The Kids Are More Than Alright

Player development in the NBA is largely an unpredictable process that unfolds differently for each player. Not everyone enters the league ready to capitalize on their tremendous upside. Some players enter the league ready, while others need weeks, months, or even years of seasoning to earn the trust of their coaches, and — more importantly — fantasy managers. 

In this column I look at three very talented young players who are starting to come into their own. While they are still just scratching the surface of what they will likely become, their recent improvements make them intriguing fantasy propositions for managers in nearly all formats.

Cason Wallace, G, Thunder

I’ve been on the Wallace bandwagon since the off-season. He has seemingly been an expanded role and more PT away from a true breakout since the end of last season. Injuries and improved play have started to work in his favor and over the past 14 days he’s ranked 60th overall on Yahoo with averages of 11.1 points, 4.1 boards, 3.3 assists, 1.4 steals, and a markedly improved .552 FG%. These aren’t league winning stats, but they are representative of meaningful across the board improvement from the talented 21-year-old.

The fact that Wallace has been playing roughly 30 minutes a game for a few weeks now speaks to just how much OKC values him more so than it does a desperate need for minutes from an injury riddled team.

I personally think Wallace is only scratching the surface of what he can be in the league. OKC’s depth will stand in his way of maximizing his production, but he’s also a borderline elite source of steals and the rest of his stat line has no place to go but up as he continues to establish himself on one of the league’s best teams.

I like Wallace as a guy who is still kind of slept on this season, but I LOVE him long-term. I recently dealt LaMelo Ball for him and Amen Thompson in one of my redraft leagues and I feel great about the return. Shrewd managers looking to improve their team depth would be wise to target him as well before the hype catches up with the production.

Ke’lel Ware, C, Heat

Ware has taken his game to another level since the calendar flipped to 2025. A lot of that has to do with the team giving him more minutes. The kid gloves appear to be coming off after the Heat slow-walked his development at the start of the season following a very promising summer league. Over the past two weeks alone Ware is ranked 38th overall on Yahoo with averages of 13.7 points, 9.3 boards, and 1.6 blocks along with great shooting and FT percentages.

At the tender age of 20 and with just 27 games under his belt, Ware’s best days are obviously ahead of him. However, with the Heat reportedly reengaged in Jimmy Butler trade talks, the opportunity for Ware to carve out an even bigger role in the short-term exists now more than ever.

Ware is currently available in 75% of Yahoo leagues. Even in leagues where he is taken, Ware’s inconsistent minutes and production create a buying opportunity for fantasy managers willing to take a chance on the young big man’s upside and the potential opportunity created by a possible Butler trade. There’s honestly very little downside here and a ton of upside. That’s a great betting proposition.

Isaiah Collier, G, Jazz

Collier was largely a non-factor up until about two weeks ago. Over his past four games he has really taken off to the tune of 15.5 points, 5 boards, 9.8 assists, and 1.3 threes per game while shooting a much improved but still not stellar 42.6% from the field.

Collier is a gifted young playmaker and distributor. He was a top recruit out of high school and it’s clear his opportunities for the Jazz are increasing. Should the team sell off any of its veterans at the deadline, in theory his playing time and numbers should only increase.

The only thing muddying the waters for Collier is the likelihood that the Jazz will go full tank mode the last few weeks of the season. What that means for his playing time, and more importantly games played, is yet to be seen. But given the fact he’s still available in 78% of leagues, the downside here again is quite low. Jump on Collier while you still can and hope the improved shooting, minutes, and games played trends continue.