Fantasy sleepers. These are the picks that can elevate your fantasy basketball drafts. It’s important to mine upside late in drafts in the form of these fantasy basketball sleepers. Here are a few of our favorite fantasy basketball sleepers to draft in 2024.
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Fantasy Basketball Sleepers to Draft
To capitalize on great bounce-back opportunities — or any opportunities, really — you have to be awake and alert. This week, our goal is to keep you from falling asleep at the wheel and missing your chance to position yourself for immediate and long-term surprises through strategic maneuvering in your draft. But First…
Key Takeaways From Last Week: 8 Bounce-Back Players to Draft (2024 Fantasy Basketball)
- Deciding who to give a chance or another chance can be challenging, especially when their past shortcomings are still fresh in mind.
- While past performance can indicate future outcomes, staying present and seeing the field for what it is today can lead to game-changing decisions and championship-winning outcomes.
- Distinguish and qualify players by bounce-back types. Step-Back to Bounce-Back Player vs. Bounce-Back Player.
- Step-Back to Bounce-Back Player: Is the player bouncing back from a poor season after failing to meet expectations?
- Bounce-Back Player: Did the player play well but not well enough to remain high on your radar? They deserve to bounce back onto your radar and priority list.
Now, let’s get to it.
Fantasy Basketball Sleepers
Mastering the ‘Art of the Sleeper Pick’ is key to success in any campaign. It’s a persistent requirement before and during the season to ensure you can remain responsive and competitive week to week, no matter the obstacles. Don’t sleep on your opportunity; let’s focus on those picks that can give you that back-end value when you most need it.
Fantasy Format
Scoring Type:
Head-to-Head (Most Categories)
Player Stat Categories:
- Points Scored (PTS)
- Total Rebounds (REB)
- Assists (AST)
- Steals (ST)
- Block Shots (BLK)
- 3-Point Shots Made (3PTM)
- Field Goal Percentage (FG%)
- Free Throw Percentage (FT%)
Roster Positions:
- Point Guard (PG)
- Shooting Guard (SG)
- Guard (G)
- Small Forward (SF)
- Power Forward (PF)
- Center (C) x 2
- Utility (UTIL) x 2
- Bench (BN) x 2
- Injured List (IL) x 3
Data Sources
- NBA Player Stats: NBA.com – 2023-2024
- NBA Player Rankings: FantasyPros – 2023-2024
- Average Draft Position (ADP): FantasyPros – 2023-2024
Term Guide
| PLAYER CATEGORY TERMS | |
| TERM | DEFINITION |
| Sleeper-Traditional (ST) | A player who is undervalued due to variables relating to their on-court performance but has the potential to exceed value. |
| Sleeper-Nuanced (SN) | A player who is undervalued due to variables outside of their on-court performance but has the potential to exceed value. |
| Singular-Realist | These player assets are more “Singular” in their category production.
|
| Synergy-Realist | These player assets are more “Synergy” aligned in their category production.
|
| ROSTER BUILD FRAME TERMS | |
| A simple framework to conceptualize our general manager traits when constructing our rosters. Assists you in identifying and choosing a starting point from which you can create or confirm your self-understanding of your managerial style and approach. Defined along two spectrums. Specialist vs. Generalist (X-Axis) and Hold vs. Stream (Y-Axis). Read on for more details on Roster Build Frame. | |
| TERM | DEFINITION |
| Generalist (G) | Are we looking to draft players who are category “Generalists” to win as many categories each week as we can based on the strength and consistency of our roster core? This aligns with a more “Hold” based approach to roster construction and management. |
| Specialist (Sp) | Are we looking to draft players who are category “Specialists” to win specific categories each week in response to opponent weaknesses? This aligns with a more “Stream” based approach to roster construction and management. |
| Hold (H) | Are we drafting players to build a long-term team core through the season by “Holding” our assets? (Volatility is minimal from week to week.) |
| Stream (St) | Are we drafting players to build a short-term, responsive, agile and pragmatic team core through the season by “Streaming” our assets? (Volatility is maximum week to week.) |
| Build Frame Code (BFC) | The general classification of a player within the roster build framework (e.g., GsHs – Generalist, Hold – Player is ideal for a manager practicing a Generalist approach and is a Hold asset). If the capitalized descriptor is followed by a lower-cased descriptor, it means that this player can also flex into that category if you need to diversify your strategy for the week. The capitalization or non-capitalization of each descriptor infers how strong that player is in the descriptor category. |
A visual, you ask? Of course, friend…
Early Season Sleepers to Draft in 2024 Fantasy Basketball
Points
Cam Thomas (SG, SF – BKN) | 18.0 PPG – Rank: 129th
| CATEGORY | RANK |
| ADP | 213th |
| 2023-2024 Rank | 110th |
| Position Rank | 55th |
| BFC | gSpH |
| Player Category | Singular-Realist |
Long-Time Play, Mass Capital Gains
The Nets are in a phenomenal position to advance their rebuild. They have masterfully navigated changes in the front office and on the court to ensure success while giving their fans something to believe in year after year.
The organization has tested the limits of its current team and strategically added and moved critical assets to establish a strong foundation for the future. They have a great core group of players, providing flexibility to develop their new-look roster dynamically in the years to come without losing the momentum built since initiating their rebuild in 2022.
The team has acquired massive capital, especially from this summer’s trade of Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks. The departure of the franchise’s intermediate face signifies a new chapter in which the team begins to identify, build and solidify its new identity, creating the stage for the formal ushering of the team into the Cam Thomas era.
Flash of Proof
Since entering the league in 2021, Thomas has consistently flashed signs of elite offensive athleticism, proving himself an invaluable and trusted asset. With consistency being his primary obstacle, he silenced critiques last season by doubling his production across major performance categories, most notably scoring, going from 10.6 points in 2022 to an impressive 22.5 points per game last season.
Remarkably, he did this alongside offensive juggernaut Bridges, who had a “blank check” to do whatever he saw fit on offense. With Bridges’ volume now up for grabs, one can safely conclude Thomas has positioned himself well to receive the lion’s share of the usage as the team’s primary offensive playmaker.
The team recently addressed their need for a primary floor general by acquiring Killian Hayes. While the optics may not look attractive, the team is strategically addressing their needs to scale positional assignments, either through smaller trades or by leveraging their stock of draft capital for bigger stars.
Patiently Committed
The Nets were patient with Thomas and showed signs of remaining committed and smartly paced in their decision-making. If they continue to unlock Thomas’ offensive repertoire, the team could see significant returns.
Thomas isn’t much of a multi-categorical contributor. While he has shown promise, his health and the team’s question marks will likely see him land at the lower end of his potential ADP. Managers need to determine how they address their points production, understanding their tendencies for generalist vs. specialist and hold vs. stream strategies.
Deciding and committing to a course of action will enable you to see ahead, increasing your ability to know when and how to take a chance on his league-winning potential.
Sleepers to Consider
Jonathan Isaac (SF, PF – ORL) | 1.2 BPG – Rank: 21st
- BFC: gSphSt
- Player Category: Singular-Realist
Three-Pointers Made
Klay Thompson (SG, SF – DAL) | 3.5 3PTM – Rank: 5th
| CATEGORY | RANK |
| ADP | 72nd |
| 2023-2024 Rank | 74th |
| Position Rank | 50th(G) |
| BFC | gSpH |
| Player Category | Singular-Realist |
Perfect Fit, Perfect Position
Dallas is poised to bounce back next season, having made excellent acquisitions last season and more this offseason. The acquisition of Klay Thompson is seemingly perfect, checking off many boxes from both a production fit and an intangible culture fit perspective.
Dallas, although not Golden State, has a rich, energetic fan base and a vibrant market that could suit the original but forever Splash Brother. His new team environment and the opportunity to define his identity on an offensively focused team should create a recipe for success.
Journey Well Done
After showing the mental and physical fortitude to fight through devastating back-to-back injuries and return to championship form, culminating in another championship, Thompson should be able to reap the benefits of his journey.
Heat Wave and the Blaze Brothers
Last season, while Thompson’s three-point production fell from 4.4 three-pointers made in 2022 to 3.5 in 2023, he should have more than enough opportunity and usage to air it out effectively, efficiently and frequently alongside his new “blaze” brothers Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Heat Wave will blaze hot fire rings as he heats up in the Texas sun with his compadres.
Many may not yet realize that these intangibles could unlock a tier of production for Thompson, creating an excellent chance to acquire him without compromising value.
Sleepers to Consider
Paul George (SG, SF, PF – PHI) | 3.3 3PTM – Rank: 8th
- BFC: GspH
- Player Category: Synergy-Realist
Field-Goal Percentage
Jonathan Kuminga (PF – GSW) | 52.9% FG% – Rank: 104th
| CATEGORY | RANK |
| ADP | 139th |
| 2023-2024 Rank | 116th |
| Position Rank | 93rd(F) |
| BFC | gSpH |
| Player Category | Singular-Realist |
The Ferocious West and the Boy
The Warriors are in rebuild mode and must find a way to redefine their offensive identity. Steph Curry will still be effective, but to maintain any semblance of a threat in an overpowered Western Conference, they must be in attack mode.
Enter Jonathan Kuminga. The kid plays with a level of ferocity that can ignite the Warriors in all the right ways. If he is allowed to play his game, this can translate into significant returns for those managers taking a chance on his tremendous ceiling.
Upside Granted
Kuminga has matched his volume with his efficiency, shooting 52.9% from the floor. This efficiency is promising, especially within a script emphasizing elite offensive execution.
Kuminga isn’t going to give you much outside of scoring potential, but if he can breach Jerami Grant‘s territory and take it further, he could be of tremendous value to your squad.
With three seasons of consistent consecutive growth across all categories, he should be taking a sizable leap next season, establishing more of an identity for himself in the frontcourt alongside Green and newcomer Jackson-Davis.
Sleepers to Consider
Paul Reed (PF, C – DET) | 54.0% FG% – Rank: 88th
- BFC: gSphSt
- Player Category: Singular-Realist
Free-Throw Percentage
Bradley Beal (PG, SG – PHX) | 81.3% FT% – Rank: 190th
| CATEGORY | RANK |
| ADP | 58th |
| 2023-2024 Rank | 108th |
| Position Rank | 42nd(G) |
| BFC | GspH |
| Player Category | Synergy-Realist |
Super Underwhelming
The Suns did well last season, but they didn’t reach the level expected when forming another super team. Bradley Beal‘s health was the main culprit for his underwhelming production, albeit still productive.
When healthy, Beal is an elite offensive weapon who can significantly impact game pace on both ends of the floor. His production fell at the charity stripe, but he has found success there in years past.
Overall Contributor
His overall value proposition is very promising, but he may fall due to health concerns, which is warranted. If you’re looking to build more offensive utility into your lineup and are uncertain about the available single-contribution value of some of the more reliable plays, you could do much worse than bet on Beal’s elite pedigree.
Sleepers to Consider
Jalen Green (PG, SG – HOU) | 80.4 FT% – Rank: 207th
- BFC: SpH
- Player Category: Singular-Realist