Welcome to the Sleeper Collection. Sleeper’s latest offering promises tons of entertainment and action, and they deliver. We’ll break down the top three players in tonight’s NBA game. Sleeper is quickly becoming one of the most popular all-season fantasy platforms, and they are expanding into other areas based on demand. Each week, we’ll use this space to discuss strategies for some new platforms, while providing our favorite NBA More/Less picks.
NBA Sleeper Selected Player Predictions (10/24)
LeBron James (Forward-Lal): 23.5 points
The Los Angeles Lakers strengthened their roster this offseason but didn’t add any scoring ability to the starting lineup. In fact, a simple argument is that expected starter Jared Vanderbilt is Hachimura’s offensive downgrade. LeBron is going to spend half of Anthony Davis’ active minutes trying to get him to finally step up and really make the Lakers his team. In other games, like tonight’s game, LeBron will be forced into LeBron mode early and late to keep his team competitive. I expect LeBron to be down from his impressive 28.9 points per game last season, but there’s a good chance he’ll continue to lead the team in scoring even if he doesn’t want to. LeBron needs to be a reliable source of shots for the Lakers to have a chance against the Denver Nuggets, and he knows it. This will lead to a strong performance, at least in terms of points, rebounds and assists. 24 points is still a high number, but it’s a number LeBron should surpass in a competitive game. He scored 24 points or more in 39 of 55 games last season, averaging 25 points against the Denver Nuggets and scoring 26 points or more in two games. News More on LeBron on opening night with the Lakers.
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Bradley Beal (G/F – PHX): 1.5 3-pointers
Bradley Beal has averaged just 1.6 3-pointers per game the past two seasons, but now, on a team where he’s often short of the ball, is expected to have a lot of 3-point camp and return to Beal Court All days of action. Scored 2.2 or more three-pointers in five consecutive seasons. This might be one of the most favorable lines we’ll see against the Suns this year, as they’ll likely hold off on raising it to 2.5 until he improves his average (over a long enough sample) to 2.6 or better high. Totals are known to attract more bettors, so setting it to 2.5 too early could be detrimental. With that in mind, we should chase 1.5 until Beal proves he’s lost range and efficiency. Click here for more on Beal’s opening night for the Suns.
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Devin Booker (G/F – PHX): 25.5 points
The first game of the season could feature Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal on the court, making it clear that the Phoenix Suns are Devin Booker’s team. Yes, KD and Beal and the young superstar are expected to average over 20 points per game, but Booker will be viewed as one of the primary ball handlers. Having Booker in a leadership role will help you further understand your own development. KD and Beal are close to finished products at this point in their respective careers, but Booker still has room to grow into a true equal to Kevin Durant (the 35-year-old version). The book has looked like it on some nights, but the next step is to evolve into a walking bucket of Hall of Fame consistency. I’m not sure Booker will average 26 points per game this season, as Beal will pull his average down on his own while in town, but the Suns’ newfound depth could mean more blowouts and less per game. time. Opening night, however, will be a different story. We will focus on getting Booker to at least 30 points, as he scored 26 or more points 29 times last season. Only .250-.300 nights could Booker reach 26 points. Press here for more information on Booker’s game tonight.
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Raju Byfield is a staff writer at FantasyPros.For more information about Raju, check out his contour and follow him @FantasyContext.