Biggest Fantasy Basketball Busts From 2024-25

The 2024-25 NBA season showcased numerous fantasy basketball booms, but it also had its fair share of busts. The following players significantly underperformed from their ADP and/or finished with disappointing rankings.

Biggest Fantasy Basketball Busts From 2024-25

Joel Embiid

One could argue that most managers expected Joel Embiid to be a bust. Still, his 12.1 ADP (Yahoo) was much too high considering his known injury risks. The former No. 1 overall fantasy player only suited up for 19 games and finished 271st in totals rankings. Embiid’s points (23.8 PPG), rebounds (8.2 RPG), steals (0.7 SPG), blocks (0.9 BPG) and field goal percentage (44.4%) were among the lowest averages of his career. The 31-year-old’s extensive knee issues hindered him throughout the year, and he eventually underwent surgery in February to get healthy for the 2025-26 season.

Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Leonard was another victim of the injury bug. While his per-game ranking of 34th doesn’t look too shabby, his totals placement of 153rd is nearly triple his ADP (56.2). The 33-year-old was only available for 37 contests, marking the second-fewest games of his career. Leonard debuted on January 4, following an offseason knee procedure, which necessitated a slow ramp-up and occasional absences. His lack of availability resulted in one of his worst fantasy seasons and lower production in some areas.

LaMelo Ball

There was hope that this year would be different for LaMelo Ball, but injuries once again derailed his season. The 23-year-old played under 50 games three times in his five-year career, appearing in 47 in 2024-25. He had frequent, sporadic absences and suited up for his last match in late March to undergo minor procedures on his wrist and ankle. Ball’s rebounds (4.9 RPG), assists (7.4 APG), steals (1.1 SPG) and field goal percentage (40.5%) were the worst or second-lowest marks of his career.

Brandon Ingram

Managers are very familiar with Brandon Ingram’s inability to stay on the court. Well, 2024-25 turned out to be much worse than anticipated. The forward played in a career-low of 18 games, making his last appearance on December 7 after injuring his ankle. Without a timetable and being traded to a tanking team, the new Toronto Raptor had little reason to return. Ingram showed glimpses of solid numbers, but his injury resulted in a totals ranking of 305th, 238 spots lower than his ADP (67.4).

Dejounte Murray

After being traded from the Atlanta Hawks to the New Orleans Pelicans, Dejounte Murray’s value was expected to take a hit. However, it wasn’t playing alongside three other stars that dropped his ranking, but injuries instead. The guard fractured his hand in his Pelicans debut and missed a month, only to tear his Achilles in February. Managers who picked Murray in the fourth round (37.0 ADP) got a 232nd-ranked player (totals) who appeared in just 31 contests.

Scottie Barnes

There was a lot of hype around Scottie Barnes heading into this year. He was coming off a top-25 season in 2023-24, leading many managers to draft him around that mark. Unfortunately, being on a tanking team made it a little tricky for Barnes to meet expectations. The forward/guard’s production dropped almost entirely across the board, and his playing time was limited in the final stretch. He played under 30 minutes in 18 of his 65 games, as the Raptors had little reason to overexert their franchise cornerstone.

Ja Morant

Injuries (and suspensions) have turned Ja Morant into a frustrating player to roster. He’s only suited up for 59 games in the past two years, with his 50 outings in 2024-25 being the second-fewest of his career. With an ADP of 34.6, the 25-year-old’s ranking of 61st in standard and 97th in totals showcases a significant discrepancy. His points (23.2 PPG), rebounds (4.1 RPG), assists (7.3 APG) and field goal percentage (45.4%) were all lower than his stats over the past few seasons, thanks to his inability to stay on the court.

Paul George

The injury bug was very contagious on the Philadelphia 76ers, even infecting Paul George. The 15-year veteran made his way from the Los Angeles Clippers to Philly over the offseason, but managers only got to see him play for 41 games, and he was shut down in early March. He didn’t finish anywhere close to his ranking from past seasons or his 35.5 ADP, finishing 68th. George’s points (16.2 PPG) were his lowest since 2011-12, and most of his other numbers were poor for a nine-time All-Star. Even when he was healthy, the forward struggled to get things going.

Cam Thomas

Cam Thomas had a massive breakout in 2023-24 and was a popular pick around the 70-mark in drafts. Unfortunately, managers didn’t get much time to see him go nuclear, as a pesky hamstring limited him to 25 contests. The fourth-year shooting guard still displayed great upside in the small sample size of games. However, his lack of availability made him a huge disappointment given the hype and expectation of a significant role on the Brooklyn Nets.

Zion Williamson

The Zion Williamson who wowed fans with his high school highlights is yet to be found in the NBA. Injuries limited the 24-year-old to just 30 appearances this season as he missed two extended periods. The power forward’s promising run in 2023-24 prompted managers to draft him just inside the top 50, but he ultimately finished 263rd in totals rankings. Despite Williamson averaging career bests in some categories, his lack of availability made it futile.

Fred VanVleet

Managers definitely did not expect Fred VanVleet to finish as the 92nd-ranked player. Considering his ADP was 38.6, and some even opted to take him as high as the second round, he was a massive bust of a pick. The point guard’s production declined across the board, but his abysmally low efficiency from the floor (37.8 FG%) was a glaring red flag. Offensively, VanVleet didn’t contribute many points (14.1 PPG), dished out much fewer assists (5.6 APG) and converted a new low of 81.0% attempts from the line.

Lauri Markkanen

Given their shenanigans, it’s no surprise that a Utah Jazz player, especially Lauri Markkanen, made the biggest busts list. He’s notorious for disappointing managers, and this year was no different. In fact, he set a new career low in games, being limited to 47. And of course, most absences came in the latter half of the season. Statistically, this was the forward’s worst year with the Jazz as he finished 166th in totals rankings. Markkanen’s drop in points (19.0 PPG), rebounds (5.9 RPG) and field goal percentage (42.3%) were also factors.