NBA Fantasy: 2024-25 total steals leaders

Cathy RushApril 28, 2025

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NBA Fantasy: 2024-25 total steals leaders

Finishing 4th in steals only adds to the amazing 2024-25 fantasy season for the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokić.

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Most stats leaders are close at the top, but this one is not. The player who led the NBA in steals for the 2024-25 regular season has nearly twice the number of steals as the player in second. That’s hard to fathom, but it shows just how valuable he was. With that in mind, let’s unveil the top 100 total steals leaders.

1. Dyson Daniels, Hawks (229 steals)

Daniels had a case to be KIA NBA Defensive Player of the Year. The Aussie was the key piece to the Dejounte Murray trade and immediately became one of the best defenders in a breakout season. Daniels posted career-high averages across the board, racking up 14.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.0 steals per game. He also lapped the field in deflections, so don’t be surprised to see Daniels do this multiple times throughout his career.

2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder (131 steals)

Gilgeous-Alexander led the league in scoring, but his defense is his most underrated asset. That helps his MVP case, averaging 32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game this year. SGA also finished second in defensive efficiency rating behind teammate Jalen Williams. That’s a good indicator of what made OKC the best team in the NBA, and Gilgeous-Alexander is the straw that stirs their drink.

3. Kris Dunn, Clippers (128 steals)

Dunn is the biggest surprise on this list, but he’s quietly one of the best defenders in the NBA. That was his calling card out of college, but joining Kawhi Leonard in LA pushed him to another level. In his newfound role as a starter, Dunn averaged 6.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.7 steals this season. Those numbers might not jump off the page, but Dunn is extremely valuable for this Top 10 defense.

4. Nikola Jokić, Nuggets (127 steals)

Finishing fourth in steals only adds to the amazing season Jokić had offensively, averaging 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists per game. He’s only the third player in NBA history to post triple-double averages, but we shouldn’t forget about his defense. That’s why Jokić is one of the best options in fantasy, and he’ll remain that way for the foreseeable future.

5. Keon Ellis, Kings (121 steals)

Ellis is another surprising player on this list because he was stuck in a reserve role for most of the season. The feisty guard started in 15 of the first 67 games but took over as a starter over the final month. That’s when the steals really took off, averaging 1.9 steals across 30 minutes a night in that expanded role. Fantasy managers hope he can maintain that going forward because he’s fifth in total steals despite playing fewer than 25 minutes a night.

6. Cason Wallace, Thunder (120 steals)

Wallace is already a top-end perimeter defender, who averaged 8.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.8 steals in a breakout season. He did that damage across fewer than 28 minutes a night and should remain a key role player for the Thunder going forward.

7. Josh Hart, Knicks (119 steals)

Hart is an appropriate name for Josh because he plays with more heart than almost anyone in the NBA. His ability to stuff the stat sheet is what’s most valuable, with Hart averaging 13.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.5 steals this season. Most of those are career-high marks for the versatile forward, but it’s easy to understand since he played 38 minutes a night. As long as he gets that sort of workload, Hart will remain a fantasy asset.

8. James Harden, Clippers (118 steals)

Harden has regularly been at the top of the steals list throughout his career, ranked top 10 in steals six different times throughout his career. That has Harden ranked fourth among active players with 1,715 career steals. For the year, Harden averaged 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

9. Toumani Camara, Trail Blazers (116 steals)

There are some surprises on this list, but Camara took a bigger step forward than almost any player on it. The Belgian posted career highs across the board in his sophomore season, averaging 11.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game. His on-ball defense might’ve been the most impressive part, regularly holding the opposing team’s best players to some of their worst performances of the season.

10. Jalen Williams, Thunder (111 steals)

Finishing off the top 10 with another OKC player feels appropriate. What’s interesting is that Williams finished with the best defensive rating in the NBA. That’s more telling of how special he is as a defender, averaging 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.6 steals in an All-Star campaign. If this 24-year-old continues to perform like this on both ends, this won’t be his final All-Star appearance.