It’s hard to predict how Summer League stars will produce during the NBA season. You know, the one that counts for all of our real fantasy stats. For every Donovan Mitchell, Quentin Grimes, and Cam Thomas, guys that translate summer success into NBA stardom, there’s a Kevin Knox II, Josh Selby, and Archie Goodwin, players who couldn’t transfer their July spectacles onto the big stage.
However, there are a few players who are excelling at this point that are likely to bring some of that momentum into the season. Let’s examine a few of them and see if we can find you some sleepers for the 2025-2026 NBA season.
Summer League Players Heating Up
PF Kyle Filipowski, Utah Jazz
Right now, Filipowski is the summer league MVP. The #32 pick last year, Filipowski was already the starting power forward in Utah. However, the second year player is scoring 29.3 points per game in 28 minutes per game. This includes 56% shooting overall and an impressive 39% from 3 points on a robust 7.7 shots per game.
Filipowski, who finished around 200th in category league scoring last year, was much stronger after the All-Star Break last year. Up to 30 minutes per game, he was averaging 14 points with 8.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists as a starter with 1.5 three pointers per game on 50% shooting from the floor, numbers that would have put him comfortably inside the top 100 for a full season. A stretch power forward next to Utah center Walker Kessler is a great inside-outside combination for the Jazz. There’s little question in my mind that Filipowski, who has very little competition at power forward, will return top 100 value this season regardless of format.
PF Alex Sarr, Washington Wizards:
Sarr went #2 overall in 2024, and promptly shot a subpar 39.5% from the floor for Washington. However, reports are that he is driving the ball well. The numbers seem to indicate this: he has shot 48% in Summer League, including 55% from inside the arc. Sarr is also blocking an astonishing 5.5 shots per game, easily highest in Vegas. Sarr was already one of the best shot blockers in the NBA last year (7th by averages). It would take his fantasy game to a whole new level if his blocks went from 1.5 to 2.0 per game, which would be truly elite.
Pay attention if they find minutes this year
G/F Terrence Shannon, Jr., Minnesota Timberwolves
Shannon is playing great ball, averaging 22.7 points, 6 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in Summer League play. He has also been efficient, shooting 47.6% from the floor, 38.5% from three, and 94.7% at the line. There are some significant obstacles to Shannon getting minutes this year, since he is not displacing either Jaden McDaniels or – hah – Ant Edwards at the wing positions. But the five assists is promising, since Shannon’s most likely path to regular minutes is point guard. The Timberwolves still have lottery pick Rob Dillingham on the roster, who is also showing out a bit in Summer League, so even that might be challenging. He could be an interesting player if he got extended run this season, but for now, he appears blocked.
G/F Jaylon Tyson, Cleveland Cavaliers
Tyson, a 2024 first round pick, has shown off his all-around game in Vegas so far. This summer, he is averaging 19.7 points, 6 boards, and 6 assists per game, which is very strong play. Tyson had a limited but not unsuccessful run on the bench for the Cavaliers last season. He showed out a bit during the playoffs last year, shooting 55% from three point range in the four games he was active. There is no reason he can’t earn more minutes this season, though fantasy relevance might have to wait.
Still Working On Their Tan
G/F Reed Sheppard, Houston Rockets
Sheppard, the 2024 #3 overall pick, had a forgettable rookie season. He posted just 4.4 PPG in just 12.6 minutes per game. That said, the Rockets have handed the ball to Sheppard during Summer League and told him to go nuts. He has put up an inefficient 23 PPG on 22 shots, including an incredible 11 three point shots attempted per game. However, Sheppard is averaging an astonishing 5.5 stocks (steals plus blocks) per game, 4 steals and 1.5 blocks. Even if he doesn’t find the range, Sheppard could become a player like Robert “Time Lord” Williams III or Matisse Thybulle, players with legit category league value. And Sheppard could shoot in college, so maybe he’ll start hitting.
F Matas Buzelis, Chicago Bulls
Buzelis, a 2024 lottery pick, is another player who began to turn on the juice near the end of last season for the Bulls. The 6’ 10” wing has put up a somewhat inefficient 22.5 points per game under the Vegas lights. Given his post All-Star success for the Bulls last year, where Buzelis put up almost two three pointers and a block per game, along with 13 PPG on 46.7% shooting, he has a lot of momentum going into the 2025-6 season. Based on his usage in Vegas, it’s possible they want him to become a much bigger part of the Bulls offense next year.
All-Stars Only In Summer
PF Drew Timme, Brooklyn Nets
Like a .300 hitter who only hits singles, Timme was the emptiest 12 point, 7 rebound player in the NBA last year. In nine games he shot 44%, 62% from the line, and got just 1 block and 4 steals. Timme is second behind Filipowski in summer scoring, but I’d feel better if he had found the range from 3 point range like Filipowski had. Unfortunately, he is hitting just 21% of his three pointers, slightly worse than his 25% rate for the Nets.
SF David Jones-Garcia, Utah Jazz
The numbers pop off the page – 21.3 points, 5 boards and 6 assists per game on 51% shooting, 50% from 3 point range, and all of this in just 25 minutes per game. The quality of play at Summer League is close to the G League, and Jones-Garcia played well there last year. However, the G League is not the NBA, and he’s now buried behind Ace Bailey, among others.
Lets us know which Summer league player you are excited about over at The Fantasy Advice Network
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