Get 622/1 Odds On This NBA Deep Sleeper Parlay

The 2022-2023 NBA season is right around the corner and this is the perfect time to hit the futures market. While we generally have a gauge of which teams are going to contend, player awards markets always provide the value and upside that we’re looking to exploit. Certainly don’t go nuts by investing a high percentage of your bankroll on these unless you don’t mind waiting almost a full year to see your winnings, but as you’ll see in a second, even a small bet can pay off big when you’re hunting deep sleepers. 

In this example, we will take a look at a two-leg parlay you can create on FanDuel right now: Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun to win the Most Improved Player award and Toronto Raptors wing Scottie Barnes to win the Defensive Player of the Year award. Scroll down to find out why you should take advantage of the +621500 odds.

Alperen Sengun: Most Improved Player (55/1)

In his rookie year with the Rockets last season, Sengun averaged 9.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 20.7 minutes per contest over 72 games. Per 36 minutes, those numbers would have been 16.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists, which is important to note because he started only 13 games due to the presence of Christian Wood. Now with Wood gone, the 20-year-old Turk looks like a logical option to not only start, but get enough minutes to put up some gaudy numbers, not only as a scorer and rebounder, but a facilitator as well. He’s already one of the best passing bigs in the entire world and a solid defender as well, as he showed all summer playing for the Turkish National Team. Take a look at some of his rookie year NBA highlights:

Kevin Porter, Jalen Green, Josh Christopher and third overall pick Jabari Smith are going to be some ultra-athletic options for Sengun to find, both on the perimeter and driving to the rim and the big man should also eat up a nice chunk of offensive usage. 

Behind Sengun at the five will be some mix of Usman Garuba, Boban Marjanovic, Willie Cauley-Stein and/or Bruno Fernando, so I’d expect Sengun to be out there between 30 and 33 minutes per contest if he can stay out of foul trouble. If he averages somewhere around 18 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists per game, performs defensively and the Rockets can sneak into a play-in tournament situation, I see his chances to win this award as very real and logical.

Scottie Barnes: Defensive Player Of The Year (110/1)

When the Raptors drafted Barnes 4th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, they had a clear vision for him in mind. As an unproven prospect out of Florida State, Barnes’ athleticism and long wingspan was expected to eventually fit into Toronto’s lengthy lineup and he exceeded all expectations, averaging 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 35.4 minutes over 74 games en route to winning Rookie of the Year. Check out some of his best highlights:

If you’ve watched Barnes play, you know one of the most important aspects of his game is his defensive versatility. He is one of the few guys that can legitimately defend point guards or centers due to his lateral movement, size and length. Think about this: as a rookie, he routinely locked up Kevin Durant and James Harden in one-on-one situations and even put in work on Harden this summer in pick-up runs. Consistently asked to check the opposing team’s top offensive threat, Barnes has a great chance to get into this conversation, just like Kawhi Leonard did as a wing in both 2015 and 2016. Marcus Smart’s D.P.O.Y. win last season proved that this is a wide-open field and while the usual suspects (Rudy Gobert, Giannis Antetkounmpo) will be in the mix, getting Barnes at 110/1 is a wild amount of value. 

Remember, Smart’s defensive metrics weren’t the best, but he benefitted from his team’s success and his general perception as an elite defender. Barnes’ defensive skills are consistently touted on broadcasts and highlights and should be a storyline to keep an eye on, especially if the Raptors stay in the playoff picture. 

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