What makes a player a sleeper on this list?

He ranks between 61 and 200 on the points board, so he goes after the fifth round of a 12-team draft; he played at least 40 games in 2025-26 on 12 to 28 minutes a night; he is 26 or younger on opening night; and he is not listed Out. The list is sorted by fantasy points per 36 minutes.

Fantasy points per game mixes how good a player is with how much he plays. Per 36 minutes separates the two, so a player stuck behind a starter shows the rate a bigger role would scale. A role change is the most common way a late pick becomes a starter.

Does a high per-36 rate mean he will get more minutes?

No. It means the minutes would be productive if they came. The 30-minute figure on each card is arithmetic on his own rate, not a projection; watch the rotation in the first two weeks before you trust it.

Fantasy basketball sleepers 2026-27

20 players you can take after the fifth round whose production per minute already plays like an earlier pick. Every number is from real 2025-26 box scores.

1
Kel'el Ware
CMIL
45.1
FP per 36
Rank
#112
Round
10.04
9-cat
#52
Age
22
Kel'el Ware played 22.1 minutes a night across 77 games in 2025-26 and scored 45.1 fantasy points per 36 minutes. At 30 minutes the same rate is worth 37.6 a game, the level of the No. 42 player on the board, against his No. 112 rank today.
2
Day'Ron Sharpe
CBKNGTD
44.3
FP per 36
Rank
#161
Round
14.05
9-cat
#179
Age
24
Day'Ron Sharpe played 18.7 minutes a night across 62 games in 2025-26 and scored 44.3 fantasy points per 36 minutes. At 30 minutes the same rate is worth 36.9 a game, the level of the No. 43 player on the board, against his No. 161 rank today.
3
Derik Queen
CNOP
42.1
FP per 36
Rank
#98
Round
9.02
9-cat
#130
Age
21
Derik Queen played 25.0 minutes a night across 81 games in 2025-26 and scored 42.1 fantasy points per 36 minutes. At 30 minutes the same rate is worth 35.1 a game, the level of the No. 50 player on the board, against his No. 98 rank today.
4
Jalen Suggs
PGORLDTD
41.2
FP per 36
Rank
#76
Round
7.04
9-cat
#46
Age
25
Jalen Suggs played 27.6 minutes a night across 57 games in 2025-26 and scored 41.2 fantasy points per 36 minutes. At 30 minutes the same rate is worth 34.3 a game, the level of the No. 53 player on the board, against his No. 76 rank today.
5
Kyle Filipowski
CUTADTD
41.0
FP per 36
Rank
#122
Round
11.02
9-cat
#135
Age
22
Kyle Filipowski played 23.4 minutes a night across 77 games in 2025-26 and scored 41.0 fantasy points per 36 minutes. At 30 minutes the same rate is worth 34.1 a game, the level of the No. 55 player on the board, against his No. 122 rank today.
6
Ausar Thompson
SGDET
39.9
FP per 36
Rank
#101
Round
9.05
9-cat
#84
Age
23
Ausar Thompson played 26.0 minutes a night across 73 games in 2025-26 and scored 39.9 fantasy points per 36 minutes. At 30 minutes the same rate is worth 33.2 a game, the level of the No. 64 player on the board, against his No. 101 rank today.
7
Jalen Smith
CCHI
39.8
FP per 36
Rank
#164
Round
14.08
9-cat
#159
Age
26
Jalen Smith played 20.7 minutes a night across 53 games in 2025-26 and scored 39.8 fantasy points per 36 minutes. At 30 minutes the same rate is worth 33.1 a game, the level of the No. 64 player on the board, against his No. 164 rank today.
8
Brandon Williams
PGGSW
39.2
FP per 36
Rank
#146
Round
13.02
9-cat
#234
Age
26
Brandon Williams played 22.2 minutes a night across 66 games in 2025-26 and scored 39.2 fantasy points per 36 minutes. At 30 minutes the same rate is worth 32.7 a game, the level of the No. 67 player on the board, against his No. 146 rank today.
9
Dylan Cardwell
CSACDTD
39.0
FP per 36
Rank
#174
Round
15.06
9-cat
#139
Age
24
Dylan Cardwell played 20.6 minutes a night across 44 games in 2025-26 and scored 39.0 fantasy points per 36 minutes. At 30 minutes the same rate is worth 32.5 a game, the level of the No. 69 player on the board, against his No. 174 rank today.
10
Santi Aldama
PFDALDTD
38.6
FP per 36
Rank
#91
Round
8.07
9-cat
#98
Age
25
Santi Aldama played 27.9 minutes a night across 43 games in 2025-26 and scored 38.6 fantasy points per 36 minutes. At 30 minutes the same rate is worth 32.2 a game, the level of the No. 71 player on the board, against his No. 91 rank today.
11
Coby White
PGCHADTD
38.4
FP per 36
Rank
#121
Round
11.01
9-cat
#226
Age
26
Coby White played 25.0 minutes a night across 50 games in 2025-26 and scored 38.4 fantasy points per 36 minutes. At 30 minutes the same rate is worth 32.0 a game, the level of the No. 71 player on the board, against his No. 121 rank today.
12
Isaiah Collier
PGUTA
38.3
FP per 36
Rank
#114
Round
10.06
9-cat
#201
Age
22
Isaiah Collier played 25.7 minutes a night across 59 games in 2025-26 and scored 38.3 fantasy points per 36 minutes. At 30 minutes the same rate is worth 31.9 a game, the level of the No. 73 player on the board, against his No. 114 rank today.
13
Tre Jones
SGCHIDTD
38.1
FP per 36
Rank
#106
Round
9.10
9-cat
#74
Age
26
Tre Jones played 27.0 minutes a night across 65 games in 2025-26 and scored 38.1 fantasy points per 36 minutes. At 30 minutes the same rate is worth 31.7 a game, the level of the No. 74 player on the board, against his No. 106 rank today.
14
Justin Champagnie
PFWAS
37.8
FP per 36
Rank
#194
Round
17.02
9-cat
#154
Age
25
Justin Champagnie played 20.0 minutes a night across 69 games in 2025-26 and scored 37.8 fantasy points per 36 minutes. At 30 minutes the same rate is worth 31.5 a game, the level of the No. 77 player on the board, against his No. 194 rank today.
15
Dylan Harper
SGSAS
37.6
FP per 36
Rank
#154
Round
13.10
9-cat
#186
Age
20
Dylan Harper played 22.6 minutes a night across 69 games in 2025-26 and scored 37.6 fantasy points per 36 minutes. At 30 minutes the same rate is worth 31.3 a game, the level of the No. 77 player on the board, against his No. 154 rank today.
16
GG Jackson
PFMEM
37.6
FP per 36
Rank
#172
Round
15.04
9-cat
#211
Age
21
GG Jackson played 21.4 minutes a night across 55 games in 2025-26 and scored 37.6 fantasy points per 36 minutes. At 30 minutes the same rate is worth 31.3 a game, the level of the No. 77 player on the board, against his No. 172 rank today.
17
Reed Sheppard
PGHOU
37.2
FP per 36
Rank
#117
Round
10.09
9-cat
#65
Age
22
Reed Sheppard played 26.2 minutes a night across 82 games in 2025-26 and scored 37.2 fantasy points per 36 minutes. At 30 minutes the same rate is worth 31.0 a game, the level of the No. 78 player on the board, against his No. 117 rank today.
18
Javon Small
PGMEM
36.8
FP per 36
Rank
#200
Round
17.08
9-cat
#191
Age
23
Javon Small played 20.2 minutes a night across 41 games in 2025-26 and scored 36.8 fantasy points per 36 minutes. At 30 minutes the same rate is worth 30.7 a game, the level of the No. 84 player on the board, against his No. 200 rank today.
19
Cedric Coward
SGMEM
36.8
FP per 36
Rank
#125
Round
11.05
9-cat
#145
Age
23
Cedric Coward played 25.8 minutes a night across 62 games in 2025-26 and scored 36.8 fantasy points per 36 minutes. At 30 minutes the same rate is worth 30.6 a game, the level of the No. 84 player on the board, against his No. 125 rank today.
20
Jeremiah Fears
PGNOP
36.7
FP per 36
Rank
#130
Round
11.10
9-cat
#195
Age
20
Jeremiah Fears played 25.8 minutes a night across 82 games in 2025-26 and scored 36.7 fantasy points per 36 minutes. At 30 minutes the same rate is worth 30.5 a game, the level of the No. 86 player on the board, against his No. 130 rank today.

What the list says this year

6 of the 20 are centers. Backup bigs pile up rebounds and blocks per minute, which points scoring pays well, and a starter's injury hands them 30 minutes overnight. A sleeper is a bet on minutes, so pair this list with the NBA injury report and the waiver wire: the player ahead of him on the depth chart missing time is how the rate turns into points. The full order is on the fantasy basketball rankings, and the players at the other end of the risk scale are on the busts page.

Common questions

What makes a player a sleeper on this list?
He ranks between 61 and 200 on the points board, so he goes after the fifth round of a 12-team draft; he played at least 40 games in 2025-26 on 12 to 28 minutes a night; he is 26 or younger on opening night; and he is not listed Out. The list is sorted by fantasy points per 36 minutes.
Why per 36 minutes?
Fantasy points per game mixes how good a player is with how much he plays. Per 36 minutes separates the two, so a player stuck behind a starter shows the rate a bigger role would scale. A role change is the most common way a late pick becomes a starter.
Does a high per-36 rate mean he will get more minutes?
No. It means the minutes would be productive if they came. The 30-minute figure on each card is arithmetic on his own rate, not a projection; watch the rotation in the first two weeks before you trust it.

By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 12, 2026 at 9:13 AM ETHow this is built Report a wrong number