Seven breakout bets loom large for this fantasy season: Deni Avdija, Austin Reaves, Mark Williams, Peyton Pritchard, Donovan Clingan, Tumani Kamara, and Assar Thompson. Each arrives with real late-round upside and a plausible path to 9-cat or 8-cat value, based on minutes, usage shifts, and improving efficiency. The host highlights ADP movement, notes turnover dynamics, and stresses punt-turnover builds as a viable strategy for chasing these breakout candidates. The Blazers’ shifting rotation and the Celtics’ revamped container of bigs provide context for how these players may carve steady roles and hit ceilings in the mid-to-late rounds.

Key themes: late-round targets with clear minutes paths, a focus on efficiency and defensive stats, and the importance of roster construction that buffers risk (rest days, back-to-backs). The show blends player-floor analysis with practical draft tactics, urging fantasy managers to target these names in the mid rounds and monitor ADP shifts as drafts approach.

Paolo Banchero is flagged as risky in nine-cat formats ahead of the 2025-26 season, while LaMelo Ball and Joel Embiid face durability questions that could sink early-round value. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard carry injury risk, and Malik Monk and De'Aaron Fox are watched for stability amid roster shifts with the Kings. The host argues for a simple drafting path, prioritizing healthy, versatile contributors over high-variance upside to maximize matchups from opening night.

Jakob Poeltl anchors late-round value with top-50 upside when healthy, but rest days and a 25-game absence keep his floor volatile. Jalen Suggs carries elite steals upside if he stays on the floor, but injury risk keeps his ceiling tempered. Payton Pritchard can push into strong 9-cat value in Boston’s shuffled lineup, while Shaedon Sharpe and Onyeka Okongwu offer high-upside, high-usage paths with caveats in efficiency and role clarity. Kristaps Porzingis, Miles Bridges, Scoot Henderson and Desmond Bane add varied pathways—floor-safe totals, durability, and breakout potential in a crowded 9-cat landscape.

Careful construction around these names can unlock strong roto totals and 9-cat upside this season, especially when rosters are built to weather rest days and shifting rotations. The episode dives into how changes in starting lineups, rest schedules, and new teammates impact usage, efficiency, and categoricals, framing a pragmatic ladder for late-round fantasy growth and early-round risk.