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What you need to know for Thursday's games
After Wednesday's massive 13-game schedule, we turn our attention to Thursday's more concise four-game slate. With a lens on the fantasy implications of these matchups, let's delve into the variety of rosters and rotations the day offers.
The night includes a series of rematches, as the Toronto Raptors head south to face the Philadelphia 76ers after a matchup in Canada this past Saturday that included busy box scores from Joel Embiid and the ever-emergent Tyrese Maxey. On the heels of this week's James Harden trade, it will be riveting to see how the Philly rotation unfolds now that they've added a series of forwards in the transaction. For the Raptors, I'm still intrigued by the value Gary Trent Jr. provides as a shooting and steals specialist.
Another rematch for tonight finds the Phoenix Suns hosting the Spurs for the second time this week. A peak at the injury report reveals that Bradley Beal (back) remains out, but superstar Devin Booker (foot) has been upgraded to questionable.
Tonight's tilt between the Detroit Pistons and New Orleans Pelicans doesn't have any updates via the league's injury report, but we do have a streaming endorsement based on the potential Brandon Ingram misses another game due to knee soreness. For the Pistons, if Alec Burks is another scratch, Marcus Sasser could help in deeper formats.
Finally, the Orlando Magic are in Salt Lake City to face the Utah Jazz in a rare non-conference meeting for these franchises. Collin Sexton was on fire last night, but I remain more intrigued with the team's hyphenated playmaker, Talen Horton-Tucker (more on him below).
Thursday's Stream Team
This segment nominates three key streaming options ahead of that day's action. A streamer, by our standards, is a player available in at least half of ESPN men's fantasy basketball leagues.
Jeremy Sochan, PG/PF, Spurs (rostered in 18.6% of ESPN leagues): San Antonio's counter to the small-ball era is jumbo lineups featuring this unique playmaker from the point guard spot. The scoring is often lean, but fun passing and defensive rates often surface.
Eric Gordon, SG/SF, Suns (12.3%): The continued absence of Beal drives rich scoring rates from Gordon, who has tallied at least 20 in consecutive games, including 20 against the Spurs earlier this week.
Talen Horton-Tucker, SF/PF, Jazz (7.1%): Somewhat like Sochan, the Jazz are affording Horton-Tucker rare creation usage as a key distributor for the team. The Magic have some size at guard, but so does THT.
Projections and Injury Reports
Fantasy projections powered by ESPN Analytics.* Projections assume all players who are listed as GTD will play. Injury information powered by Rotowire.com. Players available in at least 50% of ESPN leagues are listed in italics.
Toronto Raptors at Philadelphia 76ers7 p.m. Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia
Injury Report:
Raptors: Christian Koloko, (GTD - Illness); Precious Achiuwa, (GTD - Groin)
76ers: Nicolas Batum, (OUT - Personal)
Raptors projections:
Pascal Siakam, PF/C: 37.7 FPTS (20.0 pts, 7.7 reb, 4.7 ast)
Scottie Barnes, SF/PF: 36.5 FPTS (17.2 pts, 6.9 reb, 5.5 ast, 1.5 blk)
Dennis Schroder, PG: 28.5 FPTS (14.2 pts, 2.4 reb, 5.0 ast, 2.1 3PM)
O.G. Anunoby, SF: 27.0 FPTS (13.8 pts, 4.2 reb, 1.7 ast, 2.3 3PM)
Gary Trent Jr., PG/SG: 19.2 FPTS (10.1 pts, 2.3 reb, 1.2 ast, 1.8 3PM)
Jakob Poeltl, C: 18.4 FPTS (8.3 pts, 7.8 reb, 1.2 ast)
Chris Boucher, PF/C: 12.4 FPTS (6.8 pts, 3.5 reb, 0.5 ast)
76ers projections:
Joel Embiid, C: 43.7 FPTS (26.4 pts, 9.0 reb, 5.1 ast, 1.6 blk)
Tyrese Maxey, PG/SG: 42.9 FPTS (23.4 pts, 4.3 reb, 4.9 ast, 2.9 3PM)
Tobias Harris, SF/PF: 27.4 FPTS (14.4 pts, 5.7 reb, 2.1 ast)
Kelly Oubre Jr., SF/PF: 22.8 FPTS (13.5 pts, 3.7 reb, 0.9 ast, 1.8 3PM)
De'Anthony Melton, PG/SG: 19.6 FPTS (8.3 pts, 3.3 reb, 2.3 ast)
Marcus Morris Sr., SF/PF: 16.1 FPTS (8.0 pts, 3.2 reb, 1.3 ast)
Kenyon Martin Jr., SF: 15.1 FPTS (7.9 pts, 3.6 reb, 0.9 ast)
Detroit Pistons at New Orleans Pelicans8 p.m. Smoothie King Center, New Orleans
Injury Report:
Pistons: Alec Burks, (GTD - Forearm); Jalen Duren, (GTD - Ankle); Monte Morris, (OUT - Quadriceps); Isaiah Livers, (OUT - Ankle); Bojan Bogdanovic, (OUT - Calf)
Pelicans: Brandon Ingram, (GTD - Knee); Jose Alvarado, (OUT - Ankle); Naji Marshall, (OUT - Knee); Trey Murphy III, (OUT - Knee)
Pistons projections:
Cade Cunningham, PG/SG: 38.1 FPTS (21.6 pts, 4.6 reb, 6.7 ast, 2.1 3PM)
Jalen Duren, C: 26.3 FPTS (11.6 pts, 10.2 reb, 2.5 ast, 1.3 blk)
Isaiah Stewart, PF/C: 26.2 FPTS (12.8 pts, 8.5 reb, 1.6 ast)
Killian Hayes, PG: 24.3 FPTS (11.5 pts, 2.9 reb, 4.1 ast)
Ausar Thompson, SG/SF: 19.9 FPTS (9.4 pts, 6.8 reb, 2.5 ast)
Alec Burks, SG: 18.8 FPTS (10.6 pts, 3.1 reb, 1.4 ast, 2.0 3PM)
Jaden Ivey, PG/SG: 17.8 FPTS (11.4 pts, 2.4 reb, 3.1 ast)
Pelicans projections:
CJ McCollum, PG/SG: 41.7 FPTS (21.7 pts, 4.6 reb, 6.0 ast, 3.5 3PM)
Zion Williamson, PF: 40.3 FPTS (27.2 pts, 7.7 reb, 4.4 ast)
Herbert Jones, SF/PF: 26.9 FPTS (12.8 pts, 5.3 reb, 3.0 ast)
Jonas Valanciunas, C: 24.5 FPTS (12.3 pts, 9.5 reb, 1.7 ast)
Larry Nance Jr., PF/C: 17.0 FPTS (6.5 pts, 6.5 reb, 1.5 ast)
Dyson Daniels, PG/SG: 14.1 FPTS (7.0 pts, 3.8 reb, 1.6 ast)
Kira Lewis Jr., PG: 10.1 FPTS (5.6 pts, 1.8 reb, 0.6 ast)
Orlando Magic at Utah Jazz9 p.m. Delta Center, Salt Lake City
Injury Report:
Magic: None reported
Jazz: None reported
Magic projections:
Franz Wagner, SG/SF/PF: 35.9 FPTS (20.2 pts, 5.1 reb, 3.4 ast, 2.7 3PM)
Paolo Banchero, SF/PF: 28.4 FPTS (17.0 pts, 6.4 reb, 4.0 ast)
Cole Anthony, PG: 28.0 FPTS (15.5 pts, 5.0 reb, 2.6 ast)
Markelle Fultz, PG/SG: 27.7 FPTS (12.7 pts, 3.7 reb, 4.6 ast)
Wendell Carter Jr., C: 26.9 FPTS (13.3 pts, 8.0 reb, 1.6 ast)
Jalen Suggs, PG/SG: 22.0 FPTS (10.8 pts, 4.3 reb, 1.6 ast)
Anthony Black, PG/SG: 17.8 FPTS (7.5 pts, 6.2 reb, 2.7 ast)
Jazz projections:
Lauri Markkanen, SF/PF: 39.3 FPTS (23.3 pts, 8.9 reb, 1.8 ast, 3.2 3PM)
Jordan Clarkson, SG: 31.4 FPTS (18.5 pts, 4.3 reb, 4.9 ast, 1.8 3PM)
John Collins, PF: 25.6 FPTS (12.5 pts, 8.2 reb, 1.1 ast)
Talen Horton-Tucker, SG/SF: 24.9 FPTS (12.7 pts, 3.8 reb, 3.8 ast)
Kelly Olynyk, PF/C: 18.9 FPTS (7.6 pts, 6.0 reb, 3.0 ast)
Walker Kessler, C: 17.7 FPTS (8.1 pts, 7.1 reb, 1.2 ast, 1.5 blk)
Kris Dunn, PG: 17.6 FPTS (8.5 pts, 2.9 reb, 3.2 ast)
San Antonio Spurs at Phoenix Suns10 p.m. Footprint Center, Phoenix
Injury Report:
Spurs: None reported
Suns: Devin Booker, (GTD - Toe); Bradley Beal, (OUT - Back); Damion Lee, (OUT - Knee)
Spurs projections:
Victor Wembanyama, PF/C: 30.6 FPTS (15.7 pts, 12.3 reb, 1.5 ast)
Keldon Johnson, SF: 28.7 FPTS (15.5 pts, 4.6 reb, 3.5 ast, 1.8 3PM)
Devin Vassell, SG/SF: 27.3 FPTS (16.0 pts, 3.1 reb, 2.5 ast, 1.8 3PM)
Zach Collins, PF/C: 26.1 FPTS (12.1 pts, 6.0 reb, 3.6 ast)
Jeremy Sochan, PG/PF: 20.1 FPTS (9.8 pts, 5.1 reb, 2.7 ast)
Tre Jones, PG: 18.9 FPTS (7.0 pts, 2.9 reb, 4.0 ast)
Malaki Branham, SG: 15.4 FPTS (9.3 pts, 2.0 reb, 1.5 ast)
Suns projections:
Kevin Durant, SF/PF: 42.7 FPTS (27.7 pts, 7.7 reb, 4.8 ast)
Jusuf Nurkic, C: 25.0 FPTS (10.4 pts, 8.1 reb, 3.1 ast)
Eric Gordon, SG/SF: 23.7 FPTS (14.1 pts, 2.4 reb, 1.9 ast, 2.4 3PM)
Jordan Goodwin, PG/SG: 19.7 FPTS (9.4 pts, 3.9 reb, 2.8 ast)
Yuta Watanabe, SF: 19.5 FPTS (10.9 pts, 4.0 reb, 1.7 ast)
Grayson Allen, SG: 18.7 FPTS (7.9 pts, 3.7 reb, 2.1 ast)
Drew Eubanks, PF: 16.2 FPTS (7.3 pts, 5.7 reb, 1.6 ast, 1.4 blk)