Sleeper Fantasy Basketball Lock-In Helper
Sleeper counts one game per starter per week, and you choose which. This is when a score is worth locking, for any player and any number of games left.
The score worth locking
Lock a finished game when its score is at least this much, for a player who averages the row's points and has the column's games still to play. Each game modelled as his average with a 33% spread (what real box scores show).
| His average (FP) | 1 game left | 2 games left | 3 games left | 4 games left |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 15.0 | 17.0 | 18.1 | 18.9 |
| 20 | 20.0 | 22.6 | 24.2 | 25.2 |
| 25 | 25.0 | 28.3 | 30.2 | 31.5 |
| 30 | 30.0 | 34.0 | 36.2 | 37.8 |
| 35 | 35.0 | 39.6 | 42.3 | 44.1 |
| 40 | 40.0 | 45.3 | 48.3 | 50.4 |
| 45 | 45.0 | 50.9 | 54.4 | 56.7 |
| 50 | 50.0 | 56.6 | 60.4 | 63.0 |
Example: a 30-point player with two games left is worth about 34.0 if you play on. Just scored 37? Lock it. Scored 31? Play on — one game alone averages 30, but the better of two is worth more.
What the Fantasy Basketball Lock-In Helper checks
- The score worth locking for a player's average and his games left
- Which game Sleeper is counting for each of your starters
- Lock now or play on, for every starter, after every game
- Bench players worth more this week than a starter they could replace
The rule
After a game ends you can lock that score until his next game starts. If you never lock, his last game of the week counts — even a game he sits out, which scores zero.
The maths
This is an optimal-stopping problem. With one game left, lock anything above his average. With more left, the bar rises: playing on gives you the better of the next game and what the games after it are worth. We model each game as his average with a 33% spread — what real box scores show.
Measured on real leagues
Across 3,620 starter weeks in 12 Sleeper NBA leagues, the game Sleeper counted was the player's best only about half the time. Locking well is worth real points.
Sleeper Fantasy Basketball Lock-In Helper FAQ
How does Sleeper fantasy basketball scoring work?
In Sleeper's points leagues each starter counts one game per matchup week: the game you lock in after it ends, or his last game of the week if you never lock. A game he sits out still counts as zero if it is his last one and nothing was locked.
When should I lock in a score?
When the score beats what his remaining games are worth on average if you keep choosing well. The table gives that number for common averages and games left.
What if my player sits out his last game?
If nothing is locked, his last game counts — a game he missed scores zero. Lock a decent score before a likely rest day.
Related fantasy basketball pages
Run it on your own league
Connect your Sleeper account and Redraft Command opens this tool on your real NBA league, in your league's scoring.
Check My Lock-Ins →All StatChasers fantasy basketball tools
Data on this page updated 2026-11-14 from Sleeper. Playing football? See the fantasy football tools.