Fantasy basketball tips and projections for Thursday - 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.

Wednesday's nine-game slate saw some young players shine in elevated roles. It has been a somewhat volatile sophomore season for Jaden Ivey, especially as a player who does best as a lead creator. With Cade Cunningham sidelined by a knee injury, Ivey has assumed a meaningful on-ball role for the Detroit Pistons, and the results include Wednesday's career-best 32-point showing in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Ivey, a free agent in just over half of ESPN men's basketball leagues, could sustain real fantasy value even when Cunningham returns in an off-ball supporting role alongside Cunningham and as the lead distributor of the second unit lineup. Patience often pays off with a talent of Ivey's caliber.

In the wake of Wednesday's blockbuster Pascal Siakam trade, Gary Trent Jr. (11.8%) was tasked with filling the void for the Toronto Raptors. He impressively made eight of nine 3-point attempts for a game-high 28 points in an upset of the Miami Heat. With Bruce Brown unlikely to join the Raptors in time for