Every season, there are fantasy basketball contributors who far outweigh their draft position. Whether they end up winning your league for you or not, knowing who to target — and when — is a vital strategy for any fantasy basketball player.
Below, we’ve identified two players at each position you won’t want to sleep on ahead of your draft. Whether you’re looking for mid-round players or potential steals at the back of the draft, we’ve got you covered with our 2023 fantasy basketball sleepers.
Note: ADP is current as of Monday, Oct. 16, at 3 p.m. ET and courtesy of FantasyPros.
Fantasy PG Sleepers 2025
Scoot Henderson, Portland Trail Blazers (ADP: 72.3)
Henderson may be more of a value play at his ADP than a pure sleeper, as he is one of the top NBA Rookie of the Year contenders. However, Portland’s projected successor to Damian Lillard can make an instant impact in fantasy hoops, and he is the kind of player who makes you want to watch him work.
Speed is Henderson’s signature, and he will push the pace for the retooling but entertaining Blazers. The 19-year-old will certainly show flaws in his game, such as long-range shooting and turnovers.
Henderson can also make key contributions in other categories. He can drop 20-plus points frequently and offer ample rebounding production while distributing the ball effectively. He can also chip in defensively, and his mid-range skills can compensate for any deep shooting inconsistencies. — SCOTT ENGEL
Dennis Schröder, Toronto Raptors (ADP: 129.3)
Fred VanVleet‘s departure this summer left a considerable hole in Toronto’s point guard rotation, and Schröder looks like the primary beneficiary. The Raptors signed him to a two-year deal worth $25 million in July, and he’ll presumably slide into the starting role.
Toronto desperately needs scoring, and Schröder can fill that void. He averaged nearly 19 points per game with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019-20, and his offensive role with the Raptors may allow him to come close to matching that production level.
Schröder has always been a streaky shooter and is a bit turnover-prone, but his availability is an important asset. If he can come close to matching his production from a few years back, he could be a steal in this range. — GARRETT CHORPENNING
Immanuel Quickley, New York Knicks (ADP: 140.3)
Quickley has improved each year in the NBA, and he’s continued to earn an expanded role. The 24-year-old averaged career-highs in minutes (28.9), points (14.9), rebounds (4.2), and steals (1.0) in 2022-23.
Quickley can also fill up the stat sheet when needed, which raises his fantasy basketball ceiling quite a bit. He logged 20 performances with 20-plus points this past year, and from the All-Star break through the end of the regular season, he scored 21 points per game.
The opportunity is there for Quickley to take another step forward in 2023-24, but even if he doesn’t make a dramatic improvement, his floor is high enough to make him a solid value pick in this range. — GARRETT CHORPENNING
Fantasy SG Sleepers 2025
Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers (ADP: 78.0)
Many fantasy basketball analysts list Reaves as a sleeper. While I would prefer to pivot from featuring a player who is a consensus selection in this category, Reaves simply must be on my list, as he was a prime mid-round target in my recent draft.
When I nabbed Reaves at the end of the eighth round, several other league mates snarled at me online for sniping them. After watching him blossom in last season’s playoffs, you can expect an authentic breakthrough fantasy season in 2023-24.
Reaves should push his scoring average well over 15 points per game while providing consistency from three-point range and helping you in field goal and free throw percentages. The third-year man has emerged as the top complement to LeBron James and Anthony Davis in Los Angeles. — SCOTT ENGEL
Devin Vassell, San Antonio Spurs (ADP: 90.7)
Vassell isn’t a deep sleeper, and he struggled to stay on the floor this past season for the Spurs. Even still, I couldn’t help but include him on this list — Vassell is undoubtedly one of the most underrated players in the NBA, and it won’t stay that way for long.
The 23-year-old averaged a career-high 18.5 points per game in 2022-23, scoring 20 or more in 18 of 38 appearances. San Antonio rewarded him with a reported five-year, $146 million extension in early October, signaling the franchise’s confidence in him moving forward.
- Read Scott Engel’s full Fantasy Basketball Rankings for the 2023-24 season
With much of the attention on Victor Wembanyama this season, Vassell could thrive. He’s already a relatively efficient shooter (career .427/.367/.816 splits), and with this being his fourth year in the pros, he’s due for a breakout campaign. — GARRETT CHORPENNING
Dillon Brooks, Houston Rockets (ADP: 160.0)
Brooks is a distraction, yes, but let’s not pretend that he’s not productive. He may not be the most efficient shooter, but he’s averaged 16.2 points over the past four seasons to go along with 3.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.0 steals per game.
It’s fair to exercise caution regarding Brooks’ potential offensive role this season — Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green won’t make it easy for him to get looks — but the Rockets didn’t sign him to a four-year, $80 million deal just for him to get some cardio in.
Brooks could be a potential stabilizer as one of the veteran players on this roster, which bodes well for his fantasy value. At this range, he’s well worth the risk. — GARRETT CHORPENNING
Fantasy SF Sleepers 2025
Keegan Murray, Sacramento Kings (ADP: 101.0)
Murray impressed as a rookie with the high-scoring Kings, averaging 12.2 points on .453/.411/.765 shooting splits in just under 30 minutes per game. The 23-year-old looks poised to take on an even larger role as Sacramento aims to prove last year’s performance wasn’t a fluke.
Murray’s efficiency is a nice bonus, but that isn’t the only reason I like him as a sleeper. Although the Kings brought back veteran wing Harrison Barnes this summer, his minutes and scoring output declined last year, directly coinciding with Murray’s arrival.
Sacramento may look to prioritize youth and continue developing Murray this season, which would allow him to take a significant statistical leap forward. If the Kings view Murray as a potential third star to pair with De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, he could make a much larger impact in 2023-24. — GARRETT CHORPENNING
Shaedon Sharpe, Portland Trail Blazers (ADP: 115.0)
With Damian Lillard traded to Milwaukee, the youth movement is officially on in Portland. NBA Rookie of the Year candidate Scoot Henderson is running the show and will be drafted accordingly, but Sharpe could also be a significant fantasy asset.
While his 9.9 points per game as a rookie don’t particularly stand out, it’s worth noting that he played his best basketball right around the time Lillard was shut down late in the regular season, averaging 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists over his final 10 games.
That line will almost certainly be unsustainable for the second-year wing, but something in the middle could be realistic. Either way, Sharpe is an interesting boom-or-bust prospect likely to outperform his ADP. — GARRETT CHORPENNING
Deni Avdija, Washington Wizards (ADP: 187.0)
Avdija was someone who I would take off the waiver wire occasionally last year when he was pressed into extended minutes in any given game. Now that the Wizards have undergone a reconstruction, he is a fine later-round pick.
While anticipating increased regular minutes in 2023-24, you can expect some respectable production from Avdija in points and rebounds, while he will also toss in some assists and steals. I view him as a quality depth piece, although the field goal and free-throw percentages won’t be ideal.
When drafting Avdija, keep expectations in the range of about 14 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, yet there will be spikes from those averages on several nights, especially if his minutes per game can tick closer to 30. — SCOTT ENGEL
Fantasy PF Sleepers 2025
Jabari Smith Jr., Houston Rockets (ADP: 93.0)
Smith had a slow start to his rookie campaign, but the potential is there for him to be a productive fantasy wing in 2023-24. His efficiency wasn’t always high (or even average) last year, but he still turned in 25 games with 15-plus points.
Rebounding is one aspect in which the 20-year-old is quite underrated. On top of averaging over seven boards per game, he notched at least 10 rebounds 19 times, including 16 double-doubles.
As the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Smith is an integral part of this Rockets team, and his durability (79 games played in 2022-23) is encouraging for those wary of drafting injury-prone players. — GARRETT CHORPENNING
John Collins, Utah Jazz (ADP: 96.0)
The former Hawk gets a new start with the Jazz after his numbers dipped to the lowest points of his career in 2022-23. After six seasons in Atlanta, Collins appears set for a bounce-back campaign that will be more in tune with his career averages.
As a key frontcourt piece for Utah, Collins will get back into the neighborhoods of 16-plus points and 7.5-plus rebounds per game while also continuing to help fantasy players in blocked shots.
When you are looking for a power forward or forward in the middle rounds for decent production in those categories, the 26-year-old will fit the bill. — SCOTT ENGEL
Obi Toppin, Indiana Pacers (ADP: 156.5)
Toppin never fully caught on with the New York Knicks, but he also never got his chance to shine with Julius Randle ahead of him on the depth chart. A change of scenery could be just what he needs to break out, and alongside Tyrese Haliburton in Indiana, I’m buying the hype.
Few point guards (if any) are a better fit to help Toppin achieve his potential. Haliburton is a master distributor, and Toppin’s shooting efficiency could see a real boost this year as more of his shots come at and around the rim.
The high-flying forward should see a healthy number of lobs, but he could also be a nice pick-and-pop partner for Haliburton if he can get his three-point shot to fall more consistently. Regardless, you should be targeting Toppin as he becomes a premier lob threat. — GARRETT CHORPENNING
Fantasy C Sleepers 2025
Mark Williams, Charlotte Hornets (ADP: 110.3)
If you wait on a center or want to add more big-man stats at one of your flex spots, Williams should be a preferred target at his current ADP. In some leagues, he will get boosted up the board more due to raised expectations from savvy fantasy hoopsters.
The second-year man has the runway fully cleared for a starting role in 2023-24, and Williams will build on his first pro season. While he is not going to wow you in any one category, he should emerge as a safe source of points, rebounds, and blocks.
As a regular projected starter for the season ahead, Williams can deliver in the range of 13 points and 10 rebounds per game while providing a satisfying amount of blocked shots. — SCOTT ENGEL
Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons (ADP: 118.7)
It’s officially Jalen Duren season. The 19-year-old big was more than impressive in his rookie season with the Pistons, and he’s seemingly entering the year with an upper hand over former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman, which bodes well for his fantasy ceiling.
To an extent, you know what you’re getting with Duren. He’s an imposing, athletic center who lives almost exclusively in the paint and averaged 9.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, and just over an assist in 24.9 minutes per game in 2022-23.
There’s still potential for growth, though, particularly as a passer and shot-blocker. He already looks the part of a star-caliber big, but if he continues to add to his all-around game, he could become something truly special.
Time will tell to what extent Duren expands his game this year, but even a moderate step forward would make him a worthy candidate to outperform his ADP. He’s a double-double waiting to happen, and his high shooting percentage (64.8%) makes him a valuable asset. — GARRETT CHORPENNING
Ivica Zubac, Los Angeles Clippers (ADP: 127.0)
Zubac is a known commodity, although he’s experienced statistical growth in each of the last four years. He’ll never be the focus of the Clippers’ scoring attack, but he nearly averaged a double-double this past season (10.8 points, 9.9 rebounds) in 28.6 minutes per game.
The 26-year-old has also established himself as an iron man in Los Angeles, missing 12 total games dating back to the 2019-20 season. He’s a reliable source of scoring, rebounds, and blocks; his availability further solidifies that.
Zubac’s fantasy value could improve if the Clippers end up trading for James Harden, but there’s still a lot to like about his partnership with Russell Westbrook, too. Following Westbrook’s trade to Los Angeles, Zubac saw his scoring output increase to 12.7 points on 68.5% shooting from the field. — GARRETT CHORPENNING
