Best PrizePicks NBA Player Picks Today: Value on Sengun, Schroder, and Melton
We’ve got 8 games on the NBA slate for Friday night. I can think of few better ways to spend the day than by picking out a few PrizePicks pick’ems worthy of your attention heading into the weekend.
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Remember, you can also keep tabs on the best PrizePicks picks of the day with our Fantasy Pick’em Tool. We’re constantly updating this throughout the day in order to account for the latest news, but there’s still value to be found earlier in the afternoon as well.
NBA PrizePicks Predictions Today
Alperen Sengun More Than 17.5 Points
Alperen Sengun is in the midst of a breakout year, though he has struggled a bit over the past few games. For the season, the third-year big man is averaging 20 points, 9 rebounds, and better than 5 assists for a surprisingly plucky Rockets team. Through 5 games in December, though, Sengun has seen his scoring average dip to just 16.6 points per game on middling 43% shooting from the field. He’s scored 17 or fewer points in each of the last 3 games, including a woeful 9-point showing against Memphis on Wednesday.
Tonight, the Rockets and Grizzlies will tangle for the second time in the last 3 nights. We’ve seen enough from Sengun this season to buy into the idea that he’s a budding star, and it’s only a matter of time until he busts out of his mini-slump. He’s shooting better than 53% from the field on the season, so his recent struggles in the efficiency department are likely just a blip on the radar.
I’d expect Sengun to bounce back in a big way tonight against a lackluster Memphis frontline still missing the injured Steven Adams.
- Play: Sengun – More Than 17.5 Points
Dennis Schroder More Than 21.5 Points + Assists
Hawks-Raptors is another rematch of a game we had on Wednesday. Toronto came out on the winning end of a high-scoring first leg by a 135-128 score. Toronto has an implied team total north of 121 points again tonight, which makes sense given the Hawks’ defensive woes. Atlanta enters Friday’s action ranked just 27th in the NBA in defensive efficiency.
Dennis Schroder is no Fred VanVleet, but he’s been a decent enough replacement in a new starting role. Schroder is averaging better than 15 points and 7 assists in his first season as a Raptor, and he’ll have the benefit of going up against Trae Young again tonight. Young has long been one of the game’s weakest defenders, and we saw Schroder put 17 points with 7 dimes on the board just 2 nights ago.
21.5 combined points and assists for Schroder looks a tick too low, all things considered.
- Play: Schroder – More Than 21.5 Points + Assists
De’Anthony Melton More Than 25.5 Fantasy Points
De’Anthony Melton doesn’t generate many headlines, but he’s been a vital cog in the Sixers’ hot start to the season. He doesn’t get much usage (18.8%) playing most of his minutes alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Tobias Harris, but Melton is happy to do the little things. He’s contributing a steady 0.95 FP/min. thanks to his ability to rack up peripheral stats.
Tonight, the Sixers will take on the Pistons for the second time in a row. There’s blowout risk in every game involving Detroit, but Philly should certainly be on the right side of it if that happens. This game features a 16-point spread, which is among the widest we’ve seen all season.
Melton may not see a full complement of minutes as a result, but there should be plenty of fantasy production to go ‘round if the 76ers do win this one going away. Detroit predictably ranks near the bottom of the league in most major defensive statistical categories, and I’d still expect Melton to do enough to top 25.5 fantasy points as a result.
- Play: Melton – More Than 25.5 Fantasy Points
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