It’s never too early to go through the drafting process in fantasy basketball, even though rosters haven’t been finalized and there are still some capable free agents on the board. With that in mind, I and 11 other fantasy basketball writers participated in a 12-round, 9-cat snake draft Tuesday night on Fantrax. These exercises can be especially helpful when it comes to evaluating players like Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren and the general feelings about them as far as ADP is concerned.
I had the seventh pick in the draft, far from an optimal position for someone who prefers to land at or near the “turn,” but there was still plenty of value to be had. Below is how things shook out, and the 12-round draft meant that quality fantasy options like Aaron Gordon were still on the board at its conclusion. And many thanks to Adam King and Steve Alexander for putting together the draft.
Round 1
1. Alex Barutha (Rotowire): C Nikola Jokic
2. Alex Rikleen (Rotowire/Yahoo): G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
3. Dan Titus (Yahoo): G Luka Doncic
4. Noah Rubin (Rotoworld): C Joel Embiid
5. BDub (Fantasy Basketball International): G Tyrese Haliburton
6. Zak Hanshew (Rotoworld): F Jayson Tatum
7. Raphielle Johnson (Rotoworld): F Kevin Durant
8. Karan Talwar (SwishScribe): F Giannis Antetokounmpo
9. Alex Burns (RotoBaller): G LaMelo Ball
10. Kyle McKeown (Basketball Monster): G Stephen Curry
11. Mike Barner (Rotowire/Sportsline): G Damian Lillard
12. Mike Catron (Watch the Boxes): G Trae Young
No surprise at the top of the draft as Jokic, who has ranked first in 9-cat, per-game value each of the last three seasons, was the first pick. SGA would go second, with Doncic being the third pick. Giannis going eighth wasn’t an eyebrow-raiser, even though he finished last season ranked outside the top 100 in 9-cat, per-game value. The combination of a high turnover count (3.9 per game) and poor foul shooting (64.5%) did him no favors from a fantasy standpoint, but both numbers were departures from the norm as far as Giannis’ career numbers (3.0 turnovers/game, 70.8% FT) are concerned.
I went with Durant, who comes with durability concerns. Since appearing in 78 regular season games during his final season with the Warriors, KD didn’t play at all in 2019-20 due to a ruptured Achilles, and he’s played in 35, 55, and 47 games in the three seasons that followed. But the production is such that if fantasy managers can get 55 games out of Durant, they should be in decent shape as far as his value is concerned.
Round 2
13. Catron: F/C Anthony Davis
14. Barner: C Domantas Sabonis
15. McKeown: F/C Jaren Jackson Jr.
16. Burns: G James Harden
17. Talwar: F/C Karl-Anthony Towns
18. Johnson: G Anthony Edwards
19. Hanshew: F Victor Wembanyama
20. BDub: G Devin Booker
21. Rubin: G Donovan Mitchell
22. Titus: F Mikal Bridges
23. Rikleen: C Walker Kessler
24. Barutha: G Desmond Bane
“Wemby Watch” ended a bit sooner than anticipated, as Zak grabbed him with the 19th overall pick. Personally, the third round is where I’ve had an eye out for the incoming rookie, but he’s more than capable of producing a top-20 season. Wembanyama’s presence should also boost the value of Zach Collins, given the Spurs’ desire to pair their prized rookie with a true center capable of taking on the more physical matchups. And it’s no coincidence that the Spurs labeled Wembanyama a forward when announcing the signing of his rookie deal, even though he should have center eligibility in fantasy leagues.
The one pick in this round that concerns me is Harden, despite the fantasy track record. With The Beard making it known that he wants out of Philadelphia, who knows what will happen? However, while his finishes in Houston and Brooklyn left much to be desired, Harden still finished the 2020-21 season (traded from Houston to Brooklyn in-season) ranked within the top 10 and just outside of it the season after (traded from Brooklyn to Philadelphia in-season). While I was hoping to get Jackson with my second pick, I’m more than fine with Edwards. He’s improved by the year, and the new contract seems to make it clear that the Timberwolves are “his team.” Edwards was a 4th-round player last season, but I’m betting on a top 20 2023-24.
Round 3
25. F Jimmy Butler
26. G Fred VanVleet
27. F Lauri Markkanen
28. G Kyrie Irving
29. C Bam Adebayo
30. G Dejounte Murray
31. F Pascal Siakam
32. F LeBron James
33. F/C Chet Holmgren
34. G Cade Cunningham
35. G Darius Garland
36. C Nikola Vucevic
The aforementioned Wembanyama isn’t the only rookie big whose draft placement intrigues me, as Holmgren also qualifies. Despite missing all of last season with a foot injury, he’s more than capable of producing a top-50 season on a Thunder team that’s on the rise. Didn’t expect him to come off the board by the end of Round 3, but that isn’t a major reach in my opinion. I played it relatively safe by selecting Siakam after watching Adebayo and Murray be erased from my queue in consecutive picks. Markkanen being selected that high is quite the change when compared to his ADP of a season ago, which was 101.4 in Yahoo leagues and 76.5 in Fantrax. He finished the season as a top 20 player in 9-cat formats, so good luck getting him outside of the third round this summer/fall.
Round 4
37. F Paul George
38. F Jaylen Brown
39. F/C Kristaps Porzingis
40. F/C Evan Mobley
41. F Zion Williamson
42. F Kawhi Leonard
43. G De’Aaron Fox
44. F Brandon Ingram
45. C Myles Turner
46. G Jalen Brunson
47. G Jamal Murray
48. G Jrue Holiday
Round 4 featured a host of players with availability concerns, including George, Porzingis, Kawhi, Zion, and Ingram. Of the four, Williamson may possess the highest fantasy upside despite the fact that fantasy managers aren’t going to get any 3-point production out of him. His shot profile leads to a high field-goal percentage, and he’s also a career 69.1% shooter from the foul line. That number isn’t great, but it isn’t low to the point where a fantasy manager would have to strongly consider punting free-throw percentage when putting together a full roster.
Porzingis’ potential fit in Boston is intriguing to say the least, especially if he can stay healthy. He played in 65 games last season, the most for KP since his second NBA season (2016-17), and produced a career-high 23.2 points per. The scoring stands to take a hit due to his joining forces with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown (who was selected one pick prior), but Porzingis could benefit with regard to the quality of shots that he gets. He’s yet to shoot 50% or better from the field for an entire season, with last year (49.8%) being his best. I selected Leonard, who finished last season ranked just outside the first round in standard leagues. Getting him in the fourth round is very good value, even with the availability concerns. If he can play 55-60 games, Leonard can be a league winner for managers who can pick him as late as I managed to.
Round 5
49. F OG Anunoby
50. C Nicolas Claxton
51. C Alperen Sengun
52. G/F Jalen Williams
53. G Bradley Beal
54. G Ja Morant
55. G DeMar DeRozan
56. F Scottie Barnes
57. G Zach Lavine
58. G Tyrese Maxey
59. F Kyle Kuzma
60. F Khris Middleton
Something else I was curious about heading into the draft was how much would Ja Morant’s 25-game suspension impact his draft placement. He finished last season ranked nowhere near his Yahoo ADP (19.0), sitting just inside the top 100 in 9-cat, per-game value. And that was a season in which Morant was limited to 61 games due to injury and suspension. That concerns me since we know that he’ll play in 57 games max, and that’s if he remains completely healthy. Morant’s absence will boost Desmond Bane’s fantasy value considerably, possibly to the point where he can sneak into the first round as far as production is concerned.
Beal is another interesting case, as it was reported earlier this month that he will go into training camp as the Suns’ starting point guard. He’s averaged at least 5.4 assists in four of his last five seasons, and he’ll be working with gifted scorers in Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. If Beal, who’s played in no more than 60 games in any of his last four seasons, can stay reasonably healthy, he has the potential to be a steal if available this late in drafts.
Sengun and J-Dub going ahead of Beal will certainly raise some eyebrows, but both have the potential to be top 50 players. Especially Sengun, now that the Rockets will be led by Ime Udoka with Fred VanVleet running the point. With my pick, I played it safe by taking DeRozan, but I wish I’d gone with Maxey instead. He’s one who could benefit from the coaching change in Philadelphia, especially if the 76ers move the aforementioned Harden.
Round 6
61. G Jordan Poole
62. C Jarrett Allen
63. G Josh Giddey
64. C Brook Lopez
65. F Jabari Smith Jr.
66. C Deandre Ayton
67. C Rudy Gobert
68. F Paolo Banchero
69. G Derrick White
70. F Julius Randle
71. G Anfernee Simons
72. G CJ McCollum
The sixth round got off to an interesting start, with Mike following up his Middleton selection with Jordan Poole. This could be a good season for fantasy managers to hop onto the Wizards’ bandwagon, as they traded two key offensive cogs (Beal and Porzingis) earlier this summer. Poole and Kyle Kuzma, who was the penultimate pick of the fifth round, stand to benefit the most. The former was a bit erratic with the Warriors last season, but Golden State having a fully healthy Klay Thompson back in the fold had a lot to do with that. As for the other picks in this round, White could prove to be a fantasy steal in the aftermath of the Marcus Smart trade, while Allen and Lopez should provide quality value in their respective spots.
The Simons pick is an interesting one for me in that he finished last season ranked just outside the top 100. Of course, his fantasy potential will be heavily influenced by what happens with Damian Lillard, who had requested to be traded. If Portland does make a deal, Simons, Scoot Henderson, and Shaedon Sharpe, all stand to benefit, but maybe none more than the former. I selected Ayton with my sixth-round pick after watching Allen and Lopez go off the board. There have been early reports of a motivated Ayton, but Phoenix’s current point guard situation could be an issue. Ayton will be no higher than fourth in the offensive pecking order; can he do enough in the rebound and blocks categories to make up for that?
Draft Order Reminder (Snake draft)
1. Barutha
2. Rikleen
3. Titus
4. Rubin
5. BDub
6. Hanshew
7. Johnson
8. Talwar
9. Burns
10. McKeown
11. Barner
12. Catron
Round 7
73. F Miles Bridges
74. F Cameron Johnson
75. F Trey Murphy
76. F Jerami Grant
77. C Jakob Poeltl
78. G Terry Rozier
79. F Franz Wagner
80. G Tyler Herro
81. F John Collins
82. G Austin Reaves
83. F Keldon Johnson
84. G Buddy Hield
Well, the seventh round got off to an eye-opening start with Bridges coming off the board. He’ll miss the first 10 games of the season due to a league suspension, but he did finish the 2021-22 season as a 3rd-round player in 9-cat, per-game value (1st-round in totals). Bridges has the potential to provide serious fantasy value in his return, but there’s also the question of how the Hornets will use first-round pick Brandon Miller, and Gordon Hayward remains on the roster as well. Grant going in this round, especially with the Lillard situation, feels a bit low for him, especially with the new contract.
The one pick that I’m not fully on board with in this round is Keldon Johnson, as I’ve long favored Devin Vassell as far as fantasy value is concerned. I went with Franz, who finished each of his first two seasons ranked just outside the top 100 in 9-cat, per-game value. I’m expecting a boost in year three, and he only missed five games total in his first two seasons.
Round 8
85. G Scoot Henderson
86. G Tyus Jones
87. C Jalen Duren
88. G Devin Vassell
89. C Onyeka Okongwu
90. F Jaden McDaniels
91. F Keegan Murray
92. G Jalen Green
93. C Mark Williams
94. G Tre Jones
95. G Shaedon Sharpe
96. D’Angelo Russell
Another rookie was selected in the eighth round, with Scoot being Mike Catron’s selection to kick things off. We didn’t get to see much of Henderson in Las Vegas, but he looked really good in that limited time. He should be one of the top fantasy rookies next season, and a potential Lillard trade could open things up even more for him. Vassell being available this late would be really good value for him. He’s been a top 100 player each of the last two seasons but was limited to 38 games in 2022-23 due to injury. Vassell’s a low-turnover player who produces offensively on solid percentages, and he’ll provide 3-point and steals production as well.
Both Jones brothers were selected in this round, with Tyus being the second pick and Tre the ninth. The latter concerns me a bit, not so much due to his own skill level but rather the presence of Malaki Branham and the addition of Cameron Payne. Those two could make it difficult for Jones to provide top-100 value as he did last season. And I’m very high on my McDaniels pick, even though he’ll again be low on the Timberwolves’ pecking order as far as scoring is concerned. He’s coming off the best season of his NBA career to date, averaging 12.1 points on 51.7% shooting while also contributing 0.9 steals and 1.0 blocks. A top-100 season is well within reach, especially if he can build on his 39.8% shooting from three (on 3.4 attempts).
Round 9
97. C Mitchell Robinson
98. G Chris Paul
99. C Robert Williams
100. F Andrew Wiggins
101. C Wendell Carter Jr.
102. G Spencer Dinwiddie
103. F Michael Porter Jr.
104. G Marcus Smart
105. F Tobias Harris
106. G Bruce Brown
107. F Daniel Gafford
108. F Draymond Green
Usually, a player who has been no worse than a 3rd-round player every season since the 2005-06 campaign wouldn’t be available this late in a draft. But the circumstances surrounding CP3 have a lot to do with that. While we don’t know for sure what his role will be with the Warriors, it appears that he’ll be coming off the bench. While Golden State has gone small in the past, with Draymond Green starting at center and Kevon Looney moving to the bench, doing that from Day 1 may not be in the cards. Paul can still provide solid fantasy value, but he’s in a situation unlike any other in his NBA career to date. Green was taken off the board with the final pick of the ninth round, while three centers were selected with the first five picks.
The Time Lord bandwagon appears to have lost some passengers due to availability concerns, and the addition of Porzingis could also be an issue. Gafford is a very interesting pick, as he stands to benefit from the Wizards’ decision to trade Porzingis. If he can play more than 25 minutes per game, getting Gafford in the ninth round could prove to be a steal for fantasy managers who can pull that off. Smart and Brown are two others who could prove more valuable than their places in this mock draft after moving to new locales. I used my pick to grab MPJ, who stands to be even healthier than he was last season. He finished last season as a top 100 player and was close to top-25 value in 2020-21. If he can get to 65 games, look out.
Round 10
109. C Jonas Valanciunas
110. G Jordan Clarkson
111. G Markelle Fultz
112. G Gary Trent Jr.
113. G Klay Thompson
114. C Clint Capela
115. F Brandon Miller
116. G Kevin Porter Jr.
117. F/C Zach Collins
118. F Herb Jones
119. F Ausar Thompson
120. G Collin Sexton
Count me as someone who believes that Capela is undervalued in fantasy basketball. While his name has come up in trade rumors, the Hawks have held onto the veteran center. He’s been a top 50 player in five of his last six seasons, finishing within the top 75 in each of his last seven. The desire to see more of Onyeka Okongwu is understandable, but Capela doesn’t appear to be going anywhere. And if Atlanta does move him, he’ll land in a place where he provides immediate value. I was thrilled to see him on the board when my pick came around in Round 10. Miller and Ausar Thompson were the next two rookies off the board, and it could be argued that the latter is in a better position than his twin brother as far as fantasy value is concerned for next season.
Mike Barner drafted both Thompson twins, so he would get to reap the rewards either way if this league were to be played out. KPJ’s fantasy value took a major hit with Houston signing VanVleet and drafting Amen Thompson, so his falling outside the top 100 is no surprise. The Collins pick is a fun one in that he played well last season. And the Spurs didn’t sign a rugged big man in free agency, which increases the likelihood that Collins will be asked to serve as Victor Wembanyama’s on-court “bodyguard” on a consistent basis. Lastly, two Jazz guards were selected in this round, with Clarkson being the second pick and Sexton the last. Given how well rookie Keyonte George played in Summer League, he may be further along than many expected, which could mean that the values of Clarkson and Sexton take a hit.
Round 11
121. F Bojan Bogdanovic
122. F Amen Thompson
123. G Russell Westbrook
124. G Kevin Huerter
125. G Immanuel Quickley
126. F/C Christian Wood
127. F David Roddy
128. G Jaden Ivey
129. F Jeremy Sochan
130. C Jusuf Nurkic
131. F Deni Avdija
132. F Patrick Williams
A player who has yet to find a team was selected in the 11th round, with Zak grabbing Christian Wood. That’s an interesting move for obvious reasons, but one that could pay off in the right situation. A one-year, “make-good” deal, or one with a player option, could light a fire under Wood as he looks for the payday that has yet to materialize this summer. He’s been a top-100 player each of the last three seasons.
I rolled the dice with my pick, selecting Roddy under the premise that someone will have to fill the spot in the starting lineup next to Smart and Bane while Ja Morant is suspended...conveniently ignoring the fact that Luke Kennard is in the mix as well. If Roddy can win the starting job, he’ll be worth a roll of the dice in late rounds, but Kennard would have been a better gamble, especially for rosters needing 3-point production.
The 11th round finished with young forwards in Avdija and Williams who could prove to be steals by the end of next season, even with the latter having underwhelmed for most of his time in Chicago. Of the two, Williams provided greater fantasy value last season due largely to the defensive production (0.9 steals, 0.9 blocks per game). And he didn’t miss a game after injury limited Williams to 17 the season prior.
Round 12
133. G Mike Conley
134. C Steven Adams
135. F Saddiq Bey
136. G Coby White
137. G Keyonte George
138. G De’Anthony Melton
139. G Jevon Carter
140. F Tari Eason
141. G Bennedict Mathurin
142. F Jonathan Kuminga
143. F/C Al Horford
144. G Malcolm Brogdon
The last round is usually when things get fun, but in a 12-round draft, you’re going to have a lot of players left over who probably should have been picked. Aaron Gordon is one, but I’m not sure there’s a player on this list who definitively should not have been selected. Bey’s value could be boosted due to the Hawks’ decision to finally trade John Collins, but I could see Jalen Johnson benefitting as well. White and Carter will be part of the competition for the Bulls’ starting point guard job, but the latter’s defensive ability could give him the edge. I really like George; thanks to Karan for picking him one spot before mine. But I’m not mad about the Melton pick, especially if the 76ers do find what they deem to be proper trade value for Harden.
Eason’s upside could be limited by the Rockets’ signing Dillon Brooks, but he looked really good in Las Vegas. There’s a feeling that Kuminga could benefit greatly from the Warriors’ acquisition of CP3, and two Celtics rounded out this draft. Brogdon’s the one I’m more interested in, as injury concerns prevented Boston from including him in the initially reported three-team deal that would have landed them Porzingis. Will he be fully healthy when training camp begins? And will there be any hard feelings over the trade that didn’t come to pass? Brogdon failed to crack the top 100 coming off the bench in his first season in Boston, but he wasn’t far off.