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.

Desmond Bane suffered an ankle injury Friday night adding to the wave of significant injuries the Memphis Grizzlies have endured this season. Both Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke were sidelined before the season even tipped off, Ja Morant suffered a season-ending shoulder injury last week and Marcus Smart is coming off a multi-week injury. Memphis has arguably the most short-handed rotation in the NBA. And while it's not entirely clear how usage and minutes will unfold in the games ahead, adding David Roddy (0.4% rostered in ESPN men's basketball leagues), Xavier Tillman (6.9%), and Vince Williams Jr. (5.7%) could prove rewarding. Roddy scored 17 points with 10 combined assists and boards Friday night, while Tillman delivered 20 points and nine rebounds in the loss to the surging LA Clippers.

Another injury-driven scenario focuses on the Indiana Pacers. T.J. McConnell hasn't started at point guard in place of Tyrese Haliburton, but still has been the team's top distributor lately. He had 14 assists in 25 minutes