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 (10/22)
Karl Anthony-Towns (C/F – NYK): 14.5 points (alt line)
KAT looked like a good fit for the Knicks in the preseason and will be a go-to option from day one. KAT hit at least 16 points in each of his last three preseason games and should take more than enough shots to hit at least 15 tonight. The initial total here was 20, but the point reduction increases the probability enough to take on the large multiplier hit. Towns scored at least 20 points in each of his two matchups against Boston last season.
Pick: More
Jalen Brunson (G – NYK): 19.5 points (alt line)
Brunson has been an elite scorer since arriving in New York, but with more mouths to feed after some impact additions this offseason, his scoring average is destined to see a dip. However, taking decisive stances for the first game of the season is tough, especially on slates with only two games. Brunson should still be relatively high volume but will need to stay efficient from the field to come close to matching his 2023-24 averages. With that in mind, an alt line makes more sense and has a much higher probability on the More than the Less does at 26.5. The probability increase makes it worth the drastic multiplier reduction here, especially in an environment where you are required to make two or more picks. Jab the More on Jalen for Tuesday Night Basketball.
Pick: More
LeBron James (F/G – LAL): 19.5 points (alt line)
The line is set at a relatively fair 24.5 for opening night, but we are not looking for fair; we are looking for exploitable opportunities, even if that means three alt lines in one day. LeBron scored 20 or more points in 82 percent of his games last season and averaged 27.5 against the Timberwolves. This would be a More play at 23.5, but the probability shift on one point makes the alt line the shrewd move here. Light up the More on LeBron for opening day.
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.