Year-two players anchor the 2025-26 fantasy landscape, led by Donovan Clingan's late-season move into Portland's starting lineup and strong rebounding/blocks. Edey, Sarr and Ware project sustained frontcourt value with varying health and role risk, while Missi and Castle offer versatile multi-category floors.

A deeper cohort—Buzelis, George, Sheppard, Bona, Filipowski, Wells, McCain, Carrington, Dunn, Risacher, Collier, da Silva, Holland and Mitchell—could swing fantasy leagues with minutes and fit should roster changes unlock roles.

Chicago pulls off a defensive pivot by acquiring Isaac Okoro from Cleveland, betting that his physical, multi-positional perimeter defense can catalyze a cultural reset. Okoro vows to guard the toughest assignments and lead with effort, while Billy Donovan weighs starting options as the Bulls push to maximize defensive energy. The move comes as Chicago emphasizes a faster, more relentless pace, with Okoro’s leadership seeding a contagious hustle throughout training camp.

Okoro’s arrival isn’t just about one player; it signals a broader shift in the Bulls’ roster dynamics. Young talents like Matas Buzelis are watching closely as Okoro models the gritty, team-first mindset the team seeks. The conversation around roles, rotations, and defensive identity could define Chicago’s fantasy upside this season, especially for managers seeking a true hustle-based floor.

Mid-round fantasy pivots with big upside: Kevin Porter Jr. steps into a primary role in Milwaukee, offering scoring, playmaking and three-point help as a high-usage option. Onyeka Okongwu benefits from Clint Capela’s departure, likely seeing expanded minutes and offensive touches. Payton Pritchard projects for a starter’s workload in Boston with growth in playmaking and off-ball scoring. Brandon Miller, Ausar Thompson, Andrew Nembhard, Kel'el Ware and Matas Buzelis all carry clear paths to meaningful roles and incremental production, giving managers multiple swing-for-value targets in the middle rounds.

These picks blend proven scoring with breakout potential and defensive impact, designed to stabilize weekly floors while offering ceiling leaps in minutes and usage as training camp and early-season rotations unfold. If you hit your early-rounds strong and target a couple of these mid-round pieces, you’ll diversify risk while maintaining upside across categories like points, assists, 3-pointers and stocks in rebounds/blocks.

Five forward sleepers for the 2025-26 season stand out as shrewd late-round targets: Matas Buzelis, Michael Porter Jr., Santi Aldama, Aaron Nesmith, and Cam Whitmore. Each is positioned to benefit from expanded roles or favorable roster situations, offering upside beyond their draft-day price.

Chicago’s rising wing Buzelis could surge if the Bulls lean on youth and push past early-season pecking orders. Porter Jr. lands in Brooklyn with extra scoring opportunities, while Aldama foresees minutes with Grizzlies’ rotation shuffles. Nesmith may inherit a larger backcourt share in Indiana, and Whitmore could carve out a meaningful role in Washington amid developmental depth. All present compelling value bets for fantasy rosters.