What is a sleeper? Merriam-Webster has five main definitions for the word: 1) one that sleeps. 2) a piece of timber, stone, or steel on or near the ground to support a superstructure, keep railroad rails in place, or receive floor joists. 3) someone or something unpromising or unnoticed that suddenly attains prominence or value. 4) children’s pajamas usually with feet. 5) a small earring or stud worn to keep the hole of a pierced ear from closing. By my powers of deduction, I assume that you are here for #3. Here’s the thing, though. Most players have promise. Andrew Wiggins prohibits me from writing “all.” As for unnoticed, is that even possible in this day and age? Some may be talked about more or less than others, but for me, a sleeper comes to mean a player that is undervalued. Therefore, I should name this the undervalued players for 2018. Boooooring. Sleepers is so much sexier. Anyways, I have used Yahoo ADP for this piece, so keep in mind that the data incorporated a ton of mock drafts in which people experiment, and the sample size is limited because I’m writing this on August 28th. With that said, here are five players that I declare as sleepers for the upcoming season. Ssssshhhhhhh…….

Jonathan Isaac (PF – ORL)

 
At 6′ 10″ with a 7′ 1″ wingspan and the lateral agility to guard on the perimeter, Isaac is already a maven on the defensive side of the ball. Last season, in 20 mpg, Isaac averaged 1.1 blocks and 1.2 steals. Per-36, he was at 2 blocks and 2.2 steals. That right there gives him a high floor for fantasy. The reason why I’m so high on him for the upcoming season is because I think he gets a big bump in minutes, from 20 to 28, and the offense takes a big step forward. During this past Summer League, he showed the nice 3-point stroke (35% last season), ability to be the point man in PnR action, fade away Js from down in the block, and mid-range Js from the elbow off the bounce. His usage rate was 15% last season, and I think that ticks up a few percentage points. Don’t expect assists, but the turnovers should be low and Isaac has the potential to join the 1/1/1 club (1 3-pointer, 1 steal, and 1 block per game).

Jordan Bell (PF/C – GSW)

 
To be honest, I had Bell much higher. When I was first doing projections, I had Bell down for 28 mpg because I think he’s awesome, but also because I’m a fade on DeMarcus Cousins. Recovering from an Achilles injury is a tough one, especially for a big man. With that said, after talking with a few people, I couldn’t completely fade him so I correspondingly had to shave off some minutes I had down for Bell. Translation: there’s still huge upside with Bell. Ding ding. Ding ding. Ding ding ding. The D stats and rebounds are what Bell is all about, but he dishes out his fair share of dimes as well. The environment doesn’t get any better for fantasy either.

Jakob Poeltl (C – SAS)

 
The 22-year-old, 7′ 0″248-pound center goes from a deep Toronto Raptors team to a San Antonio Spurs team with only the 38-year-old Pau Gasol ahead of him on the depth chart. Minutes equal opportunities which usually make fantasy goodies rain down from the heavens. This is not strictly an opportunity play, as Poeltl has bonafide talent on both ends of the court. Per-36, 66% field goal percentage, 13.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, 0.9 steals, and 2.4 blocks. The free throw shooting stinks at 59%, though.

Luka Doncic (PG – DAL)

 
I’m a huge Doncic fan. The IQ and passing ability are off the charts good. The size at 6′ 8″ is excellent. The ball handling is AND-1-esque? Ok, maybe not, but he gets freaky with the bounce. The shot isn’t great, at least in terms of efficiency, but he’s more than capable. And it’s not just catch-and-shoot. He has step-backs and a variety of tricks in the arsenal to gain separation and hoist em up. The swagger and moxy are muy caliente, and he shouldn’t have too much difficulty transitioning to the NBA game, as he’s been playing professionally for one of the top teams (Real Madrid), in one of the top leagues (Spanish League) in the world since the age of 16. Now, we should always be conservative when projecting rookies, but Doncic is no ordinary rook. The potential to triple-dub on any night will be there and the situation in Dallas seems like a good one. My guess is that Rick Carlisle will open up the offense and allow Doncic to do his thing. The Mavericks should improve upon their 27th ranking in offensive pace from last season. DeAndre Jordan should flush plenty of Luka-oops while Wesley Matthews, Harrison Barnes, and Dirk Nowitzki (when he plays) should get plenty of open looks.

DeAndre Ayton (C – PHX)

 
I kind of hate having Ayton so high, but every time I think things through and plug in the numbers, he ends up where he is. The Suns played at the fastest pace in the league last season, and I don’t see that changing. More pace equals more possessions which equals more opportunites. The field goal percentage should be elite, as most will be dunks and putbacks. The free throw percentage at 72% is nice from a big man. I have him down for 17 points and 10 rebounds per game. While he won’t contribute much in threeecolas, assists, or steals, the 1.5 blocks are lovely. I actually think there’s upside in that blocks number too so….I liked Doncic more than Ayton during the draft process, but from a fantasy perspective, Ayton is in the best environment and brings too much to the table to not be ranked where he is.

Stan Son is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Stan, check out his archive and follow him @Stan_Son.