Top Fantasy Basketball ADP Risers and Fallers for 2025-26 Season

Compare the top fantasy basketball ADP risers and fallers for 2025-26. Learn who to target and avoid on draft day to build a winning team!
Top Fantasy Basketball ADP Risers and Fallers for 2025-26 Season
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Whether a player's fantasy basketball stock is on the rise or fall, you need to know who to target and who to avoid on draft day. This article breaks down the biggest risers and fallers in average draft position (ADP) from last season to this season to help you make the best decisions for your fantasy team. For up-to-the-minute updates on injuries, lineups, roster changes and more, head to RotoWire's NBA News or follow @RotoWireNBA on X.

Based on Yahoo ADP

Top ADP Risers & Fallers in Fantasy Basketball 2025

ADP Risers

The following players have an ADP inside the top 100 this year and were being drafted significantly later in 2024-25

Dyson Daniels, Hawks (ADP: 37.4)

Daniels spent the beginning of his career with the Pelicans, seeing a rotation role off the bench as a defensive specialist. However, he wasn't given consistent opportunities to prove himself with high minutes and usage.

That changed last year when he was dealt to the Hawks, who utilized Daniels as a starting shooting guard next to Trae Young. Daniels shined on defense, leading the league in steals per game (3.0) while taking on a secondary playmaking role, resulting in a career-best campaign overall.

This season, Daniels should continue developing as a player. However, offensive opportunities may not be as easy to come by. Jalen Johnson will begin the year healthy, while Kristaps Porzingis was added during the offseason. Plus, Atlanta has a fairly deep and versatile bench. Fantasy managers shouldn't go

Whether a player's fantasy basketball stock is on the rise or fall, you need to know who to target and who to avoid on draft day. This article breaks down the biggest risers and fallers in average draft position (ADP) from last season to this season to help you make the best decisions for your fantasy team. For up-to-the-minute updates on injuries, lineups, roster changes and more, head to RotoWire's NBA News or follow @RotoWireNBA on X.

Based on Yahoo ADP

Top ADP Risers & Fallers in Fantasy Basketball 2025

ADP Risers

The following players have an ADP inside the top 100 this year and were being drafted significantly later in 2024-25

Dyson Daniels, Hawks (ADP: 37.4)

Daniels spent the beginning of his career with the Pelicans, seeing a rotation role off the bench as a defensive specialist. However, he wasn't given consistent opportunities to prove himself with high minutes and usage.

That changed last year when he was dealt to the Hawks, who utilized Daniels as a starting shooting guard next to Trae Young. Daniels shined on defense, leading the league in steals per game (3.0) while taking on a secondary playmaking role, resulting in a career-best campaign overall.

This season, Daniels should continue developing as a player. However, offensive opportunities may not be as easy to come by. Jalen Johnson will begin the year healthy, while Kristaps Porzingis was added during the offseason. Plus, Atlanta has a fairly deep and versatile bench. Fantasy managers shouldn't go into this season expecting Daniels to take a significant leap forward.

Check out where all the players on your fantasy basketball team fit into RotoWire's Fantasy Basketball Cheat Sheet!

Amen Thompson, Rockets (ADP: 30.7)

Thompson's role was a bit unclear to start last season. There were other high-usage players on the team who played similar positions, and his offensive game wasn't quite polished. As a result, despite his draft pedigree, he was considered a late-round dart in fantasy.

The season did start a bit slow for Thompson, but an injury to Jabari Smith let Thompson join the starting five. From there, he never gave up the spot. His perimeter shooting is still non-existent, but he made up for it with top-shelf athleticism, good passing and excellent defense.

The question for 2025-26 is how much more his game can grow. The team brought in Kevin Durant, while Alperen Sengun and Fred VanVleet will also control a significant portion of the offense. It may be easier for Thompson to expand on his efficiency, rather than volume. But either way, he should be more productive than last season.

Find out who to target the rest of the way with RotoWire's NBA Projections!

Deni Avdija, Trail Blazers (ADP: 60.0)

Avdija was traded from the Wizards to the Trail Blazers last offseason, and it wasn't clear how much he would play. At first, coach Chauncey Billups placed him in a bench role, and many fantasy managers were forced to drop Avdija.

However, coach Billups gained more confidence in Avdija in the middle of the year. And as Portland dealt with significant absences toward the end of the campaign, the forward took on a sizable playmaking role while also producing quality defensive numbers.

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This summer, Anfernee Simons was traded to the Celtics (Jrue Holiday returning), while Deandre Ayton was bought out. There won't be as much usage available for Avdija as there was at the very end of last season, but he seems to have earned a secure starting spot. It wouldn't be surprising if he was Portland's second-leading scorer.

Josh Hart, Knicks (ADP: 51.5)

An unclear role and a poor preseason led Hart to be drafted outside of the top 100. He wasn't expected to be prioritized in coach Tom Thibodeau's rotation, especially among other high-usage players.

However, coach Thibodeau leaned on Hart as much as anyone and played him a league-high 37.6 minutes per game. The minutes, coupled with improvement as an efficient scorer, passer and defender led Hart to be an excellent value pick in fantasy last year.

Will it continue? The Knicks let Thibodeau go and hired Mike Brown during the summer. Brown doesn't have as much of a reputation for playing his starters huge minutes. The bench is also deeper this season. Hart is still someone who should be drafted in fantasy, but it's more likely that he is less productive than more productive.

Donovan Clingan, Trail Blazers (ADP: 94.5)

The No. 7 pick last year, Clingan was inserted into a bench role behind starter Deandre Ayton. Fantasy managers weren't willing to take a significant gamble on him due to a low production floor.

But Ayton missed the latter portion of the season, allowing Clingan to step into a starter's role. His minutes were still fairly light due to foul trouble, but the rookie established himself as a great rebounder and shot-blocker as advertised.

This season, Ayton is on the Lakers, so Clingan will be Portland's full-time starter. If he can reduce his fouls and increase his conditioning, there's potentially 30 minutes per game available. Either way, Clingan projects to be a double-double machine this season, and someone capable of averaging 2+ blocks.

ADP Fallers

The following players had an ADP of 75 or earlier last year and have fallen significantly in 2025-26

Tobias Harris, Pistons (ADP: 114.2)

Harris was expected to play a significant role with the Pistons last season after coming over from the 76ers. There was potential for him to compete with Jaden Ivery for the squad's No. 2 scoring option.

However, even when Ivey suffered an early-season leg injury, Harris didn't step up his usage. Cade Cunningham just took over more responsibility, scoring the ball at will and dishing equally to many of his teammates.

This year, Harris could take even more of a backseat. Ivey will be healthy, and Ausar Thompson may be ready to step up his game as a playmaker. The veteran should still be a decent source of fantasy value, but he has little to no upside.

Paul George, 76ers (ADP: 76.4)

George was set to have a big role with the 76ers last year as effectively the team's third option behind Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Fantasy managers expected him to take a small step back but still be an efficient and well-rounded two-way player.

But George's 2024-25 was essentially ruined by injury. When he played, he wasn't himself. He also underwent offseason knee surgery this summer, but his ADP had already taken a dramatic fall before that.

If George can stay healthy, there's a lot of value at his current draft slot. But there seems to be a sentiment from fantasy managers that he won't get back to his All-Star self – maybe some of that is due to age as well. He's still, in theory, one of Philly's Big 3.

Joel Embiid, 76ers (ADP: 47.4)

After two seasons of 65+ regular-season appearances, fantasy managers were ready to trust Embiid ahead of 2023-24. But then a meniscus issue limited him to 39 games, starting the injury-concern cycle over again. Managers soured, drafting him at the end of the first round last season.

More knee issues led to Embiid playing only 19 games last year, and he needed surgery in April. He was nowhere near his former self when playing and produced some of the worst numbers of his career.

Despite buzz that he'll be ready for the start of 2025-26, fantasy managers are taking a hard step back. Does he even have first-round upside on a per-game basis anymore? There are more questions than ever before, and managers should probably secure another center before drafting Embiid or immediately after.

D'Angelo Russell, Mavericks (ADP: 109.1)

Russell was expected to have another strong campaign with the Lakers last season following a quality 2023-24 campaign. Playing next to LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves would limit his potential, but he was still viewed as a solid fantasy option.

Russell quickly fell out of favor amid shooting struggles and defensive issues and was eventually dealt to the Nets, where his role increased overall. But appearances and good performances were fairly inconsistent for the tanking squad.

This summer, Russell agreed to a two-year deal with the Mavericks, partially a stopgap for the team while Kyrie Irving recovers from a torn ACL. Russell should play at least half the season as Dallas' starting point guard, but fantasy managers aren't convinced that will be worth a significant investment. There's upside to be had in the short term.

Lauri Markkanen, Jazz (44.5)

Markkanen's ADP had fallen marginally last season from the year before amid tanking concerns. Still, managers were willing to shoot for the upside and draft the forward around pick 30.

That plan backfired, as he never found his footing, dealt with injuries, and then was rested down the stretch due to tanking efforts. It was the worst season Markkanen has had since reviving his career.

Fantasy managers are backing off this year. The Jazz are still projected to be at the bottom of the Western Conference, and it's possible opposing defenses only care about stopping Markkanen. There's undoubtedly bounceback potential at his current ADP, but there's a reason it is where it is.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alex is RotoWire's Chief NBA Editor. He writes articles about daily fantasy, year-long fantasy and sports betting. You can hear him on the RotoWire NBA Podcast, Sirius XM, VSiN and other platforms. He firmly believes Robert Covington is the most underrated fantasy player of the past decade.
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