Playing Fantasy? Some Sleepers for You

Fantasy sports is getting a lot more popular these days, even in the Philippines. Being a basketball-obsessed nation, the most popular one is of course the NBA fantasy league. I'm currently involved with two leagues, and I'm sure hundreds of you there are too. That's why I thought I could help out those who are playing by revealing my picks for fantasy sleeper picks.

Everyone knows about the top picks (Lebron, Chris Paul, Kobe etc.) so my picks will be the unknowns, great for those in deep leagues or looking for great 8th player or lower type of picks.

NBA Fantasy (Top 5)

David Lee (New York Knicks)

Yeah the Knicks still suck even with Mike d'Antoni, but his running game will mean some players, particularly athletic and hardworking ones, will benefit from the system. Lee is one such player. Already, there is talk that he will already be in the starting line up, and that could be a boon to his numbers. Last year, he tallied 10.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, and just one turnover. Look for him to increase points and rebounds this year.

Louis Williams (Philadelphia 76ers)

We saw glimpses of this combo guard last year and he was quite a contributor. With Philly fguring to run and Andre Miller showing that he can play with Willaims in the backcourt, look for Williams to be a great contributor off your bench. His points (11.5), assists (3.2) and steals (1.0) will increase this year. He is getting popular, though, so he might get picked early.

Jason Maxiell (Detroit Pistons)

He didn't get most of the minutes on the floor, but when he was on the floor, he made the most of his minutes. With the starters aging, look for Detroit's second team (Afflalo, Stuckey and Maxiell) to get more minutes, especially early in the season. More importantly, I love his FG percentage numbers (53.8) and this number has increased every year.

Roy Hibbert (Indiana Pacers)

Usually, I don't like to pick rookies, but centers are hard to come by these days, and if you still lack a center, Hibbert might give you good minutes and numbers. The Pacers traded away Jermaine O'Neal and are thin at center (oft injured Troy Murphy and Jeff Foster) so Hibbert might get the chance to strutt his stuff. In a pre-season game against the Grizzlies, Hibber put out 12 points and 12 rebounds and stuffed the Grizz's shots 4 times. Certainly a center who scores, rebounds and blocks will be an excellent addition to your team.

Ronnie Brewer (Utah Jazz)

This relative unknown has been starting for Coach Jerry Sloan for the past year and he is a value pick. He averages 12 points and more importantly, 1.7 steals. Steals are hard to comeby but it is still a category just the same. Look for Brewer to augment your steals cat while he won't hurt your TOs (0.7).

These picks may not bring staggering numbers for your fantasy campaign, but sooner or later, you will feel a pinch here and there to help you win one category or two. Then, you will truly know why the bench is as instrumental as the starters.