Fantasy Basketball Breakout Candidates - Eastern Conference Edition | Evan Mobley, Jalen Johnson, Bilal Coulibaly, Jalen Duren, Nikola Jovic and More

The NBA regular season is closing in quickly, and more and more fantasy basketball leagues are drafting by the day.

I thought it’d be fun to try to identify some possible breakout fantasy candidates, and decided I’d name one from every team. Let’s get right to it, starting with the Eastern Conference teams.

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Boston Celtics

Payton Pritchard would be my choice from a stacked Boston roster. Pritchard saw his role increase a season ago, and he should continue to get a decent amount of minutes each night as he spells Jrue Holiday and Derrick White.

Brooklyn Nets

Nicolas Claxton is my pick from the Nets. He’s already a double-double machine, but I think there’s more room for growth in his game. On a fairly weak overall roster, I think Claxton could take a big step forward this season.

New York Knicks

Miles McBride is who I gravitate toward on the Knicks. He showed flashes of promise last season, and probably would be a much bigger fantasy asset on a not-so-stacked roster. I think he’s going to surprise a lot of people this coming season, even while playing behind Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges.

Philadelphia 76ers

Philly is really top heavy, not leaving many options for a true breakout player. I’ll say Kelly Oubre Jr. exceeds expectations though. He might be the fourth or fifth scoring option on the floor most times, but he can impact the game in other ways to provide fantasy value.

Toronto Raptors

I’ll say RJ Barrett for Toronto. He had great averages in his 32 games with the team last season, and will outperform his draft stock by the end of the season. I’m still not sure why his ADP is where it is.

Chicago Bulls

Patrick Williams is my pick from the Bulls. Injuries cut his 2023-24 season short, and I think with a better/healthier team around him, Williams is in store for career-best averages this coming season.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Evan Mobley is already a well-known name, but I think he establishes himself as a really good all-around fantasy option this season. The only thing that could stop him is injuries.

Detroit Pistons

I’m taking Jalen Duren from the Pistons. He’s already a walking double-double, and I think with a couple more minutes and a better team around him, Duren could become one of the top fantasy big men in the game.

Indiana Pacers

Andrew Nembhard is the pretty obvious pick for the Pacers, in my opinion. His role should expand, and that should lead to better averages across his statline. 

Milwaukee Bucks

There’s not many great options on the Bucks, so I’m going to try Gary Trent Jr. We don’t know exactly how he’ll fit into the Bucks’ starting lineup as we haven’t seen it in a real game yet, but he’s capable of putting up big numbers in a secondary role, and should play a bigger role as the team eases Khris Middleton into things.

Atlanta Hawks

There’s a couple guys I could pick for the Hawks, but I’ll say Jalen Johnson. He was enjoying a bit of a breakout season in 2023-24 before succumbing to injuries. Johnson will pick up where he left off and probably improve his numbers even more this season.

Charlotte Hornets

Brandon Miller is the pick for the Hornets. He had a solid rookie season, but I see him taking a noticeable step forward this season and establishing himself as a cornerstone for the team to build around going forward.

Miami Heat

Nikola Jovic is my selection from Miami. He came on late last season and is primed for a breakout season now. He’s not going to be very high on the list of offensive playmakers, but he can excel playing off his star teammates and filling the box score with rebounds and assists.

Orlando Magic

Jalen Suggs took a step forward last season and I expect another one this coming season. On a young and improving Magic roster, Suggs could ultimately be the one to make the team a serious threat in the Eastern Conference.

Washington Wizards

Bilal Coulibaly is my pick from the Wizards. He did some nice things in his rookie season, and should be primed for a larger role this coming year.