Taking risks on fantasy basketball sleepers is exciting, but a winning roster is built on a foundation of reliability. To successfully draft breakout stars, you first need a base of high-floor players who offer consistent, elite production. Here are the 5 safest fantasy basketball players you must target in your 2025 draft to establish a winning foundation.
Make sure to check out RotoWire's fantasy basketball draft kit to help with your draft.
Safest NBA Fantasy Players to Draft in 2025
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets 
Jokic dominated fantasy basketball again last season, averaging 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, 10.2 assists, 1.8 steals and 2.0 three-pointers per game. He set career highs in all those categories except for rebounds, which was the second-highest mark of his career. He also shot 57.6% from the field, 41.7% from behind the arc and 80.0% from the free throw line. What can't he do?
In addition to his gaudy stats, Jokic averaged 37 minutes over 70 games last season. He has now played at least 70 games in all but one season of his career. That came in 2022-23 when he appeared in 69 games. The Nuggets finally added a viable backup center in Jonas Valanciunas during the offseason, but don't expect him to eat into Jokic's playing time a ton. You'll likely need to luck into the top pick in your draft to have a chance at selecting Jokic, but if you do, there might be no better player in the league to build your squad around.
Tools like RotoWire's fantasy basketball rankings give you a reliable player hierarchy, while the NBA fantasy draft cheat sheet helps you adjust categories and tiers on the fly.
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves 
Edwards took his game to another level last season, averaging 27.6 points per game. He was very active from deep, averaging 10.3 three-point attempts per game. He converted them at 39.5%, which helped him shoot 44.7% from the field for the season. As the focal point of the Timberwolves' scoring attack, Edwards finished with a usage rate of 31.4%. That marked his third straight season with a usage rate of at least 29.9%. In addition to his scoring contributions, Edwards has averaged at least 5.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.2 steals in each of the last three seasons.
Another plus with Edwards is that he has played exactly 79 games in each of the last three seasons. He has never played fewer than 72 games in a season. The Timberwolves return mostly the same roster as last season, so there's no reason to believe that Edwards won't continue to have a monster usage rate, while also helping fantasy managers in multiple other categories.
Watch NBA fantasy ADP to see how others value players. An informed use of ADP helps you avoid overpaying for consensus picks and spot opportunities when players slip in the draft.
Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings 
Talk about a model of consistency. Sabonis has averaged at least 18.5 points, 12.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in each of the last six seasons. Last season, he averaged 19.1 points, 13.9 rebounds and 6.0 assists, while shooting 59.0% from the field and 75.4% from the free-throw line. Another positive for fantasy managers is that he played in 70 games. In 2022-23, he appeared in 79 games. In 2023-24, he played all 82 games.
The main backups at center behind Sabonis are Drew Eubanks and Dario Saric, so the Kings are going to need every minute out of him that they can get. The team also enters the season with Malik Monk and Dennis Schroder set to split minutes at point guard. That could lead to even more opportunities for assists for Sabonis. He certainly has talented scorers around him, including Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. While Sabonis doesn't provide much in terms of defensive stats, he is still a top center option to build around in fantasy.
RotoWire's NBA projections offer season-long estimates of scoring, rebounds, assists and other categories. These forecasts help round out your roster beyond the obvious stars.
Derrick White, Boston Celtics 
Things are going to look very different for the Celtics this season. Jayson Tatum (Achilles) probably won't play at all. Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis were traded. Even Al Horford, who was one of the veteran leaders on the team, signed with the Warriors. With the team looking to cut payroll, Anfernee Simons was their only key addition. They are especially thin up front, with some combination of Neemias Queta, Chris Boucher and Luka Garza expected to hold down the center position.
White is already coming off a special season in which he provided 16.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 3.5 three-pointers per game. With his averages of 0.9 steals and 1.1 blocks, he narrowly missed his second straight season with at least 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. Jaylen Brown, White and Simons are now the focal points of the Celtics' offense, with Payton Pritchard expected to lead their second unit. White has played at least 73 games in each of the last four seasons and could be on pace for the highest usage rate of his career. The Celtics can probably stay in the hunt for at least the Play-In Tournament, so even with Tatum out, don't expect them to tank down the stretch.
The NBA injury report can make or break you. Injuries create waiver wire goldmines, and being quick to react keeps you ahead of your league.
Coby White, Chicago Bulls 
We aren't that far removed from White having a hard time finding his way onto the floor for the Bulls. In the 2022-23 season, he logged only 23 minutes per game. However, he has averaged at least 33 minutes the last two seasons as he has become one of the leaders of the team. In each of the last two seasons, he has averaged at least 19.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.9 three-pointers per game. He has been one of the more reliable three-point shooters, making at least 37.0% of his attempts from behind the arc in each of the last four seasons.
The Bulls simply don't tank. They are comfortable finishing with a record around .500 and making the Play-In Tournament every season. This will be White's first full season without LaVine on the team, and he'll have a terrific passer at his side again with Josh Giddey signing a contract extension during the offseason. While he's not as big of a name as some of the other players on this list, White has a high floor considering his role on the Bulls. Also enhancing his fantasy appeal is that he has appeared in at least 74 games in each of the last three seasons.
If you want a competitive edge through the draft and throughout the season, many fantasy managers choose to subscribe to RotoWire. We provide expert NBA projections, updated rankings, lineup trackers and in-depth injury analysis, all essential for strategic decision-making.
Essential Fantasy Basketball Resources
Check out RotoWire's How to Play Fantasy Basketball guide for a complete walkthrough, but here is some basic advice:
- Check out custom NBA Fantasy Projections
- Look into Fantasy Basketball Mock Drafts
- Listen to a Fantasy Basketball Podcast
- Check in on Fantasy Basketball Player News
- Read Fantasy Basketball Articles
- Dive into RotoWire's Fantasy Basketball Draft Kit
- Study NBA Depth Charts
- See RotoWire's Fantasy Basketball Dynasty Rankings
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