Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jalen Duren among the biggest surprises in fantasy basketball

Finding worth in fantasy drafts is important to win a league title. While a few of the most respected gamers in fantasy basketball will probably be extra productive in their anticipated roles, others will take full benefit of latest alternatives.

Whether that is via a change in surroundings or accidents to different gamers, those that exceed expectations are able to delivering fantasy managers to a league title. Below are a few of the biggest surprises in fantasy basketball this season.

G/F Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Atlanta Hawks

Coming off of a 2024-25 season in which he was one in all the NBA’s greatest reserves, Alexander-Walker appeared prone to tackle the same function after his transfer from Minnesota to Atlanta. Then, Trae Young suffered a knee harm throughout the Hawks’ fifth sport of the season, and Alexander-Walker has been a fixture in the beginning lineup ever since. For the season, he is averaged 20.9 factors, 3.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.5 blocks and three.2 three-pointers per sport whereas taking pictures 45.8 p.c from the area and 90.2 p.c from the foul line.

Alexander-Walker started the season with a Yahoo! ADP effectively outdoors of the first 100 picks; he’ll finish it as a participant offering third-round worth in eight- and nine-cat codecs. And from a non-fantasy standpoint, he is the betting favourite to win Most Improved Player honors.

C Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons

Despite his scoring and rebounding averages taking successful final season in comparability to his 2023-24 numbers, Duren was anticipated to offer constant fantasy worth in the center for the Pistons this season. However, few could have anticipated the leap that the fourth-year heart made as a scorer. Earning his first All-Star Game look, Duren has averaged a career-best 19.5 factors per sport on 64.9 p.c taking pictures from the area and 74.4 p.c taking pictures from the foul line. Add in the rebounding prowess, and Duren has supplied dependable top-50 fantasy worth.

F OG Anunoby, New York Knicks

There was a way that first-year head coach Mike Brown’s offensive method would profit the Knicks’ wings, as he put the ball in their arms extra usually. And Anunoby made the most of his alternatives. In 65 video games, he has averaged 17.0 factors, 5.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.7 blocks and a pair of.4 three-pointers, taking pictures 48.6 p.c from the area and 82.6 p.c from the foul line. Beginning the season with a Yahoo! ADP outdoors the top-60, Anunoby has been ranked comfortably inside the top-50 for many of this season.

C Donovan Clingan, Portland Trail Blazers

Entering the season with a Yahoo! ADP in the eighties, Clingan has supplied top-50 fantasy worth in his second NBA season. In 75 video games, the 7-foot-2 heart has averaged 12.0 factors, 11.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.6 steals, 1.7 blocks and 1.1 three-pointers, taking pictures 52.0 p.c from the area and 67.5 p.c from the foul line.

Emerging as one in all the greatest facilities to roster for these keen to punt free-throw proportion, Clingan’s willingness to aim pictures from the perimeter is price watching. After trying 49 three-pointers as a rookie, he is made 80 this season, taking pictures 33.8 p.c. That is not an elite proportion, however Clingan has the potential to make the three-pointer a dependable facet of his sport as he continues to develop.

G Ryan Rollins, Milwaukee Bucks

While Damian Lillard’s Achilles tendon rupture and subsequent departure from Milwaukee opened the door for Rollins to compete for minutes this season, few fantasy managers anticipated him to be as worthwhile as he would change into. A starter in 67 of the 74 video games he has appeared in, Rollins has averaged 17.3 factors, 4.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.5 steals and a pair of.5 three-pointers whereas taking pictures 47.2 p.c from the area and 79.6 p.c from the foul line.

To obtain top-50 manufacturing from a participant probably added off the waiver wire throughout a stable opening month of the season is the form of transaction that may win fantasy managers a league title.

C Neemias Queta, Boston Celtics

Even with Queta’s stable exhibiting for Portugal at EuroBasket simply earlier than the begin of this season, some questioned if he might separate himself from the competitors for the beginning heart job in Boston. The 7-footer did so, beginning 73 of the 74 video games that he is appeared in.

Queta heads into the postseason with career-best averages in factors (10.3), rebounds (8.3), assists (1.6), steals (0.8) and blocks (1.3) whereas taking pictures 65.1 p.c from the area and 69.9 p.c from the foul line. Entering the season with a Yahoo! ADP effectively outdoors of the first 100 picks, Queta has supplied dependable top-100 worth in his first NBA season as a starter.

G Collin Gillespie, Phoenix Suns

Gillespie’s fantasy worth took successful throughout the latter phases of this season due to a taking pictures stoop, however that doesn’t erase the work carried out to earn a constant function in Phoenix. A starter in 57 of his 79 video games, the third-year guard has averaged 12.7 factors, 4.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.3 steals and a pair of.9 three-pointers, taking pictures 41.9 p.c from the area and 87.4 p.c from the foul line. “Villain Jr.” carved out a constant function for himself, and the timing couldn’t be higher, as Gillespie will probably be an unrestricted free agent this summer time.

F Saddiq Bey, New Orleans Pelicans

Sent to New Orleans as a part of a three-team deal headlined by CJ McCollum, Bey has loved a profession 12 months after lacking the total 2024-25 marketing campaign rehabbing from a torn ACL. In 72 video games, beginning 64, he has averaged 17.7 factors, 5.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.9 steals and a pair of.1 three-pointers whereas taking pictures 45.1 p.c from the area and 84.1 p.c from the foul line.

Bey took benefit of alternatives that took place because of harm to different Pelicans rotation gamers, locking down a spot in the beginning lineup. As a outcome, a participant who was not on the radar of most fantasy managers will finish the season offering top-100 worth.

Honorable Mention (they had been good earlier than the accidents hit)

F Michael Porter Jr., Brooklyn Nets

While the expectation of many was that Porter’s numbers would obtain a lift in Brooklyn, few anticipated him to be near a top-25 participant earlier than his season got here to a untimely finish in mid-March. Fantasy managers in most leagues couldn’t profit throughout their playoff rounds, however that does not erase the indisputable fact that Porter averaged career-highs in factors, rebounds, assists and three-pointers.

G Keyonte George, Utah Jazz

There had been questions heading into the season about whether or not George was the proper level guard to guide the Jazz into the future. Not anymore. In 54 video games, he averaged career-highs in factors, assists and steals, and his field-goal proportion jumped from 39.1 p.c in 2024-25 to 45.6 p.c this season. It will probably be fascinating to see how George’s fantasy worth will probably be affected by Utah’s improved rotation in 2026-27.

C Alex Sarr, Washington Wizards

While Sarr completed fourth in Rookie of the Year voting final season, the manufacturing didn’t choose up till after the All-Star break. He made notable strides in Year 2, along with his averages in factors, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks all bettering. Sarr’s improved energy allowed him to spend extra time in the paint, which helped enhance his influence on each ends of the flooring, and his fantasy worth elevated as effectively.