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# The Sophomore Sleepers: 5 Second-Year Players Nobody Is Talking About
- URL: https://www.playoffrondo.com/the-sophomore-sleepers-5-second-year-players-nobody-is-talking-about/
- Published: 2026-09-29T17:58:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-01T19:37:44.000Z
- Author: Rob Simons

The 2025-26 NBA rookie class arrived with high expectations and, in many ways, delivered as promised. Cooper Flagg looks like a superstar already. Kon Knueppel, Dylan Harper, and VJ Edgecombe could become All-Stars within the next two years. And Cedric Coward, Collin Murray-Boyles, Egor Dёmin, and Derik Queen all look like they could become quality starters for the next decade.

From a fantasy standpoint, these are obvious targets heading into the 2026-27 season. But the fun of NBA fantasy basketball—at least for me—isn't just loading up on the best players. It's finding sleepers before they break out, knowing you not only hit on a player, but saw him coming before the consensus did.

It's the joy of being early that continues to delight.

Here are five second-year players I believe will break out this season.

## **Noah Penda**

Noah Penda entered the league with little fanfare last year as a second-round pick but quickly established himself as a versatile, two-way wing with connective passing chops. By midseason, he was earning rotation minutes in a depleted Magic frontcourt.

His combination of size, length, defensive versatility, rebounding, and offensive creation without needing the ball makes him an intriguing breakout candidate heading into Year 2\. His shooting efficiency last year was really the one thing holding him back from a larger role.

That seems to have changed. In Vegas this summer, he displayed a slimmer frame and an expanded offensive arsenal, knocking down threes at a 47.1% clip on more than five attempts per game. That shot profile is intriguing.

Penda didn't just shoot with more confidence this summer, though. He also appeared to have developed a small package of pivot and step-through moves that gave him a new way to create his own offense—moves some Magic bloggers dubbed the “Penda Pivot.”

Of course, opportunity is everything in the NBA. Orlando's two stars, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, both have significant recent injury histories, creating additional pathways to minutes for Penda and versatile third-year forward Tristan da Silva.

Penda is mature, coachable, and fits the Magic system well. That bodes well for a Year 2 leap.

## **Jase Richardson**

Jase Richardson is an undersized point guard who shoots and scores at an extremely efficient rate from all three levels. That alone made me think he would get a chance last year as a rookie, given the Magic's years-long struggle to find consistent shot-making at the point position.

Unfortunately, opportunities were limited for the young guard. Richardson spent much of his rookie season learning from the sidelines, getting an up-close education in the NBA game without being asked to shoulder a significant role.

Now, heading into Year 2, his physical tools and skill development appear to be catching up with that experience. His burst, change of pace, and ability to create separation were evident in Vegas this summer, while his improved shooting efficiency hints at a more complete offensive package.

Add elite rim finishing for his size, maturity beyond his years, savvy connective passing, and an advanced feel for the game, and you have the makings of an important piece of the Magic's future.

Especially if Jalen Suggs misses time again or Anthony Black struggles to provide consistent shooting.

## **Will Riley**

The Wizards have one of the league's more intriguing collections of young wings, which may be precisely why Will Riley's long-term upside is so easy to overlook.

At 6'9" and still growing, with a fluid shooting stroke, advanced feel, and legitimate self-creation ability, his developmental ceiling is considerably higher than his current role might suggest.

Riley is a dynamic, versatile piece in Washington's second-unit offense—an offensive savant who just finds a way to put the ball in the basket.

Over his final 25 games of the season, Riley averaged 16.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists, doing so without a traditional shot-creating point guard to bend the defense or much gravity to work with.

He was increasingly asked to create offense for himself, a particularly encouraging development for a 19-year-old playing alongside a young roster. He then carried that momentum into Summer League, where he was used almost exclusively on the ball. Before being shut down after two games, Riley averaged 25 points per game on 53.8% shooting from the field and 70% from three.

Of course, it was just Summer League and an extremely small sample size, but Riley did exactly what you would hope to see heading into his second season.

Ultimately, I expect Riley to become a 20-point scorer for the next decade. He might start slowly this year, but as the season progresses, I expect Riley to permanently force his way into the rotation.

## **Joan Beringer**

Joan Beringer has untapped potential as an athletic rim protector and lob threat with a nonstop motor, especially when you consider that he didn't start playing basketball until 2021\. Last year, he was still too raw for extended minutes, but he had the opportunity to learn from one of the best defensive centers ever in Rudy Gobert, which should bode well for his development.

Now, heading into his second year, Beringer seems poised for a big leap. He added 15 pounds to his frame over the offseason, going from 230 pounds as a rookie to 245 heading into Summer League, with Wolves coaches raving about his work ethic, toughness, and humility.

The young fella wants to be great.

The Wolves overhauled their roster this summer. Gone are Naz Reid and Julius Randle, leaving Beringer's main competition for backup center minutes as Trey Lyles, a power forward who doesn't provide the same rim protection.

Minnesota also acquired one of the league's most creative playmakers in LaMelo Ball, who can elevate Beringer's rim-running and lob-catching abilities.

On the offensive side, Beringer is still raw, but he attacks the rim with ferocity and has improved as a screen-setter. He could still use a wider base, but his technique improved noticeably over the course of the season. Creating space for Anthony Edwards and LaMelo should open up offensive opportunities for Beringer and the Wolves.

Perhaps the most encouraging sign of Beringer's offensive development was at the free-throw line. After shooting just 56.6% in the ABA as a draft prospect, he improved to 70.3% in his rookie NBA season. That's more than a statistical footnote—it suggests his touch and mechanics are coming along, particularly for a 19-year-old big man who entered the league with a fairly raw offensive game.

## **Adou Thiero**

I don't think it's hyperbole to call Adou Thiero the most athletic player on the Lakers. He might even be one of the most freakish athletes in the entire league. That explosive power and elite defensive potential, combined with his development this summer and a legitimate path to rotation minutes on a revamped Lakers squad, has me excited that Thiero could break out in a big way.

The Lakers are now Luka's team, and surrounding their superstar with young athletes who sprint the floor, cut, screen, slip, roll, and finish above the rim feels like the blueprint moving forward. Luka did wonders for Derrick Jones Jr.'s career, and I see Thiero in a similar role.

Thiero's excellent size, vertical athleticism, and 7-foot wingspan make him an explosive, high-efficiency slasher and transition threat. The man can jump out of the gym.

He's also willing to take on the toughest defensive assignments, which should endear him to his head coach. During Summer League, Thiero talked about embracing a point-of-attack defensive role, while his athleticism was on full display as he ran the floor, caught lobs, and made plays around the rim.

Of course, like all of the players discussed here, he's still a work in progress. He has limited range and virtually no three-point shot.

I don't think Thiero needs to become a great shooter to have fantasy value next to Luka. If he can establish himself as a high-energy defender and a relentless rim runner, there's a very real path for him to become the Lakers' version of Derrick Jones Jr.—and potentially a much more productive fantasy player along the way.

However, to earn consistent minutes next year, he has to be willing to take open shots, and the Lakers will simply have to live with the results.

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