NBA Fantasy Basketball 2023-24: Exploring 5 deep sleepers as season picks up

NBA fantasy basketball is underway now as the season has tipped off. The drafts are completed. There have been no major injuries yet, although James Harden and Bradley Beal’s fantasy basketball owners are slightly bothered early on. But it is a long season. Now it's time to keep building your team through waiver adds and in-season pick-ups.

There are plenty of sleepers that may go deep in your draft. Perhaps some are still available on your waivers. Let’s take a look at some names to watch out for as deep sleepers in fantasy basketball.

These options are available in almost every league, especially as the season has just begun. In the early games, we will see the team’s rotations. Volume and usage are the two important fantasy stats. So there will be players no one drafted that may get starter minutes and will put up solid stat lines.

Five waiver adds in fantasy basketball

Here are five players to watch out for waivers in fantasy basketball. These deep sleepers could be solid additions to your squad early in the season. They likely went undrafted but could help your depth, especially in deeper fantasy basketball leagues.

#5. Saddiq Bey - Atlanta Hawks

Saddiq Bey seems ready to take a full-time starting spot on the Hawks roster. He is rostered in around 37 percent of fantasy leagues. Bey played well in the season opener with 15 points on an efficient 6-of-12 night. He also had five steals and five rebounds.

The five steals are a huge eye-opener. Not many players can put up those kinds of steal numbers. He could be a crucial addition with his defensive abilities, especially in category scoring leagues.

Bey could also continue to be a very efficient scorer. He was a 50-40-90 shooter during the preseason.

#4. Gary Trent Jr. - Toronto Raptors

Gary Trent Jr. may not be a starter for Toronto to open the season. He is rostered in around 29 percent of leagues and could be a sneaky stash-away player.

However, the Raptors have a very short backcourt rotation. Trent Jr. should get plenty of minutes and usage, even if not a starter. He played 25 minutes in the season-opening win against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Trent Jr. showed off his scoring potential in the preseason. He scored 22 points in 21 minutes against the Kings. He may be boom or bust, but he could be worth stashing on your bench.

#3. Bennedict Mathurin - Indiana Pacers

Bennedict Mathurin showed positive flashes last season. He is a gritty player who is not afraid to challenge any other defender opposite him. He could keep building on those scoring numbers this season. He could also earn many more minutes amidst the somewhat deep Pacers rotation.

The Pacers blew out the Wizards in the opener and Mathurin showed out. He scored 18 points in 26 minutes. He also found a spot amongst the starters and could earn his permanent place there.

#2. Coby White - Chicago Bulls

The former North Carolina star has had the Bulls back him up and stick with him through some ups and downs early in his career. White is rostered in around 38 percent of leagues. He was the starting point guard role in the season opener.

White took the majority of the minutes as the starter and could take over the role with the lengthy absence of Lonzo Ball. He proved to be quite the playmaker and showed off his court vision during the preseason. He also shot 54.3 percent from the field during the exhibition run.

White scored 15 points in the season opener. He also added five rebounds and five assists. However, he played 31 minutes, which is a positive sign moving forward this season.

#1. Jeremy Sochan - San Antonio Spurs

This season, all eyes will be on Jeremy Sochan’s teammate, Victor Wembanyama. However, the Spurs are a young squad with some serious scoring options. Sochan looks to be the starting point guard and could take charge of getting the ball to those scoring options.

Given his ability to fill the stat sheet with a little here and a little there, he could be a solid addition. He is rostered in around 47 percent of leagues. He is a category filler.

In the opening game, he scored 13 points with eight rebounds, five assists and one steal. He is a 6-foot-8 point guard who will have some solid mismatches. Pick him up now if you can in your fantasy basketball league.