TAP FOR 6 MONTHS OF PREMIUM FREE 💰
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Seeing The Future: A Look At This Year's NBA Rookie Class, Part 3

We've already spent posts looking at intriguing rookies, and yet we've still got plenty of great first players to examine, all of whom have high-level fantasy upside in the future.

For our previous lists, check out Part 1 and Part 2.

This week we dive even deeper into this year's rookies, and examine their production this season and also their future prospects. We're taking a look at the lottery specials - guys who were stuck on lottery teams causing them to stray outside the national radar. Let's begin with one of the few intriguing players on one of the most dumpster fire teams of the season.

Featured Promo: New Novig users get a $25 purchase match (50% discount up to $25) on your first Novig deposit, and 6 free months of RotoBaller's "Big-4" Premium Pass (NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL) which includes exclusive tools for Betting, Props, DFS and more! CLAIM IT NOW

 

Seeing The Future: A Look At This Year's NBA Rookie Class, Part 3

Jonathan Isaac, Orlando Magic

Isaac has had an injury plagued rookie season but he's flashed a very fantasy friendly skill-set in the time he has been on the court. Even with under 20 minutes a game this year, he has been very close to a triple one guy, averaging 1.2 steals, 1.1 blocks and 0.6 threes in 19.9 mpg. The minutes obviously will not stay that low if he manages to stay on the court next season, and that kind of production in the money stats is something legitimately worth salivating over.

Player Comparison: Nerlens Noel

It's easy to forget that Noel has a couple of top-50 seasons under his belt despite the disaster that has been the last 2 years of his young career. Isaac's fantasy game doesn't fit Noel's perfectly, but the one important thing that is a match is the insane per 36 defensive numbers that both guys bring. In those top-50 seasons, Noel average over 1.5 in both steals and blocks, and Isaac in 30 minutes looks to easily hit those kind of marks if he were to ramp up to 30 minutes per game.

The advantage that Isaac has over Noel is that he also can average 1+ 3 per game in those minutes, which makes his ceiling even higher since Noel is a literal zero in that category. Isaac also trades off Noel's decent FG% on low volume for a less damaging FT%, while having a horrendous FG% himself, albeit also on low volume.

Ceiling: Top 20 upside long term, top-70 short term

A lot of people will see this as aggressive, but if Isaac can play 30 minutes a game and improve his shooting to something like 42% (which would bump his PPG to double digits as well), he can absolutely be a top-20 guy with his fantasy profile, maybe even better. His offensive game clearly has holes, and how good he becomes in fantasy will largely depend on how good of a real life player he becomes and how many minutes he can earn but there is no doubt that this kind of kit is something special and he is someone to watch going forward.

 

Josh Jackson, Phoenix Suns

Josh Jackson has already hit his stride as a bonafide fantasy asset, posting top-70 type stats in punt FT% builds over the last 2 months. Unfortunately, with the high amount of free throw volume he gets, Jackson looks like his value will be limited to punt FT% teams, while being over-drafted by teams not punting that category. Jackson is already getting minutes in the mid-30s, and as his career progresses, there's no reason for that to change going forward.

Player Comparison: Philly-era Andre Iguodala

The physical comparison that's been made since he was drafted is a young Andre Iguodala. It's easy to forget the Philly version of Iggy back in 2006-2010 averaging nearly 20 points a game with a large amount of steals and some 3s, blocks, assists and rebounds. Jackson stuffs the stat sheet in a similar way, but the difference right now is Jackson's FT% is enough lower than Iggy's was at the time to force him into being a punt guy.

Ceiling: Top 30 punt FT%, top 50 standard if he can improve his FT a bit

Jackson will already be a top-50 guy in punt FT% next season and can move up to a top-30 guy once the Suns give him more playmaking responsibility. If Jackson is able to improve his FT% over the years to 72+, that's when he can become a top 50 guy in standard builds as well.

 

John Collins, Atlanta Hawks

Despite not falling into consistent minutes on a putrid Atlanta Hawks team until quite recently, the Baptist has still had a very successful rookie season for fantasy purposes. He was already a top-100 guy on the season even with the sporadic minutes, and given a larger role and a 30 min average, he can be a fairly strong contributor right away next year.

Player Comparison: Al Horford with less assists and more rebounds

Collins fits into the special category of bigs that don't hurt your FT% as badly as the position usually does, and he will fit teams in a way similar to Al Horford does. Collins isn't nearly as good of a passer as big Al, but he is also not nearly as bad of a rebounder, and while that does make his overall kit a bit less valuable, the rest of the game projects to develop into something similar to Horford and it isn't the worst thing to be compared to a slightly worse version of a perennial top-30 guy.

Ceiling: Top-40 short to long term

The Baptist will be a glue guy for teams in the future similar to what Horford is today. He won't be a sexy high upside pick, but he possesses the type of skill-set that will return consistent value for where you draft him and plug in certain holes on your team no matter what your build is. As his role increases, Collins' 3-pointers should increase along with his points as the usage ramps up and the defensive stats should increase a bit given more minutes.

 

Jarrett Allen, Brooklyn Nets

Jarrett Allen has tailed off following a very productive mid-season stretch that made him one of the hottest pickups in the game. Despite this, he's still been hovering around the top-100 mark over the last 2 months, combining solid percentages with excellent block and rebound rates. Allen is the rare player who gives you stereotypical big man stats without hurting your FT%, making him very easy to slot into any number of builds.

Player Comparison: Myles Turner without the 3s

The one thing missing from Allen's game is a healthy dose of 3-pointers. While he does attempt shots from downtown, he's by no means a perimeter threat yet and while the rest of the game can look very similar to Myles Turner's fantasy profile in a couple years, he will need to take a significant step up in the 3s department to match the Pacers big man there. While not shooting many 3s caps his ceiling a bit, Allen's skillset can still render him an extremely effective fantasy player.

Ceiling: Top-50 short to mid term

Myles Turner was projected in the top-20 to 30 this season, and while he didn't live up to those expectations, it's easy to see his projected skillset being valued in that range. Cut down Turner's projected 3s to 0.5, a reasonable projection for Allen in the short term, and you end up with a top-50 type guy who will slot very easily into many builds. Players like Allen gain a lot of value in their versatility, and become solid, underappreciated fantasy assets for years.

 

Check back next week for another back of rookies as we move on with our analysis -- this class is so deep, we've still got plenty to cover!

 

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis

that




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Yasiel Puig

Found Guilty of Obstruction of Justice, Lying to Officials
Travis Kelce

Undecided on Playing Future, Leaning Towards Returning in 2026?
Kristaps Porzingis

Ruled Out Saturday Against Lakers
Pelle Larsson

Exits Loss Early with Elbow Injury
Yanic Konan Niederhauser

Leaves Friday's Game with Illness
Josh Hart

Leaves Friday's Blowout with Ankle Concern
De'Andre Hunter

Sidelined Midgame by Eye Injury
Shaedon Sharpe

Exits Friday with Calf Injury
Anthony Davis

Expected to Miss Remainder of Season
Brandon Nimmo

Carries High-Floor Profile into 2026
Trevor Story

Can Trevor Story Remain a Consistent Fantasy Option?
Spencer Strider

Carries High Risk Entering 2026
Drake Baldwin

Poised for More Productive Year 2?
Ben Rice

Could See More Time as Catcher Following Free-Agent Addition
Clarke Schmidt

Still Targeting Second-Half Return
Anthony Volpe

Unlikely to Return Until May?
Brett Wisely

Designated for Assignment by Rays
Mike Vasil

to Compete for Starting Rotation Spot
San Diego Padres

Padres Seeking Another Hitter, Starting Pitcher
Miguel Mendez

Could be on the Big-League Radar in 2026
Konnor Griffin

Can Konnor Griffin Win Shortstop Job in Pittsburgh?
Brandon Sproat

Should be in Mix for Brewers Rotation Spot
Dylan Ross

Pushing for Bullpen Role at MLB Level
Ben Rice

to Lose Playing Time With Veteran First Baseman Returning?
Paul Goldschmidt

Returning to Yankees on One-Year Deal
OG Anunoby

Won't Play on Friday
Tobias Harris

is Cleared for Friday's Game
Jalen Duren

is Ruled Out for Friday's Game
Gary Harris

is Returning on Friday
Jared McCain

Expected to Make Team Debut on Saturday
Nate Garkow

Receives Invitation to Spring Training
Isaiah Hartenstein

is Ready for Saturday's Game
Chet Holmgren

is Cleared for Saturday's Game
Emiliano Teodo

Could be Bullpen Asset for Rangers
Julius Randle

Cleared to Play Friday
Bobby Portis

is Available for Friday's Game
Josh Hart

Available Against Pistons
Junior Perez

in the Running for Backup Outfield Spot
Karl-Anthony Towns

Ruled Out Friday
Connor Prielipp

has the Arsenal to Start for the Twins
Josh Giddey

Won't Play Saturday
Cameron Johnson

Upgraded to Questionable
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Considered Questionable for Saturday
CFB

Rutgers Hiring South Dakota Head Coach Travis Johansen as Defensive Coordinator
Vinicius Oliveira

Looks For His Seventh Consecutive Win
Mario Bautista

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 113
Kyoji Horiguchi

Set For UFC Vegas 113 Co-Main Event
Amir Albazi

Looks To Bounce Back
Rizvan Kuniev

Looks For His First UFC Win
Jailton Almeida

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Marc-Andre Barriault

In Dire Need Of Victory
Michal Oleksiejczuk

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Michael Penix Jr.

Says he's Ahead of Schedule After Knee Surgery
Cleveland Browns

Jim Schwartz Resigns as Browns Defensive Coordinator
Malik Nabers

Says his Rehab has Been "Phenomenal"
CFB

Oklahoma Hiring Former NFL Defensive Lineman DeShawn Williams to Analyst Role
CFB

Jahmal Edrine Charged with Sexual Assault, No Longer Enrolled at Virginia
Jakob Chychrun

Makes Big Impact in Thursday's Win
Brandon Bussi

Shuts Out Rangers With 16 Saves
Anze Kopitar

Reaches 1,300 Career Points
Mark Stone

Becomes First Vegas Player With 100 Multi-Point Games
Daniil Tarasov

Injured in Battle of Florida
Andrei Kuzmenko

Hurt Versus Vegas
John Carlson

Suffers Lower-Body Injury
Matthew Stafford

Named 2025 NFL MVP, Will Return in 2026
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Takes Home Offensive Player of the Year Honors
Christian McCaffrey

Named Comeback Player of the Year
Tetairoa McMillan

Named Offensive Rookie of the Year
Myles Garrett

Unanimously Wins Defensive Player of the Year Award
Brad Marchand

Evan Rodrigues Among Panthers Absentees Thursday
Calum Ritchie

Rejoins Islanders Lineup as Second-Line Center
Zach Benson

Sits Out Second Straight Game
Pierre-Luc Dubois

Available Against Predators
Rickard Rakell

Out Thursday
Brayden Point

Won't Play in Olympics
Jonathan Huberdeau

to Have Season-Ending Hip Surgery
CFB

Houston, Vanderbilt, Tennessee Land Top-Three QBs in 2026 Class
Joe Mixon

Committed to Playing in 2026
CFB

Michigan Signs Top-15 Recruiting Class Despite Coaching Change
CFB

USC Finishes with No. 1 Signing Class in 2026
Valeri Nichushkin

Sets Up Three Goals Wednesday
CFB

Trinidad Chambliss Denied Medical Redshirt Waiver By NCAA
Ryan O'Reilly

Delivers Three Assists in Overtime Loss
Matt Boldy

Records Historically Fast Hat Trick Wednesday
Jet Greaves

Gives Blue Jackets Second Straight Shutout
Wyatt Kaiser

Hurt Against Blue Jackets
Sandis Vilmanis

Injured in Wednesday's Win
Jack Hughes

Out Thursday
CFB

Sam Leavitt to be Limited In Spring Practice
Jordan Love

Avoids Offseason Surgery
Matt Fitzpatrick

Back in Action at WM Phoenix Open
Sahith Theegala

Riding Hot Start Into WM Phoenix Open
J.J. Spaun

Looks to Regain Form at WM Phoenix Open
Viktor Hovland

a Volatile Option at WM Phoenix Open
Rasmus Hojgaard

Aims to Build on Solid Start to 2026
Brian Harman

Looks to Find Form at WM Phoenix Open
Daniel Berger

Has the Tools to Go One Step Higher at Scottsdale
Max Greyserman

Searching for Consistency at WM Phoenix Open
Jake Knapp

Wants Revenge at WM Phoenix Open
CFB

Joey Aguilar Granted Temporary Restraining Order Against NCAA
Joel Dahmen

Carrying Momentum Into WM Phoenix Open
Corey Conners

Unlikely to Contend at Scottsdale
Sepp Straka

Seeks a Rebound After The American Express
Jordan Spieth

Healthy Heading to WM Phoenix Open
Keith Mitchell

Building Momentum for Event in Scottsdale
Tom Hoge

The Tom Hoge Roller Coaster Heads to Scottsdale for WM Phoenix Open
Rickie Fowler

Worth a Look at WM Phoenix Open
Xander Schauffele

Making Second Appearance at Phoenix Open
Collin Morikawa

Needs a Bounce-Back at Waste Management Phoenix Open
Hideki Matsuyama

Has a Shot to Challenge at the Waste Management Phoenix Open
Max Homa

Playing Well Heading to Waste Management Phoenix Open
Ben Griffin

Will Need to Find Approach Game to Compete in Phoenix
Michael Penix Jr.

Matt Ryan Not Committing to Michael Penix Jr. as the Starting QB
NASCAR

Billy Horschel Unlikely to Right the Ship in Phoenix
Matthew Stafford

Doesn't Need Offseason Back Surgery
CFB

Joey Aguilar Files New Lawsuit Against NCAA Seeking Sixth Year of Eligibility
Davante Adams

Expected to Return to Rams in 2026
Los Angeles Rams

Rams Sign Sean McVay, Les Snead to Contract Extensions
Diego Lopes

Outclassed At UFC 325
Alexander Volkanovski

Dominates Diego Lopes
Dan Hooker

Stopped In The Second Round
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Extends His Win Streak
Rafael Fiziev

Suffers Second-Round TKO Loss
MMA

Maurício Ruffy Gets Back In The Win Column
San Francisco 49ers

49ers Set to Name Raheem Morris Their Defensive Coordinator
Las Vegas Raiders

Raiders Close to Naming Klint Kubiak the Next Head Coach
Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals Finalizing Deal to Make Mike LaFleur the Next Head Coach
CFB

Gus Malzahn Retiring from Coaching
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF