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Fantasy

Former Duke teammates Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel are expected to be the top NBA sophomores in fantasy basketball to start the season.

Some of the best draft values we have seen over the last few years in fantasy basketball are with young players taking the leap between their first and second years in the NBA. Just last season alone, we saw Stephon Castle, Donovan Clingan and Alex Sarr experience huge jumps in fantasy production from their freshman NBA seasons to their sophomore campaigns. Here are five players that could easily follow that track and become more valuable than their current draft projections are showing by the end of the 2025-26 season.

2025-26 stats: 21.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 4.5 APG in 70 games.

Currently ranked No. 12 on RotoWire’s top 150 overall rankings.

Cooper Flagg lived up to the lofty expectations in his rookie season after being drafted No. 1 overall out of Duke. Those expectations are sky-high at the moment, with a case to be made that he can be taken towards the end of your first round this draft season. Over his final 11 games of the season, Flagg averaged 26.2 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 4.4 APG and 1.6 SPG. In just his rookie season alone, Flagg had four 40+ point games, making him ideal in High Score formats for his ability to erupt for a huge fantasy total any given night. With Kyrie Irving back healthy, Flagg will have a running mate to help take away some of his ballhandling responsibilities, which should help him limit turnovers more. The key for Flagg ascending into an All-Star or greater will be his 3-point shot. He only shot 29.5% from 3 last season but with Irving back, he should get better looks. In formats where 3-pointers don’t ding you like High Score, Flagg is absolutely worth taking with a top 10 pick. With several first-round talents coming off major injuries, taking Flagg this high is worth thinking about.

2025-26 stats: 18.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 3.4 APG in 81 games.

Currently ranked No. 42 on RotoWire’s top 150 overall rankings.&nbsp;

While everyone expected Flagg to reach stardom right away, few projected the same for his college teammate Knueppel. On a rising Hornets team, Knueppel started 80 of the 81 games he played in and had a breakout season. Knueppel will be an excellent source of 3s in category leagues and with the Hornets having moved LaMelo Ball to Minnesota, the backcourt is a little less crowded for this sophomore to have the ball in his hands more along with Coby White. Expect a boost in PPG and APG for Knueppel in his sophomore season.

2025-26 stats: 13.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 2.8 APG in 62 games.

Currently ranked No. 105 on RotoWire’s top 150 overall rankings.

Coward had an up-and-down rookie season but certainly showed flashes of being a premiere fantasy wing. With the Grizzlies in a rebuild, plenty of minutes and shots should be available for Coward in his sophomore campaign. The Grizzlies backcourt is a lot less crowded than their frontcourt is. He already has the ability to stuff the stat sheet as an efficient shooter, making him ideal for points leagues, as well as High Score.

2025-26 stats: 8.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.9 APG in 57 games.

Currently ranked No. 117 on RotoWire’s top 150 overall rankings.

Murray-Boyles was able to grab a role with the Raptors and look like a solid two-way contributor with Jakob Poeltl dealing with injuries. For deep leagues only, Murray-Boyles could be a solid five category contributor in category leagues, especially if Poeltl suffers another injury.

While everyone expected Flagg to reach stardom right away, few projected the same for his college teammate Knueppel. On a rising Hornets team, Knueppel started 80 of the 81 games he played in and had a breakout season. Knueppel will be an excellent source of 3s in category leagues and with the Hornets having moved LaMelo Ball to Minnesota, the backcourt is a little less crowded for this sophomore to have the ball in his hands more along with Coby White. Expect a boost in PPG and APG for Knueppel in his sophomore season. 

nba-fantasy-sophomores-to-target-in-drafts

NBA Fantasy: Sophomores to target in drafts

2026 Free Agency

Cody Williams, selected No. 10 by the Jazz in 2024, is reportedly on the way to Minnesota.

The Timberwolves have kept a steady churn behind an eventful offseason, and a deal with the Jazz is officially on the docket.

Minnesota will trade Josh Green and cash considerations to Utah for Cody Williams and John Konchar, who was waived shortly after. ESPN's Shams Charania was first to report the news.

Green, a 6-foot-6 guard is entering his seventh NBA season out of Arizona. He was a key contributor to the Dallas Mavericks’ 2024 NBA Finals appearance.

Selected with the No. 18 overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, Green helped Australia to a bronze medal at the 2021 Olympic Games, also appearing for the national team in four games at the 2024 Olympics. He has appeared in 349 games (129 starts) with the Dallas Mavericks (2020-24) and Charlotte Hornets (2024-26).

Williams appeared in 67 games (41 starts) last season with the Jazz, totaling a career-high six games with 20-or-more points, including a career-best 34 points on March 15 against Sacramento. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged a career-best 8.8 points on 46.8% shooting, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 24.3 minutes per game. He is the younger brother of Thunder swingman Jalen Williams.

Konchar, 30, has appeared in 363 career games (65 starts) in eight NBA seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies and Jazz, averaging 4.3 points on 46.9% shooting, 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 17.6 minutes per game.

jazz-trade-cody-williams-to-timberwolves-for-josh-green

Jazz, Wolves connect on late-summer swap

Jazz trade Cody Williams to Timberwolves for Josh Green

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