The 2025-26 crop of new players has numerous players who could pave their way into fantasy relevancy right away. Cooper Flagg is the jewel of the crown in this group, but there are several other first-year players bound to deliver strong fantasy value in 2025-26.
Let's discuss which rookies will emerge as fantasy contributors ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season.
Top NBA Rookies to Watch in Fantasy Basketball 2025-26
Cooper Flagg - Dallas Mavericks 
Is there any other name to headline this list? Flagg is not only head and shoulders above the rest of the rookie class in terms of talent and upside, but he's also expected to have sizable fantasy value from Day 1. Slated to open the season as the starting small forward for Dallas and with a proven ability to do a little bit of everything on both ends of the court, the sky is the ceiling for the former Duke standout. The numbers speak for themselves, as Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists while shooting 48.1% from the field and 38.5% from 3-point range during his lone season at Duke in 2024-25. Even though he'll play in a loaded roster alongside Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving (knee), Flagg should rack up defensive statistics and be a solid contributor across the board as a rookie, with the upside of becoming one of the NBA's premier two-way players sooner rather than later. No other rookie in this class comes close to him in upside.
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The 2025-26 crop of new players has numerous players who could pave their way into fantasy relevancy right away. Cooper Flagg is the jewel of the crown in this group, but there are several other first-year players bound to deliver strong fantasy value in 2025-26.
Let's discuss which rookies will emerge as fantasy contributors ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season.
Top NBA Rookies to Watch in Fantasy Basketball 2025-26
Cooper Flagg - Dallas Mavericks
Is there any other name to headline this list? Flagg is not only head and shoulders above the rest of the rookie class in terms of talent and upside, but he's also expected to have sizable fantasy value from Day 1. Slated to open the season as the starting small forward for Dallas and with a proven ability to do a little bit of everything on both ends of the court, the sky is the ceiling for the former Duke standout. The numbers speak for themselves, as Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists while shooting 48.1% from the field and 38.5% from 3-point range during his lone season at Duke in 2024-25. Even though he'll play in a loaded roster alongside Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving (knee), Flagg should rack up defensive statistics and be a solid contributor across the board as a rookie, with the upside of becoming one of the NBA's premier two-way players sooner rather than later. No other rookie in this class comes close to him in upside.
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Ace Bailey - Utah Jazz 
A dynamic scorer who will hope to translate his offensive ability to the next level, Bailey is perhaps the most polarizing prospect in this class. Bailey played for Rutgers during the 2024-25 season and posted outstanding numbers, averaging 17.6 points, 7.2 boards, 1.3 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.0 steals while shooting 46% from the floor and 34.6% from 3-point range over 30 games while featuring alongside Dylan Harper, who went second overall to the Spurs. No one doubts Bailey's ability to score at will, and while he should eventually adjust and be a competent scorer at the NBA level, he needs to improve his decision-making in order to fully reach his potential. Fortunately for fantasy managers who decide to target Bailey, the Jazz are projected to be the worst team in the Western Conference and should be fully committed to playing their young players through growing pains, meaning Bailey is likely to handle a big workload right out of the gate. That kind of floor and scoring upside makes him a valuable fantasy option in most formats, though in redraft leagues, he should be a mid-to-late-round pick at best. See what the experts predict for Bailey's production in RotoWire's NBA projections.
Kon Knueppel - Charlotte Hornets 
If Bailey is a polarizing prospect, Knueppel is one of the safest bets for sustained production outside of Flagg. The former Duke prospect averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 40.6% from deep in his lone season in college. Knueppel is one of the best shooters in the draft and is considered to have an extremely high feel for the game, which should offset some of the defensive concerns around him. Still, most of the fantasy value he'll provide will come from his excellent shooting ability, and he's one of the best long-range shooters in this class. He figures to be a superb connector piece at the three between Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges, and his 3-point ability should allow him to thrive in fantasy regardless of the format. Fantasy managers would be wise to target Knueppel in late rounds, as he figures to be a starter right away on a rebuilding Charlotte team that could be on the rise in 2025-26. Knueppel has already demonstrated his potential, having been the MVP of the NBA 2K26 Summer League.
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Dylan Harper - San Antonio Spurs 
From a talent perspective, Harper is considered the second-best player in this class behind Cooper Flagg, and it's not even close. The Rutgers star averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting 48.4% from the floor and 33.3% from 3-point range in his lone year at the college ranks -- and this was featuring Ace Bailey, who also had an extremely high usage rate. However, Harper might not find himself in the Spurs' starting lineup right away, and even if he does, he'll play alongside the two latest winners of the Rookie of the Year award: Victor Wembanyama (2023-24) and Stephon Castle (2024-25). With De'Aaron Fox and Castle set to start in the backcourt, Harper might operate as a sixth man early on, but he might miss the start of the season while recovering from left thumb surgery. He's still expected to have one of the best careers among rookies in this class, but in the 2025-26 season, he's not going to be a steady fantasy option right away. He might be worth a flier in late rounds and deep formats, though he should have far more upside in dynasty formats.
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Khaman Maluach - Phoenix Suns 
A true seven-footer who still has room to grow and get stronger as he develops, Maluach is widely seen as one of the most high-risk, high-reward prospects in this class. Some believe he has All-Star upside, but if his offensive game doesn't develop, he might end up being a situational rim protector. He's going to open the season as a high-impact shot-blocker and a strong rebounder, but he's not expected to begin his career in a starting role after the Suns acquired Mark Williams before the 2025 NBA Draft. If he develops a steady role in the rotation and manages to see close to 20 minutes per game, Maluach could be a solid fantasy option in category-based leagues and dynasty formats.
Other rookies to consider: Egor Demin (Nets), Colin Murray-Boyles (Raptors), Noa Essengue (Bulls), Hugo Gonzalez (Celtics)
Essential Resources for Fantasy Basketball Success
Check out RotoWire's How to Play Fantasy Basketball guide for a complete walkthrough, but here is some basic advice:
- Check out custom NBA Fantasy Projections
- Look into Fantasy Basketball Mock Drafts
- Listen to a Fantasy Basketball Podcast
- Check in on Fantasy Basketball Player News
- Read Fantasy Basketball Articles
- Dive into RotoWire's Fantasy Basketball Draft Kit
- Study NBA Depth Charts
- See RotoWire's Fantasy Basketball Dynasty Rankings
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