The 8 Best NBA Fantasy Sleepers You Can Draft Ahead of Next Season 

With the absence of Jaren Jackson Jr. due to a foot injury, Brandon Clarke will be tasked with manning the load at the power forward position for the Grizzlies. In just under 20 minutes per game last season Clarke was impressive, averaging 10 points and knocking down over 60% of his shots. Ja Morant will be leaning on Clarke heavily to begin the season and he is a solid selection, especially if you can draft Jaren Jackson Jr. towards the end of the draft. 

There was not a single player in the 2020 NBA draft that shot the ball better from three as Devin Vassell did in college. In his two years at Florida State, Vassell put in 41.7% of his three point attempts, while taking nearly three a game. We haven’t seen that three-point savviness translate to the NBA, but with the departure of Dejounte Murray, expect Vassell to have an increased role. 

Although Khris Middleton may be coming back from injury, he remains one of the most consistent scorers in the NBA. Middleton completed the rare feat of a 50/40/90 season. You may see Middleton drop in a lot of drafts because of that injury, but he should be back for the majority of the season. He remains one of the most consistent fantasy players and a solid selection for any team. 

Isaiah Jackson is a second year forward from the University of Kentucky. In his rookie season last year he was able to see the floor in 36 games, starting in 15 of those. Jackson still remains a little raw, but it’s clear the Pacers see him as a possible future rotational player. Expect Jackson to get an increase in minutes this season as he attempts to carve out a role as a starter for the Pacers. 

Kyle Kuzma has had a heavy spotlight on him since the day he entered the league, being drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers. He was able to avoid the reckoning of LeGM and stay on the Lakers for their 2020 bubble championship. Kuzma was exceptional last season, nearly putting in 20 points a game for the Wizards. Expect that production to increase or at the minimum be matched. 

Last season guard Anfernee Simons carried the load for the Portland Trail Blazers with all-star Damian Lillard injured. Simons took full advantage of the opportunity, finishing out the season dropping 30-point games like it was nothing. Although his production will drop significantly from that last stretch, he still remains an integral part of the Blazers. Look for Simons to have a well-established role this year for the blazers. 

When Darius Bazley was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019, he was still extremely raw. Although it looked like looming #1 draft pick Chet Holmgren would replace the up-and-coming Bazley, with Holmgren injured the Thunder have a huge gap. They will lean on Bazley to fill that spot early in the season, and the Thunder will be in no rush to get Chet back and onto an NBA floor. 

The Spurs have quietly been developing the skills of guard Tre Jones since he joined the team in 2020. Greg Popovich made it very clear the Spurs are not contending for a championship, which means this is the time they find out who is going to be a Spur for the long-run and who is just there for rebuilding. There is a big hole at the Point Guard spot for the Spurs, and they will lean on Jones heavily to start the season.