NBA Sleeper Picks Player Predictions (1/1)
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. Similar to fantasy sports, the goal in Sleeper Picks is to draft a team of players based on who you think will perform better than the field. But with Sleeper Picks, you pick teams of 2-8 players from multiple teams based on your preferences and predict whether those players will score more or less than a predetermined amount. There are a number of ways to play and a variety of strategies to employ, and we’ll guide you through the process each week.
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NBA Sleeper Picks Player Predictions (1/1/24)
Season record: 89-49
Scottie Barnes (G/F – TOR): OVER 21.5 points
Barnes has been excellent for the Raptors this season, averaging 21 points, 9.4 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. He has scored 22 or more points in seven of his last nine and is all but certain to hit that total tonight with the Raptors expected to be either short-handed due to the O.G. Anunoby-R.J. Barrett trade or to limit the minutes of the two incoming pieces as they attempt to familiarize themselves with a new system. The Raptors should be reeling after a pitiful loss to the Detroit Pistons, so expect Barnes and Pascal Siakam to come out firing in this one. Quentin Grimes and Barrett are likely to eat into Barnes’ volume eventually (unless they keep him at the point), but until that time we can find some value in numbers below 22. Scottie scored just 15 against the Cavs earlier this season, but that was when he was in the middle of a scoring outage. Cleveland has allowed 22.21 points per game to the small forward position this season. Bump the More on Barnes for Monday night.
Cade Cunningham (G – DET): OVER 25.5 points
Cade has been unconscious over the last couple of weeks. He has scored 25 or more points in six of his last seven, averaging 31.42 points per game over that span. An emerging superstar on a team with a historic losing streak is not always going to get the love he deserves, but the 25.5 total suggests the line makers are at least paying attention. Cade is averaging just 23.5 points per game on the season, so the total is stretching the value band, but Cade has been so hot lately that anything under 27.5 would still make sense probability-wise. If the Pistons have done anything right this season, it’s letting Cade eat. The Pistons take on a Houston Rockets team relinquishing 25.91 points per game to the point guard position. Clap the More on Cade for Monday night.
Jalen Brunson (G – NYK): OVER 26.5 points
I was waiting for the Alperen Sengun points line again, but with multiple players listed as out or questionable, the total may not be on the board until after the 3 pm game. Enter Jalen Brunson, who will be playing for a Knicks team that just traded two volume shooters for OG Anunoby and two rotation players. OG, if active, will likely be on a minute restriction and may not be overly involved in the offense in his first game on the team. I do think OG will thrive with Brunson and give Knicks fans something to be excited about, but it could be some time before he really gets rolling. Minnesota has surrendered 25.31 points per game to the point guard position this season. Jab the More on Brunson for the Monday afternoon matinee.
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 at BettingPros. For more from Raju, check out his archive and follow him @FantasyContext.