Securing high-value players in fantasy drafts is crucial for clinching a league championship. While many top fantasy basketball talents will meet expectations in their established roles, others will capitalize fully on fresh opportunities.
Whether propelled by a team change or injuries to teammates, these unexpected performers are often the key to fantasy managers hoisting a league title. Below, we highlight some of the most surprising fantasy basketball breakouts this season.
It’s no shock that the two frontrunners for the actual Rookie of the Year honor have also been among fantasy basketball’s top-performing first-year players.
G/F Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Atlanta Hawks
Following a 2024-25 campaign where he established himself as one of the NBA’s premier bench players, Alexander-Walker was expected to maintain a similar reserve role after his move from Minnesota to Atlanta. However, Trae Young’s knee injury in the Hawks’ fifth game of the season thrust Alexander-Walker into the starting lineup, a position he has held consistently ever since. This season, he’s posted averages of 20.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.5 blocks, and 3.2 three-pointers per game, all while shooting an impressive 45.8 percent from the field and 90.2 percent from the free-throw line.
Alexander-Walker started the season with a Yahoo! ADP well outside the top 100 selections; he’s set to finish it as a player delivering third-round value in both eight- and nine-category formats. Beyond fantasy, he’s also currently the betting favorite to earn Most Improved Player recognition.
C Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons
Despite a slight dip in his scoring and rebounding averages last season compared to his 2023-24 numbers, Duren was still anticipated to provide consistent fantasy production as a middle-tier big man for the Pistons this year. Nevertheless, few could have foreseen the significant scoring improvement the fourth-year center achieved. Earning his inaugural All-Star Game selection, Duren has averaged a career-high 19.5 points per game, shooting an efficient 64.9 percent from the field and 74.4 percent from the charity stripe. Combined with his strong rebounding, Duren has consistently offered top-50 fantasy value.
F OG Anunoby, New York Knicks
There was a strong indication that first-year head coach Mike Brown’s new offensive scheme would boost the Knicks’ wings by increasing their ball-handling responsibilities. Anunoby certainly capitalized on these expanded opportunities. Across 65 games, he has averaged 17.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.7 blocks, and 2.4 three-pointers, with shooting splits of 48.6 percent from the field and 82.6 percent from the free-throw line. With a Yahoo! ADP outside the top 60 at the season’s start, Anunoby has comfortably remained within the top 50 for the majority of the year.
C Donovan Clingan, Portland Trail Blazers
Starting the season with a Yahoo! ADP in the eighties, Clingan has delivered top-50 fantasy value in his sophomore NBA season. Over 75 games, the 7-foot-2 center has put up averages of 12.0 points, 11.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.6 steals, 1.7 blocks, and 1.1 three-pointers, shooting 52.0 percent from the field and 67.5 percent from the free-throw line.
Becoming one of the premier centers for fantasy managers willing to sacrifice free-throw percentage, Clingan’s increasing willingness to shoot from beyond the arc is noteworthy. After attempting 49 three-pointers in his rookie year, he has made 80 this season, converting at 33.8 percent. While not yet an elite percentage, Clingan possesses the potential to integrate the three-pointer as a reliable element of his game as he continues to evolve.
G Ryan Rollins, Milwaukee Bucks
While Damian Lillard’s Achilles tendon rupture and subsequent trade from Milwaukee created an opening for Rollins to earn playing time this season, few fantasy managers anticipated his eventual impact. Starting in 67 of his 74 appearances, Rollins has averaged 17.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.5 steals, and 2.5 three-pointers, shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 79.6 percent from the foul line.
Receiving top-50 production from a player likely picked up off the waiver wire early in the season, during a strong initial month, represents precisely the kind of move that can lead a fantasy manager to a league title.
C Neemias Queta, Boston Celtics
Even after Queta’s strong performance for Portugal at EuroBasket just before the season began, some doubted whether he could distinguish himself among the candidates for Boston’s starting center position. The 7-footer, however, did exactly that, starting 73 of the 74 games he’s played in.
Queta enters the postseason with personal bests in points (10.3), rebounds (8.3), assists (1.6), steals (0.8), and blocks (1.3), alongside shooting percentages of 65.1 percent from the field and 69.9 percent from the free-throw line. With a Yahoo! ADP well outside the top 100 at the season’s onset, Queta has delivered consistent top-100 value in his debut NBA season as a full-time starter.
G Collin Gillespie, Phoenix Suns
Gillespie’s fantasy production saw a decline late in the season due to a shooting slump, but this doesn’t diminish his efforts in securing a consistent role in Phoenix. Starting in 57 of his 79 games, the third-year guard has averaged 12.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.3 steals, and 2.9 three-pointers, with shooting splits of 41.9 percent from the field and 87.4 percent from the free-throw line. “Villain Jr.” carved out a steady spot for himself, and the timing is impeccable, as Gillespie is set to become an unrestricted free agent this coming summer.
F Saddiq Bey, New Orleans Pelicans
Acquired by New Orleans as part of a three-team trade centered around CJ McCollum, Bey has enjoyed a career-best year after missing the entire 2024-25 season recovering from a torn ACL. In 72 games, with 64 starts, he has averaged 17.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.9 steals, and 2.1 three-pointers, shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 84.1 percent from the free-throw line.
Bey seized opportunities created by injuries to other Pelicans rotation players, firmly establishing himself in the starting lineup. Consequently, a player who was largely overlooked by most fantasy managers is concluding the season delivering top-100 value.
Honorable Mention (impactful before injuries)
F Michael Porter Jr., Brooklyn Nets
While many anticipated Porter’s statistics would improve in Brooklyn, few expected him to perform near top-25 player levels before his season prematurely ended in mid-March. Fantasy managers in most leagues couldn’t benefit during their playoff rounds, but this doesn’t diminish the fact that Porter achieved career-highs in points, rebounds, assists, and three-pointers.
G Keyonte George, Utah Jazz
Heading into the season, there were uncertainties about whether George was the ideal point guard to lead the Jazz into the future. Those doubts have now been erased. In 54 games, he recorded career-highs in points, assists, and steals, and notably improved his field-goal percentage from 39.1 percent in 2024-25 to 45.6 percent this season. It will be intriguing to see how George’s fantasy value is influenced by Utah’s enhanced roster rotation in 2026-27.
C Alex Sarr, Washington Wizards
While Sarr finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting last season, his production didn’t truly accelerate until after the All-Star break. He made significant strides in his second year, with his averages in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks all showing improvement. Sarr’s enhanced physical strength allowed him to operate more effectively in the paint, boosting his impact on both ends of the court, and consequently elevating his fantasy value.