Fantasy women’s basketball: Sleepers, breakouts and busts for 2025

If you want to assemble a great fantasy women’s basketball roster, it all starts with great draft. And in order to have a great draft, you must know which players to target and which to avoid.

Who will exceed their average draft position (ADP) this season and Who will take their game to another level? Which player might take a step backward?

Our fantasy experts André Snellings, Eric Moody offer their advice on the potential sleepers, breakouts and busts in drafts ahead of the 2025 season.

Sleepers

Sleeper: A player who will far surpass their average draft position (ADP) in standard ESPN leagues.

Temi Fagbenle, C, Golden State Valkyries

Moody: Golden State is a mystery since the team hasn’t played a game yet, but Fagbenle is worth a late-round look. She averaged 14.4 fantasy points in just 18.9 minutes last season and was efficient in limited action, and Indiana Fever fans weren’t happy to lose her in the expansion draft. If Fagbenle cracks the starting lineup, she has legit sleeper appeal with real upside. Keep her on your radar.

Chelsea Gray, G, Las Vegas Aces

Snellings: It feels odd to have Gray listed as a sleeper, when in previous years she was a superstar, but her injury and struggle to return to form last year has dropped her ADP to 40.7 ahead of this season. I expect Gray to far-outperform this ranking. She already showed what she can do when healthy in Unrivaled, leading Rose BC to the championship and earning the Finals MVP after putting up big numbers all season. Gray established new career-best marks in scoring, assists, rebounds, and 3-pointers made in 2023, and I expect her to bounce-back to numbers resembling a top-20 player.

Shakira Austin, C, Washington Mystics

Moody: Injuries have limited Austin to just 31 games over the past two seasons, but her upside remains high. She averaged 24 fantasy points per game in only 20 minutes last year. There’s a clear path to more minutes if she can stay healthy, with Elena Delle Donne retired. Entering a contract year, Austin is a high-risk, high-reward pick worth considering in drafts.

Chennedy Carter, G, Free Agent

Snellings: Carter was one of the major breakout players of last season for the Chicago Sky and posting career-best marks of 17.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG and 1.1 SPG in 26.0 MPG. Her numbers as a starter were even better, particularly as a scorer where she averaged 20.7 PPG in her 20 starts. Carter has yet to sign with a team and that uncertainty has led her to fall in fantasy hoops drafts (ADP 53.4). But Carter played overseas this offseason, averaging a whopping 31.1 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 6.0 APG in China, and should be poised to hit the ground running with whoever signs her this season.

Breakouts

Breakout: A player who will leap into or close to the upper echelon of players at their position for the first time because of a dramatic increase in production compared to their previous seasons.

Kamilla Cardoso, C, Chicago Sky

Moody: The No. 3 pick in 2024, Cardoso averaged 10.0 PPG and 8.0 RPG last season while playing alongside Angel Reese, and is poised to take a leap in 2025. She dominated overseas, winning WCBA International Player of the Year after averaging 20.8 PPG and 10.2 RPG in 38 games. Even with Elizabeth Williams in the mix, Cardoso is a strong breakout candidate worth targeting at her ADP.

Cameron Brink, F, Los Angeles Sparks

Snellings: Brink was the second overall pick in the elite rookie class of last season and was well on her way to an excellent campaign before she tore her left ACL in mid-June. Brink is scheduled to return to game action in June of this season, so her breakout will be slightly delayed, but if she returns at full strength she should resume her ascent as one of the best young centers in the game. Brink was one of three WNBA players to average more than two BPG last season, and she has the game to challenge for a double-double on a nightly basis.

Busts

Bust: A player who is expected to be a solid starter in standard ESPN leagues but might fail to live up to those expectations this season.

DiJonai Carrington, G, Dallas Wings

Moody: Carrington averaged 23.9 fantasy points in 29.5 minutes during a breakout year with the Sun, earning All-Defensive First Team honors. She was traded to Dallas in the offseason, but the Wings’ backcourt is crowded with Arike Ogunbowale and No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers both commanding high usage rates. Carrington might not have as robust a role in the Wings’ rotation as she did with the Sun.

Ezi Magbegor, C, Seattle Storm

Moody: Magbegor isn’t a priority at her current ADP. She averaged 13.0 PPG and 8.7 RPG through 25 games last season, but her production dipped after Gabby Williams returned from overseas play — down to 9.0 PPG and 6.5 RPG over the final 12 games. With Seattle adding Dominique Malonga and still featuring Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith, Williams may be the better value.

Brittney Griner, F, Atlanta Dream

Snellings: “Bust” is a relative term for Griner’s fantasy production this season, as I do expect her to remain an All-Star caliber player. But she has been the focal post presence and one of the primary scoring options for the Phoenix Mercury her entire career, and this season she will have to adjust to a new team. The Dream is Rhyne Howard’s team, with Allisha Gray and Jordin Canada on the perimeter and Brionna Jones also contributing down low. I expect Griner’s numbers to dip enough so that her 25.9 ADP might be a bit high for her actual production.