Pegging at least one breakout performer in your draft often determines whether you win or lose your league. As opposed to sleepers, rostering a true breakout star just as he's hitting his stride means you're getting a first- or second-round return on your investment. These are the kinds of picks that power imaginary championships.
During draft season, I'm often asked about the difference between a sleeper and a breakout performer. Here, we describe the latter as "a player who will leap into or close to the upper echelon at his position for the first time because of a dramatic increase in production compared to his previous seasons (or in his rookie season)."
So we're going to gravitate away from players we anticipate will outperform their average draft position (ADP). Instead, we'll look at the select few players we think could make a significant, high-performance leap into elite consideration.
You'll notice a lot of youth on this list. Developing NBA elites tend to take their leap years in Seasons 2 and 3. But depending on position, you may not see a player reach his true peak until his late 20s. (Big men tend to develop a little more slowly.)
Most of all, breakout seasons tend to occur when a young player with high athletic upside suddenly "puts it all together." In fantasy hoops, "putting it all together" usually constitutes an infusion of efficiency into an already high-volume stat line. Changes in system, team or personnel can create breakouts, too, as evidenced by the top player on our list...