weeks now with Jalen Green sidelined, and is in for an even bigger role with Devin Booker now out. In his last eight games, Gillespie has averaged 19.4 PPG and 4.5 3PG. In his last outing on Monday, he notched career highs in both categories with 28 points and 8 3-pointers.

Ryan Nembhard, PG, Dallas Mavericks (19.9%): Nembhard moved into the starting lineup for the Mavericks four games ago and has scored at least 15 points in three of those games. He also has points-assists double-doubles in his last two straight games, highlighted by a 28-point/10-assist effort on Monday in Denver.

Quentin Grimes, SG, Philadelphia 76ers (44.5%): Grimes gets starter minutes for the 76ers, whether he starts or not. Joel Embiid and Paul George are in and out of the lineup; Embiid out tonight while George will presumably play after sitting yesterday, but Grimes tends to be effective regardless. In his last three games, Grimes has averaged 19.7 PPG, 6.3 APG and 6.0 RPG.

Toumani Camara, PF/SF, Portland Trail Blazers (49.0%): Camara, long known as a 3-and-D specialist, has put it together on offense of late. He has scored in double figures in five straight, and seven of his last eight games. He has really stepped up his scoring this week, notching at least 17 points in three straight games for the first time this season while averaging 19.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG and 4.7 3PG in that stretch.

Snellings’ bets for Friday

Kel’el Ware 20-plus total points and rebounds (-111)

When Ware is on the court, he is producing. The return of Tyler Herro pushed Ware out of the starting lineup as the Heat decided to go smaller, moving Andrew Wiggins to the starting power forward slot. But Herro and Norman Powell are both questionable to play on Friday, after Powell missed their last game on Wednesday. In Powell’s absence, Ware notched 22 points and 10 rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench. That 25 minute mark is significant; Ware has produced at least 20 combined points and rebounds in each of the last nine straight games where he has played at least 25 minutes.

Austin Reaves Over 41.5 total points assists (-110)

This pick depends on the assumption that Luka Doncic may miss tonight’s game for personal reasons. When Doncic is out, Reeves goes off. In four games without Doncic this season, Reeves has averaged 41.0 PPG and 10.0 APG. He has notched at least 44 points+assists in all four games, including both halves of a back-to-back in late October.

Zach Edey Over 11.5 rebounds (-140)

Edey has grabbed 15 or more rebounds in four straight and five of his last six games, with the lone exception a six-minute outing against the Denver Nuggets. Edey faced his Friday opponents, the LA Clippers, last week in Inglewood and grabbed 19 boards in 32 minutes.

Kevin Porter Jr. Over 21.5 points (-106)

Porter returned from injury three games ago after a month-plus absence, and since he has been back he has been scorching. In those three games, Porter has averaged 23.0 PPG on 55.8 FG% in only 30.3 MPG, but his playing time has increased in each game up to 35 minutes in his last outing. With Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) sidelined, Porter will be asked to carry an even heavier offensive load.

Top Daily Fantasy values of the day

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$8,100+ salaries

Austin Reaves, SG, Lakers ($9,500): If Doncic doesn’t play, Reeves has a great chance to be the high scorer of the night, based on his averages of 41 points and 10 assists in four games without Doncic.

Deni Avdija, SF, Trail Blazers ($9,300): Avdija has scored at least 48 fantasy points in four straight games, and in his last three that weren’t the second half of a back-to-back has scored at least 57 fantasy points.

James Harden, PG, Clippers ($9,200): Outside of a flukish 20-minute outing against the Clippers on Monday, Harden has scored between 51.8 and 56.5 fantasy points in each of his other four most recent games.

$6,100-$8,000 salaries

Ryan Rollins, SG, Bucks ($7,900): Rollins has been explosive this season with Giannis Antetokounmpo sidelined, averaging 24.8 PPG, 7.8 APG and 5.2 RPG in six games.

Keyonte George, PG, Utah Jazz ($7,600): Outside of a flukish 19-minute outing against the Rockets last weekend, George has notched at least 45 fantasy points in each of his other five most recent games.

Zach Edey, C, Grizzlies ($7,400): Edey has scored at least 37.2 fantasy points in five of his last six games, including against Friday’s opponents the Clippers, topping out at 62.2 fantasy points earlier this week against the Kings.

$3,500-$6,000 salaries

Jay Huff, C, Indiana Pacers ($5,200): Huff struggled in his last outing against Nikola Jokic, but otherwise has averaged 33.6 fantasy points in his other four starts this season.

Toumani Camara, SG, Trail Blazers ($5,800): Camara has scored at least 35 fantasy points in three straight games, and at least 32.8 in five of his last seven.

Kel’el Ware, C, Heat ($5,700): Ware produces when he gets near-starter minutes, and with two of the Heat starters questionable with injury, Ware could be in for at least the 25 minutes he got on Wednesday… which he turned into 43.5 fantasy points.