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 (12/7)
Anthony Davis (C/F – LAL): 26.5 points
Anthon Davis has been up and down. This season, he is still averaging 23 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.0 steals, and 2.8 blocks on .534 shooting but continues in his failure to step up as the unquestioned number one option on offense. He still disappears for quarters at a time, but there is no denying his talent. Tonight, the revenge game narrative is alive and well as Davis will take on the New Orleans Pelicans. Set at 26.5 points despite averaging just 23 points, the immediate lean is on the less. Davis has scored 27 or more points in each of his last four games but has scored less than 27 in eight of his last 15. New Orleans has allowed 23.43 points per game to opposing centers but have a history of clamping down on their former franchise player. The last time he scored more than 23 points against his former team was during the 2019-20 season. Zap the less on Zion for Thursday nights In Season Tournament NBA action.
Pick: Less
Zion Williamson (F – NOP): 22.5 points
Zion has slowed a bit in his recent games but has been excellent on the season overall. He is averaging 22.7 points per game but has scored 12 or fewer in two of his last three games. He took less than 10 shots in both of those games, leaving one to wonder just what is going on in New Orleans. I have no problem with Brandon Ingram being the top option on the team; he probably should be. But when Zion has fewer shots than not only B.I. but C.J. McCollum, Trey Murphy, Jonas Valanciunas, and Herbert Jones, there is a massive problem. Zion has scored 25 or more points in seven of his last nine overall and will look to do so again tonight against a Los Angeles Lakers team surrendering 24.69 points per game to the power forward position. Zap the More on Zion for Thursday night.
Pick: More
Buddy Hield (G – SAC): 14.5 points
Buddy was en fuego when he first entered the starting lineup this season, but the insane efficiency was never going to last. After scoring 24, 31, and 18 in his first three games starting, Hield followed it up with nights of nine, 12, and seven. He got back on track his last time out, scoring 21, but it has become painfully clear that Hield is back to his old motto of live by the three, die by the three. The Lakers have limited the shooting guard position to the 12th fewest points per game this season, but that number is still 21.73. They allow a robust 3.45 three per game to the position. Hield can easily score 15 points on any given night but will need to be somewhat efficient from the field to get there. My lean is still on the More here, but the numbers scream Less. Bump the Less on Buddy for tonight’s action.
Pick: Less
Writers note: The lines are constantly changing on Sleeper (and sometimes expiring), so there is a high probability that one or all of the numbers may no longer be the same when you open your app. There are excellent values when they are first posted, with the only catch being that they are not all released at the same time. Vigilance could provide a solid return on investment this season, literally.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox | Pocket Casts
Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his profile and follow him @FantasyContext.
