2025 NBA Playoff risers: Fantasy basketball breakouts ahead of the Finals
With the 2025 NBA Finals tipping off Thursday, hoops fans are treated to a clash of emerging squads as the Oklahoma City Thunder square off against the Indiana Pacers. Both teams feature a potent mix of youthful talent, defensive discipline and high-octane offenses. Ignoring the haters who yap about the ratings, this will be a fun matchup that'll revector the basketball landscape. However, beyond the team narratives, this postseason has ignited several basketball stars and role players who could be poised to take the next step heading into the 2025-26 season.
Let's spotlight those who played deep into the playoffs and made notable jumps in Fantasy Points Per Game (FPPG), along with first-round standouts who proved their worth despite early exits.
Increase in fantasy points per game from the 2024-25 regular season to the 2025 postseason
Donovan Mitchell - PG/SG, Cleveland Cavaliers
As a perennial early-round pick, Mitchell reminded us what his peak powers looked like while Darius Garland labored through a foot injury throughout the playoffs. Mitchell took a sizable jump from the regular season to the postseason, going from 39.5 to 45.8 FPPG.
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He scored 30+ points in six of his nine games and averaged 1.9 swipes despite seeing a slight dip in efficiency in 3s and free-throw percentage. Depending on what the Cavs do in the offseason, I expect Mitchell to return to the 24/5/5 guy he was, unless Garland's situation changes.
Andrew Nembhard - PG/SG, Indiana Pacers
As Indiana bulldozed its way to the Finals, Nembhard proved pivotal for the Pacers for the second year in a row. His +4.4 FPPG gain (24.0 to 28.4) came from a slight bump in usage with more minutes (33.2 compared to 28.4 in the regular season) and improved efficiency. Nembard's 3-point shooting skyrocketed to 48.3% in the postseason after being a 29% shooter from deep in the regular season.
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He's an ascending player in the league given his knack for stepping up in the playoffs. And I can't help but think he's an underrated player on the cusp of a breakout, similar to Jalen Brunson's days with the Mavericks. History has him as an undrafted, waiver-wire type of player, but if the efficiency holds and he continues on this trajectory, a late-round fantasy draft pick is more than fair.
Aaron Gordon -SF/PF, Denver Nuggets
Gordon's production and poise in the clutch earned him a spot on the risers list. His increase to 37 minutes per game led to more scoring and rebound opportunities, resulting in Gordon having a +4.3 bump in FPPG from the regular season to the playoffs (26.0 to 30.3 FPPG).
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If not for the nagging injuries in the regular season, Gordon would've been flirting with top 100 status. The Nuggets could use another shot creator, but Gordon's chemistry with Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray is too strong for him not to be effective in fantasy next season.
Julius Randle - PF/C, Minnesota Timberwolves
The Thunder made it difficult for everyone in the Western Conference finals, although Randle was the Wolves' most consistent player through the first two rounds of the playoffs. Randle's gain was modest (34.1 to 35.7 FPPG). However, he finally looked comfortable as a secondary playmaker who also found his shooting touch at the right time.
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Randle shot 39% from 3-point range, took nearly three more shot attempts per game and hit 88% of his free throws, raising his scoring average from 18.7 PPG in the regular season to 21.7 in the postseason. Now, he'll have to decide whether to opt in to his $31M player option or test free agency.
Jaylen Brown - SG/SF, Boston Celtics
While Brown saw a slight dip in production (37.8 to 36.7 FPPG), context is key. He played through a partial meniscus tear, and with Jayson Tatum's Achilles injury clouding Boston's immediate future, Brown (when healthy) will presumably assume the role as the Celtics' go-to option heading into next season. Expect his fantasy stock to rise significantly by draft time.
Increase in fantasy points per game from the 2024-25 regular season to the 2025 postseason
Gary Trent Jr. - PG/SG, Milwaukee Bucks : Massive leap from 18.1 to 30.4 FPPG in just five games. The absence of Damian Lillard factored into the bump in production, but you can't knock Trent's elite perimeter scoring and defense.
Davion Mitchell - PG, Miami Heat : Scored +8.2 FP over his regular-season mark and quietly earned more usage and opportunity late in the season. He's a player I'll be keeping an eye on this offseason.
Alperen Şengün - C, Houston Rockets : Draymond Green and the Warriors gave him hell but it was a key learning moment in his young career. He upped his FPPG by 5.7 points in seven games versus Golden State thanks to better rebounding and increasing his shot volume.
LeBron James - SF/PF, Los Angeles Lakers : Even at 40, LeBron James raised the bar from a production standpoint, increasing his FPPG by 6.3 points compared to the regular season.
Cade Cunningham - PG/SG, Detroit Pistons: Turnovers continue to hamper his fantasy stock, but he's approaching early second-round consideration for his stat stuffing. Cunningham improved by 4.2 FPPG in six games versus the Knicks.
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🏆 Who will rise in the NBA Finals?
With the Finals stage set, all eyes turn to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton — two young superstars leading their franchises to unprecedented heights. The Thunder are overwhelming favorites, but this Pacers team continues to defy expectations. Youth, defense, depth and versatility have been the calling cards for both teams and I can't wait for the chess match.
And who knows — perhaps another playoff riser will emerge on the biggest stage.
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After 2019-20, Presti promoted Mark Daigneault from assistant to head coach and embarked on a rebuild that has led to this Finals appearance. Presti wants another decade of 50-win seasons and championship-caliber teams. The Thunder won 57 games last season, 68 this season and are set up contractually to keep Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren and Jalen Williams. MORE: How Shaq 'flipped the script,' expanding fortune after retirement ANALYSIS: Unsung heroes? Underrated players who could make a difference in NBA Finals 'I didn't know much about professional basketball before I came here, and so my entire philosophy in professional basketball was underneath the umbrella of the Thunder organization,' said Daigneault, who was an assistant for Billy Donovan at Florida before joining the franchise in 2014. 'Our philosophical alignment is so tight because of that, because this is the only place I've ever worked and this is the only way I've ever done it, and a lot of it is stuff I've learned from Sam and learned from being in this organization in terms of understanding that these organizations are robust. 'It's not just you coaching your team. You're part of a large ecosystem of developing players and developing a team, and you're executing a large strategy for an organization. Those are things that have to exist in order to be a sustainably successful team in the NBA.' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle first met Presti 25 years ago, and Carlisle told reporters that after the Pacers fired him in 2000, he spent time around the Spurs. 'He is from the Boston area. So, he had grown up a Celtics fan,' Carlisle said. 'He actually remembered when I played, which was miraculous to me. Seemed like he was probably way too young for that. We had a couple of dinners together. He asked me, 'What can I do? I got to somehow get a job out of this.' 'I said, 'Just become a guy they can't live without.' ' Presti has done that – first with the Spurs and now during nearly two decades with the Thunder. He has an expert eye for talent, a special knack for roster construction and a clear understanding of the collective bargaining agreement/salary cap machinations. He has the vision to see where the league is headed. 'Sam is a great demonstration of resourcefulness and wherewithal and stuff like that,' Carlisle said. 'He's forged himself a great career. He and (Indiana's) Kevin Pritchard are two of the best franchise builders around.' Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Sam Presti: 'Seemed like a guy I can trust' Presti also has built relationships with players. It's not a one-way transaction. When the Thunder traded for George, Presti ‒ who has forged relationships with city leaders through philanthropy and commitment to Oklahoma City ‒ kept an open dialogue and when the time came, found a deal that worked for both sides. And he may have found an even better one for the Thunder and Gilgeous-Alexander, this season's NBA MVP. 'He's honest and upfront with me from day one,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'That helped our relationship right away. You don't get that very often, especially that early. Seemed like a guy I can trust. He's been that. I just try to be the same back to him. Nothing more than just two guys with good character trusting each other and have one common goal in mind.' You won't hear much from Presti during the Finals. TV cameras may catch him watching a home game from a tunnel near the Thunder's bench. He does two interviews a year, at the start of the season and after it's over, preferring the focus go to players and coaches. And other GMs who came before him and did the job with fewer resources financially, technologically and personnel-wise. Presti has learned from the past while creating his vision for what a team that wants to capitalize on its NBA Finals window should look like today - and in the future. Follow NBA columnist Jeff Zillgitt on social media @JeffZillgitt
