Fantasy basketball tips and projections for Saturday - ESPN

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. Fantasy advice is based on ESPN 10-team leagues.

New this season, ESPN Analytics will also generate daily NBA fantasy projections. By combining historical player and team data and specific game factors ESPN is able to accurately predict player box score stats. Accounting for injuries, trends in playing time, and other factors impacting future performance the statistical models can be used to help NBA fantasy players gain an edge in their league.

The first day of December offered a lighter six-game slate, but we still can glean some interesting fantasy takes from Friday's action.

The Washington Wizards couldn't upset the Orlando Magic, but center Daniel Gafford (rostered in 58.5% of ESPN men's basketball leagues) turned in a strong double-double with three blocks, while Orlando's Jalen Suggs (30.3%) continued his stretch of defensive dominance (five combined blocks and steals). It took a few years, but Suggs has arrived.

The most important outcome was the return of Trey Murphy III to the New Orleans Pelicans' rotation; the ascendant 3-and-D talent scored 18 points in just 22 minutes off the bench in a win over the San Antonio Spurs and should eventually regain starting status and steady minutes. Murphy, who was amazing down the stretch last season, is available in over 85% of leagues.

Pivoting our fantasy focus to Saturday's stacked schedule, we find 12 games spread throughout the day. With 24 rosters in action, using two key macro tools could prove