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 (12/30)
Karl-Anthony Towns (F/C – NYK): 19.5 points (alt line)
KAT for MVP? It’s a hard case to make given the Knicks’ success last year, but most would agree that the Knicks just feel different this season than the Villanova Knicks that went on a magical run in a weakened East. Regardless, Towns is playing at a very high level this season, averaging 24.5 points and 13.5 rebounds per game in what is easily his most impactful season to date (big numbers on middling teams notwithstanding). Towns squares off against the Washington Wizards tonight, a team he just dropped 30 on this past Saturday. The full line has some appeal, but with two sub 17 point efforts and six of his last nine falling under 25 points, the recommendation here is the double double line or the alt points line, which we have highlighted here. The points line currently has a higher multiplier, which is why, based on the Wizards as opponents, it is listed here. Tap the More on Towns for Monday night at Sleeper Picks.
Pick: More
Donovan Mitchell (G – CLE): 3.5 assists (alt line)
Donovan continues to thrive as a playmaker recently, dishing out 5.8 assists per game in the month of December. Mitchell averaged 6.1 assists per game with the Cavs last year and is deferring to his teammates even more this season, taking fewer shots and free throw attempts per game. The full line remains at 5.5 assists, so we will be tapping into the alt line and sacrificing some multiplier for probability purposes. Donovan has dished out five or more assists in 10 straight and in 12 of his last 13 games. Mash the More on Mitchell for Monday night basketball.
Pick: More
Kyrie Irving (G – DAL): 24.5 points (alt line)
Regular readers should know Domantas Sabonis is playing today, and his double double line is always an automatic play regardless of whether or not it is included in this column. Kyrie has been good enough as a scorer to get listed here instead due to the higher multiplier as well as the appeal of the full line. Kyrie is going to have off nights; such is the life of an NBA player. With that said Kyrie is going to crush 25 points most nights for as long as Luka Doncic is sidelined. Kyrie scored 39 or more in two of the three games since Luka got hurt, and while he faltered against the Suns with a 20 point outing, he still hoisted 21 field goal attempts. Hit the More on Kyrie for Monday night’s slate.
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.