André SnellingsFeb 25, 2026, 01:00 PM ET
CloseDr. André Snellings is a senior writer for men’s and women’s fantasy basketball and sports betting at ESPN. André has a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Michigan. He joined ESPN in 2017 after a 16-year career as a neural engineer, during which time he was also a writer and analyst for Rotowire.
Multiple Authors
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 | Odds & Injury report
What you need to know for Wednesday’s games
The NBA has six games on tap tonight on the last Wednesday of February, headlined by three battles between Eastern and Western conference playoffs contenders. The Detroit Pistons face their second straight game against a team vying for best record in the league when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder. The San Antonio Spurs came into Detroit and won on Monday, making tonight’s game even bigger for both teams.
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Speaking of the Spurs, tonight they head north of the border to face a Toronto Raptors team still locked into the fifth seed in the East. The Spurs are the hottest team in the NBA on a nine-game winning streak and look to sweep the season series, having defeated the Raptors by 18 points in their first matchup in October.
The last game of the night pits the Boston Celtics against the Denver Nuggets. The Celtics have won four straight games and opened up a two-game lead over the New York Knicks for the second seed in the East, while the Nuggets remain enmeshed in the scrum of four teams within 1.5 games of one another for the third through sixth seeds in the West.
All of these storylines and more will be on display. Let’s dig deeper into the action to identify some fantasy streamers, betting angles and DFS plays of interest for tonight’s games.
Wednesday’s fantasy stream team
Cason Wallace, SG, Oklahoma City Thunder (rostered in 22.9% of ESPN leagues): Wallace is having a monster week. He set a new career-high with 10 assists on Sunday, then followed that up with a career-high 27 points last night against the Raptors. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams sidelined, Wallace is stepping up as a major offensive engine.
Precious Achiuwa, PF/C, Sacramento Kings (11.6%): Achiuwa moved into the starting lineup for the Kings with all their injuries, and he seems locked in at the power forward slot. In his last three games, he has averaged 16.7 PPG and 8.3 RPG with double-doubles in two of the three.
Javon Small, PG, Memphis Grizzlies (3.2%): Small has stepped up as an impact player off the bench for the Grizzlies with so many of their rotation players out. In his last six games, he has averaged 14.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.8 APG and 2.2 3PG in 25.2 MPG off the bench.
Brandin Podziemski, SG/PG, Golden State Warriors (42.0%): Podziemski has stepped up in a big way for the injury-depleted Warriors, including grabbing a shocking 15 rebounds in each of his past two games. Podziemski has scored double figures in six straight games, averaging 15.2 PPG, 8.7 RPG and 4.8 APG in 32.8 MPG off the bench in that span.
play
0:16
Brandin Podziemski hits 3-pointer to cap 20-2 run for Warriors
Brandin Podziemski hits 3-pointer to cap 20-2 run for Warriors
Dre’s bets for Wednesday
Victor Wembanyama 12+ rebounds (-156)
Wembanyama has his second straight game against a team with elite interior defense, so again I’m looking at a prop besides scoring. Wemby has been dominant on the glass all season, but even moreso of late. He has averaged 12.5 RPG in his last 13 outings, grabbing 12 or more in seven of those games including the last two in a row. The Raptors are middle-of-the-pack, allowing 14.1 RPG to opposing centers, but Wembanyama already has a 15-rebound effort against the Raptors in their meeting earlier this season.
Oklahoma City Thunder (-8.5) over Detroit Pistons (-105)
Editor’s Picks
1 Related
I have the Pistons as favorites to win tonight, but 8.5 is a lot of points. The Thunder are without MVP Gilgeous-Alexander and All-Star Williams, but they are 7-3 without SGA this season and have won five of their past six in recent weeks including wins over four playoffs teams. This week alone, the Thunder ended the Cavaliers’ winning streak and went to Toronto to take out the Raptors. According to ESPN BPI, the Pistons should be favored tonight but only by 2.7 points, well within the spread.
Jaylen Brown over 28.5 points (-109)
This is predicated on Brown (questionable, knee) playing after sitting out last night with a bruised knee. Brown has played in seven of the last nine games for the Celtics, scoring 29 or more points in four of those games including 32 in his last outing on Sunday. Brown faced the Nuggets last month and dropped 33 points in 34 minutes.
play
2:05
Why Stephen A. thinks so highly of Jaylen Brown
Stephen A. Smith answers whether Jaylen Brown will have had a better career than Jayson Tatum if he wins MVP this season.
Top Daily Fantasy values of the day
$8,100+ salaries
Donovan Mitchell, SG, Cleveland Cavaliers ($9,700)
Mitchell has a great matchup tonight against a Milwaukee Bucks squad that is bottom-10 in the NBA in fantasy points allowed to opposing shooting guards.
Kevin Porter Jr., PG, Milwaukee Bucks ($8,100)
Porter has locked in as the primary fantasy option on the Bucks with Giannis Antetokounmpo out, averaging 22.1 PPG, 8.3 APG and 5.1 RPG in his last eight games.
$6,100-$8,000 salaries
Jarrett Allen, C, Cleveland Cavaliers ($6,100)
Allen has outscored his fantasy average of 32.1 fantasy points in nine straight games, averaging well over 40 FP/G in that span.
$3,500-$6,000 salaries
GG Jackson, SF, Memphis Grizzlies ($5,500)
Jackson has scored between 27 and 46 fantasy points in four straight games and five of his last six overall.
play
0:17
GG Jackson rocks the rim with powerful slam
GG Jackson rocks the rim with powerful slam
Oklahoma City Thunder at Detroit Pistons
7:30 p.m. ET
Line: Thunder +8.5 (-115) | Pistons -8.5 (-105)
Money line: Thunder +250 | Pistons -310
Total: 220.5 (-108 O, -112 U)
BPI Projection: Pistons by 2.7, straight up 58%, 224.6 total points.
Injury Report:
Thunder: Ajay Mitchell, (OUT – Ankle); Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, (OUT – Abdomen); Jalen Williams, (OUT – Hamstring); Thomas Sorber, (OFS – Knee)
Pistons: Isaiah Stewart, (OUT – Suspension)
San Antonio Spurs at Toronto Raptors
7:30 p.m. ET
Line: Spurs -7.5 (-112) | Raptors +7.5 (-108)
Money line: Spurs -310 | Raptors +250
Total: 229.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Spurs by 6.3, straight up 68%, 225.0 total points.
Injury Report:
Spurs: David Jones Garcia, (OFS – Ankle)
Raptors: Chucky Hepburn, (GTD – Knee); Jakob Poeltl, (GTD – Back); Scottie Barnes, (GTD – Quadriceps)
Golden State Warriors at Memphis Grizzlies
7:30 p.m. ET
Line: Warriors -3.5 (-110) | Grizzlies +3.5 (-110)
Money line: Warriors -175 | Grizzlies +145
Total: 230.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Grizzlies by 0.4, straight up 51%, 232.1 total points.
Injury Report:
Warriors: Al Horford, (GTD – Toe); Kristaps Porzingis, (OUT – Illness); Stephen Curry, (OUT – Knee); Seth Curry, (OUT – Back); Jimmy Butler III, (OFS – Knee)
Grizzlies: Kyle Anderson, (GTD – Knee); Brandon Clarke, (OUT – Calf); Cedric Coward, (OUT – Knee); Santi Aldama, (OUT – Knee); Zach Edey, (OUT – Ankle); Ja Morant, (OUT – Elbow); Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, (OFS – Finger)
Sacramento Kings at Houston Rockets
8 p.m. ET
Line: Kings +14.5 (-115) | Rockets -14.5 (-105)
Money line: Kings +575 | Rockets -850
Total: 221.5 (-115 O, -105 U)
BPI Projection: Rockets by 13.1, straight up 83%, 223.7 total points.
Injury Report:
Kings: Devin Carter, (GTD – Back); Dylan Cardwell, (OUT – Ankle); De’Andre Hunter, (OFS – Eye); Domantas Sabonis, (OFS – Knee); Zach LaVine, (OFS – Finger)
Rockets: Amen Thompson, (OUT – Quadriceps); Jae’Sean Tate, (OUT – Knee); Fred VanVleet, (OUT – Knee); Steven Adams, (OFS – Ankle)
Cleveland Cavaliers at Milwaukee Bucks
8 p.m. ET
Line: Cavaliers -8.5 (-105) | Bucks +8.5 (-115)
Money line: Cavaliers -310 | Bucks +250
Total: 227.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Cavaliers by 7.5, straight up 71%, 234.0 total points.
Injury Report:
Cavaliers: Max Strus, (OUT – Foot)
Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo, (GTD – Calf); Taurean Prince, (OUT – Neck)
Boston Celtics at Denver Nuggets
10 p.m. ET
Line: Celtics +3.5 (-108) | Nuggets -3.5 (-112)
Money line: Celtics +136 | Nuggets -162
Total: 230.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Nuggets by 2.1, straight up 56%, 230.1 total points.
Injury Report:
Celtics: Jaylen Brown, (GTD – Knee); Jayson Tatum, (OUT – Achilles)
Nuggets: Jamal Murray, (GTD – Hamstring); Julian Strawther, (GTD – Toe); Aaron Gordon, (OUT – Hamstring); Jalen Pickett, (OUT – Knee); Peyton Watson, (OUT – Hamstring); Tamar Bates, (OUT – Foot)