Bleacher Report has highlighted Tristan da Silva, Aday Mara and Jarace Walker as deep fantasy basketball sleepers heading into the 2026-27 NBA season, with da Silva's preseason scoring giving him the clearest case to move up late-round boards. For managers hunting value beyond the obvious names, these are the kinds of players who can swing a fantasy season if their preseason form carries into Tuesday night's tipoff.
Tristan da Silva made the strongest preseason case
Da Silva, a third-year forward for the Magic, averaged 16.5 points in four preseason games and also showed improved three-point shooting. He finished the preseason with 3.5 threes per game, along with 3.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.3 stocks and 21.6 minutes per game. In fantasy basketball rankings, that is the sort of all-around line that can matter in deeper formats, especially if the Magic are able to take a step forward with mostly the same roster in place.
The appeal here is simple. Da Silva did not just put up points in a vacuum; he showed enough across multiple categories to suggest there could be usable fantasy value if his role grows even slightly. In deeper leagues, that can be enough to make the difference between a replacement-level option and a player worth rostering.
Aday Mara brings size and production into the conversation
Aday Mara was one of the more eye-catching preseason performers after averaging 13.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.4 blocks in five games. At the Combine, he posted measurements of 7'3" barefoot and a 7'6" wingspan, which only adds to the intrigue around his long-term upside. Those numbers make him difficult to ignore as a fantasy basketball rankings sleeper, even if his path to consistent minutes is less certain.
The challenge is opportunity. OKC is overloaded in the frontcourt, and that creates real role uncertainty. Still, for fantasy managers in very deep leagues, a player with Mara's size and production profile is exactly the kind of speculative add worth monitoring if preseason usage starts to carry over.
Jarace Walker flashed playmaking upside
Jarace Walker also made a case after posting 8.5 points, 6.5 assists and 6.0 rebounds in two preseason games. Those numbers suggest a broader fantasy profile than the usual low-usage frontcourt streamer, especially if his playmaking chances continue to rise.
Walker may not have produced the same scoring splash as da Silva, but his ability to contribute across rebounds and assists makes him another name to track in fantasy basketball rankings. In deep formats, multi-category production often matters more than headline scoring, and Walker's preseason line at least opened the door to that kind of value.
Why these sleepers matter now
Preseason can mislead, but it can also reveal who is ready for a larger role before the regular season settles in. For fantasy basketball managers, that is where value is often found: not in the safest stars, but in the players who look ready to turn a strong preseason into real production.
Da Silva looks like the most polished of the three right now, Mara offers the most intriguing upside, and Walker gives managers a useful blend of categories to consider. If any of them turn preseason momentum into consistent minutes, they could become the kind of late-round pick that helps define a fantasy basketball rankings win.
