After a 2024-25 season in which no rookies managed to provide top-100 fantasy value, three consistently active first-year players managed to achieve that feat in 2025-26. And based on average draft position, that isn't particularly surprising. Among that year's rookie class, only Zach Edey began the 2024-25 season with a top-100 ADP. This year, Cooper Flagg and VJ Edgecombe did, and there were others whose ADPs sat just outside the top-100. So, to get top-100 (or better) value from a rookie is a big deal for fantasy managers.
Below are the picks for the best rookies in fantasy basketball this season, led by the three players who should be finalists for the actual Rookie of the Year award.
The Boston coach gets most of the votes (and is the betting favorite for the award), but it’s not a clean sweep.
G VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia 76ers
Entering the season with a top-100 ADP, fantasy managers certainly expected big things from Edgecombe this season. And with Joel Embiid and Paul George at less than full strength to begin the year, there was room for the athletic guard to do a bit more offensively. In October, Edgecombe averaged 21.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.8 three-pointers per game while shooting 49.4 percent from the field.
His points and assists dipped in November, but VJ rebounded in December and has been a reliable contributor for fantasy managers throughout the season. Edgecombe entered the final week of the regular season as a sixth-round player, which is a very good return for a rookie.
G/F Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets
Knueppel is one of the favorites to win the actual Rookie of the Year award, and with good reason. Having missed just one of Charlotte's 80 games, he's averaging 18.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.7 steals and 3.4 three-pointers while shooting 47.8 percent from the field and 86.2 percent from the foul line.
Knueppel isn't far removed from being a 50/40/90 player as a rookie; given what he's shown, that may be something he achieves in the future. Unlike Edgecombe, Knueppel got off to a relatively slow start in October before turning it on in November and December. However, he has also provided sixth-round value after beginning with an ADP just outside of the top-100.
G/F Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks
Flagg is right there with college teammate Knueppel in the actual Rookie of the Year race, if not ahead of him, after totaling 96 points in games against the Magic and Lakers. In 67 games, the 6-foot-9 guard/forward has averaged 21.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.9 blocks and 1.0 three-pointers while shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 82.3 percent from the foul line.
Flagg is just a 29.7 percent shooter from three, but the free-throw accuracy suggests that there is room for him to grow in the years to come. He entered the season with a fourth-round ADP, and the production has lived up to those expectations. It will be interesting to see how Jason Kidd's decision to start Flagg at point guard will affect his development.
F/C Derik Queen, New Orleans Pelicans
Due to the state of the Pelicans' center rotation in the preseason, some believed that Queen could carve out a reliable role for himself immediately. He didn't crack the starting lineup until mid-November, but rotation minutes were not an issue in the season's first month. December was Queen's best month, with the 6-foot-9 rookie averaging 15.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.2 blocks in 29.2 minutes per game.
Defensive struggles would push Queen back to the bench just after the All-Star break, and there remains a lot to do on that end of the floor. But there is also a lot to like about him moving forward, as Queen can provide value as a scorer and facilitator.
C Maxime Raynaud, Sacramento Kings
With Domantas Sabonis in the fold to begin the season, there weren't many fantasy managers willing to roll the dice on Raynaud in redraft leagues. However, the veteran's injury woes freed up opportunities for the 7-foot-1 rookie to contribute, and Raynaud would move into the starting lineup for good in early February after Sabonis underwent season-ending knee surgery. In his last 28 games, the Kings rookie has averaged 16.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.5 blocks in 31.3 minutes while shooting 58.3 percent from the field and 83.1 percent from the foul line.
Of course, fantasy managers will want to see more defensive production out of Raynaud, who's averaging 0.5 steals and 0.5 blocks per game on the season. And Sabonis being under contract for another two seasons may negatively affect Raynaud's ADP next fall. However, he's shown this season that the potential to be a consistently impactful fantasy center is there.
Honorable Mention
G Dylan Harper, San Antonio Spurs
With De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle in the fold, Harper has been asked to come off the bench as a rookie. However, he's been productive enough to earn consistent rotation minutes and provide tangible value in 14-team leagues. Since the All-Star break, Harper has averaged 13.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 0.7 steals and 1.4 three-pointers per game while shooting 58.4 percent from the field and 49.3 percent from three.
G Jeremiah Fears, New Orleans Pelicans
Fears moved from the starting lineup to the bench in late January, but the start to his rookie campaign was highly encouraging. The Pelicans guard, who set the franchise's single-game rookie scoring record on April 7 when he dropped 40 on the Jazz, averaged 16.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.5 three-pointers in November.
G/F Cedric Coward, Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies selecting Coward with the 11th overall pick in last summer's draft raised some eyebrows, especially since he appeared in just three games at Washington State in 2024-25 due to a shoulder injury. In 61 games, Coward has averaged 13.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.6 steals and 1.5 three-pointers in 25.8 minutes for a Grizzlies squad hit hard by injuries.
G/F Ace Bailey, Utah Jazz
March was Bailey's best month, with the lottery pick averaging 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.1 blocks and 3.4 three-pointers in 30.0 minutes per game while shooting 45.3 percent from the field and 88.0 percent from the foul line. Once the Jazz has its expected full rotation, Bailey's offensive ceiling may be lowered. However, his getting to be part of a lineup that includes Jaren Jackson Jr. and Walker Kessler could do wonders for the rookie wing defensively.
C Ryan Kalkbrenner, Charlotte Hornets
While Kalkbrenner could not lock down the starting center role as a rookie, due mainly to Moussa Diabaté's emergence, the 7-foot-1 rookie has shot 74.8 percent from the field and averaged 2.0 "stocks" (0.5 steals, 1.5 blocks) per game this season. Diabaté's breakout campaign likely limits Kalkbrenner's ceiling in 2026-27, but he will still be worth using a late-round pick on in redraft leagues.
Kurt Helin
