Skip to content 
Every year, there are a lot of fantasy sleepers who can be picked in the late rounds of the draft. These players have league-winning potential due to the value that they can give relative to their average draft position. The question is who are the NBA fantasy sleepers in 2022?
NBA fantasy sleepers 2022
These sleepers are low on the draft board since it’s still unclear how well they are going to perform this season. There is not enough data from the past season that says they are going to crush their respective ADP. Still, we believe that these players will produce better statistics due to their expanded role or are just poised to break out this season.
Here are the NBA fantasy sleepers 2022.
Isaiah Hartenstein
Signed with the Knicks this offseason, Isaiah Hartenstein is one of the best fantasy-friendly players in the league with his ability to stretch the floor, rack up defensive stats, and put up good percentages. We all know he can deliver stats when given minutes on the floor. Last season, he averaged 16.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.5 steals, and 2.3 blocks per 36 minutes with the Clippers.
Now with the Knicks, Hartenstein will see an increased role as their backup center. New York is quite thin at the five spot with Mitchell Robinson as their only true center. Given Robinson’s injury history, Hartenstein’s fantasy value could skyrocket should Robinson go down.
Devin Vassell
Dejounte Murray‘s departure opened many opportunities for San Antonio’s backcourt. Apart from Tre Jones, Devin Vassell is the only fantasy-relevant guard on their roster. Last season, he averaged 12.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.6 blocks in 27.3 minutes per game.
Vassell has already provided good fantasy value with good percentages and defensive stats last season. Now with an increased offensive role, he has the potential to up his scoring numbers this season. And there’s no reason not to believe that since the Spurs are going to focus on player development. This gives Vassell all the minutes he can handle to develop himself into a solid two-way player.
Lauri Markkanen
Traded to the Jazz, Lauri Markkanen is positioned to break out this upcoming season. He will have an expanded role in Utah since they are looking for a new “alpha” now that Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert are gone. The former lottery pick is still 25 years old and will get all the minutes that he can handle at the forward spot.
Markkanen averaged 14.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.2 threes per game on 45% shooting last season. Yes, he doesn’t give you any defensive stats but his ability to stretch the floor at his position is why you draft him in the first place. Markkanen is one of the NBA fantasy players to watch this season.
Monte Morris
Monte Morris is now the starting point guard of the Wizards with no competition at his position. Behind him are only Delon Wright and Johnny Davis. We all know that he’s a solid point guard who provides points and assists with great efficiency. His one of the most efficient guards in fantasy basketball.
Last season, Morris averaged 12.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 4.4 assists on 48% shooting with Denver. Expect his numbers to go up now that he’s the main facilitator in Washington. Given this new opportunity, Morris is one of the best NBA fantasy players to target in the late rounds of your draft.
Bones Hyland
Bones Hyland is looking like a steal at his current ADP. The departure of Monte Morris opened up more minutes at the point guard position. Jamal Murray will also be on a minutes restriction for the first part of the season. Even when Murray returns at full strength, Hyland will still get minutes as the main spark off the bench for the Nuggets.
Last season, Hyland averaged 10.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.9 threes per game on 40% shooting. He’s one of the NBA fantasy players to watch this season due to his breakout potential.
Jarred Vanderbilt
One of the best NBA fantasy sleepers 2022 is Jarred Vanderbilt. He was traded to the Jazz as part of the package that sent Rudy Gobert to the Timberwolves. Now with Utah, Vanderbilt could see an expanded role even when playing behind Lauri Markkanen and Kelly Olynyk on the depth chart.
Given the minutes, we all know that Vanderbilt is a fantasy monster with his ability to rack up rebounds, steals, and blocks. Last season, Vanderbilt averaged 9.8 points, 11.9 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 0.9 blocks per 36 minutes. Expect him to put in more double-doubles this season since the Jazz will give him all the minutes that he can handle, especially in the second half.
Jalen Smith
In 22 games last season with the Pacers, Jalen Smith showed us a glimpse of what he can do on the floor. A big man who can shoot threes, corral rebounds, and block shots is a fantasy luxury to have. Smith averaged 13.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.0 blocks, and 1.4 threes on 54% shooting in just 24.7 minutes per game.
This season, Indiana will give him more playing time now that he’s shown what he’s capable of. He can thrive alongside Myles Turner and will even get a boost should Turner get traded to another team. He is one of the best NBA fantasy players to target late in your drafts.
Tre Jones
The departure of Dejounte Murray left a lot of minutes to be filled at the point guard position for the Spurs. His backup last season, Tre Jones, is next on the depth chart and has now evolved from an assists and steals streamer to a must-start player every week.
Last season, Jones averaged 13 points, 4.9 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.4 steals per 36 minutes. It’s safe to say that Jones can post similar numbers to this one this season now that he is the main facilitator for the Spurs. If he can improve his three-point shooting and defense, he will provide a greater fantasy value.
Herbert Jones
One of the fantasy basketball tips is to draft players who can provide scarce resources such as steals and blocks. Other than Herbert Jones, it’s challenging to find players who can do this on a consistent basis while not hurting you in any other categories. Jones averaged 1.7 steals and 0.8 blocks per game as a rookie. Moreover, he also showed a glimpse of his three-point shooting and playmaking ability.
Even with Zion Williamson returning, there’s no reason for the Pelicans to reduce the minutes of their best perimeter defender this season. They will always find a way to put him on the floor to guard the best player on the other team. If Jones can improve his offensive game, then his ADP is looking like a steal.
Jaden McDaniels
One of the NBA fantasy sleepers 2022 to look out for is Jaden McDaniels. There also has been a lot of hype surrounding him during the training camp and preseason. We can see where the hype is coming from as he has the range to shoot it from deep and length to defend multiple positions.
Even with the arrival of Rudy Gobert, McDaniels can still provide good fantasy value with his ability to rack up threes and stocks.
Moreover, he doesn’t need the ball a lot in his hands to be effective. Last season, McDaniels averaged 9.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 0.7 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 1.1 threes per game. Expect these numbers to go up should the Timberwolves finally unleash him as a starter.
