It’s sleeper time! Winning a fantasy basketball championship all comes down to hitting big on a few sleepers that can carry your fantasy team to the promise land. After the top rounds in drafts are finished, it is crucial to find players who will outperform there ADP and turn your fantasy team into an all-star studded cast! With the NBA season about to begin, I break down five of my favorite fantasy basketball sleepers who are primed for big seasons in 2022-23.
Sleepers for 2022-23 Fantasy Basketball
Josh Giddey, SG/SF – Oklahoma City Thunder
This wouldn’t be a proper sleeper article without an OKC Thunder player am I right!? Giddey might not be your typical sleeper with an ADP hovering in the low sixties but it’s just way too low for one of my prime breakout candidates for the 22-23 season and a huge sleeper in fantasy basketball this year with the depleted Oklahoma City Thunder squad. Rookie sensation Chet Holmgren is already out for the season. All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is still on track to start the opener but is already dealing with a knee injury which is not a good sign as well as Luguentz Dortz dealing with a minor injury. Who else is there!? Giddey ended last year on a tear, racking up 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists per game over the final month of the season. Giddey up baby. A thunder is coming to OKC and it’s Josh Giddey.
Collin Sexton, PG/SG – Utah Jazz
Collin is bringing sexy back to Salt Lake City baby. Collin Sexton was recently traded this offseason to the depleted Utah Jazz and what a landing spot. There is tons of production up for grabs in Utah after Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, and Bojan Bogdanovic were all shipped out of town. Sexton has the upside to take over as he’s posted 25 PPG over multiple months throughout his four-year career including a 24.3 PPG average in the 2020-21 season. He looks to be past his 2021 injury woes and shot opportunities don’t get any juicer than this. Sexton will be playing that fine jazz all season. Don’t pass this one up!
*Lauri Markkanen another great sleeper for the Jazz
Jerami Grant, PF – Portland Trail Blazers
Another team with not a ton of depth is the Portland Trail Blazers and I expect the veteran Jerami Grant to reap the benefits. Grant already had a strong preseason with the Blazers racking up the defensive stats and with Jusuf Nurkic’s injury history he just might be in line for the value pick of most drafts in the 2022-23 NBA season. Grant took full advantage in Detroit with a depleted lineup averaging 21 points per game over the last two seasons and will look to do so once again in Portland. Draft away.
Tre Jones, PG – San Antonio Spurs
The rebuild keeps getting younger in San Antonio. With All-Star Dejounte Murray traded to Atlanta, the Spurs’ lottery ball chances thicken and tons of opportunities are up for grabs. Tre Jones enters the season as the starting point guard for the Spurs, so he’ll be a cheap option for assists as he averaged 7.5 as a starter last season to go along with 13.5 points. Jones has 15/9/5 potential handling the reigns with not much depth behind him. A must-target in fantasy after the first eight rounds of your drafts.
PJ Washington, PF/C – Charlotte Hornets
PJ Washington is one of my favorite PF/C sleepers near the end of drafts. Washington takes over starting PF duties due to Miles Bridges’ arrest and there really isn’t a lot of depth in the Hornets front court. Hornets HC Steve Clifford has praised Washington’s work ethic all offseason so look out for the 24-year-old to break out in his 4th season getting alley-oops from LaMelo Ball (once healthy). Washington averaged 16 points per game without Bridges last season so is a great target in drafts. PJ will be buzzing in Charlotte this season!
For more great analysis check out our full 2022-23 Fantasy Basketball Draft Kit!