Bargain Plays - Saturday's Top Sleeper Picks
Here are the top sleeper picks for Saturday's NBA action. Note: this excludes the Los Angeles Clippers at Brooklyn Nets contest as it is not included in many GPPs:
PG Devin Harris, Mavericks (vs. Wizards)
Harris is not 100 percent and will potentially bust. But, he could be fully rested after playing limited minutes in the Mavericks' last couple of games and not playing since Wednesday.
Even when Harris gets 20-plus minutes, he can come up empty. He's a role player who can occasionally exceed expectations. He's purely a GPP player because there is no guarantee.
SG Garrett Temple, Wizards (at Mavericks)
If starting SG Bradley Beal misses his second consecutive game, look for Temple to provide solid relief. In Friday's contest, he played 28 minutes with 10 points, three assists and three steals. It isn't huge, but it's a good return for his extremely low salary.
If Beal starts, he may be on a minutes limit with his leg injury not being an entirely new problem. Temple could stand to benefit from Beal's reduced impact. Monitor the situation.
SF Corey Brewer, Rockets (vs. Lakers)
Brewer's salary has jumped to coincide with Trevor Ariza missing time because of a bruised back. And while Ariza could end up playing Saturday, Brewer's price tag is still low enough to consider him a bargain.
It's unlikely Ariza plays a full set of minutes even if he starts, so consider using Brewer in his stead. Another solid performance and he might find his salary rising a bit too high. Until then, he's a good pick.
PF Boris Diaw, Spurs (at Hawks)
The cheap options at PF on Saturday provide fairly slim pickings. Diaw may not get a ton of minutes, but he will be steady with his production off San Antonio's bench.
He has his duds, though. Most of the time, he acts as a solid handcuff for more expensive players as he usually has a return worth slightly more than his salary.
C Robin Lopez, Knicks (at Trail Blazers)
It's been a poor season for the lesser Lopez. He's below his averages from the last few years, but a lot of that can be chalked up to fewer minutes per game, despite starting. His shooting percentage is down, too.
For bargain hunters, Lopez is a sly pick up. He is unlikely to be ineffective for long. He may stay inconsistent, but he should be much closer to a double-double per game than he is now.