Harden was a perennial top-5 fantasy player during his time in Houston, and returned to that echelon in 2024-25 thanks to 79 regular-season appearances, most since 2016-17. Not only was he healthier, but he also got back to shooting more three-pointers (3.0 makes on 8.5 attempts per game, highest marks since 2019-20), which boosted his scoring totals. Even when Harden wasn't flirting with the top tier, he was still a quality fantasy option, finishing inside the top-30 players in eight-category leagues in four straight seasons before his bounce-back campaign. Harden's resurgence can be partly attributed to his pick-and-roll connection with Ivica Zubac, who emerged as one of the best centers in basketball. There is even more room for Harden's offensive creativity to grow in this offense after the Clippers added floor-spacing big man Brook Lopez and high-flying John Collins to the frontcourt. They also swapped Norman Powell for Bradley Beal while signing veteran Chris Paul to add depth in the backcourt. Not to mention, returning rotation players like Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones, Nicolas Batum and Bogdan Bogdanovic will also command sizable roles. Head coach Tyronn Lue will have his hands full trying to get the most out of this deep roster, but the health of Harden and Kawhi Leonard will be paramount. If the star duo is available and firing on all cylinders, this could be one of the best teams in the league. Either way, Harden is in a position to submit another stellar statistical campaign as long as he can stay on the court.
