Fantasy Basketball 2026 Deep NBA Sleepers After Preseason

After an unpredictable offseason and an appetite-whetting preseason, the 2026-27 NBA season is here in all of its glory.

The new campaign tips off Tuesday night, and it will soon carry all kinds of revelations. Like any changes to the league's constellation of stars amid the latest round of player movement. Or any differences to the balance of power from said movement or the growth and decline attached to everyone's aging curve.

On a lesser note for many—but of perhaps maximum importance to fantasy basketballers—it will also shed light on which, if any, preseason darlings might carry over that success and deliver on the fantasy-sleeper potential they've shown so far. These are three deep sleepers holding our attention.

The Magic are in a tricky spot where they are attempting to change their fortune with mostly the same roster in place. While there are obviously hopes tied to new head coach Sean Sweeney, there are surely also fingers-crossed for some positive internal developments within this group.

If the preseason was any indication, maybe third-year forward Tristan da Silva has a leap year brewing.

He netted the second-most points on the team (16.5) and generally lived up to his jack-of-all-trades billing by touching every inch of the box score. In four games, he also tallied 3.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 stocks in just 21.6 minutes.

Perhaps most importantly, he showed both volume (3.5 threes per game) and efficiency (37.8 percent) with his outside shot, which could be his key to upping his playing time with a Magic team that has been perennially squeezed for spacing.

When a rookie enters the NBA, it's never entirely clear which of their skills will translate to the big stage. That said, they'll always have their size and length with them, and if it's the kind that makes them an interior deterrent, that's the kind of trait that has a better conversion rate than most.

That, in a nutshell, is a reason to keep all eyes glued on Aday Mara, who posted eye-popping measurements at the Combine (7'3" barefoot with a 7'6" wingspan) and eye-popping preseason production to go along with it.

Over five outings, Mara managed to pack 13.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.4 blocks into just 23.3 minutes a night. He also shot 78.8 percent from the field and 78.9 percent at the line, meaning he could be a big helper in categories that can drag down other shot-blocking specialists.

Mara still carries fairly significant fantasy risk, though it's related to his possible role and not his readiness. OKC is overloaded in the frontcourt with Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, Jaylin Williams and Thomas Sorber all also capable of manning the middle. That said, talent typically finds a way to work these things out, so if the Thunder believe Mara is as good as he looked in exhibitions, they'll figure out how to find him floor time.

Assuming that whatever shelved Jarace Walker for the Indiana Pacers' final two preseason games doesn't carry over into the actual campaign, the fourth-year forward and No. 8 pick of the 2023 draft might be engineering a breakout.

Granted, that's borderline reckless to say after just two preseason appearances, but man, those outings were fun.

He posted per-game averages of 8.5 points, 6.5 assists and 6.0 rebounds, highlighting his unique blend of size, strength and skill. He also posted encouraging shooting percentages from the field (46.2) and from three (42.9).

Consistency has been a challenge so far, though that applies both to production and role. It hasn't been easy to ace his assignments when the questions have changed so often. Stability in expectations could go a long way toward maximizing his potential.

And he also has some urgency to make that happen, since, barring an unlikely extension, this will be a contract year for him. Should the stars align, he could be an all-categories kind of producer.

Final Record Predictions for Every NBA Team 🔮