Welcome to “Role Revolution,” where we explore emerging NBA talents poised to break out due to recent roster changes and expanded opportunities. With the trade deadline reshaping team dynamics and injuries creating voids in rotations, wise fantasy managers know that identifying these rising stars early can be key to success. This well help us find the top eight fantasy basketball players who are due for a role change.
This article highlights eight players already capitalizing on their increased roles and/or on the cusp of a significant leap forward. Whether you’re looking to bolster your roster for a playoff push or planning ahead for next season, these players deserve your immediate attention. (Statistics as of February 11th, 2025)
1. Trey Murphy III
(SF, New Orleans Pelicans)
2024-25 stats: 22.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG
3.4 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.7 BPG
47.2 FG%, 39.1 3P%, 89.3 FT%
Murphy has already upped his game plenty in year four, jumping nearly eight points per game and catapulting himself into the Most Improved Player conversation, which he currently has the fourth-best odds to win. With the Pelicans mired in last place in the Western Conference, their front office fully leaned into the rebuild last week, trading perennial 20+ PPG scorer Brandon Ingram to Toronto for Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, and two draft picks. Before the trade, Ingram had already been sidelined with an ankle injury since December 7th, and Murphy’s numbers during that period were staggering.
He only saw a minute increase of 3.8 per game but had a dramatic uptick in production and efficiency. In 11 games prior to Ingram’s injury, Murphy averaged 17.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 2.3 APG on 42 FG%, 33 3P%, and 90 FT%, and in 26 games since then, he averaged 24.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 3.8 APG, on nearly 50/40/90 splits of 49 FG%, 41 3P%, and 90 FT%.
Murphy has been particularly dangerous recently, with just his second and third career 40+ point performances each occurring in the past two weeks. Given his remarkable efficiency and with Ingram now permanently out of the lineup, Murphy (still available in 16% of ESPN leagues) should be a target for any team.
2. Christian Braun
(SG, Denver Nuggets)
2024-25 stats: 14.9 PPG, 5.0 RPG
2.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.5 BPG
58 FG%, 37 3P%, 83 FT%
Some questioned Denver’s front office this offseason when it allowed a top-tier three-and-D role player and two-time champion in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to depart for Orlando in free agency, but replacing him with Braun in the starting SG slot has proven to be a masterstroke. The third-year pro has more than doubled his PPG output to go along with an astonishing 12 percentage point increase in FG%.
Despite increased playtime and solid 37% efficiency from deep, Braun is taking fewer threes than last season, an approach that is working wonders. Braun has been a machine around the rim, having already converted 94 more shots within five feet than all last season and doing so at a 71% clip, up from 56% in 2023-24.
He has shown no signs of slowing down, making notable strides as the season progresses. Over his past 15 games, Braun is averaging 18.6 PPG on spectacular 62.7% efficiency. Target Braun (available in one-third of ESPN leagues) before he inevitably reaches the next level of stardom.
3. Matas Buzelis
(SF, Chicago Bulls)
2024-24 stats: 6.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG
0.5 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.9 BPG
44 FG%, 36 3P%, 80 FT%
The 11th pick in the 2024 draft, Buzelis’ career got off to a slow start as he scored double-digit points just once in his first 16 games. However, the G League Ignite product has picked things up recently with seven straight double-digit scoring outputs, including an eye-catching 10/10 FG performance last Tuesday against the Heat. Head coach Billy Donovan has placed more faith in the 20-year-old, playing Buzelis 20+ MPG seven times over the last eight games after the SF averaged just 12.7 MPG in his first 44 appearances.
Already facing minimal competition for playtime in a putrid Bulls depth chart, Buzelis’ opportunities will continue to climb rapidly after Chicago dealt franchise player Zach LaVine to Sacramento last week, and he already got his first three career starts in the three games since the trade.
4. Nick Smith Jr
(SG, Charlotte Hornets)
2024-25 stats: 8.1 PPG, 2.0 RPG
1.8 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.2 BPG
40.7 FG%, 34.6 3P%, 87.5 FT%
Since Hornets starting SG Brandon Miller’s season-ending wrist injury on January 15th, Smith Jr.’s playtime has shot up nearly 20 minutes per game to 30.4 MPG, and he is Charlotte’s leader in minutes over the last five. In 83 career games, Smith Jr. has been less than impressive on both sides of the ball, shooting sub-40 FG% and measuring in the eighth percentile in CraftedDPM, a measure of a player’s overall defensive contribution.
This may not come as a shock to those who observed his 38 FG% in one collegiate season at Arkansas, but what is surprising is his marked improvement as his role expands. In his first eight games as a starter following Miller’s injury, Smith Jr. was his typical inefficient self, shooting 35% from the field and 25% from deep.
However, he has shown a new level of comfort with added responsibilities in the last five games, averaging 19.6 PPG on 54 FG% and 46 3P%. While Smith Jr.’s overall numbers and advanced metrics are pedestrian at best, fantasy managers should always keep an eye on players who respond noticeably well to increased playtime.
5. Bol Bol
(PF, Phoenix Suns)
2024-25 stats: 4.7 PPG, 1.9 RPG
0.4 APG, 0.1 SPG, 0.6 BPG
50.9 FG%, 29.0 3P%, 66.7 FT%
Bol, a fan-favorite despite limited playtime since entering the league in 2019, may have turned a corner with increased minutes and improved performance over his last three outings, even earning the first start of his Suns career Tuesday against the Grizzlies.
Averaging 29.0 MPG in his last three games, Bol has posted 16.3 PPG, including eight total 3-pointers and 11 total blocked shots after swatting just two all season prior to that. Bol has always had an intriguing skillset accompanied by an elite frame at 7’3 with a 7’8 wingspan. His recent play could soon merit him fantasy relevance, especially for category league teams needing a boost in blocks.
6. Nikola Jovic
(PF, Miami Heat)
2024-25 stats: 11.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG
2.9 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.3 BPG
46.4 FG%, 38.5 3P%, 83.5 FT%
Throughout the Jimmy Butler suspension and trade deadline drama, Jovic was dialed in from beyond the arc, converting at least one shot from deep in 17 straight games since January 6th. Over that stretch, Jovic averaged 2.5 threes per game on 39.4%, scored 20+ points four times, and increased his RPG and APG to 4.8 and 4.2, respectively, solid averages for a reserve forward.
Jovic has not had a significant uptick in minutes like the other players on this list, but if he continues to fire away from distance in the post-Jimmy era as expected, three-point-needy fantasy managers can certainly find value here.
7. Guerschon Yabusele
(C, Philadelphia 76ers)
2024-25 stats: 11.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG
2.0 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.4 BPG
52.4 FG%, 40.4 3P%, 73.6 FT%
Following a six-year absence, Yabusele has had a successful return to the NBA in 2024-25, posting far better numbers than he ever did during his brief stint in Boston. The Frenchman has played the vast majority of his minutes with the oft-injured Joel Embiid sidelined, performing admirably with a 90th-percentile true shooting percentage. He has been on an absolute tear recently, averaging 19.0 PPG on 66.1 FG% and 50.0 3P% over his last five games.
Embiid played in two of those five games, but that did not appear to restrict Yabusele’s production or efficiency, as he shot a combined 14-18 FG in those two matchups. With Yabusele emerging as a key contributor this season regardless of Embiid’s health, this recent stretch is likely to continue and he is another solid option for teams in need of efficient scoring and long-range shooting.
8. Carlton Carrington
(PG, Washington Wizards)
2024-25 stats: 8.9 PPG, 4.0 APG
3.9 RPG, 0.7 SPG, 40.4 FG%
34.8 3P%, 81.8 FT%
Washington’s rookie PG has had a mediocre rookie season so far but appears to have found his rhythm recently, averaging 15.5 PPG and 6.3 APG, including 14-27 from three, over his last four games. With the worst record in the league, the Wizards’ coaching staff appears comfortable giving Carrington free reign offensively, as he has posted significantly increased usage rates over the last three weeks. If current trends continue, Washington will keep losing, but Carrington’s fantasy relevance will only rise.