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 (1/11)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (G – OKC): 31.5 points
Averaging 32.3 points per game on zero days of rest, SGA is a strong play for Thursday night despite a tough battle against the Miami Heat last night. SGA has drained 32 or more points in four of his last five games and in eight of his last 10. Shai should get to the line more than five times tonight, which will put him in an excellent position to drop at least 32 points. He faces off against a Portland Trail Blazers team surrendering the eighth most points per game to the point guard position at 25.57 per contest. Slap the More on SGA for Monday night.
Pick: More
Kevin Durant (F – PHX): 25.5 points
KD has scored 30 or more points in two of his last three games and has scored 27 or more in eight of his last 11. Averaging 29.6 points per game on the season, the 25.5 line feels like an error, but considering KD scored 23 or less in two of his last four, perhaps this line has been set based on form. Suffice it to say that this line may very well increase by the time you read this. The Lakers have allowed 21.12 points per game to the small forward position this season, so this play is based on the player as opposed to the opponent. Dap the More on Durant for Thursday night.
Pick: More
OG Anunoby (G/F – NYK): 13.5 points
Fresh off a 27 point outing, Anunoby’s Knicks teammates are sure to have more confidence in the two-way forward’s ability to score. OG thrives when he gets it going early, so expect Jalen Brunson to make an effort to help get OG rolling in the first half. Tonight, he will face off against a Dallas Mavericks team that he dropped 26 on earlier in the season (as a member of the Toronto Raptors), so look for OG to be aggressive in cutting and getting to the basket for some higher percentage looks. Dallas has relinquished 19.12 points per game to the small forward position this season. Tap the More on OG for Thursday night’s action.
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.
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.
