Luka Doncic and 2 Other Fantasy Basketball MVP Candidates

Debating who is the best fantasy basketball player in the 2025-2026 season, as there are only a few games in the regular season remaining.

Apr 2, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts after a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Paycom Center. | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

There have been many players who have had seasons to remember in the NBA. Their play has catapulted many fantasy managers to great success. Here are three players who ultimately stood out the most in fantasy basketball and have made a good case of being the 2025-2026 fantasy basketball MVP, all in their own ways.

Luka Doncic

Mar 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) smiles after a dunk in the final minutes of the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Crypto.com Arena. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

In his first full season with the Los Angeles Lakers, former Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic has been nothing but special. Through the 64 games he has played, he has averaged a league-best 33.5 PPG, 7.7 RPG, and 8.3 APG. Night in and night out, Doncic has consistently filled up box scores that have led him to be, without a doubt, one of the most valuable players in fantasy basketball.  He currently, out of all players in the league, has generated the most fantasy points. 

The only knock Doncic really has as a player would be availability. While it is unpredictable, following Doncic’s latest injury, he will miss the remainder of the season, capping him at a total of 64 out of a possible 82.

Outside of any fantasy basketball MVP award discussion, a new rule was implemented by the NBA in the 2023-2024 season. The rule requires players to play a minimum of 65 games to be eligible for the end-of-season award. This will sadly take away from a storybook season for Doncic, as he would have been an obvious member of the All-NBA First team and more than likely the league MVP.

Kawhi Leonard

Apr 5, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) warms up before the game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Kawhi Leonard enters the discussion for fantasy basketball MVP because he is having a season that at one point did not feel possible for him at the point he is at in his career. Leonard this season has averaged a career-high in points, 28.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 3.6 APG. He also played in 62 games, which is an accomplishment in its own right, considering the number of severe injuries Leonard has suffered through his career. It marks the second time in the last five seasons that Leonard has played at least 60 games.

When it comes to fantasy points, Leonard has had the ninth-most fantasy points of any player in the NBA this season.

Jaylen Brown

Mar 30, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) controls the ball against the Atlanta Hawks in the first half at State Farm Arena. | Mady Mertens-Imagn Images

Jaylen Brown's ceiling was as high as anyone coming into the 2025-2026 season. This stemmed from Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum still recovering from a torn right achilles he had in the playoffs the previous season. With the high ceiling, Brown had coming into the season, it feels like players often do not rise to the peak of their fantasy potential in these type of situations But in Brown’s case, he did.

Brown in 69 played games, averaged 28.7 PPG, 7.0 RPG, and 5.2 APG. With his elite play, he helped keep the Celtics a high seed for the upcoming playoffs. They currently are the second seed with an overall record of 53-25.

As far as fantasy basketball goes, Brown put up the third-most fantasy points of any player. For people playing DFS in the playoffs, do not value him based on what he did in the regular-season. He can still have big fantasy outings, likely just not at the current rate he has produced them. With Tatum currently back and available, it certainly puts limitations on Brown’s fantasy output.