Sleeper NBA Lock In: Lock or Pass Week 1

Welcome to Sleeper NBA Lock-In mode. To learn more about Lock-In mode, read our article here. This season, we will be discussing Lock or Pass decisions once per week in this column. Don’t miss out on the fun! Draft your team today!

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Sleeper NBA Lock In: Lock or Pass Week 1

What is Lock-In mode?

Lock-In Mode is a new way to play fantasy basketball that allows fantasy managers to Lock-In a player’s fantasy points following a game or choose to take the risk that they will score more fantasy points in one of the remaining games that week. You can Lock-In just one game per week and cannot Lock-In bench players.

This introduces a new layer of strategy to fantasy basketball while also making fantasy basketball more of a weekly endeavor with daily upkeep as opposed to daily management game that requires one to be on top of injuries and rest days to maximize output. This is great for those who are not available every evening or night to make lineup changes as needed and for those who just do not appreciate the daily grind that season-long fantasy basketball often requires.

Victor Wembanyama (C/F – SAS): 31.50 fantasy points

Wemby had a solid but relatively disappointing regular season debut. He finished the game with 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal, and two blocks on 6/9 shooting with three three pointers made and five turnovers. The stat line is solid, and for a normal lottery pick, his strong numbers and efficiency, combined with three StOcks and three from deep, would make this a lock worthy line. But for Victor Wembanyama, we can expect to see more. He ran into foul trouble in his debut, playing just 23 minutes, in turn limiting his opportunities for production. With two more games left this week, the prudent thing appears to be to pass on this result and hope for better against either the Houston Rockets or the Los Angeles Clippers.

Choice: Pass

Dennis Schroeder (G – TOR): 48.50 fantasy points

Schroeder continued his strong play from this summer’s FIBA tournament and finished his Toronto Raptors regular season debut with 22 points, three rebounds, and seven assists on 8/17 shooting. He hit four of his eight three point attempts and hit both of his shots from the charity stripe, but committed two turnovers. The four three pointers are a welcomed stat, and the .470 shooting from the field is definitely chase-worthy. This could very well be one of Schreoder’s best games of the season. The efficiency from deep was excellent, so it is hard to even consider passing on this line. There is no guarantee that he will top 48.50 fantasy points in any other game this season, never mind this week against Chicago or Philadelphia. We will be locking in Schroeder.

Choice: Lock

Scottie Barnes (G/F – TOR): 56.00 fantasy points

Scottie Barnes had a strong night for the Toronto Raptors. He wasn’t great from the field (.375) but still managed to finish the night with 17 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two steals, and five blocks. He hit one three pointer, converted four of his six trips to the charity stripe, but committed an unsightly four turnovers. He looked good, especially on the defensive end, but he can and will be much better offensively. The poor shooting night against Minnesota made me debate what I should do with Barnes.

On the one hand, we all know he is capable of a better shooting night from the floor, so it would surprise anyone if Barnes hit 20+ points in one or both of his remaining games this week. However, the seven StOcks match his career high and are worth 15 fantasy points. If he drops to four or lower, he will have to score 26+ points to make up the difference. And that is not even considering a potential drop in rebounds or assists. Ultimately, I decided to lock this result and pass on Barnes’ games against Chicago and Philadelphia.

Choice: Lock

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