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 Tuesday
The 2026-27 NBA season tips off Tuesday with three games featuring some of the league's biggest names.
Cade Cunningham and the Pistons get things started in Detroit after winning 60 games last season. They'll face a Boston Celtics team that now pairs a healthy Jayson Tatum with Paul George following the trade that sent Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia.
The defending champion New York Knicks open at Madison Square Garden against a 76ers team that added LeBron James and Brown to a roster already featuring Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Philadelphia has plenty of talent, but how quickly will everyone adjust to playing together?
The final game features a Western Conference Finals rematch, with Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs hosting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the rival Oklahoma City Thunder.
Let's take a closer look at these matchups and identify some fantasy streamers and betting angles worth considering for Tuesday's slate.
Fantasy stream team -- widely available players worth adding
Isaiah Hartenstein, C, Oklahoma City Thunder (rostered in 43.4% of ESPN leagues)
Hartenstein could see additional minutes in the season opener after Chet Holmgren missed the preseason with a quad injury. Holmgren is expected to play Tuesday, but Hartenstein remains an important part of Oklahoma City's frontcourt. He averaged 9.2 PPG and 9.4 RPG last season while shooting 62.2% from the field. His rebounding and efficiency make him a solid streaming option in both points and category leagues.
Cason Wallace, PG/SG, Oklahoma City Thunder (25.6%)
Wallace signed a five-year contract extension with the Thunder and is expected to move into the starting lineup following Luguentz Dort's departure. He averaged 9.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG and 2.9 APG as a starter last season. Wallace also led the league with 150 steals and 339 deflections. Wallace should see more minutes this season, making him a strong streaming option against the Spurs on Tuesday and throughout the week, especially for managers needing steals.
Duncan Robinson, SF/SG, Detroit Pistons (6.1%)
Robinson is worth considering in deeper leagues against the Celtics, especially for managers needing 3-pointers. He averaged 12.2 points and 2.9 triples per game last season while offering limited production in other categories. He's more valuable in category leagues, but managers in deeper points formats looking for additional scoring can also consider him.
Moody's bets to make for Tuesday
Jalen Brunson OVER 25.5 points (-124): Brunson was one of the league's most consistent scorers last season, clearing this line in 57 of 94 games while averaging 20.4 field goal attempts. He scored at least 26 points in three of his last four meetings with Philadelphia. The 76ers added Brown this offseason, but Maxey could still draw the primary defensive assignment on Brunson. That matchup doesn't concern me much. Brunson showed throughout the Knicks' championship run that he can score against tough defenses. He had a 29.6% usage rate last season, and with that level of offensive involvement expected to continue, Brunson should have plenty of opportunities to clear this line.
Payton Pritchard 10+ rebounds and assists (+190): Pritchard should see significant minutes this season with Brown now in Philadelphia. I initially liked over 7.5 combined rebounds and assists, but there's a case for targeting 10+ RAs. Pritchard reached that mark in nine of 10 games without Brown last season. Detroit presents a difficult matchup after finishing second in defensive rating, but I'm more interested in Pritchard's role. George gives Boston another scoring option, but Pritchard should still have ample opportunities as a playmaker. Given his production without Brown last season, I'm comfortable taking a shot on 10+ at +190.
LeBron James UNDER 15.5 points (-111): James averaged 20.9 points per game last season, but I'm expecting his scoring opportunities to decrease in Philadelphia. The 76ers already have three high-volume scorers in Maxey, Embiid and Brown, which could leave James as their fourth scoring option. He's also 41 years old, entering his 24th season while managing chronic arthritis in his left foot. Head coach Nick Nurse has already discussed managing James' workload throughout the season. The Knicks were also one of the better teams defending isolation plays last season. I expect James to spend more time setting up his teammates than looking for his own shot, especially this early in the season.
Projections and Injury Reports
Basketball Power Index by ESPN Analytics. Injury aggregation by Rotowire.com. Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook
Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons
3 p.m. ET on NBC
Line: Celtics -1.5 (100) | Pistons +1.5 (-120)
Money line: Celtics -112 | Pistons -108
Total: 222.5 (-105 O, -115 U)
BPI Projection: Pistons by 0.7, straight up 52%, 222.1 total points.
Injury Report:
Celtics: None reported
Pistons: Jalen Duren, (GTD)
Philadelphia 76ers at New York Knicks
7 p.m. ET on NBC
Line: 76ers +4.5 (-105) | Knicks -4.5 (-115)
Money line: 76ers +154 | Knicks -185
Total: 231.5 (-112 O, -108 U)
BPI Projection: Knicks by 1, straight up 53%, 229.6 total points.
Injury Report:
76ers: Adem Bona, (GTD); Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (GTD)
Knicks: Mohamed Diawara, (GTD)
Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs
9:30 p.m. ET on NBC
Line: Thunder +2.5 (-112) | Spurs -2.5 (-108)
Money line: Thunder +114 | Spurs -135
Total: 231.5 (-112 O, -108 U)
BPI Projection: Spurs by 0.8, straight up 53%, 226.0 total points.
Injury Report:
Thunder: Ajay Mitchell, (GTD); Isaiah Hartenstein, (GTD); Nikola Topic, (GTD); Thomas Sorber, (GTD)
Spurs: David Jones Garcia, (GTD); Jayden Quaintance (OUT)
