There were plenty of notable risers from the 2024-25 NBA campaign that managers should watch heading into the next fantasy basketball season. While these players didn’t take as big a leap as the booms, they still jumped up the rankings and improved their production.
Biggest Fantasy Basketball Risers From 2024-25
Damian Lillard
As the sole star of the Portland Trail Blazers, it was easy for Damian Lillard to be a top-10 fantasy player. But playing alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo hurt the nine-time All-Star’s production, and his ranking declined to 19th in 2023-24. However, Lillard got back on track this season. While he only made minor improvements to his stats (the most significant being in FG% and 3PM), it was enough to catapult him to finish in the top five.
James Harden
James Harden was coming off one of the lowest seasons of his career, but bounced back in 2024-25 with Kawhi Leonard limited to 37 games. The point guard stepped up most offensively to increase his points from 16.6 to 22.8 per game. He also made minor increases in his threes (3.0 3PM) and steals (1.5 SPG). While the 35-year-old didn’t post similar numbers as his MVP days, he did return to being a top-10 player for the first time since 2021-22.
Tyrese Maxey
As expected with the injury-plagued Joel Embiid and Paul George, the Philadelphia 76ers needed Tyrese Maxey to lead the team. He was already coming off a breakout campaign, yet he still improved to finish 12 spots higher (16th). The former first-round pick drove up his ranking by nearly doubling his steals (1.8 SPG), and some of his offensive numbers also slightly rose. Maxey sometimes struggled with the extra defensive attention on him, but he still excelled.
Anthony Edwards
Anthony Edwards tends to be taken way too early in drafts despite never finishing as a top 30 player. While he didn’t rank near his first-round ADP, he earned his best placement yet of 17th. The shooting guard became one of the top three-point shooters in the league (4.1 3PM) and raised his scoring output to 27.6 PPG. As a result, he’s coming off one of his best offensive seasons, and his two-way prowess was on full display.
Jamal Murray
While Jamal Murray’s stats were relatively similar to last year’s, a big difference was his contribution to the 10th category: availability. The 28-year-old has had an injury-plagued career but has appeared in his most games (67) since 2018-19. This earned him his best fantasy finish, placing inside the top 25. The guard is also a fairly versatile contributor, though most of his value comes offensively.
Evan Mobley
The Cleveland Cavaliers have one of the best starting lineups in the NBA. Despite that, Evan Mobley leaped offensively and finished as the team’s highest-ranked fantasy player. The big man increased his scoring to 18.5 PPG and developed a three-point shot to hit 1.2 3PM per game, crushing his previous best of 0.4. The Defensive Player of the Year also averaged 2.5 stocks and nearly double-digit rebounds (9.3 RPG).
Nikola Vucevic
One of the more surprising risers, Nikola Vucevic finished as a top 30 player for the first time since 2020-21. He was a great source of double-doubles, recording the seventh-most in the NBA (45). The big man was also a reliable shooter and had a great two-way impact. Vucevic’s high efficiency (53.0 FG%) and threes (1.8 3PM) were most notable. Despite being the subject of trade rumours, the 34-year-old remained a consistent source of production with some scorching stretches.
Franz Wagner
The main reason behind Franz Wagner’s rise was co-star Paolo Banchero’s torn oblique, which sidelined him for several weeks. Wagner eventually suffered the same fate, causing him to play the fewest games of his career (60). Still, he averaged personal bests in several categories (24.2 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.7 3PM and 87.1 FT%). The 23-year-old finally had his moment in the spotlight, giving a glimpse of his potential as he took on a heavier workload.
Jalen Williams
Early in the season, the Oklahoma City Thunder dealt with two injured bigs, thrusting Jalen Williams into the center position. In that role, he had a stretch where he was a top-five fantasy player. While the versatile third-year did have some periods where he was a buy-low, his year as a whole was a success. Williams’s averages in every category, except for efficiency, were a new best. He gave managers a bit of everything and was more involved defensively (2.3 stocks and 5.3 RPG).
Darius Garland
With Donovan Mitchell’s production dropping, some other Cavaliers increased theirs. Darius Garland upped his scoring (20.6 PPG), threes (2.8 3PM) and shooting splits (47.2 FG% and 87.9 FT%) to nearly double his ranking (43rd) from 2023-24 (80th). Despite his minutes being his lowest (30.7 MPG), the point guard had some hot stretches and cut down on turnovers (2.5 TPG). Garland’s availability was also a contributing factor, appearing in his most games yet (75).
OG Anunoby
In his first full season with the New York Knicks, OG Anunoby elevated his game. He set new highs in points (18.0) and blocks (0.9), and his production in every category except field goal percentage was up from last year. While the forward’s numbers didn’t jump off the page, his defensive contributions were exceptional (2.4 stocks), and he stepped up more offensively. Anunoby also suited up for a career-high 74 games after missing chunks of time in 2023-24.
Walker Kessler
It’s never easy to draft Utah Jazz players, but Walker Kessler mostly rewarded managers who picked him. Although he only played 58 contests, he averaged a double-double for the first time (11.1 PPG and 12.2 RPG) and swatted the second-most shots in the league (2.4 BPG). The big man also got a bit more involved as a playmaker (1.7 APG) and continued shooting at an efficient clip from the floor (66.3 FG%). Kessler was only impactful in a handful of areas, but it was enough to earn him a ranking of 60th.
Coby White
Coby White followed his breakout campaign by finishing 3o spots higher this year (62nd). Although some of his numbers went down slightly, his ultra-efficient free-throw percentage (90.2%) and minor improvements in points (20.4 PPG) and threes (2.9 3PM) were impactful. With new career highs and a leadership role on the Chicago Bulls, White has great potential to continue climbing the rankings.
Onyeka Okongwu
For years, managers hoped for a Clint Capela trade so that Onyeka Okongwu could finally get his starting spot. That sort of happened this year. While the veteran wasn’t moved, Okongwu finally became a permanent fixture in the Hawks’ starting lineup in late January. As a result, his fantasy ranking rose from 111th in 2023-24 to 73rd. The big man nearly averaged a double-double (13.4 PPG and 8.9 RPG) on solid efficiency from the floor (56.7 FG%) with 1.8 stocks.
Malik Monk
Malik Monk had decent production for the first few months of the season, but he took off in January. While he fizzled out in the last few weeks of the season, he earned the best fantasy finish of his career (77th). The 27-year-old set new personal bests in five categories (17.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 5.6 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.6 BPG) and was a great source of threes (2.1 3PM). Monk was scooped off the waiver wire shortly after becoming a permanent starter, and the De’Aaron Fox trade further helped his value.
Tari Eason
Increasing his games played from 22 to 57 went a long way in helping Tari Eason rank 54 spots higher from 2023-24. He averaged double-digit points for the first time, but he stood out most with his defensive production. Averaging 2.6 stocks, the 24-year-old cleaned up on the glass (6.4 RPG) while also improving his shooting splits. Eason only started 16 games, but his minutes rose to nearly 25, and he had his moments off the bench.
Deni Avdija
The Washington Wizards shipped Deni Avdija to the Portland Trail Blazers last offseason, a move that elevated his value. His year wasn’t without highs and lows, but the small forward climbed nearly 30 spots in fantasy (83rd) and had one of his best statistical seasons. The most notable improvements were to his points (16.9 PPG) and threes (1.7 3PM) as he contributed more offensively despite starting fewer games than in 2023-24.
Jaden McDaniels
Jaden McDaniels is notorious in fantasy for his inconsistency. While that was still a problem this season, he had more periods of standard league value. His defensive production was where his impact was felt most (1.3 SPG and 0.9 BPG), and he was much more active on the glass (5.7 RPG). The forward’s scoring output fluctuated, but he averaged a decent 12.2 PPG. His 95th ranking marks the first time McDaniels cracked the top 100.
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