2025-26 NBA Midseason Fantasy Awards: MVP, Rookie of the Year and Breakout Player at the halfway mark

As we reach the midpoint of the 2025-26 NBA season, it’s time to hand out some hardware to the players who’ve delivered massive value to fantasy basketball managers. Whether they were early-round investments who paid off in spades or late-round fliers who turned into league-winners, these are the guys who’ve exceeded expectations and transformed fantasy rosters into championship contenders.

Fantasy Basketball MVP: Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers

Let’s cut right to it — Tyrese Maxey is having an MVP-caliber season. The 76ers guard is the second-most rostered player on the top H2H public teams, and there’s a damn good reason why. With a preseason ADP of 17.6, Maxey has absolutely obliterated expectations by performing as a top-four player in fantasy. He’s averaging 30.2 points, 6.7 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game on 48/40/88 shooting splits while putting up All-NBA, career-best numbers across the board.

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But quietly, here’s what’s been setting Maxey apart: his defense. Most haven’t realized that Maxey leads the league in total stocks, averaging 2.1 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. The dude is having a career year at the perfect time, and fantasy managers who snagged him in the second round are likely enjoying the view from the top.

Fantasy Rookie of the Year: Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks

Cooper Flagg is doing exactly what everyone expected from the first overall pick — ballin’. The Duke product is the highest-ranked rookie across all fantasy league formats, averaging 18.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. Yes, Dallas stinks, but that hasn’t mattered one bit for Flagg’s fantasy production.

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The kid does everything. The stocks (2+ per game) and rebounding numbers are solid for his position and he ranks fourth in assists per game in his draft class. After Victor Wembanyama, it’s refreshing to see another No. 1 pick immediately translate to NBA success. Flagg has been a home run for fantasy managers who invested early-round capital in the rookie, and he’s only getting better as he adjusts to the NBA game.

Fantasy Breakout Player of the Year: Keyonte George, Utah Jazz

George…

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Author : Dan Titus

Publish date : 2026-01-21 15:53:00

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