Thursday's four-game NBA slate is highlighted by some of fantasy basketball's best taking the court for the first time this season, as Victor Wembanyama's San Antonio Spurs head to Dallas to take on Luka Doncic and the Mavericks, while Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets host Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Let's dive deeper to uncover some intriguing fantasy streamers and best bets for the slate.
Odds by ESPN BET
Four bets to make on Thursday
Kyrie Irving over 22.5 points (-125)
Irving averaged 35 MPG last season and while the Mavericks added Klay Thompson, Irving should still see plenty of minutes according to our projections. He cleared this line in 61% of his games last season and averaged 19 field goal attempts per game. Irving also cleared it in two of three games against the Spurs last season. With Thompson spreading the floor, Irving gets more space to work. Additionally, the Spurs had trouble defending point guards last season, and that could continue to be an issue.
Aaron Gordon over 5.5 rebounds (-130)
Gordon averaged 6.1 RPG in 30.6 MPG over the last four seasons with the Nuggets. Our projections show similar numbers this year. Last season, Gordon hit this line in 59% of games and went over in two of three matchups against the Thunder. Also, OKC was near the top of the league in rebounds allowed to power forwards. Gordon's locked in as a frontcourt starter for Denver and his recent contract extension makes this a solid bet.
Donte DiVincenzo over 17.5 points, rebounds and assists (-125)
The Timberwolves offense was as sharp as a butter knife in a steakhouse on Tuesday night, which isn't surprising given the new additions like Julius Randle and DiVincenzo still adjusting to the rotation. Spacing was a big issue against the Lakers, but I'm confident Chris Finch and his staff will make the right adjustments. DiVincenzo hit over this line in 66% of his games last season with the Knicks. He's an early favorite for Sixth Man of the Year and played 32 minutes against the Lakers, showing he'll be a key part of this rotation.
Jamal Murray under 30.5 points, rebounds and assists (-115)
Murray enters this season under some pressure, despite his big contract extension. He hasn't been named an All-Star yet, and last year's playoff performance left a lot to be desired. His struggles continued with a rough showing for Team Canada in the Olympics, and he had a lukewarm preseason. Last season, he didn't clear this line in any of the four games against the Thunder. Murray faces not only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander but also offseason addition Alex Caruso. The Thunder's defense against point guards was solid last season, and I expect that trend to carry over. It could be a tough night for Murray.
Top players to stream into your fantasy lineup
Keldon Johnson, San Antonio Spurs (available in 65.4% of ESPN leagues)
Johnson is expected to come off the bench again this season for the Spurs after an offseason filled with trade rumors. He shed some weight during the offseason to prepare for a complementary role in the San Antonio offense, which revolves around Wembanyama. He averaged 15.7 PPG and 5.5 RPG in 29.6 MPG last season and Johnson is projected for similar usage this year. This makes him a good streaming option against the Mavericks in a game that has one of the highest point totals on the slate.
Dereck Lively II, Dallas Mavericks (63.9%)
The Mavericks exercised Lively's second-year option on Wednesday, showing their confidence in him. As a rookie, he started 42 of 55 regular-season games and averaged 9.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 1.4 BPG. His standout performance in the playoffs, especially against the Thunder, highlighted his potential. This season, Lively will share minutes with Daniel Gafford, but he remains a worthy streamer in this favorable matchup against the Spurs team that struggled against centers last season.
Malik Monk, Sacramento Kings (60.6%)
Monk has revived his career with the Kings. He was a standout player off the bench last season, leading the league in points and assists from that role (15.4 PPG and 4.6 APG in 26 MPG). Our projections show he can keep up that production this season. Monk was the runner-up for last year's Sixth Man Award and he's going to have a lot of streaming appeal this season.
Projections and Injury Reports
Basketball Power Index by ESPN Analytics. Injury aggregation by Rotowire.com. Odds by ESPN BET
Platers in italics are availabe in at least 50 percent of ESPN Leagues.
Boston Celtics at Washington Wizards
7 p.m. ET
Line: Celtics -14.5 (-105) | Wizards 14.5 (-115)
Money line: Celtics -1400 | Wizards 700
Total: 233.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Wizards by 11.9, straight up 83%, 216.3 total points.
Injury Report:
Celtics: Sam Hauser, (GTD - Back); Kristaps Porzingis, (OUT - Foot)
Wizards: Malcolm Brogdon, (OUT - Thumb); Saddiq Bey, (OUT - Knee)
Celtics projections:
Jayson Tatum, SF/PF: 51.6 FPTS (30.8 pts, 9.4 reb, 5.5 ast, 3.1 3PM)
Jaylen Brown, SG/SF: 41.4 FPTS (26.6 pts, 5.8 reb, 3.6 ast, 2.0 3PM)
Jrue Holiday, PG/SG: 33.6 FPTS (14.4 pts, 5.9 reb, 6.6 ast, 1.8 3PM)
Derrick White, PG/SG: 27.3 FPTS (14.0 pts, 3.8 reb, 2.6 ast, 2.6 3PM)
Xavier Tillman, PF/C: 26.6 FPTS (10.9 pts, 7.4 reb, 1.9 ast, 1.5 blk)
Al Horford, PF/C: 22.2 FPTS (8.1 pts, 7.5 reb, 2.1 ast)
Baylor Scheierman, SG: 9.1 FPTS (5.7 pts, 0.7 reb, 0.8 ast)
Wizards projections:
Kyle Kuzma, SF/PF: 46.3 FPTS (26.4 pts, 6.5 reb, 8.0 ast, 2.3 3PM)
Jordan Poole, PG/SG: 40.2 FPTS (21.2 pts, 2.6 reb, 7.7 ast, 2.4 3PM)
Jonas Valanciunas, C: 29.1 FPTS (14.6 pts, 9.3 reb, 3.4 ast)
Marvin Bagley III, PF/C: 24.6 FPTS (14.3 pts, 5.9 reb, 2.5 ast)
Corey Kispert, SG/SF: 22.8 FPTS (14.5 pts, 2.7 reb, 2.2 ast, 2.1 3PM)
Alex Sarr, PF/C: 19.7 FPTS (8.3 pts, 3.5 reb, 3.4 ast)
Anthony Gill, PF: 15.5 FPTS (8.6 pts, 2.8 reb, 1.8 ast)
San Antonio Spurs at Dallas Mavericks
7:30 p.m. ET on TNT
Line: Spurs 8.5 (-110) | Mavericks -8.5 (-110)
Money line: Spurs 315 | Mavericks -400
Total: 229.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Spurs by 9.8, straight up 79%, 216.8 total points.
Injury Report:
Spurs: Devin Vassell, (OUT - Foot)
Mavericks: Dante Exum, (OUT - Wrist)
Spurs projections:
Keldon Johnson, SF: 27.0 FPTS (15.6 pts, 4.7 reb, 2.6 ast)
Chris Paul, PG: 24.1 FPTS (8.2 pts, 3.2 reb, 4.5 ast)
Zach Collins, PF/C: 23.2 FPTS (12.6 pts, 5.5 reb, 2.4 ast)
Tre Jones, PG: 22.7 FPTS (7.2 pts, 2.8 reb, 5.2 ast)
Jeremy Sochan, PF: 22.2 FPTS (12.4 pts, 4.5 reb, 2.2 ast)
Malaki Branham, SG: 16.6 FPTS (10.9 pts, 2.1 reb, 1.6 ast)
Julian Champagnie, SF: 16.1 FPTS (8.1 pts, 2.9 reb, 1.1 ast)
Mavericks projections:
Luka Doncic, PG: 53.3 FPTS (27.1 pts, 9.4 reb, 7.5 ast, 3.5 3PM)
Kyrie Irving, PG/SG: 42.9 FPTS (24.1 pts, 4.8 reb, 5.4 ast, 2.4 3PM)
P.J. Washington, PF: 26.1 FPTS (12.8 pts, 6.1 reb, 2.1 ast, 2.0 3PM)
Klay Thompson, SG/SF: 24.4 FPTS (13.8 pts, 3.6 reb, 2.2 ast, 2.7 3PM)
Spencer Dinwiddie, PG/SG: 23.6 FPTS (10.7 pts, 3.4 reb, 4.4 ast)
Daniel Gafford, C: 20.7 FPTS (9.8 pts, 6.7 reb, 1.3 ast, 2.0 blk)
Quentin Grimes, SG: 17.2 FPTS (8.7 pts, 2.5 reb, 1.2 ast, 1.8 3PM)
Oklahoma City Thunder at Denver Nuggets
10 p.m. ET on TNT
Line: Thunder 1.5 (-105) | Nuggets -1.5 (-115)
Money line: Thunder 110 | Nuggets -130
Total: 227.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Thunder by 2.5, straight up 58%, 224.5 total points.
Injury Report:
Thunder: Nikola Topic, (OUT - Knee); Jaylin Williams, (OUT - Hamstring); Kenrich Williams, (OUT - Knee); Isaiah Hartenstein, (OUT - Hand)
Nuggets: None reported
Thunder projections:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, PG: 49.9 FPTS (32.1 pts, 5.1 reb, 4.9 ast)
Jalen Williams, PF: 32.7 FPTS (20.0 pts, 4.3 reb, 3.6 ast)
Luguentz Dort, SG/SF: 23.8 FPTS (12.9 pts, 4.5 reb, 1.5 ast, 2.1 3PM)
Alex Caruso, PG/SG: 20.1 FPTS (8.8 pts, 2.5 reb, 2.0 ast)
Aaron Wiggins, SG: 18.2 FPTS (10.0 pts, 3.1 reb, 1.1 ast)
Isaiah Joe, SG: 17.7 FPTS (10.4 pts, 2.3 reb, 1.3 ast, 2.1 3PM)
Dillon Jones, SF: 10.0 FPTS (6.0 pts, 1.4 reb, 0.6 ast)
Nuggets projections:
Nikola Jokic, C: 59.4 FPTS (28.3 pts, 12.7 reb, 9.2 ast)
Jamal Murray, PG: 46.8 FPTS (26.9 pts, 5.1 reb, 6.6 ast, 2.3 3PM)
Russell Westbrook, PG: 38.0 FPTS (21.2 pts, 6.8 reb, 5.0 ast)
Michael Porter Jr., SF: 30.6 FPTS (17.0 pts, 7.3 reb, 1.7 ast, 2.6 3PM)
Aaron Gordon, PF: 29.4 FPTS (16.4 pts, 6.2 reb, 2.9 ast)
Christian Braun, SG: 14.9 FPTS (7.9 pts, 3.1 reb, 1.2 ast)
Dario Saric, PF: 13.7 FPTS (7.5 pts, 3.2 reb, 1.1 ast)
Minnesota Timberwolves at Sacramento Kings
10 p.m. ET
Line: Timberwolves -1.5 (-105) | Kings 1.5 (-115)
Money line: Timberwolves -120 | Kings EVEN
Total: 221.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Timberwolves by 0, straight up 50%, 224.0 total points.
Injury Report:
Timberwolves: None reported
Kings: Devin Carter, (OUT - Shoulder); Orlando Robinson, (OUT - Knee)
Timberwolves projections:
Anthony Edwards, SG/SF: 37.6 FPTS (22.4 pts, 4.6 reb, 4.4 ast, 2.0 3PM)
Julius Randle, PF: 33.1 FPTS (19.4 pts, 6.8 reb, 4.3 ast)
Rudy Gobert, C: 26.7 FPTS (12.6 pts, 10.6 reb, 1.9 ast)
Mike Conley, PG: 21.0 FPTS (7.9 pts, 2.2 reb, 4.1 ast)
Donte DiVincenzo, SG: 17.7 FPTS (7.6 pts, 2.1 reb, 2.1 ast, 1.9 3PM)
Naz Reid, PF/C: 16.4 FPTS (8.9 pts, 3.2 reb, 1.2 ast)
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, SG: 14.4 FPTS (7.3 pts, 1.5 reb, 1.7 ast)
Kings projections:
Domantas Sabonis, PF/C: 65.1 FPTS (18.4 pts, 11.4 reb, 18.9 ast)
De'Aaron Fox, PG: 61.5 FPTS (25.1 pts, 4.2 reb, 13.9 ast, 2.7 3PM)
DeMar DeRozan, SF/PF: 43.3 FPTS (23.8 pts, 3.8 reb, 7.6 ast)
Malik Monk, SG/SF: 31.0 FPTS (14.0 pts, 2.8 reb, 6.9 ast)
Keegan Murray, SF/PF: 24.1 FPTS (11.8 pts, 4.7 reb, 1.9 ast, 2.0 3PM)
Kevin Huerter, SG/SF: 19.5 FPTS (9.5 pts, 2.7 reb, 2.5 ast, 1.8 3PM)
Trey Lyles, PF: 12.4 FPTS (5.0 pts, 3.7 reb, 1.6 ast)