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 Saturday’s games
A six-pack of NBA action awaits fans, fantasy managers and bettors. The slate opens with an afternoon matchup between the Orlando Magic and Minnesota Timberwolves and concludes with the Oklahoma City Thunder hosting the Golden State Warriors in a game that airs at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
The Thunder, Detroit Pistons, and Milwaukee Bucks are all double-digit favorites over their respective opponents, signaling a slate with a degree of volatility. There is parity with the point totals for today’s games; no single game stands out as an outlier in the negative or positive direction. We’ll take parity, given it opens up a larger player pool to invest in today.
Injury reports for Saturday’s games influence a few rotations, namely the Philadelphia 76ers not having Joel Embiid, Paul George or VJ Edgecombe. The Warriors won’t be near full strength either, but their roster is producing some helpful options for fantasy purposes. The Utah Jazz are playing that familiar song, the one where nearly every starter is sidelined. The sound you hear is Ace Bailey‘s value rising.
With an eye toward uncovering productive fantasy streamers and compelling betting angles, let’s take a look at the day ahead in the NBA.
Saturday’s fantasy stream team
Ace Bailey, SF/PF, Jazz (rostered in 35.4% of ESPN leagues): The Jazz have a clear intent to land a top lottery spot, one that also aligns with playing Bailey tons of minutes. Topping 30 minutes in four straight and fresh from a career-best 32-point opus this past Thursday, Bailey could be an important addition to fantasy rosters for today’s matchup with the Bucks. Efficiency will fluctuate with a rookie wing, but the highs will be rewarding.
Kyle Filipowski, PF, Jazz (28.7% rostered): We’ve seen “Flip” become a valuable fantasy option a few times in his career already. A willing rebounder and with busy hands on defense, Filipowski is a strong addition to rosters that need rebounding and respectable peripheral production. This matchup with the Bucks is inviting, given Milwaukee’s lack of defensive size outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Jaylen Wells, SG, Memphis Grizzlies (7.8%): For the grief the Jazz get across the basketball media landscape, Memphis is running out depleted rosters most nights, as well. Like with Utah, this can be a benefit for fantasy managers willing to capitalize on these lottery-bound rosters. Wells was an impressive rookie who has had a quieter second run in the league. With the team turning to him as a key scorer in recent weeks, there is upside present for those who need buckets and steals.
Al Horford, C/PF, Warriors (9.8%): One of the last proven vets standing for the Warriors, Horford has been productive in recent games amid an uptick in minutes and touches. The Thunder won’t have Isaiah Hartenstein in the lineup, possibly helping Horford’s case on the glass.
McCormick’s favorite bets for Saturday
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander OVER 7.5 first-quarter points (-150)
The juice on this one isn’t great, but it does become even odds at 8.5 points. This said, SGA has a long history of starting strong against the Warriors, having cruised past this line in each of six matchups against Golden State dating back to last season. Focusing on the early part of Alexander’s offensive performance helps buffer blowout risks that a total prop would include.
Quentin Grimes OVER 14.5 points (-112)
With Edgecombe sidelined and so many minutes, shots and touches vacated by Embiid and George, Grimes has several paths to getting to this scoring threshold. Not only does he have license to find his own shot when leading second units, he’s going to be asked to help play off of Tyrese Maxey‘s gravity.
Top Daily Fantasy values of the day
1:20
LA Clippers vs. San Antonio Spurs: Game Highlights
LA Clippers vs. San Antonio Spurs: Game Highlights
Play DFS basketball at DraftKings.
$8,100+ salaries
Kawhi Leonard, SF, LA Clippers ($9,500): Leonard is the engine driving the Clippers on both sides of the court. He presents a sense of cost certainty and safety given such a steady workload and his precise and absurdly efficient approach to the game. It also helps that Memphis doesn’t have the personnel to guard Leonard.
$6,100-$8,000 salaries
Keyonte George, PG, Jazz ($7,900): With Isaiah Collier ruled out and essentially no other backcourt creators to compete with, George has an awesome fantasy outlook for today’s matchup in Wisconsin. Fearless as a shooter and scorer, additional creation touches make George a key target for tournaments and cash games.
$3,500-$6,000 salaries
Jabari Walker, PF, 76ers ($4,400): A stars and discounts strategy could include loading up on the stars above thanks to paying down for the likes of Walker. The 76ers simply don’t have functional size without Embiid, which means more minutes and opportunities to produce for Walker against the Atlanta Hawks this evening.
Projections and Injury Reports
Basketball Power Index by ESPN Analytics. Injury aggregation by Rotowire.com. Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook
Orlando Magic at Minnesota Timberwolves
3 p.m. ET on Prime Video
Line: Magic +6.5 (-112) | Timberwolves -6.5 (-108)
Money line: Magic +210 | Timberwolves -258
Total: 224.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Timberwolves by 6.8, straight up 70%, 229.2 total points.
Injury Report:
Magic: Jonathan Isaac, (GTD – Knee)
Timberwolves: None reported
Brooklyn Nets at Detroit Pistons
6 p.m. ET
Line: Nets +14.5 (-112) | Pistons -14.5 (-108)
Money line: Nets +625 | Pistons -950
Total: 214.5 (-112 O, -108 U)
BPI Projection: Pistons by 14.4, straight up 86%, 217.6 total points.
Injury Report:
Nets: Egor Demin, (OUT – Foot)
Pistons: Cade Cunningham, (GTD – Quadriceps); Jalen Duren, (GTD – Back); Ausar Thompson, (OUT – Ankle)
Philadelphia 76ers at Atlanta Hawks
6 p.m. ET on NBA TV
Line: 76ers +6.5 (-108) | Hawks -6.5 (-112)
Money line: 76ers +225 | Hawks -278
Total: 233.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Hawks by 4.1, straight up 62%, 241.5 total points.
Injury Report:
76ers: VJ Edgecombe, (GTD – Back); Joel Embiid, (OUT – Oblique); Paul George, (OUT – Suspension); Johni Broome, (OUT – Knee)
Hawks: Jonathan Kuminga, (GTD – Knee)
LA Clippers at Memphis Grizzlies
8 p.m. ET
Line: Clippers -6.5 (-105) | Grizzlies +6.5 (-115)
Money line: Clippers -258 | Grizzlies +210
Total: 228.5 (-108 O, -112 U)
BPI Projection: Clippers by 2.8, straight up 59%, 227.5 total points.
Injury Report:
Clippers: Darius Garland, (GTD – Toe); John Collins, (OUT – Neck); Bradley Beal, (OFS – Hip); Yanic Konan Niederhauser, (OFS – Foot)
Grizzlies: Santi Aldama, (OUT – Knee); Brandon Clarke, (OUT – Calf); Ja Morant, (OUT – Elbow); Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, (OFS – Finger); Zach Edey, (OFS – Ankle); Kyle Anderson, (GTD – Knee)
Utah Jazz at Milwaukee Bucks
8 p.m. ET
Line: Jazz +10.5 (-115) | Bucks -10.5 (-105)
Money line: Jazz +330 | Bucks -425
Total: 234.5 (-105 O, -115 U)
BPI Projection: Bucks by 10.1, straight up 78%, 239.3 total points.
Injury Report:
Jazz: Vince Williams Jr., (OFS – Knee); Isaiah Collier, (OUT – Personal); Lauri Markkanen, (OUT – Hip); Jaren Jackson Jr., (OFS – Knee); Jusuf Nurkic, (OFS – Nose); Walker Kessler, (OFS – Shoulder)
Bucks: Kevin Porter Jr., (OUT – Knee); Taurean Prince, (OUT – Neck)
Golden State Warriors at Oklahoma City Thunder
8:30 p.m. ET on ABC
Line: Warriors +14.5 (-108) | Thunder -14.5 (-112)
Money line: Warriors +600 | Thunder -900
Total: 219.5 (-108 O, -112 U)
BPI Projection: Thunder by 11.4, straight up 80%, 227.1 total points.
Injury Report:
Warriors: De’Anthony Melton, (GTD – Knee); Gary Payton II, (GTD – Ankle); Kristaps Porzingis, (GTD – Illness); Seth Curry, (GTD – Back); Will Richard, (GTD – Ankle); Moses Moody, (OUT – Wrist); Stephen Curry, (OUT – Knee); Jimmy Butler III, (OFS – Knee)
Thunder: Ajay Mitchell, (OUT – Ankle); Alex Caruso, (OUT – Hip); Branden Carlson, (OUT – Back); Isaiah Hartenstein, (OUT – Calf); Jalen Williams, (OUT – Hamstring); Thomas Sorber, (OFS – Knee)
