Friday’s NBA Sleeper Picks Player Predictions: Donovan Mitchell, Kyrie Irving, Dennis Schroder (12/27)

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 (12/27)

Donovan Mitchell (G – CLE): 3.5 assists (alt line)

Mitchell continues to focus on being a playmaker for the Cavs, likely with the hope that getting them ready for the postseason is a priority over boosting his scoring average. He’s averaging 4.6 assists per game on the season, but Mitchell has dished out five or more assists in 11 of his last 12 games. Mitchell is in an excellent position to do so again against a Denver Nuggets team he handed out six assists against earlier this month. Mash the More on Mitchell for Friday night at Sleeper Picks.

Pick: More

Kyrie Irving (G – DAL): 24.5 points (alt line)

Kyrie is going to need to step up as a scorer for the Mavericks with Luka Doncic sidelined, making the 24.5 alt line attractive, even if the 19.5 line has much more appeal and a higher probability. Kyrie should average about 30 a game with Luka sidelined, and while he will have off games this season, he is going to come out hot against the Phoenix Suns, especially with the bulk of the scoring and playmaking burden now resting on his shoulders. Kyrie went off for 39 points on Christmas Day, taking 27 shots, one off his season high. Barring a charity stripe heavy night, he should shatter that number if this game remains as competitive as expected. Hit the More on Kyrie for Friday night basketball.

Pick: More

Dennis Schroder (G – GSW): 14.5 points

Schroder has been a disappointment since coming over from the Nets, scoring 11 or fewer points in each of his last four games. His role has been a sub 30 minute one, and his shot selection has been suspect. He was always a questionable fit from the outside looking in, and while he still has more than enough runway to acclimate with Steph Curry and co, an inefficient and streaky combo guard is not really what they needed to get better. Regardless. Schroder has not shown enough to be tagged with a 14.5 line, and even the alt line of 9.5 would be a risky More play. With that in mind, we will dap the Less on Dennis for Friday night’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.