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 (3/10)
Ja Morant (G – MEM): 19.5 points (alt line)
Ja has been filling it up since the all-star break, scoring 21 or more points in seven straight games while topping 24 points in five straight. He is averaging 24.6 points per game since All-Star Weekend versus just 20.7 prior. Unfortunately, Ja is shooting a putrid .393 percent, but for our purposes, we care more about the 21.6 field goal attempts per game. Ja is ratcheting it up in preparation for the playoffs, and while his efficiency hasn’t been great, stars need to thrive to have extended postseason success. Ja dropped 29 points on Phoenix just five games ago. Jab the More on Ja for Monday night at Sleeper Picks.
Pick: More
Kevin Durant (F – PHX): 19.5 points (alt line)
The KD rumor mill has already taken on a life of its own, with ‘sources’ linking the misunderstood star to various teams. Bradley Beal has improved since the all-star break, but the Suns have been poorly constructed roster-wise since the Beal acquisition, and that will not change this summer. The Suns will still have a chance to make some noise in the postseason, but they likely do not have the right coach to help them in a seven game series where X’s and O’s late in games can be key. KD has been excellent this season, averaging 26.8 points per game, even as option 1b to Devin Booker. Durant has scored 20 or more points in 36 of his last 39 games and is in an excellent position to do so again tonight against the Memphis Grizzlies. KD dropped 34 and 26 points in two games against the Grizzlies last month. Light up the More on KD for Monday night’s NBA action.
Pick: More
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (G – OKC): 24.5 points (alt line)
SGA’s MVP bid got a little more complicated this past Friday, but a definitive win over the Nuggets on Sunday afternoon, where SGA clearly outplayed the 30/20/20 man, should keep the first place votes in his favor. With that said, as we have seen throughout the awards history, the best player in the league rarely wins the award (due to an expectation of greatness), voters have their own agendas, and fantasy basketball and the popularity of analytics have voters watching stats instead of tape. Nikola Jokic being the best player in the world and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being the best player in the NBA this season can both be true. SGA has scored 25 or more points in 30 of his last 32 games, including dropping 40 on the Nuggets yesterday afternoon. Slap the More on SGA for Monday night basketball.
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.
