Fantasy Basketball Sleepers: Best NBA Value Picks to Target in 2025-26

Get the best fantasy basketball sleepers to target in 2025-26. Learn about undervalued NBA players with breakout upside and late-round steals to win your draft.

September 24, 2025

Fantasy Basketball Sleepers: Best NBA Value Picks to Target in 2025-26

By:

Mike Barner

September 24, 2025

We are less than a month away from the start of the NBA regular season. With things rapidly approaching, it's time to dig into your fantasy basketball preparation. Let's help you find some potential diamonds in the rough by highlighting five sleepers to consider when selecting your squads.

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Fantasy Basketball Sleepers

Santi Aldama, Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies made a big trade during the offseason, sending Desmond Bane to the Magic. They didn't add a noteworthy scorer to replace him, leaving a huge void within their offense. Bane had averaged at least 18.2 points in each of the last four seasons, including 19.2 points last season. With him gone, Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. are likely to shoulder increasing scoring loads. However, Jackson will be returning from offseason toe surgery that could sideline him to begin the season.

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For up-to-the-minute updates on injuries, lineups, roster changes and more, head to RotoWire's NBA News or follow @RotoWireNBA on X.

Fantasy Basketball Sleepers

Santi Aldama, Memphis Grizzlies

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One of the main supporting scoring options behind Morant and Jackson should be Aldama, who broke out a bit last season by averaging 12.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.8 three-pointers per game. He also shot 48.3% from the field. What was even more impressive was that his production came despite him logging just 26 minutes per game. The Grizzlies locked up Aldama to a three-year contract during the offseason, making him an important part of their future. It wouldn't be a surprise if Aldama plays nearly 30 minutes per game, and he is just one Jackson injury away from an even larger role. There is the potential for Aldama to set career highs in multiple categories this season.

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T.J. McConnell, Indiana Pacers

After reaching the NBA Finals last year, the Pacers will have an uphill battle just to make the playoffs this season with Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) set to miss the entire campaign. Andrew Nembhard will likely take over as the team's starting point guard, and he is also someone to strongly consider in drafts. Even with Haliburton in the fold last season, Nembhard averaged 10.0 points and 5.0 assists over 29 minutes per game.

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McConnell probably won't log as many minutes as Nembhard does on a nightly basis. With his all-out style of play, it's difficult for McConnell to remain effective and stay healthy if he blows by 30 minutes a night. However, McConnell doesn't need to play 30 minutes a game to have a significant fantasy impact. Last season, he averaged 9.1 points, 4.4 assists and 1.1 steals over just 18 minutes per game. Across 26 games in which he played at least 20 minutes, he averaged 11.9 points, 5.4 assists and 1.4 steals. He has also shot 51.6% from the field during his career. With the expectation that McConnell plays somewhere between 22 and 25 minutes on a nightly basis, he could be well on his way to having the best fantasy season of his career.

Jay Huff, Indiana Pacers

Haliburton isn't the only significant loss on the Pacers. They will also be without Myles Turner, who signed with the Bucks during the offseason. Their center options left in his wake are underwhelming, to say the least. Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman will both be returning from a torn Achilles, so it's unclear how much the team will ask from them, especially early on. Pascal Siakam could spend some time at the five, while Obi Toppin could also play center when the team wants to go small.

A wild card in this equation is Huff, whom the Pacers acquired in a trade with the Grizzlies. Despite playing just 12 minutes per game last season, he averaged 6.9 points, 1.3 three-pointers and 0.9 blocks. He also shot 51.5% from the field and 78.6% from the free-throw line. For his career, Huff has shot 52.0% from the field, 40.4% from behind the arc and 82.4% on his free throws. Even if he doesn't start, Huff could play around 20 minutes a game. With his ability to shoot for a high percentage, hit threes and block shots, he could be well worth a late-round pick.

Find out who to target the rest of the way with RotoWire's NBA Projections!

Cam Whitmore, Washington Wizards

Whitmore is finally free of the logjam of young players on the Rockets' depth chart. Surprisingly, the Wizards landed him for just two second-round picks. In his rookie season, Whitmore averaged 12.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.7 three-pointers over just 19 minutes per game. His playing time dropped to 16 minutes per game last season, leaving him with averages of 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 three-pointers. What you like to see is that he has shot at least 35.5% from deep during both of his seasons in the NBA.

Whitmore now finds himself on the rebuilding Wizards, who have a bit of a strange roster construction. Veteran Khris Middleton picked up his player option, and the team landed C.J. McCollum in a trade that sent Jordan Poole to the Pelicans. McCollum should play a lot, but Middleton has been unable to stay healthy. He has not played in more than 55 games in any of the last three seasons. Whitmore will likely receive added opportunities to prove himself, especially late in the season if the Wizards are well out of the playoff picture. There is plenty of upside here, making Whitmore an excellent late-round target.

See RotoWire's NBA ADP page for updated draft insights!

Ryan Kalkbrenner, Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets traded away Mark Williams during the offseason, leaving a big hole on their roster at center. They did little to replace him in terms of veteran players, signing Mason Plumlee to a one-year contract. He will be joined on the center depth chart by Moussa Diabate, who showed flashes when provided opportunities last season. Even if one of them is the starter to begin the season, second-round rookie Kalkbrenner might be the player to target in fantasy.

The seven-footer averaged at least 2.1 blocks in each of his last four seasons in college. The last two seasons, he averaged at least 2.7 blocks. He was also an efficient scorer, shooting 65.8% from the field during his collegiate career. Plumlee is in the fold just to help the Hornets have a veteran presence up front. Diabate isn't much of a scoring threat. Of the three players, Kalkbrenner has the best long-term outlook for the Hornets up front. It might not take long for him to work his way into a prominent role.