Welcome to Sleeper Picks. Sleeper’s newest offering promised plenty of entertainment and action, and they delivered. We will break down our top three picks for tonight’s NBA action. Sleeper is quickly becoming one of the most popular season-long fantasy platforms, and they are expanding into other areas based on demand. Each week in this space, we’ll talk about some strategy for the new platform while providing our favorite NBA more/less picks.
NBA Sleeper Picks Player Predictions (10/24)
LeBron James (F – LAL): 23.5 points
The Los Angeles Lakers got deeper this offseason but did not add any scoring punch to the starting lineup. In fact, an easy argument could be made that expected starter Jared Vanderbilt is an offensive downgrade from Rui Hachimura. LeBron is going to spend half of Anthony Davis‘ active games trying to make him finally step up and truly make the Lakers his team. In the other games, like the one tonight, LeBron is going to be forced to go into LeBron mode both early and down the stretch to keep his team competitive. I expect LeBron to see a dip from the remarkable 28.9 points per game he averaged last season, but there is a strong likelihood that he will continue to lead the team in scoring, even if he does not want to. LeBron will need to be a reliable source of buckets for the Lakers to have a chance against the Denver Nuggets, and he knows it. That will lead to a strong performance, at least in the points, rebounds, and assists columns. 24 points is still a high number, but it is one that LeBron should surpass in a competitive contest. He hit 24 or more points in 39 of his 55 games played last season and averaged 25 points per game against Denver, with two games with 26 or more. Press More on LeBron for Lakers opening night.
Pick: More
Bradley Beal (G/F – PHX): 1.5 threes
Bradley Beal averaged just 1.6 threes per game in each of the last two seasons, but now, on a stacked team where he will be off ball more often than not, expect a lot of three point camping and a return to the days when Beal averaged 2.2 or more threes for five straight seasons. This will likely be one of the more favorable lines we see when the Suns play this year, as they will likely hold off on bumping it up to 2.5 until he pushes his average (over a long enough sample) to 2.6 or higher. As we know, totals are set to attract More bettors, so setting it at 2.5 too soon could prove detrimental. With that in mind, we should chase the 1.5 until Beal proves he has lost his range and efficiency. Tap More on Beal for the Suns opening night.
Pick: More
Devin Booker (G/F – PHX): 25.5 points
The first game of the season will likely involve Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal making it clear that the Phoenix Suns are Devin Booker’s team. Yes, KD and Beal are both expected to average over 20 points per game along with the young superstar, but it is Book who will be leaned on as one of the primary ball handlers. Putting Booker in a position to be the lead will help to further hasten his development. KD and Beal are close to finished products at this point of their respective careers, but Book still has a ton of room for growth, growth that can see him evolve into someone who is truly Kevin Durant’s (the 35 year old version) equal. Book already looks it some nights, but the next step is to evolve into a walking bucket with Hall of Fame consistency. I am not sure Booker will average 26 points per game this season, as Beal being in town will drag his average down by himself, but the Suns newfound depth likely means more blowouts and fewer minutes per game. However, opening night will be a different story. There will be a concentrated effort to get Booker, who scored 26 or more points 29 times last season, to at least 30. Only a .250-.300 night from the floor should prevent Booker from hitting 26. Press More on Booker for tonight’s game.
Pick: More
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Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his profile and follow him @FantasyContext.