The 2026 NBA Draft is now in the rear view, and though it wrapped up without a ton of surprises, there are plenty of takeaways for fantasy managers.
AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson went No. 1 and No. 2 to the Wizards and Jazz, respectively, while Cameron Boozer went to the Grizzlies at No. 3. Golden State got a much-needed addition at forward in Yaxel Lendeborg, and the rich got richer as Oklahoma City snagged Aday Mara at No. 12.
Michigan represented well in the lottery, with three players from the championship team selected in the first 12 picks, including the Mavericks’ first selection in the Dusty May era, Morez Johnson. All three of Johnson, Lendeborg and Mara are in favorable positions to excel in Year 1, with Lendeborg sporting the biggest upside of the trio.
Here are the top winners and losers from the 2026 NBA Draft.
Winners
Yaxel Lendeborg (F - Golden State Warriors)
The 6’9, 230 pound forward bring age, experience, national championship pedigree and most importantly, size, to the Golden State Warriors. Selected No. 11 in the draft, Lendeborg could be an immediate starter or Sixth Man given the team’s lack of frontcourt depth and injuries to Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody that will likely cost them time to open the season.
Lendeborg averaged 9.5 rebounds across three collegiate seasons with UAB and Michigan, and Golden State needs all the help it can get on the glass. Last season, the Warriors ranked 21st in team rebounds, 24th in team rebound percentage and 23rd in second chance points surrendered.
Trae Young (PG - Washington Wizards)
Trae Young inked a new, four-year deal to return to the Wizards, and he’s got a golden opportunity to thrive in the traditional PG role he’s played so well throughout his career. With AJ Dybantsa added at No. 1, Washington is chock full of capable scorers and shooters, and Young could lead the NBA in assists once again.
Aday Mara (C - Oklahoma City Thunder)
Aday Mara finds himself in a perfect position to see meaningful minutes immediately for the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder are looking to clear cap space, and Isaiah Hartenstein could be on the way out. That means Mara could offer appeal in double-big lineups alongside Chet Holmgren or fill in as the lone big in the backcourt when gamescript or injuries demand it.
Brayden Burries (G - Milwaukee Bucks), Nate Ament (F - Milwaukee Bucks)
The Milwaukee Bucks traded Giannis Antetokounmpo on the eve of the NBA draft, and they drafted two players in the lottery who could be building blocks for the future. Brayden Burries and Nate Ament should see meaningful rotation minutes right off the bat, despite the Bucks’ additions of Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Morez Johnson (F/C - Dallas Mavericks)
No team has dealt with more frontcourt injuries over the last two seasons than the Dallas Mavericks. Daniel Gafford has an extensive injury history, and Dereck Lively II has appeared in just 98 games across three seasons.
New head coach Dusty May had his fingerprints all over this selection, as Dallas nabbed Johnson at No. 9, reuniting him with his Michigan head coach. The Mavs may choose to move on from Gafford and/or Lively II to clear a logjam in the frontcourt, but even if one or both return, Johnson has a realistic path to playing time in Year 1.
Losers
Bilal Coulibaly (F - Washington Wizards), Will Riley (F - Washington Wizards)
AJ Dybantsa’s arrival in the nation’s capital is bad news for the fantasy stock of Bilal Coulibaly and Will Riley. Dybantsa should be the team’s starting SF from Day 1, and he’ll see big minutes, limiting the upside of two players who showed plenty of promise for the injury-riddled Wizards last season.
Coulibaly’s ability to rack up steals and blocks while hitting three-pointers made him a useful option in standard leagues. Riley was a streamable option for most of the final four weeks of the season, as he started 14 of the team’s last 20 games and offered reliable counting stats.
Ace Bailey (G - Utah Jazz)
The No. 5 pick in the 2025 Draft appeared in 72 games and averaged 27.6 minutes as a rookie. Over the final 12 games of his inaugural campaign, Bailey averaged 20.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.3 “stocks” and 2.8 triples across 32 minutes. In that span, he was a Top 70 fantasy option.
Utah drafted Darryn Peterson at No. 2, and there was a real argument that Peterson should have been taken No. 1 overall ahead of AJ Dybantsa. Keyonte George will be Utah’s starting PG
Santi Aldama (F/C - Memphis Grizzlies)
Cameron Boozer’s selection at No. 3 surely means a decreased role for Aldama, who averaged 14 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists across 27.6 minutes - all career highs. Aldama ranked just inside the Top 120 in per-game fantasy value, and he was a viable option in standard leagues.
Boozer put up 22.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 2.0 “stocks” and 1.4 triples in his lone season at Duke. He offers strong playmaking and floor spacing at the PF spot, and he can play some small-ball center. Memphis struggled to stay healthy in the frontcourt a season ago, and Boozer should see as much run as he can handle as rookie.
Russell Westbrook (G - Sacramento Kings), Malik Monk (G - Sacramento Kings)
Westbrook enjoyed a bounce-back campaign while averaging 15/5/6, and Monk played sparingly while offering elite floor spacing with a 39.5% mark from beyond the arc. Sacramento’s selection of Darius Acuff Jr. at No. 7 signals an end to the Kings’ veteran backcourt and the beginning of the youth movement.
Acuff Jr. averaged 23.4 points, 6.4 dimes and 3.1 rebounds in his one-and-done season at Arkansas, and he’s Sacramento’s PG of the future. That means far less run for Westbrook and Monk, assuming they’re both on the roster when the season opens.
Isaiah Hartenstein (C - Oklahoma City Thunder), Thomas Sorber (C - Oklahoma City Thunder)
The Thunder are starting to experience what all star-laden teams go through in the current NBA - cap space hell. Max contracts for Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams kick in this season, and OKC has already shipped off Aaron Wiggins to Atlanta for peanuts. Isaiah Joe and Luguentz Dort are also on the block as the team looks to shed salary.
The Thunder were fortunate to land Michigan big man Aday Mara at No. 12, and the 7’3 national champ could be the replacement the team needs to justify moving off of Hartenstein’s contract. Though he hasn’t yet made his NBA debut, Thomas Sorber is unfortunately an odd man out in a Thunder frontcourt that includes Holmgren, Mara and Jaylin Williams.
