Fantasy basketball tips and NBA betting picks for Saturday

ESPN's fantasy basketball and basketball betting tips cheat sheet is your pregame destination for basketball betting predictions and our best intel and data, featuring ESPN's proprietary Basketball Power Index (BPI) to help you make smart fantasy and wagering decisions. NBA game odds for Saturday, Feb. 25 are provided by Caesars Sportsbook, and fantasy advice is based on ESPN 10-team leagues.

Amid endless debate over MVP criteria and candidacy, it's fitting Saturday's DFS slate is defined by the choice between the Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic and the Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid. They don't face each directly again until the end of March, but are separated by just $400 on DraftKings this evening with similar projections hovering around 60 fantasy points.

Given how well Embiid's opponent, the rival Boston Celtics, have defended him — he was held a dozen fantasy points below his projection in a meeting earlier this month — it's likely savvier to align with Jokic on Saturday in a meeting with a Memphis Grizzlies team missing Steven Adams' size and presence on the glass.

Whether you build around one of these prodigious giants or pivot to Jayson Tatum or LaMelo Ball, it's important to recognize the standout values for Saturday's slate; the likes of the Grizzlies' Brandon Clarke or the San Antonio Spurs' Zach Collins appear set to provide real returns on investment.

Saturday's slate is rife with strong streaming values, as well, with the Magic's Markelle Fultz (40% available) as the second-most added player of the past week in ESPN leagues ahead of tonight's tilt versus a porous Indiana Pacers defense. The Charlotte Hornets are finally getting big lines from Gordan Hayward (44% available) just as the Miami Heat come to