The Top-Five NBA Rookies for Fantasy Basketball in 2025-26

Basketball season is around the corner, which means fantasy basketball drafts will start happening in the next few weeks (if they haven't already happened – looking at you, DraftKings best ball players). There are the obvious players at the top, like Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

But for those in dynasty leagues, or for people looking for steals in the later rounds, who are the top rookies coming into the NBA for fantasy basketball? Here is a look at the top five players by ranking who are entering their freshman seasons in the league.

1. Cooper Flagg, F, Dallas Mavericks – The most obvious selection here is the no. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the two-way phenom Cooper Flagg, who dominated throughout high school and in his lone season of collegiate basketball at Duke. With the Blue Devils, he averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 2.8 stocks per game, leading many to believe he may not be just the first player taken in the draft, but a player with top-30 value in a fantasy league.

Project Pick Range: 25-35

2. Tre Johnson, G, Washington Wizards – Though many people may have slotted Utah's Ace Bailey here, Johnson makes the most sense for those in 8-cat or 9-cat leagues due to his efficiency in scoring. While Bailey may have more upside, Johnson was an absolutely dynamic scorer, and did so with efficiency at Texas last season, scoring 19.9 points per game and shooting nearly 40% from beyond the arc in an offense that did no favors in creating looks for him.

Projected Pick Range: 90-105

3. Ace Bailey, F, Utah Jazz – The aforementioned Bailey is an extremely high-upside prospect that could eventually be an All-Star caliber wing with true two-way ability. For now, though, he is still a bit of a work in progress, though he does project as a player that can score early in his career. The issue with Bailey might be that he isn't quite as efficient, or in the case of a 9-cat league, may turn the ball over some, as his handle is not the best at this point.

Projected Pick range: 90-105

4. Kon Knueppel, F, Charlotte Hornets – Knueppel seems like an excellent fit next to LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, possibly at the shooting guard spot, even though he is listed by most sites as a forward instead of a guard. Knueppel was arguably the second-best shooter in the lottery behind Tre Johnson, hitting 40.6% of his threes on 5.3 attempts per game at Duke and averaging 14.4 points per game. He is also a great passer that can make reads from the perimeter, giving him playmaking upside.

Projected Pick Range: 120-140

5. Jeremiah Fears, G, New Orleans Pelicans – Oklahoma had an absolutely dynamic player last season in Jeremiah Fears, who led his team in scoring as a true freshman playing the lead initiator spot. Though the Pelicans do have Jordan Poole on the roster, Fears will certainly get enough minutes to make an imapct as Dejounte Murray recovers from an Achilles injury.

Projected Pick Range: 140+

Honorable Mentions:
Dylan Harper, G, San Antonio Spurs
VJ Edgecombe, G, Philadelphia 76ers
Derik Queen, C, New Orleans Pelicans