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 (1/16)
Domantas Sabonis (C – SAC): 0.5 double doubles
Sabonis continues to reign as the NBA’s double double King, putting up at least 10 and 10 in 35 of 39 games played. He has emerged as one of the elite big men in the NBA and has climbed from All-Star status to true superstar. He looks nearly unstoppable in his nightly double double quest, recording a double double in 22 straight games with nine triple doubles sprinkled in. Tonight, Domantas faces off against a Phoenix Suns team that he has hauled in 11 and 17 rebounds against this season, resulting in one double double and one triple double. Phoenix is one of the best in the NBA in terms of limiting rebounds to the center position but still allow 12.85 per game, which has proven to be more than enough wiggle room for Sabonis to hit his mark. Dap the More on Domantas for Tuesday night.
Pick: More
Tyrese Maxey (G – PHI): 25.5 points
Nikola Jokic double double is my actual play here, but since there is not much analysis needed for a nightly triple double threat like the Joker, simply mentioning him here while providing another option will suffice. Maxey has scored 25 or more points in four of his last five games and should be completely up for tonight’s contest against the Denver Nuggets. Maxey has shown flashes of stardom this season, but his visibility on a team like the 76ers has driven his hype machine. He is approaching All-Star level but still has some inconsistency to his game that prevents him from being an All-Star lock. Taking 24 shots to get 25 points in today’s NBA is quite alarming and is the type of line we’d associate with a laughingstock like Jordan Poole and not someone viewed as favorably as Maxey. With that said, the simple fact that Maxey is even willing to take 24 shots ties tremendous value to a total of ‘just’ 25.5 points. His field goal percentage and consistency are waning, but with a marquee matchup on tap, we can expect volume from the young point guard. Denver allows just 23.19 points per game to the point guard position but this is a form, volume, and star vs. average play. Mash the More on Maxey for Tuesday night.
Pick: More
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (G – OKC): 30.5 points
SGA continues to play at an elite level for the Oklahoma City Thunder, averaging 31.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. He has scored 31 or more points in 12 of his last 14 games and is set to take on a Los Angeles Clippers team that he scored 31 on earlier this season. Form and head-to-head data suggest there is value on the More. Slap the More on SGA for Tuesday 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.
