March Madness 2026: 4 Late-round Dynasty Targets You Need To Watch During The Tourney

You probably already know about Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and AJ Dybantsa. But while the national media is tripping over themselves to tell you about the obvious lottery picks, there’s a second tier of players heading into this tournament that deserves your attention for dynasty.

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Here are four projected mid-to-late-round players who I expect to make some noise in the tournament.

Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State | Forward, Senior

Jefferson might be one of the most underrated players in the tournament. At 6-9, 240 pounds, he’s been making an impact on both ends of the floor, initiating offense efficiently while also locking up on defense. Heading into the tourney, here is how he stacks up among the best in the country (data via CBBAnalytics):

• scoring/40 minutes = 94th percentile

• assists/40 minutes = 99th percentile

• defensive rebounds/40 minutes = 84th percentile

• steals/40 minutes = 96th percentile

• FT attempts/40 minutes = 95th percentile

All of those areas translate well to identifying potential fantasy impact. He’s an efficient scorer near the rim and has vastly improved his 3-point shooting for Iowa State this season. However, what stands out most for me is his playmaking. He plays within the flow of the offense and while he can be turnover-prone at times, the intent to get his teammates involved never wavers. His plus/minus is +529 this season, third in the country behind Cam Boozer and Yaxel Lendeborg. His offensive skill, ability to jump passing lanes and guard multiple positions make him an intriguing prospect whose draft stock could soar if he leads Iowa State past the Sweet 16.

Aday Mara - Michigan I Center, Junior

Many people expect Michigan to make a deep run in the tournament. They’ve been one of the top teams in the country all year long. If they’re able to do so, it’ll be impossible to overlook the 7-foot-3 big man, Aday Mara. While a couple of his teammates are projected to go higher than him in the draft (Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr.) I liken Mara’s fantasy potential to Donovan Clingan or Zach Edey.

Both guys were lottery picks who came into the draft with doubts about their ability to switch and move laterally defensively, and about their scoring being limited around the rim. I acknowledge Mara will need to make strides in his shooting (it’s not uncommon to punt FT%), but rather than focus on that, I want to highlight that he’s one of the best rim protectors and finishers near the basket in the NCAA and one of the best passing bigs out there. Here’s what stands out from Mara’s junior season (CBBAnalytics):

• scoring/40 minutes = 92nd percentile

• assists/40 minutes = 97th percentile

• defensive rebounds/40 minutes = 95th percentile

• blockss/40 minutes = 99th percentile

• FG %/40 minutes = 95th percentile

• Hakeem %/40 minutes =98th percentile (Hakeem is steals + blocks)

Outside of staying out of foul trouble, Mara’s archetype has a place in the league right now, especially if he can work on extending his range and imposing his physicality more. The blocks are great, but the passing ability will also be just as important. Isaiah Hartenstein is a solid fantasy asset because he impacts the game so well as a screener and short roll passer. Not saying that will be Mara, but it’s an area where I think he can be a bit more dynamic than say, Edey or Clingan.

I have Michigan doing work, so hopefully we’ll get to see a ton of Mara on the biggest stage this year.

Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt | Guard, Sophomore

Tanner doesn’t have the prototypical size you want in a PG these days, but he’s been quite impressive, leading Vandy this season. He’s listed at 6-foot, weighs 173 pounds, and yet he’s averaging 19 points, 5 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. The sophomore guard stands out to me because, as Kevin O’Connor said, he carries the stature of a more athletic Fred VanVleet. But to put it plainly, dude is a hooper.

The defensive production is the key for me. You don’t average 2.5 steals without being a genuinely disruptive defender, and scouts have started paying attention to the fact that he’s got blocks on his resume too — not a ton, but enough to signal that he’s a hustler who doesn’t shy away from contact. The fantasy profile is there, too (CBBAnalytics):

• scoring/40 minutes = 93rd percentile

• assists/40 minutes = 94th percentile

• defensive rebounds/40 minutes = 95th percentile

• steals/40 minutes = 97th percentile

• FG %/40 minutes = 89th percentile

• 3pt%/40 minutes = 75th percentile

• FT attempts/40 minutes = 94th percentile

• FT%/40 minutes = 87th percentile

• Hakeem %/40 minutes = 92nd percentile

Here’s your dynasty framing: guards who generate steals in the NBA tend to do so because of feel and positioning, not athleticism alone. In the right environment, those guys can age well if they’re also competent facilitators and shooters. The size will always be the conversation — but I’m keeping him and Vanderbilt on my radar because he has some elements of a multi-category-filling point guard who will go later in dynasty drafts.

Zuby Ejiofor, St. John’s | Forward/Center, Senior

The unanimous Big East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year is buried pretty low on draft boards. The last person to pull off that accomplishment was NBA veteran and former UConn star, Emeka Okafor.

His shooting needs work if he’s going to play at the next level, but similar to his peers above, Ejiofor clears the field in several areas (CBBAnalytics):

• scoring/40 minutes = 96th percentile

• assists/40 minutes = 99th percentile

• offensive rebounds/40 minutes = 86th percentile

• steals/40 minutes = 85th percentile

• blocks/40 minutes = 93rd percentile

• 3pt%/40 minutes = 75th percentile

• FT attempts/40 minutes = 98th percentile

• Hakeem %/40 minutes =92nd percentile

The blocks-and-steals combination at 3.3 per game is the strength I’m eyeing for fantasy purposes. He’s one of those 6’9” tweeners between a PF and C whom draft evaluators tend to discount. He’s also old relative to most of this draft class, which is usually another knock. But there’s always going to be those mature, win-now window type of players who fall in drafts who can contribute right away. I think that’ll be Ejiofor.

He is the only power conference player to rank top 10 in his respective conference and lead his team in all four of those statistical categories. Ejiofor posted a solid 16 points, 7 boards and 3.5 assists a night this season and, with those types of stocks, it's hard to ignore his fantasy potential in category leagues.

I have St. John’s going far this tournament, so again, hopefully, we get at least a couple of games' sample for him to improve his real-life draft stock.