A major aspect of draft preparation for fantasy managers is to identify players capable of offering top-100 value (or better) after failing to do so the season prior. While some options are pretty obvious, others may not be. Below is a list of players who appear poised to provide top-100 value in category leagues after failing to do so last season, starting with the Indiana Pacers’ four-time All-Star.
A look back on what’s happened so far this summer and players whose fantasy values should increase.
F Pascal Siakam, Indiana Pacers
With starting point guard Tyrese Haliburton sidelined by a ruptured Achilles tendon, Siakam’s usage was set to skyrocket, and many hoped that this would also be the case for his fantasy value. However, the four-time All-Star failed to make good on his Top-30 ADP despite increasing his scoring average by nearly four points. Siakam finished last season with averages of 24.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.7 three-pointers, appearing in 62 games.
The issues for Spicy P last season were availability and decreased efficiency. The 62 games were the fewest for him since 2019-20, and Siakam’s percentages all decreased while his turnover averages increased from 1.4 to 2.2 per game. Getting a healthy Haliburton back may lower Siakam’s fantasy ceiling for next season, but his floor should be safer than it was in 2025-26.
G Cason Wallace, Oklahoma City Thunder
Wallace entered last season with an ADP just outside the top-100, so his not cracking that threshold was unsurprising. However, he wasn’t far off, and the Thunder’s financially motivated decisions to move on from Luguentz Dort and Isaiah Joe make Wallace a more important contributor within the perimeter rotation. A second-team All-Defense selection, that end of the floor is where he may prove most valuable to fantasy managers.
Wallace’s steals output has increased in each of his three NBA seasons, with the Thunder guard averaging 1.9 per night in 2025-26. He was also responsible for 8.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 three-pointers in 26.6 minutes while shooting 43.2 percent from the field and 80.9 percent from the foul line. Dort’s departure opens up a spot in the starting lineup, with Wallace and Ajay Mitchell as two possible replacements. If Wallace can earn the job and improve his shooting, his fantasy value should increase.
F/C John Collins, Detroit Pistons
Collins’ production decreased in his lone season with the Clippers, with the veteran forward’s averages decreasing across the board when compared to his 2024-25 averages as a member of the Jazz. That said, after two seasons playing for a rebuilding franchise, suiting up for a team that had postseason ambitions (even if the Clippers fell short of that goal) and was headlined by Kawhi Leonard made a decrease in fantasy value likely.
Collins agreed to a three-year deal with the Pistons this summer, and he should slide into the starting power forward role previously held by Tobias Harris. And in Cade Cunningham, he’ll be sharing the court with a lead guard who brings more size and athleticism to the table than Darius Garland. Collins is coming off a season in which he shot 55.2 percent from the field and a career-high 40.6 percent from three.
C Isaiah Hartenstein, Oklahoma City Thunder
Hartenstein has offered reliable fantasy value in the past, but injuries have been an issue for the 7-footer since he arrived in Oklahoma City. After appearing in 57 regular-season games in 2024-25, he was limited to 47 appearances last season. And in those outings, Hartenstein averaged 9.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.8 blocks in 24.2 minutes. If iHart can get back to the 27.9 minutes he averaged in his first season with the Thunder, a top-100 season should not be too challenging given the skill set.
G/F Cedric Coward, Memphis Grizzlies
After spending the offseason before his rookie campaign continuing to recover from a shoulder injury that limited him to four games in his final college season, Coward has been able to focus on getting better this summer. The Grizzlies wing played well for the team that reached the title game of the Vegas Summer League. And with the departures of Ja Morant and Santi Aldama, it’s clear that a new era has begun in Memphis, and Coward will have every opportunity to prove himself capable of leading the way.
Finishing fifth in Rookie of the Year voting, Coward averaged 13.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.4 blocks and 1.5 three-pointers per game. Improving the efficiency on a rebuilding team could prove challenging, but Coward has the all-around skill set needed to compensate for any potential hits to his percentages.
C Nic Claxton, Chicago Bulls
Claxton has usually been a valuable player for fantasy managers willing to punt free-throw percentage, and he was a top-100 player last season in that particular build. However, the Nets’ issues at the point guard position severely limited his ceiling. That shouldn’t be an issue in Chicago with Josh Giddey running the show.
Scoring opportunities in the half-court and transition should become more consistent, but the rebounding is where Claxton will really need to show up. His average in that category has decreased each of the last two seasons, with Claxton’s average of 6.9 boards per game in 2025-26 being the lowest for him since 2021-22.
G Coby White, Charlotte Hornets
While White finished the 2025-26 campaign coming off the bench in Charlotte, he began the year in Chicago sidelined by calf and ankle injuries that delayed his season debut until mid-November. White appeared in a career-low 50 games last season, averaging 17.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.3 three-pointers, with his production decreasing in each category compared to 2024-25.
However, with the Hornets moving on from LaMelo Ball and White being healthy, he is well-positioned to bounce back in 2025-26. As a starter in his NBA career, White is averaging 18.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.7 three-pointers per game. Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller should also have the ball in their hands more next season, but White may be the Hornet with the most to gain from Ball’s departure.
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