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 (1/25)
OG Anunoby (G/F NYK): 1.5 steals + blocks
OG is back to the All-NBA defensive team level we all expect of him and has made a tremendous impact on the Knicks’ defensive prowess. Now, looking like a team that can surprise in the playoffs, the Knicks probably want to find a way to build OG’s confidence before the second season begins. He has hit big shots in the playoffs before, but doing so in a Knicks uniform will go a long way. OG has seemed perhaps a little too willing to defer to Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle. We have not been seeing the scoring output increase we expected to see from a player who was clamoring for a larger role on the Raptors, but his impact on defense remains elite. OG has recorded two or more StOcks in seven of his last eight games played and is set to take on a Denver Nuggets team allowing 2.24 StOcks per game to the small forward position. This number is going to go back to 2.5 at Sleeper Picks sooner rather than later, so let’s ride with this total until OG or Sleeper forces off of it. Dap the More on OG for Thursday night’s action.
Pick: More
Lauri Markkanen (F – UTA): 1.5 steals + blocks
Yes, we recommended all three of these plays on Tuesday and are going back to the well today after a 3-0 performance. Markkanen is an excellent player for the Utah Jazz who has finally made good on his lottery status, but a player who should have the same StOcks total as OG Anunoby he is not. Lauri has recorded two or more StOcks in just two of his last 11 games and is averaging just 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks per game. He is going to hit this total every now and then, and as we saw earlier in the season, he can also get hot on the defensive end, as evidenced by his five consecutive games with at least two StOcks. However, the More will be a low probability play until proven otherwise, making the Less on Lauri have significant appeal, especially on days with smaller slates. We will be trailing these three plays until one of these players forces us not to. Act accordingly if you wish to make your plays overnight instead of waiting for the morning article drop. Lock in the Less on Lauri for Thursday night basketball.
Pick: Less
Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): 0.5 double doubles
Nikola Jokic continues to do Jokic things and is back to looking like the MVP stalwart we have become accustomed to over the past few seasons. He has 38 double doubles in 44 games played and remains a nightly triple double threat, which makes this total massively appealing. Jokic is averaging 12.0 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game on the season and has an excellent chance to record his 39th double double of the season tonight against a New York Knicks team allowing 13.34 rebounds per game. The rebounds allowed is actually one of the better numbers in the association, but with this double double line, we just need more than 9.5 rebounds to go with 10+ points (and/or 10+ assists). The multiplier remains low, but as echoed here before there is always a place for a high probability, low multiplier play in an environment where you are required to make at least two plays (and sometimes three). Jab the More on Jokic for Thursday night.
Pick: More
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.
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Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his profile and follow him @FantasyContext.
