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Jim McCormickNov 29, 2025, 11:24 AM ET<\/p>\n
Close<\/a>Jim McCormick is a contributing writer for fantasy football and men’s basketball at ESPN.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Jump ahead What you need to know for Saturday’s games<\/p>\n The words of the day are pace and patience.<\/p>\n We’ll need to be patient with injury information, as 10 of the 16 teams in action on Saturday played Friday night. Teams on the second leg of a back-to-back don’t release injury information until early in the afternoon. With that in mind, paying attention to lineup updates as the day unfolds could prove rewarding.<\/p>\n Regarding pace, possessions are now the coin of the realm in the NBA. Most modern rotations are stocked with efficient shooters and scorers. It is no longer about the type of shots a team takes, but rather how many of them they get up.<\/p>\n Editor’s Picks With pace as a guide, let’s focus on some of the more exciting offensive environments today. The Indiana Pacers<\/a> host the rival Chicago Bulls<\/a> in a contest with the day’s highest point total. Chicago has turned up the tempo, sitting second in possessions per 48 minutes. More possessions equals more production.<\/p>\n The Detroit Pistons<\/a> are road dogs in South Beach to the Miami Heat<\/a> — suddenly known as the fastest offense in basketball. This conference showdown claims an encouraging total nearing 240 points.The Pistons are top-10 in both offense and defense, while the Heat are setting a new standard in the race for possessions. This should be fun.<\/p>\n Given the potential for offensive upside in these matchups, finding paths to these respective rotations in DFS and via prop plays could be a rewarding strategy. With an eye on finding productive fantasy streamers and betting angles of interest, let’s take a look at the day ahead in the NBA.<\/p>\n Saturday’s fantasy stream team<\/p>\n Collin Gillespie<\/a>, Phoenix Suns<\/a> (rostered in 39.1% of ESPN leagues): From the fringes of the NBA to’, being a core rotation player for a surprisingly competitive Suns team, Gillespie is yet another Villanova product providing value on the NBA floor. The savvy combo guard can shoot and space the floor in an off-ball role, but also prove helpful running sets in a point guard capacity. Think of T.J. McConnell<\/a> with shooting volume. The matchup against Denver tonight is fun; the Nuggets are missing defensive depth as Gillespie faces his former team.<\/p>\n Play the No. 1 fantasy game for free<\/p>\n Create or join a fantasy basketball league on ESPN. Your championship run starts today!<\/p>\n Sign up today!<\/a><\/p>\n Noah Clowney<\/a>, PF, Brooklyn Nets<\/a> (15.4%): The Nets don’t have an identifiable core of rotation players ahead of Clowney in the pecking order. The vague construction of the roster is benefitting Clowney; he’s been a revelation in recent games and should play a large role against the Bucks tonight.<\/p>\n Saddiq Bey<\/a>, SF\/PF, New Orleans Pelicans<\/a> (18.7%): With Herbert Jones<\/a> ailing, Bey has stepped up as a force on the glass and as a perimeter scorer. While he can’t match Jones’ elite wing defense, Bey is proving worthy of big minutes. The Warriors could struggle with Bey’s size and shooting.<\/p>\n Peyton Watson<\/a>, SF\/PF, Denver Nuggets<\/a> (17.0%): With Christian Braun<\/a> and Aaron Gordon<\/a> sidelined, Watson earns more exposure as a key defender and glue guy for the Nuggets. A fun career block rate combined with newfound success scoring and rebounding makes for a fun fantasy profile ahead of this matchup with the Suns.<\/p>\n Tre Jones<\/a>, PG, Chicago Bulls<\/a> (29.0%): For those in need of pure point guard production, Jones is a capable candidate. It’s unlikely you’ll be wowed by his scoring, but a bevy of dimes and steals are often part of the box score for Jones.<\/p>\n McCormick’s bets for Saturday<\/p>\n Brandon Ingram<\/a> OVER 24.5 points (-110)<\/a> With RJ Barrett<\/a> out of the lineup for the Raptors recently, Ingram’s usage has spiked. Usage rate is a measure of the possessions a player consumes or concludes for his team, such as a shot attempt, assist, foul, or turnover. In fact, Ingram leads the Raptors in usage when Barrett is off the court, surpassing Scottie Barnes<\/a>. With a hot hand of late and a matchup with a porous Charlotte defense, Ingram has several paths to securing this scoring number.<\/p>\n Nikola Vucevic<\/a> OVER 9.5 rebounds (-140)<\/a> With added possessions comes added shots and, well, added misses. The pace in this contest could help this veteran leverage his size, positioning, and timing given the potential for more rebounding chances. Vucevic paces the team with 16.4 rebounding chances per game, signalling value in today’s threshold versus a Pacers team found 21st in rebounding percentage.<\/p>\n Jimmy Butler III<\/a> OVER 5.5 assists (-160)<\/a> The Pelicans, as you might guess, aren’t very good on defense. With Jones out, they become even worse. Butler will see added attention from New Orleans given the absence of Stephen Curry<\/a>. With Butler’s experience running offense for Miami, the precedent for playmaker Jimmy has been established.<\/p>\n Projections and Injury Reports<\/p>\n Basketball Power Index<\/a> by ESPN Analytics. Injury aggregation by Rotowire.com. Odds by ESPN BET<\/a> Line: Celtics +7.5 (-110) | Timberwolves -7.5 (-110) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Celtics: Jayson Tatum<\/a>, (OUT – Achilles); Derrick White<\/a>, (GTD – Calf); Jaylen Brown<\/a>, (GTD – Back); Neemias Queta<\/a>, (GTD – Ankle)<\/p>\n Timberwolves: None reported<\/p>\n Line: Raptors -9.5 (-105) | Hornets +9.5 (-115) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Raptors: RJ Barrett<\/a>, (OUT – Knee)<\/p>\n Hornets: Brandon Miller<\/a>, (GTD – Shoulder); LaMelo Ball<\/a>, (GTD – Ankle); Pat Connaughton<\/a>, (GTD – Calf); Grant Williams<\/a>, (OUT – Knee); Josh Green<\/a>, (OUT – Shoulder)<\/p>\n Line: Bulls -3.5 (-115) | Pacers +3.5 (-105) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Bulls: Coby White<\/a>, (GTD – Calf); Dalen Terry<\/a>, (GTD – Calf); Isaac Okoro<\/a>, (GTD – Back); Zach Collins<\/a>, (OUT – Wrist)<\/p>\n Pacers: Obi Toppin<\/a>, (OUT – Foot); Tyrese Haliburton<\/a>, (OFS – Achilles); Andrew Nembhard<\/a>, (GTD – Quadriceps); Johnny Furphy<\/a>, (OUT – Ankle); Kam Jones<\/a>, (OUT – Back); Quenton Jackson<\/a>, (OUT – Hamstring); Aaron Nesmith<\/a>, (OUT – Knee)<\/p>\n Line: Pistons +3.5 (-105) | Heat -3.5 (-115) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Pistons: Bobi Klintman<\/a>, (GTD – Ankle); Marcus Sasser<\/a>, (OUT – Hip)<\/p>\n Heat: Andrew Wiggins<\/a>, (GTD – Hip); Jaime Jaquez Jr.<\/a>, (GTD – Groin); Norman Powell<\/a>, (GTD – Groin); Terry Rozier<\/a>, (OUT – Not Injury Related)<\/p>\n Line: Nets +11.5 (-120) | Bucks -11.5 (-105) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Nets: Michael Porter Jr.<\/a>, (GTD – Back); Cam Thomas<\/a>, (OUT – Hamstring); Haywood Highsmith<\/a>, (OUT – Knee)<\/p>\n Bucks: Taurean Prince<\/a>, (OUT – Neck); Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/a>, (GTD – Thigh); Kevin Porter Jr.<\/a>, (GTD – Knee)<\/p>\n Line: Pelicans +8.5 (EVEN) | Warriors -8.5 (-120) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Pelicans: Dejounte Murray<\/a>, (OUT – Achilles); Trey Murphy III<\/a>, (GTD – Elbow); Jordan Hawkins<\/a>, (OUT – Illness); Jordan Poole<\/a>, (OUT – Quadriceps); Karlo Matkovic<\/a>, (OUT – Calf); Herbert Jones<\/a>, (OUT – Calf)<\/p>\n Warriors: Alex Toohey<\/a>, (GTD – Knee); Gary Payton II<\/a>, (GTD – Ankle); Jonathan Kuminga<\/a>, (GTD – Knee); Al Horford<\/a>, (OUT – Back); De’Anthony Melton<\/a>, (OUT – Knee); Stephen Curry<\/a>, (OUT – Quadriceps)<\/p>\n Line: Nuggets -3.5 (-110) | Suns +3.5 (-110) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Nuggets: Aaron Gordon<\/a>, (OUT – Hamstring); Christian Braun<\/a>, (OUT – Ankle); Julian Strawther<\/a>, (GTD – Back)<\/p>\n Suns: Grayson Allen<\/a>, (GTD – Quadriceps); Isaiah Livers<\/a>, (GTD – Hip); Jordan Goodwin<\/a>, (GTD – Ankle); Ryan Dunn<\/a>, (GTD – Wrist); Jalen Green<\/a>, (OUT – Hamstring)<\/p>\n Line: Mavericks +7.5 (-105) | Clippers -7.5 (-115) Injury Report:<\/p>\n Mavericks: Kyrie Irving<\/a>, (OUT – Knee); Dante Exum<\/a>, (OFS – Knee); Anthony Davis<\/a>, (OUT – Rest); Dereck Lively II<\/a>, (OUT – Foot)<\/p>\n Clippers: Bradley Beal<\/a>, (OFS – Hip); Bogdan Bogdanovic<\/a>, (GTD – Hip); Jordan Miller<\/a>, (GTD – Hamstring); Derrick Jones Jr.<\/a>, (OUT – Knee)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jim McCormickNov 29, 2025, 11:24 AM ET CloseJim McCormick is a contributing writer for fantasy football and men’s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":314741,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[434],"tags":[49,48,459,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-314740","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nba","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-nba","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/314740","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=314740"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/314740\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/314741"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=314740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=314740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=314740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Top streamers<\/a> | Best bets<\/a> | Odds & Injury report<\/a><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/r1581048_1296x1296_1-1.jpg&w=130&h=130&scale=crop&location=center.jpeg\")
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Boston Celtics<\/a> at Minnesota Timberwolves<\/a>
5 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Celtics +230 | Timberwolves -280
Total: 227.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Timberwolves by 5.6, straight up 67%, 225.2 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1764436631_395_tor.png\")
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Toronto Raptors<\/a> at Charlotte Hornets<\/a>
6 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Raptors -400 | Hornets +300
Total: 227.5 (-105 O, -115 U)
BPI Projection: Raptors by 8.2, straight up 74%, 230.1 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1764436632_301_chi.png\")
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Chicago Bulls<\/a> at Indiana Pacers<\/a>
7:30 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Bulls -170 | Pacers +145
Total: 242.5 (-105 O, -115 U)
BPI Projection: Bulls by 1, straight up 53%, 242.5 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1764436633_597_det.png\")
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Detroit Pistons<\/a> at Miami Heat<\/a>
8 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Pistons +140 | Heat -165
Total: 238.5 (-115 O, -105 U)
BPI Projection: Heat by 2.4, straight up 57%, 238.8 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1764436633_526_bkn.png\")
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Brooklyn Nets<\/a> at Milwaukee Bucks<\/a>
8 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Nets +425 | Bucks -650
Total: 220.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Bucks by 10, straight up 78%, 225.2 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1764436634_504_no.png\")
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New Orleans Pelicans<\/a> at Golden State Warriors<\/a>
8:30 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Pelicans +290 | Warriors -380
Total: 225.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Warriors by 9, straight up 76%, 231.5 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1764436634_807_den.png\")
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Denver Nuggets<\/a> at Phoenix Suns<\/a>
9 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Nuggets -165 | Suns +140
Total: 231.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Nuggets by 3.9, straight up 62%, 236.5 total points.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1764436635_153_dal.png\")
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Dallas Mavericks<\/a> at LA Clippers<\/a>
10 p.m. ET<\/p>\n
Money line: Mavericks +240 | Clippers -290
Total: 222.5 (-110 O, -110 U)
BPI Projection: Clippers by 7.7, straight up 73%, 225.2 total points.<\/p>\n