Back by popular demand, I bring you my “pop players” for the 2025-26 season!

The key to building a championship team is drafting players with a career arrow that is pointing straight up as opposed to sideways or downward. You need upside. You need bang for the buck. You need value.

In order to accurately predict the future and determine which direction these career arrows are pointing, we must ask (and answer) the following question: who is going to take their game to another level this year?

For example, Amen Thompson’s career arrow is pointing straight up like a flagpole, while Brook Lopez has a career arrow that is pointing down. Miles Bridges and Naz Reid strike me as having sideways (or plateau) career arrows entering this season.

It is also our job as fantasy managers to consistently beat ADP in our drafts. My list of “pop players” is ready to blow their collective ADPs out of the water and have your league in awe of the juggernaut you just built. Your new nickname will be “Presti.”

The only “pop player” that blew up on me last year was Zion Williamson, who I targeted in several leagues–and still managed to win chips despite his pathetic 30 games. I nailed every other selection and I have lofty expectations for my 2025-26 “pop players.”

NOTE: I do not include free-throw percentage or field-goal percentage in my calculations and rankings. You can’t have everything and sacrifices must be made, so while I don’t necessarily “punt” those categories, I do not prioritize them either. I am obsessed with PRA (points, rebounds and assists) and fantasy gold (blocks, steals and threes) because I have found that these categories are more pivotal than the percentages in head-to-head formats.

Pop Stars

These players are stars already, but they will experience a statistical “pop” this season.

Luka Doncic

Believe it or not, but there is a significant amount of upside for Luka entering this spite season in LA. Luka’s PRA fell off dramatically last season, from 34-9-10 to 28-8-7 in 50 games split between Dallas and Los Angeles.

Luka made the cover of “Men’s Health” over the summer because he has finally made weight loss and conditioning a top priority. He is more serious now. He feels disrespected. He is wearing a chip on his shoulder after the controversial trade. He has revenge in mind, and it will be served ice-cold-dagger style in downtown Dallas.

Doncic was absolutely phenomenal at Eurobasket and he is ready to make his first legitimate run at an NBA MVP award. I am projecting Luka to have a PRA of 32-9-9 with 4 threes per game, which is why I am drafting him over Nikola Jokic if I get the second overall pick (Wemby is #1).

Want to see more of Rick Kamla’s “Pop Players” for Fantasy Basketball in 2025? You’ll need to have an Ethos 360, All-Sport or NBA FantasyPass membership. Click here to learn more and sign up! Premium Access Required  

• About the Author
• Latest Posts

Rick Kamla

National media personality & Fantasy Sports legend.

• Rick Kamla's "Pop Players" for Fantasy Basketball in 2025
• College Football Fantasy is the Wild, Wild West
• Rick Kamla’s 15-Pop Players for College Football Fantasy in 2025