Welcome to "Role Revolution," where we explore fantasy basketball sleepers poised to break out due to recent roster changes and expanded opportunities.
As teams gear up for the home stretch following the All-Star break, we’re seeing which players are capitalizing on shifting roles. This week's edition highlights eight emerging players whose recent performances have demonstrated heightened production and/or flashes of brilliance, suggesting they're ready to make significant fantasy impacts. (Statistics as of February 25, 2025)
1. Ty Jerome
(SG, Cleveland Cavaliers)
2024-25 stats: 11.7 PPG, 2.5 RPG
3.4 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.0 BPG
52.1 FG%, 43.7 3P%, 87.9 FT%
Jerome has already turned heads this season with his outstanding shooting efficiency coming off the bench for the first-place Cavaliers, and his production has ramped up considerably over the past week. Despite playing under 23 minutes in each of his last three games, Jerome is averaging 21.7 PPG over that span while maintaining sky-high efficiency (59 FG%, 59 3P%).
Cleveland has a stacked backcourt with Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell and will need to continue finding minutes for guard/wing De’Andre Hunter, who has also been on fire from three-point land since joining the Cavs (17-30 3FG). Jerome has forced head coach Kenny Atkinson into some challenging lineup decisions with his stellar play and if Cleveland opts to rest its stars a bit down the stretch, Jerome could easily be in store for some monster scoring performances.
2. Keldon Johnson
(SF, San Antonio Spurs)
2024-25 stats: 12.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG
1.5 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG
47.2 FG%, 31.7 3P%, 76.2 FT%
With Victor Wembanyama out for the season, Johnson has a great opportunity to shoulder the frontcourt load for San Antonio. Johnson has flirted with borderline All-Star status in the past, averaging a career-high 22 PPG in 2022-23, but declined steadily in the Wemby era, averaging 15.7 PPG in 2023-24 and 12.0 PPG this season.
In the Spurs’ four games without Wembanyama so far, Johnson has increased his scoring output to 18 PPG on 73.7 FG% and rediscovered his shooting stroke, knocking down 7-12 three-pointers over that span.
In his first season without a single start, Johnson is posting his best efficiency (47.2 FG%) since 2020-21 (47.9 FG%). He’s accomplished this by reducing his three-point attempts (3.5 per game vs. 5.3 last season) and taking his highest percentage of field goal attempts within three feet (32.1%) since 2020-21. Anticipate more minutes without Wembanyama and significant fantasy relevance if his efficiency continues.
3. Nickeil Alexander-Walker
(SG, Minnesota Timberwolves)
2024-25 stats: 9.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG
2.5 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.3 BPG
44.7 FG%, 40.5 3P%, 76.9 FT%
With a career scoring average of just 8.5 PPG, Alexander-Walker has not done much to emerge from the shadow of his superstar cousin, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, over his first six NBA seasons. That appears to be changing.
The Timberwolves guard played 32.8 MPG in February after averaging just 23.3 MPG prior to that. He’s rewarded head coach Chris Finch’s faith in him with particularly solid performances in his last four games. Over that period, Minnesota faced the NBA’s top defense in OKC three times and fourth-ranked Houston once, but Alexander-Walker was undeterred, averaging 17.3 PPG on 52.2% from the field and an even better 56% from deep.
Alexander-Walker is making good on the flashes of potential he has shown in the past, and this February surge should be the evidence that you need to add him to your roster as the season winds down.
4. Jaden McDaniels
(PF, Minnesota Timberwolves)
2024-25 stats: 12.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG
1.8 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.9 BPG
46.8 FG%, 32.7 3P%, 83.3 FT%
McDaniels has earned a reputation as one of the league’s premier defensive stoppers over his first five NBA seasons and recently turned things up a notch on the offensive end. He’s averaged 18.6 PPG in the month of February, including three 21+ point performances over his last four games.
Over that four-game stretch, McDaniels shot just 3-19 from beyond the arc but has found scoring production through other methods. He converted over 90% of his free throws in February but, moreover, he appears to have discovered his sweet spot in the 10-to-16-foot midrange area. In 2024-25, McDaniels is shooting the highest proportion of his field goal attempts from this specific midrange distance in his career and posting career-high efficiency in that zone at 56%.
McDaniels will undoubtedly continue to earn high minute totals with his defensive efforts, and if he can keep putting the pieces together offensively, he’ll be a hot fantasy commodity for years to come.
5. P.J. Washington
(PF, Dallas Mavericks)
2024-25 stats: 14.5 PPG, 8.1 RPG
2.3 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.0 BPG
44.2 FG%, 38.5 3P%, 74.5 FT%
Washington earns a spot on this list as essentially the last man standing in a depleted Dallas frontcourt. Anthony Davis’ adductor strain will be re-evaluated in early March, while the Mavericks center duo of Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II are both expected to be out until at least early April.
Aside from a notable increase in rebounds, Washington has generally played around his standards in 2024-25, hovering near his career averages across the board. He did post a 0-9 stinker in Luka Doncic’s return to Dallas on Tuesday, but still grabbed 10 rebounds, dished five assists, and swatted four shots. More importantly, he easily led the Mavericks’ frontcourt in minutes and with Dallas still hoping to contend for a title this season, expect his playtime and production to remain high over the next month.
6. Jabari Walker
(SF, Portland Trail Blazers)
2024-25 stats: 4.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG
0.5 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.1 BPG
48.8 FG%, 28.6 3P%, 67.5 FT%
Walker has had a relatively quiet start to his NBA career, averaging just six points on 16 minutes per game over three NBA seasons, but has recently earned praise from Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups for traits that go beyond box score numbers, namely versatility and physicality. This praise is backed up by advanced metrics, which ranks Walker in the 90th percentile in Rim Frequency (the percentage of opponent shot attempts at the rim he is able to contest) and 91st percentile in defensive versatility.
Due to these traits and a Portland frontcourt hampered by injuries to Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams, Walker’s playtime has increased over the past few games and he is starting to show signs of fantasy relevance. Against Denver on February 12, Walker converted 3-3 three-pointers, posting 17 points to go along with seven rebounds. Walker missed Portland’s next game but returned with a huge showing against Charlotte on Saturday, posting 20 points on 6-10 efficiency and 14 rebounds.
Despite a meager four-point performance at Utah on Monday, Walker (rostered in less than 1% of ESPN leagues) is worth keeping an eye on, especially with the Blazers likely to reduce core player minutes down the stretch.
7. Kyle Filipowski
(C, Utah Jazz)
2024-25 stats: 7.0 PPG, 4.9 RPG
1.9 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.1 BPG
51.5 FG%, 36.5 3P%, 62.3 FT%
Utah’s rookie center appears to have turned a corner over the past two weeks, notching his first two 20-point performances against the Clippers on February 13 and the Trail Blazers on Monday. Over that stretch, Filipowski has shot 9-15 from deep, including 4-4 in the Portland matchup, presenting an intriguing alternative to Walker Kessler, the Jazz’s extremely efficient paint operator featured in our Top Five Rebounders.
Unfortunately, but unsurprisingly, Filipowski’s playtime and production are tied to Kessler, as those two 20-point outings came in games that Kessler missed. Filipowski started both games, averaging 36.5 MPG, but in the two games the past two weeks featuring both players, Fillipowski came off the bench, averaging just 15.5 MPG and 10 PPG.
For now, keep an eye on Kessler’s game status before slotting Filipowski into your lineup, but don’t be surprised if Fillipowski’s reliable three-point shooting leads to increased playtime and fantasy relevance.
8. Yves Missi
(C, New Orleans Pelicans)
2024-25 stats: 8.4 PPG, 8.2 RPG
1.4 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.5 BPG
53.3 FG%, 0.0 3P%, 64.0 FT%
Pelicans rookie center Yves Missi earns the final spot among this week’s fantasy basketball sleepers. In a down season for first-year players, Missi has garnered All-Rookie consideration with impressive rebounding numbers for the lowly Pelicans. Despite just 26.9 MPG, Missi has averaged 3.5 offensive rebounds per game, sixth in the association, and those numbers have only increased in recent games.
Excluding a February 13 game against Sacramento when he played 12 minutes, Missi has grabbed four or more offensive boards in each of his last five games. This includes a career-high 15 total rebounds and six offensive rebounds on Sunday against the Spurs.
Missi is a great addition for rebound-needy fantasy squads in general, but in formats prioritizing offensive rebounds, Missi is a rising star who has already proven to be a valuable asset going forward.