2026-27 Fantasy Basketball: 4 Players Entering Their Second Year Poised To Break Out

The NBA preseason is just days away, and fantasy basketball draft season is officially heating up. While much of the 2026-27 hype surrounds the incoming rookie class and sophomores like Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe and Kon Knueppel are already climbing draft boards, several other second-year players are flying well under the radar.

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Thanks to roster turnover, key injuries and expanding NBA roles, these breakout candidates could return serious value in nine-category leagues. Here are four undervalued fantasy basketball sleepers to target in your 2026-27 fantasy drafts.

Collin Murray-Boyles, Toronto Raptors

(25/26 9-cat rank: 184)

Murray-Boyles was taken with the ninth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, landing in a somewhat favorable position in Toronto. Although he had a relatively consistent role from the outset, it wasn't until Jakob Poeltl's back injury that we saw the rookie start to flash some of his two-way upside. In 23 appearances over the final three months, he was basically a top-100 asset, averaging 10.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 2.0 combined steals and blocks, shooting 63.0% from the floor and 68.3% from the line, playing just 23.6 minutes per game.

By all accounts, Poeltl is healthy heading into the 2026-27 season, which does mean that minutes at the center spot are not going to be easy for Murray-Boyles. However, with Sandro Mamukelashvili now in Los Angeles, the power forward spot is a little more accessible. Considering that Poeltl could also be limited in terms of both playing time and games played, it does appear as though the path to minutes for Murray-Boyles is a little clearer than last season. Assuming this is the case, we are looking at a player who could very well flirt with top 70 value, assuming he can maintain his defensive production, thanks mostly to his ability to provide across-the-board numbers, with a focus on defensive contributions.

Cedric Coward, Memphis Grizzlies

(25/26 9-cat rank: 158)

Drafted with the 11th pick in the 2025 draft, Coward put together a serviceable rookie campaign, although he too came into his own down the stretch. In 11 games over the final month of the 2025-26 season, he averaged 14.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.5 3-pointers in 24.4 minutes per game, good enough for borderline top-100 value in nine-category leagues. He was in and out of the starting lineup during his first season in the league, a factor that can likely be overlooked heading into Year 2. All signs point to him starting this season, meaning his playing time should also increase, potentially to 30 minutes per game.

While he doesn't have the defensive upside of someone like Murray-Boyles, Coward is a more polished offensive prospect, having scored at least 20 points on seven separate occasions last year, including a career-high 28 points in a loss to Philadelphia. Cameron Boozer is likely going to garner a lot of attention heading into the 2026-27 season, and with good reason. Boozer is seen as a centerpiece for the organization moving forward, and should slide straight into a starter-level role. However, Coward did enough last season to at least throw his hat in the ring when it comes to being a core piece for the team. Based on what we saw late last season, there is no reason Coward can't at least nudge the top 80 this season, after being outside the top 150 during his rookie campaign.

Joan Beringer, Minnesota Timberwolves

(25/26 9-cat rank: 408)

Unlike both Murray-Boyles and Coward, Beringer was barely seen during his rookie season, averaging just 3.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 7.9 minutes per contest, appearing in just 40 games. However, we did get a small glimpse of what he might be capable of in his final appearance of the season, recording 24 points, 13 rebounds and 7 blocks in 31.3 minutes of playing time. While there is no expectation that Beringer will even come close to 31 minutes per game, the fact of the matter is that it does appear as though Minnesota has cleared the runway for him to become the primary backup behind an aging Rudy Gobert.

Gobert remains one of the most reliable defensive-minded centers in the league, fresh off a season in which he played 76 games, averaging 10.9 points, 11.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 31.3 minutes per contest. However, he will be 34 years of age heading into the 2026-27 season, and given the lofty expectations in Minnesota when it comes to team success, it makes sense that the coaching staff would like to keep him relatively fresh for the postseason. With Naz Reid and Julius Randle both located elsewhere, the time for Beringer could be now. Although he and Gobert play a similar style of basketball, there is a small chance they could share the floor, given the fact that Beringer's length and athleticism could allow him to switch out onto the wing, at least for short amounts of time. Assuming Gobert plays roughly 30-31 minutes per game, an 18-19 minute-per-game floor for Beringer is quite enticing.

Khaman Maluach, Phoenix Suns

(25/26 9-cat rank: 457)

Much like Beringer, Maluach was basically an afterthought during his rookie season, playing behind both Mark Williams and Oso Ighodaro. In 46 appearances, Maluach averaged just 3.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.7 blocks, logging just 8.9 minutes per game. Coming into his sophomore season, Maluach seemed destined for a larger, yet similarly underwhelming role. That was until Mark Williams suffered a shoulder injury during the preseason, which could end up costing him the majority of the 2026-27 season.

With Williams basically out of the picture, it will be either Maluach or Ighodaro who assumes the role of starter, while the other should play a meaningful role off the bench. Ighodaro could have the inside track, given that he was ahead of Maluach last season. In fact, he started 24 games during the 2025-26 campaign, which, on paper, seems like a positive. However, as a starter, he averaged just 8.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.4 combined steals and blocks, leaving him well outside the top 300 in that time. Maluach, on the other hand, is coming off a dominant performance in Summer League, where he averaged 17.8 points, 12.8 rebounds, 2.0 3-pointers and 3.3 combined steals and blocks. The preseason could give us insight as to who will ultimately get the starting nod.

Whether he is starting or coming off the bench, Maluach's obvious upside, coupled with Ighodaro's limitations, should make him a tasty last-round target, despite an uneventful rookie season.