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 6
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.
Jalen Green (G – HOU): 58.50 fantasy points
Green went off against the Denver Nuggets, dropping 26 points, six rebounds, nine assists, and one block on pristine shooting with 8/12 field goals made, including five of eight from deep and five of six from the line. His 58.5 fantasy points are his second-highest total all season. He does not always post plus numbers in the assist and rebound columns, so there is no hesitation locking in just his second night all season with more than five rebounds and five assists.
Choice: Lock
De’Aaron Fox (G – SAC): 70.50 fantasy points
Fox went off on Wednesday, scoring 40 points to go with five rebounds, three assists, and one block. The 40 points are his second-highest total all season, but the 70.5 fantasy points are just his sixth-highest total in just 12 games played. It is hard to pass on a 40 point outing, but I will be sticking to my top-five performance rule and pass nonetheless. Fox has just one game left this week, but I will happily risk fewer fantasy points for the opportunity at an outing more in line with expectations from the talented point guard.
Choice: Pass
Scottie Barnes (G/F – TOR): 58.00 fantasy points
Barnes had a solid game on Wednesday, dropping 23 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three blocks. It was the second half of a back-to-back, with Scottie racking up 65 fantasy points the night before. Suffice it to say, if I didn’t lock up 65 fantasy points, I am definitely passing on 58. Barnes has one game left this week against the New York Knicks. The matchup is neutral at best from a fantasy points against perspective, but this pass is based on Scottie’s upside, not the remaining game this week.
Choice: Pass
Dennis Schroder (G – TOR): 43.5 fantasy points
Shroder had a solid fantasy night but fell way below expectations. He put up six rebounds, 12 assists, and one steal but scored just eight points en route to his eighth-highest fantasy output of the season. The 12 assists were a season-high, and the six rebounds tied his second-highest total of the season, but the eight points on .272 shooting is too much of a drain. Schroder is going to struggle for consistency on a team where he is the fourth or fifth option some nights, but he has dropped more fantasy points in more than one-third of the games he played this season. I will be passing on this performance and hope for a big game against the Knicks on Friday.
Choice: Pass
Shaedon Sharpe (G/F – POR): 61.50 fantasy points
Sharpe was electric on Thursday night, pouring in 29 points to go with 10 rebounds, five assists, and one steal. His 61.5 fantasy points are his second-highest total of the season, making this a no-brainer lock decision. He has a tasty matchup left on Saturday against Utah, but passing in this type of performance from the young guard would be ill-advised.
Choice: Lock
Gordon Hayward (G/F – CHA): 47.00 fantasy points
Hayward stepped up with LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller sidelined, recording 22 points, six rebounds, and six assists. The 47 fantasy points are his fourth-highest total all season, making this a relatively easy lock decision despite having an intriguing matchup left on Saturday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Choice: Lock
Victor Wembanyama (C – SAS): 69.50 fantasy points
Wemby had a strong night on Thursday, dropping 21 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and four blocks. The 69.5 fantasy points are his fifth-highest total of the season, which meets our threshold. Wemby has just one more game this week, and it comes tonight. I’m still weary of Wemby on back-to-backs, even if his eight block masterpiece against Memphis came on one. I will be locking in this score.
Choice: Lock
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Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his profile and follow him @FantasyContext.
