Late-round gems and breakout players are important in constructing a championship-caliber fantasy basketball team, but it's the superstars that ultimately anchor your squad. These are the players at the top of your NBA fantasy draft cheat sheet who compile the best stats and are the most trustworthy on a nightly basis.
Whether you're participating in a snake draft and need to figure out which top players fit your NBA fantasy ADP when you're on the clock, or even if you're in an auction league and have access to all the top players based on fantasy basketball auction values, star players create the foundation for an elite team.
We'll dive into this year's top fantasy basketball players and how you can use RotoWire's fantasy basketball draft kit to target these players and begin building a team that can compete for a title.
Best Fantasy Basketball Players to Draft in the First Round
Managers will first want to understand if they're playing in a head-to-head league or Rotisserie league. That can change rankings of the top fantasy basketball players significantly as you prepare for your NBA fantasy draft.
There are certain players that are elite no matter the format, including Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic, all of whom are atop RotoWire's NBA projections in both league types. Names like Luka Doncic, Cade Cunningham and Anthony Edwards are also dominant no matter the league because of their elite counting stats.
In head-to-head, Giannis Antetokounmpo gets a huge bump because owners can build around his awful free throw percentage. The same goes for LaMelo Ball, whose field goal percentage won't hurt as much in Round 1 of head-to-head leagues.
In Rotisserie, where every category is weighed evenly, someone like Karl-Anthony Towns becomes even more valuable because he contributes as a center in free throw percentage with solid assist and 3-point numbers from a big man. We're also targeting names like Devin Booker, Anthony Davis and Steph Curry, all of whom contribute relatively across the board for their teams.
Top Sleeper and Breakout Picks for Fantasy Basketball
There are a handful of players every year that break out, either evolving from a solid contributor into an All-Star or going from a small role player into a rotation player, who sneaks his way into NBA starting lineups.
One name who is shooting up fantasy basketball rankings is Houston's Amen Thompson. He showed flashes in the regular season and was terrific in the postseason for the Rockets. With Fred Van Vleet on the NBA injury report for the season with a torn ACL, Thompson is locked in for 30 minutes and contributes in eight categories. His teammate, Tari Eason, should also see an increased role and should be stellar in rebounds, steals, and blocks as a late round flier.
Another player benefitting from a teammate injury is Payton Pritchard. With Jayson Tatum out for the year, expect the Sixth Man of the Year to take on an even larger role with the Celtics.
Sophomores typically take a substantial leap in the NBA, so we'll add Portland's Donovan Clingan to the sleeper list. The ultra-talented big man averaged 9.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game after the All-Star break and is in line for an even bigger role for the tanking Blazers after they dealt Deandre Ayton.
Best Fantasy Basketball Players by Position (Guards, Forwards, Centers)
No matter your league format, you'll be required to draft a certain number of players at each position. Knowing who the top fantasy basketball players are in each will help you build a balanced roster that can compete for a title.
Guard: MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is in a tier of his own here, though Atlanta's Trae Young and Anthony Edwards bring their own star power to fantasy basketball teams for different reasons. Luka Doncic has guard eligibility and is perhaps the league's best fantasy player from a pure volume standpoint.
Forward: This position is weaker than in year's past but there are still dominant options, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Jalen Williams. One sleeper in the middle rounds we like a lot is Portland's Deni Avdija, who was one of the top players in all of fantasy over the last few weeks of last season.
Center: This position has seen a resurgence of late and now boasts dominant forces in Wembanyama, Jokic, Domantas Sabonis, and Evan Mobley. You can find unique stats here like Jokic's assists, Towns' 3-pointers, and Bam Adebayo's steals that can shape the rest of your roster.
The best fantasy basketball players are reliable, consistent, and dominate in multiple categories. Many of them are household names, but others fly under the radar as better fantasy players than real-life players (consider that Austin Reaves is projected to be better than Kawhi Leonard). Those who subscribe to RotoWire will get access to these elite names and determine how they can best anchor your fantasy basketball roster.
