Future Fantasy Basketball Stars to Watch in March Madness

The 2026 NCAA men's basketball tournament field of 64 starts whittling things down today with first round action. I thought it'd be fun to highlight some players to watch over the tournament that could be the next big fantasy basketball assets.

I am using a 2026 NBA mock draft from CBS to come up with several players to watch, and will discuss each player in their own section. We will discuss five players at length, then mention some other projected first-round picks and what college teams they are on.

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AJ Dybantsa - BYU

Dybantsa is the projected No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft and will try to lead sixth-seeded BYU on a March Madness run.

The freshman was a highly-touted prospect and has delivered good numbers in his only season of college ball. Dybantsa has averaged 25.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.4 blocks over 34.6 minutes a game.

He's the type of player who could carry a college team to March glory, so BYU is a team to watch over the course of their tournament run. The Cougars will open play against No. 11 Texas on Thursday.

Darryn Peterson - Kansas

Peterson is the projected No. 2 pick for the 2026 NBA Draft.

He is averaging 19.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks over 28.4 minutes a game. Peterson has only played in 22 games, and doesn't average a ton of playing time.

Peterson has dealt with nagging injuries, which is a bit concerning for NBA teams. His talent is hard to deny though, and he could help propel the Jayhawks to a deep March run. 

Kansas is a No. 4 seed and opens tournament play on Friday against California Baptist.

Cameron Boozer - Duke

Boozer is another guy in the running for the No. 1 pick, but is currently projected to go third.

The freshman is averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks over 33 minutes a game this season. It will be his one and only college season, so enjoy him there while you can.

Duke is the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, with Boozer's play being a big reason why. He's going to need to play well in order to help the Blue Devils cut down the nets - that's the most popular champion on many bracket sites.

Duke kicks off its tournament on Thursday as well, so we get to see a couple of the best NBA prospects later today.

Keaton Wagler - Illinois

Wagler is the projected fifth pick in the CBS mock draft.

He is averaging 17.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.3 blocks over 33.7 minutes a game for the Fighting Illini.

Illinois is a No. 3 seed for March Madness and will also be playing on Thursday. The Illini will be facing No. 14 Penn to open tournament play.

I'm not sure Wagler could increase his draft stock much higher than it already is, but if Illinois goes on a deep run, maybe he could move up a spot.

Kingston Flemings - Houston

Flemings is another freshman who has starred this season. He's the projected sixth pick in the upcoming NBA draft.

Flemings has averaged 16.4 points, 5.3 assists, 3.9 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 0.3 blocks over 31.7 minutes a game on a very good Houston team.

He might not boast the statistics some of the others we've covered already have, but he's still a highly-regarded prospect. At 6-foot-4, he's a big guard, so that translates perfectly into the NBA.

Houston is a No. 2 seed and opens tournament play on Thursday against Idaho.

Other First-Round Projected Picks

UNC's Caleb Wilson was the projected fourth overall pick, but he's injured and unlikely to play the entire tournament. That's a detriment to the Tar Heels' chances for sure, and why so many people are picking against them in round one.

Louisville's Mikel Brown Jr. is another injured high-end projected pick. That could hurt the Cardinals in the first couple rounds, so we'll see if they can still advance.

Arkansas' Darius Acuff Jr. is a rising prospect, and is another guy who could carry a team on a deep postseason run. Arkansas' road to the title would be a tough one, so if Acuff stars, his draft stock could soar.

Nate Ament is a high-end prospect from Tennessee. The Volunteers are a No. 6 seed, so a deep postseason run will likely include a bunch of upsets, which probably also means that Ament is shining.

Arizona's Brayden Burries is another freshman who has helped a team get a No. 1 seed this postseason. He'll need to keep playing well to help the Wildcats live up to the hype and make a deep run.

Koa Peat is another prospect from Arizona, and is the projected No. 11 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. He too is a freshman, and adds to an already stacked draft class.

Jayden Quaintance is from Kentucky, which is a No. 7 seed. The road to a deep postseason run will be tough, but it wouldn't be that crazy to see a team like Kentucky make a run. Quaintance is more known for his defense, and could raise his stock with some better offensive performances.

Yaxel Lendeborg is a senior from Michigan, who is another No. 1 seed. He's an older prospect, but that probably means he's more NBA ready - he could maybe sneak into the top 10 with a good run in March Madness.

Thomas Haugh is another prospect from a No. 1 seed, the Florida Gators. He's another older prospect as a junior, but he can fill up the stat sheet, so he'll be a nice fantasy asset in the pros. He too could raise his stock if he plays well on a deep Florida run.

Labaron Philon is a big-time scorer from a high-flying Alabama squad, which is a No. 4 seed. He's a sophomore who could raise his stock if he shines and the Crimson Tide win several games.

Morez Johnson Jr. is another member of that No. 1 Michigan team. The sophomore should be a solid forward asset on his scoring and rebounding in the NBA.

Iowa is led by Bennett Stirtz, who is another senior prospect. He'll need to play well to help No. 9 Iowa into the Sweet 16, and if he delivers, his draft stock could rise a bit.

Texas Tech is a No. 5 seed and has Christian Anderson, who is the projected 20th overall pick. He can score it well, but also averages nearly eight assists a game. With good size too, he should be a good fantasy asset in the NBA one day.

Patrick Ngongba II is another member of the talented Duke squad. The sophomore big man could raise his stock with some good performances during the Blue Devils' postseason run.

Chris Cenac Jr. also belongs to top-ranked Houston. The freshman could be a stretch big man in the NBA, and those are highly sought-after prospects. We'll see if Cenac can up his draft stock over the next couple of weeks.

Arizona also has Motiejus Krivas. The 7-foot-2 junior will be a double-double threat in the NBA, and a prospect that several teams could use.

While Wilson is out for UNC, the team also has Henri Veesaar as a projected first-round pick, so don't completely write off the Tar Heels. The junior could up his stock if he leads the team to a couple wins, or just delivers big on his own.

Braylon Mullins is the top prospect from a No. 2 Connecticut team. The freshman is a big threat from deep and could raise his stock if the Huskies make a postseason push and he delivers big.

Peterson powers Kansas, but Flory Bidunga is another projected first-round pick. The sophomore big man is another double-double threat, and his athleticism should help him carve out some kind of role in the NBA one day.

Alabama has Amari Allen as a projected first-round pick as well. The freshman is a perfect size to be a forward in the NBA, and he can shoot it from deep.

Michigan has Aday Mara as another projected first-round pick. The junior big man is 7-foot-3 and that size should give him a role in the NBA for some team.

Duke also has Isaiah Evans as a projected first-round pick (No. 30), so you can see a bit why Duke is the top overall seed. The sophomore can really shoot it from deep, so he's perfect for the NBA.