The end of the 2024-25 fantasy basketball season means it’s time to reflect on some booms. The following players took substantial leaps in their fantasy ranking and made vast improvements in their production.
Biggest Fantasy Basketball Booms From 2024-25
Karl-Anthony Towns
When the Minnesota Timberwolves acquired Rudy Gobert in 2022, Karl-Anthony Towns went from being a top-10 fantasy player to a top-30 one. But all it took was a trade to the New York Knicks for the 29-year-old to return to his former glory. Shifting back to his natural position at center helped revive Towns’ stock. He averaged a double-double for the first time in four years (24.4 PPG and 12.8 RPG), recorded his highest FG% (52.6%) and stocks (1.7) since 2021-22 and grabbed the second-most boards in the NBA.
Cade Cunningham
Managers have waited three years for Cade Cunningham to reach this level. The Most Improved Player candidate took a tremendous leap, smashing his previous best fantasy ranking of 48th by 37 spots (11th). He averaged career highs in several categories and came up big in the playmaking (9.1) and scoring (26.1) departments, placing fourth and ninth in the league, respectively. Cunningham thrived on both ends of the floor, but the guard also came up big in the 10th category, availability, appearing in his most games yet (70).
Tyler Herro
With Jimmy Butler’s suspensions and eventual trade, Tyler Herro took the reins of the Miami Heat. As the number one option, the shooting guard led the team offensively in points (23.9), assists (5.5) and threes (3.3), which were also new personal bests. Herro even improved his efficiency from the floor (47.2%) and appeared in his most games (77). His ADP heading into this season was around his 84th finish last year, but he enormously outperformed expectations and earned his best ranking yet of 25th.
Trey Murphy III
Despite missing the start of 2024-25 with a hamstring issue, Trey Murphy III was immediately thrust into a heavy workload. He maintained exceptional value throughout the season as he was forced to step up due to the many injuries the New Orleans Pelicans suffered. As a result, the 24-year-old finished as the team’s best-ranked player and set new career highs in multiple stats (21.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 3.5 APG and 0.7 BPG). Murphy was shut down in late March to undergo shoulder surgery and only played 53 contests, but his fantasy placement catapulted from 98th to 27th thanks to his versatility.
Austin Reaves
Austin Reaves was considered one of the biggest losers from the trade deadline when the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Luka Doncic. Up until that point, the undrafted fourth-year was having a solid season. However, Reaves’ numbers in every main category except for assists and steals actually improved following the deal. He was a significant contributor offensively (20.2 PPG, 5.8 APG and 2.7 3PM) while making a defensive impact (4.5 RPG and 1.1 SPG). Reaves has continuously improved his fantasy value, going from a 267th ranking in his first season to 37th in 2024-25.
Josh Hart
Most managers drafted Josh Hart in the 100s and were pleasantly surprised when he returned fourth-round value. The forward/guard finished nearly 100 spots higher than his 2023-24 ranking of 136th. Given the star power of New York’s starting lineup, Hart’s boom was unexpected. The Swiss Army knife nearly averaged a double-double (13.6 PPG and 9.6 RPG), provided stocks (1.9), dished out assists (5.9) and had solid efficiency (52.5 FG%). His numbers almost enitrely across the board were among the best of his career.
Dyson Daniels
Dyson Daniels was the biggest breakout of 2024-25, going from being picked in the last round of drafts to a top 40 player. This was all thanks to a trade to the Atlanta Hawks, where he was given a starting role and enough playing time to showcase his defensive prowess. The Great Barrier Thief averaged the most steals in the NBA (3.0) and the second-most stocks (3.7). Daniels also made strides in his offensive game through his scoring (14.1) and playmaking (4.4). The third-year guard set new career-highs in every category except for free-throw percentage, earning him the Most Improved Player award.
Ivica Zubac
With Kawhi Leonard sidelined to start the season, two players stepped up to support James Harden. Ivica Zubac was one of them, setting a new personal best in points (16.8 PPG) and averaging a double-double for the first time (12.6 RPG). The drastic rise in these two categories was enough to catapult the 28-year-old into the top 50 after finishing outside the top 100 for the past several seasons. The big man’s increased involvement on the playmaking end (2.7), solid shooting (62.8 FG%) and slight increase in stocks (1.8) also contributed to his boom.
Jakob Poeltl
Despite Jakob Poeltl’s injury issues and the Toronto Raptors’ tanking (which go hand in hand), he eclipsed top-50 fantasy value. The center nearly averaged a double-double (14.5 PPG and 9.6 RPG) while recording 2.4 stocks. His climb up the rankings was also attributed to his improved offensive game. Poeltl became more involved in the scoring column and increased his accuracy at the charity stripe (67.2%). He had some hot stretches of unsustainable offensive numbers, but was consistently a great two-way force when healthy.
Jordan Poole
Many managers had a bad taste from Jordan Poole’s rough 2023-24 campaign, and his ADP fell past the 80s. He struggled to find his footing in his first year away from the Golden State Warriors, but started figuring it out in the last two months of the season. Surprisingly, Poole was able to carry that momentum into 2024-25 and went from a 116th ranking to 52nd. The guard’s contributions in points (20.5), assists (4.5), threes (3.5) and steals (1.3) helped his resurgence.
Josh Giddey
A tumultuous year led the Oklahoma City Thunder to trade Josh Giddey to the Chicago Bulls in the 2024 offseason. His role declined with his former team as he recorded his worst fantasy season (118th). However, he posted the best ranking of his career as Chicago’s primary ballhandler (53rd). Giddey was a great source of production in the primary categories (14.6 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 7.2 APG). The guard/forward was extremely versatile, allowing him to contribute a bit of everything on both ends of the floor.
Amen Thompson
Amen Thompson started the year as the Houston Rockets’ sixth man, but his shot came in January. He moved into the starting lineup when Jabari Smith Jr. fractured his hand. As a result, the forward’s output skyrocketed, and he had some scorching stretches on unbelievably high numbers. Thompson cracked the top 65 fantasy rankings in his sophomore year, a vast improvement from his 141st finish as a rookie. Overall, he made tremendous leaps, with new bests in points (14.1), rebounds (8.2), assists (3.8), steals (1.4), blocks (1.3) and field goal percentage (55.6%).
Christian Braun
Christian Braun’s transformation from a 300+ ranked player to a top 70 one in his third year makes him one of the biggest booms on this list. He was promoted to the first unit with the departure of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope over the offseason. With an increase from 20.2 to 33.9 minutes, the shooting guard set new personal bests in every main category. He impacted both ends of the court (15.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.1 SPG and 0.5 BPG) and had solid efficiency (58.0 FG% and 82.7 FT%). Not many expected Braun to take this big a step, which also earned him the waiver wire hero award.
Norman Powell
Norman Powell was the other player to be Harden’s right-hand man. He gave managers bang for their buck, thanks to his lopsided 78th ranking and 130-140s ADP. The 31-year-old’s placement would have been higher, but he cooled off after a hamstring strain suffered in March. Nevertheless, Powell had an explosive start, and managers were grateful for his production. The guard/forward’s contributions offensively stood out most (21.8 PPG, 3.0 3PM, 48.4 FG% and 80.4 FT%), and he also offered some steals (1.2).
Payton Pritchard
Payton Pritchard largely went undrafted but was quickly scooped up off the waiver wire. He carved out a role as one of the best sixth men in the league for one of the most star-studded starting lineups, earning him the 6MOTY award. This was the first time Pritchard finished inside the top 200 in his four-year career, placing 97th. The guard’s uptick in threes (3.2 3PM) and points (14.3 PPG) were the driving stats increasing his value. He also made smaller improvements in his assists (3.5), shooting (47.2 FG%) and steals (0.9).
Featured image: © Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
