Eric Moody May 6, 2026, 09:00 AM ET

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Eric Moody is a writer for fantasy football, men's and women's basketball, and sports betting at ESPN. Eric joined ESPN in 2021 after working as a senior fantasy analyst at Pro Football Network. Prior to that, he spent much of his career as a manager at a Fortune 100 financial services company.

Building a great fantasy women's basketball roster starts with the draft. To get it right, you need a clear sense of which players to target and which to fade.

Who's set to outperform their average draft position this season? Which players are ready to take a leap and who could regress?

This column highlights a group of sleepers, breakout candidates, and potential busts to keep in mind heading into the 2026 season.

Resources: Sign up fantasy for free | Projections | Draft guide | Rankings

Sleepers

Kahleah Copper , G, Phoenix Mercury

Copper enters 2026 as a strong bounce-back candidate after injuries affected her 2025 season.…