After yet another seemingly endless NBA offseason, one that filled podcasts and social media feeds with content from the Finals through training camp, it can feel like we're overloaded with NBA information.
With fantasy drafters sharper than ever, do sleepers still exist?
Yes, yes they do. But finding them -- those players who are underrated and undervalued -- has become more challenging. This doesn't mean we can't or shouldn't try to hunt for value each and every new season.
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It's a blend of timing, talent, circumstance, luck and flat-out waiver-wire magic that combines to keep this concept evergreen.
If sleepers were truly extinct, it would be difficult to explain how Ryan Rollins, who went undrafted in most leagues last season, finished ahead of stars such as Devin Booker and Keyonte George on the ESPN Player Rater, thanks to a rewarding creation role in a Milwaukee Bucks offense that leaned on him far more than anyone expected. It appears nearly everyone, save for maybe Doc Rivers, slept on Rollins last season.
In addition to leveraging the potential gems listed below, be sure to also check out our staff's roundtable on sleepers, breakouts and busts, which canvasses several strong sleepers, including my selection of the Orlando Magic's Anthony Black.
For the following list of notable sleepers, the focus is only on players found outside of the top 100 picks on average in ESPN live draft trends.
A Most Improved candidate after a breakout second season as a playmaker in Oklahoma City, this 2024 second-round pick out of Belgium leapt from fringe role player to potential core building block in a single year. The runway is cleared for another takeoff for Mitchell; the team's tighter cap sheet led to some talent shedding this summer, which could result in a more concentrated rotation for Mark Daigneault this season.
If the playoffs are the ultimate proving ground, Mitchell is now certified; he went from roughly eight minutes a night in the Thunder's 2024-25 title run to 28.8 in 2025-26. In just over 100 playoff minutes without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the floor, he averaged 26.5 points and 7.8 assists per 75 possessions. In a drubbing of the Los Angeles Lakers, Mitchell became the first player in Oklahoma City franchise history to post at least 20 points and 10 assists with zero turnovers in a playoff game. Don't leave drafts without him.