Fantasy Basketball Sleepers: Who Stepped Up in 2024-25?

Every fantasy season is shaped not just by the stars who deliver as expected, but by the hidden gems. In 2024-25, a handful of under-the-radar players turned out to be league-winning picks, vastly outperforming their Average Draft Position (ADP) and finishing the season among the fantasy elite.

This article highlights some of the year's biggest fantasy overachievers. From defensive phenoms like Dyson Daniels to multi-category monsters like Josh Hart, we'll break down how these players rose to prominence, what fueled their breakout campaigns, and what to expect from them in 2025-26.

Top Fantasy Basketball Sleepers of the 2024-25 Season

Dyson Daniels, Hawks

Daniels outperformed his Average Draft Position by over 100 spots in category formats – the largest gap in 2024-25. The No. 8 overall pick in 2022, Daniels showed off defensive upside in New Orleans but wasn't heavily involved in the rotation through two seasons. During the summer of 2024, the Hawks acquired him in a trade for Dejounte Murray, ultimately giving Daniels a starting role next to All-Star point guard Trae Young.

The result was one of the best defensive seasons ever by a guard. Daniels led the league with 3.0 steals per game, winning Most Improved Player in addition to being named to the All-Defensive First Team. Dubbed "The Great Barrier Thief", Daniels also averaged 14.1 points on 49/34/59 shooting splits, 5.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 0.7 blocks in 33.8 minutes. He finished with a per-game fantasy ranking of 21 in eight-category formats.

Next season, Atlanta should bring back its young core of Young, Daniels, Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu and Zaccharie Risacher. A healthy season from Johnson and development from Risacher may result in a stagnant offensive role from Daniels, but he will still be in contention to lead the NBA in steals.

Josh Hart, Knicks

Also in contention as a proverbial league-winning pick in fantasy, Hart slipped through the cracks. His 2023-24 season was solid for managers in deep leagues, but there was a lot of competition for backcourt and wing minutes. New York's offseason moves freed up minutes, but Hart didn't do himself any favors out of the gate, as his preseason showings were poor. That led to a suppressed ADP outside of the top 100.

Hart kicked into gear right when the regular season began and never slowed down, setting career highs almost across the board. He finished with a per-game eight-category rank of 33 and a total rank of 15, averaging 13.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 53/33/78 in a league-leading 37.6 minutes.

It will be difficult for Hart to improve in 2025-26. He'll be entering his age 30 season and is in an established role for a winning team. That's not a knock, though. Fantasy managers should again consider picking him after most of the league's bigger-name, higher-usage players are off the board in the first three or four rounds.

Trey Murphy, Pelicans

The No. 17 pick out of Virginia in 2021, Murphy made improvements each season leading up to 2024-25. His sophomore season was a bit of a breakout, as he took on more usage while Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson combined to play 74 games. A healthier team in 2023-24 led to some stagnation in Murphy's numbers.

Things changed again in 2024-25. Injuries decimated the Pelicans, leaving Murphy as one of the team's two primary playmakers with CJ McCollum for much of the middle of the season. Murphy responded with career highs of 21.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.7 blocks while shooting 45/36/89. He ranked 37th per in eight-category formats, but suffered injuries himself – notably a torn labrum toward the end of the year – and was limited to 53 appearances.

Heading into next season, Murphy may need time to get back to speed following his shoulder recovery. Either way, this is still a Pelicans team in flux and with injury issues. Brandon Ingram was dealt to the Raptors at the trade deadline, Dejounte Murray tore his Achilles in late January and Zion Williamson is coming off his fourth campaign playing 30 or fewer games. Much of the offense will presumably need to run through Murphy again. So far, he's been up to the challenge.

Amen Thompson, Rockets

In some ways, Thompson was an unknown heading into the 2023 NBA Draft. He played for a new league, the Overtime Elite. Amen and his twin brother, Ausar, were clearly next-level athletes, but how strong was the competition they were blowing through (and jumping over)? Houston took the gamble with the No. 4 overall pick. Through most of his rookie year, he was served solid bench minutes and showed flashes. Then, he started the final 17 games of the year and flashed like a strobe light.

To start 2024-25, the story was similar – bench minutes. More, this time. Injuries to teammates – namely, Jabari Smith – then pushed Thompson into the starting five in early January. He never came off the bench again. During those 37 consecutive starts, the sophomore averaged 15.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.5 blocks in 36.0 minutes. His defense was especially standout, and he landed on the All-Defensive team.

Will there be a shakeup in Houston after a disappointing loss to Golden State in the first round of the playoffs? Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant both seem available. Thompson may be a deal-starter for the Bucks and Suns but a deal-breaker for the Rockets. Regardless of what happens to or around Thompson, his talent and development is becoming undeniable. In per-game eight-category fantasy value, he finished 60th. Don't be surprised if he gets selected 20+ spots earlier in 2025-26.

Ivica Zubac, Clippers

There are players who took a bigger leap in ADP than Zubac, but none of them came from the center position besides Onyeka Okongwu, whose stats were weighted to the back half of the season. From 2019-20 through 2023-24, Zubac saw relatively low minutes for a starting center (24.0 MPG). But this season, coach Tyronn Lue and James Harden leaned on Zubac for increased minutes and production.

Earning 32.8 minutes per game, Zubac posted 16.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.1 blocks and 0.7 steals per game while shooting 62.8 FG% and 66.1 FT%. He led the league in total rebounds, played 80 games and was voted to the All-Defensive team. Zubac's availability and productivity led to a total eight-category fantasy rank of 16.

The Clippers are not a team expected to change much in 2025-26, and Zubac is in his prime. Fantasy managers should be comfortable drafting Zubac after most of the All-Star bigs are off the board, somewhere around picks 45-55. There aren't many more reliable sources of efficient double-double production than him.

Honorable Mention

• Tyler Herro, Heat : Took another step in his game as an efficient playmaker amid team turmoil. Projects as Miami's clear No. 1 option next season barring a significant roster move.
• Christian Braun, Nuggets : Took over Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's starting spot following his departure to the Magic. Braun became one of the best transition players in the NBA and shot 58 FG%, but he may not be able to expand his role with the roster surrounding him.
• Malik Monk, Kings : Had an up-and-down season but ultimately the best of his career after being promoted to the starting five. But what are the Kings doing after trading De'Aaron Fox?
• Austin Reaves, Lakers : Saw a sizable role uptick following the trade of D'Angelo Russell and should remain the third offensive option behind Luka Doncic and LeBron James in 2025-26.
• Toumani Camara, Trail Blazers : Got better as the year went along and helped establish Portland's defensive identity. He's becoming a strong 3-and-D player, but his role may be capped with playmakers around him.
• Norman Powell, Clippers : Made a surprising late-career leap and averaged a career-high 21.8 PPG. If Kawhi Leonard can stay healthy in 2025-26, there may not be as many opportunities for Powell.
• Deni Avdija, Trail Blazers : Role initially dipped with Portland but earned his way into a strong second half. Could have another strong year in 2025-26, but Portland's direction and priorities are still somewhat murky.
• Onyeka Okongwu, Hawks : Took over the starting role from Clint Capela after four and a half years of will-he, won't-he. Played as well as expected and should be the go-to center for Atlanta's new young core.
• Payton Pritchard, Celtics : Won Sixth Man of the Year and could be in store for a bigger role in 2025-26 amid Jayson Tatum's Achilles tear and presumed roster moves.
• Russell Westbrook, Nuggets : Had a career bump in his first season playing alongside Nikola Jokic. Should remain a usable points-league option in 2025-26.
• Quentin Grimes, 76ers : Played at an All-Star level amid a decimated roster following the trade deadline. That kind of usage won't be available when some combination of Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey are healthy.
• Cason Wallace, Thunder : Dyson Daniels-lite for fantasy managers in deep leagues. More usage won't be easy to come by, but he's excelling in his role.
• Ty Jerome, Cavaliers : Suddenly became one of the best per-minute fantasy producers in the NBA. His usage is capped while backing up Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell, and will he shoot 52/44/87 again?
• Kris Dunn, Clippers : Finally found a coach to believe in him and was one of the most disruptive defenders in the league. Has the potential to again be a quality streaming option in fantasy.