These fantasy basketball rankings are derived from comprehensive season-long projections for nearly 400 potential rotation players in the upcoming NBA season. Unlike points-based formats, category-based leagues prioritize specific statistical contributions like blocks, steals, and three-pointers, while significantly penalizing poor shooting percentages from both the field and the free-throw line.
A player`s value in a particular statistical category is directly influenced by its scarcity. For instance, steals are much rarer than assists, meaning each steal a player accumulates will have a considerably greater impact on their overall category ranking compared to each assist.
Points represent the most abundant statistical category, thus each point scored contributes the least to these rankings. Conversely, blocked shots are the least frequent, imbuing each block with substantial weight in a player`s valuation within this system.
This principle is consistently evident throughout both the Top 150 category rankings and these detailed positional tiers: shot-blocking specialists, in particular, routinely rank higher in category-based systems than in points-based formats. Broadly speaking, defensive stalwarts and prolific three-point shooters tend to perform relatively better, while players who primarily generate high volumes of points, rebounds, or assists may see their relative value diminish compared to points-based leagues.
The following breakdown organizes players into distinct positional tiers based on my comprehensive preseason projections.
While this analysis offers a valuable perspective, the greatest advantage in your draft preparation comes from creating your own player tiers based on your personal valuation. A quick 20-minute exercise like this can significantly sharpen your draft strategy and provide a crucial competitive edge over other managers in your league.
Point Guard Tiers
| Tier | Players |
|---|---|
| TIER 1 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, James Harden, Trae Young, Cade Cunningham |
| TIER 2 | Stephen Curry, Josh Giddey, Derrick White, Tyrese Maxey, LaMelo Ball |
| TIER 3 | Dyson Daniels, De`Aaron Fox, Jamal Murray |
| TIER 4 | Jordan Poole, Ja Morant, Jalen Brunson |
| TIER 5 | Kevin Porter Jr., Tyler Herro, Darius Garland |
| TIER 6 | Anfernee Simons, Jalen Suggs, Payton Pritchard, CJ McCollum, D`Angelo Russell |
| TIER 7 | Malik Monk, Donte DiVincenzo, Andrew Nembhard, Keyonte George, Scoot Henderson |
| TIER 8 | Immanuel Quickley, Chris Paul, Isaiah Collier |
| TIER 9 | Scotty Pippen Jr., Egor Demin, Jrue Holiday, Ty Jerome |
Thoughts on Point Guards:
- The top two tiers feature significantly more point guards than any other position. This is likely due to their dominance in rare and impactful categories such as steals and three-pointers.
- While most top-tier point guards are established franchise players, specialized contributors like Derrick White (who excels in three-pointers, steals, and even blocks for a guard) also find prominent spots.
- Reigning steals champion Dyson Daniels is positioned in Tier 3 alongside All-Stars De`Aaron Fox and Jamal Murray. Tiers 3-5 each contain three point guards, but Tiers 6 and 7 expand to five. This broad distribution suggests that high-caliber point guards can be drafted effectively at almost any point in the draft, a flexibility not often seen with other positions.
Shooting Guard Tiers
| Tier | Players |
|---|---|
| TIER 1 | Anthony Edwards |
| TIER 2 | Amen Thompson, Devin Booker |
| TIER 3 | Donovan Mitchell, Jaylen Brown, Scottie Barnes, Desmond Bane, Coby White |
| TIER 4 | Jalen Green, Trey Murphy III, Austin Reaves |
| TIER 5 | Reed Sheppard, Mikal Bridges, Zach LaVine |
| TIER 6 | Brandon Miller, Norman Powell |
| TIER 7 | Christian Braun, Jimmy Butler III, Shaedon Sharpe, RJ Barrett |
| TIER 8 | Buddy Hield, Klay Thompson, Keon Ellis, Bub Carrington, Devin Vassell |
| TIER 9 | Cam Thomas, Stephon Castle, Bennedict Mathurin, Kyshawn George, Luguentz Dort |
Thoughts on Shooting Guards:
- Anthony Edwards is the sole shooting guard in Tier 1, a reflection of his ascent last season to become one of the league`s highest-volume three-point shooters.
- Amen Thompson and Devin Booker comprise Tier 2; Thompson`s all-around game shines with excellent defensive categories, while Booker offers a potent blend of offensive volume and efficiency.
- Tier 3 is notable as the only high-level tier where shooting guards outnumber other positions. This suggests that if you opt for other positions in the initial two rounds, you might have a strong opportunity to acquire a high-value shooting guard in rounds 3 or 4.
- Tiers 4-6 contain two to three players each, but Tiers 7-9 are again heavily populated with shooting guards. This implies that the most advantageous times to find value at shooting guard in your draft are either in the middle rounds (3-5) or during the later stages.
Small Forward Tiers
| Tier | Players |
|---|---|
| TIER 1 | (nobody) |
| TIER 2 | LeBron James |
| TIER 3 | Jalen Williams, Cooper Flagg |
| TIER 4 | Franz Wagner, Josh Hart, Miles Bridges, Deni Avdija |
| TIER 5 | Michael Porter Jr., OG Anunoby, Andrew Wiggins, DeMar DeRozan |
| TIER 6 | Paul George, Jaden McDaniels, Brandon Ingram, Kawhi Leonard |
| TIER 7 | Keegan Murray, Toumani Camara, Tari Eason, Tobias Harris |
| TIER 8 | Matas Buzelis, Ausar Thompson, Cam Whitmore |
| TIER 9 | Royce O`Neale, Herbert Jones |
Thoughts on Small Forwards:
- There are no small forwards ranked in Tier 1. LeBron James, for instance, falls to Tier 2 primarily due to his free-throw percentage.
- Tier 3 features Jalen Williams and rookie sensation Cooper Flagg. For Flagg in particular, the inherent scarcity at small forward, combined with his significant hype, will likely lead to him being drafted even earlier than his raw ranking might suggest.
- Tiers 4-6 contain more small forwards than any other position, showcasing a wide variety of different specializations that could complement diverse fantasy team compositions.
- The position becomes sparse again in the later tiers, particularly Tier 9. Based on this analysis, the middle rounds of fantasy drafts are typically the most opportune time to find significant value at small forward.
Power Forward Tiers
| Tier | Players |
|---|---|
| TIER 1 | Giannis Antetokounmpo |
| TIER 2 | Anthony Davis |
| TIER 3 | Chet Holmgren, Pascal Siakam, Kevin Durant, Evan Mobley |
| TIER 4 | Jalen Johnson, Paolo Banchero, Jaren Jackson Jr. |
| TIER 5 | Kristaps Porzingis, Draymond Green, Naz Reid |
| TIER 6 | Lauri Markkanen, Zion Williamson, Julius Randle |
| TIER 7 | John Collins |
| TIER 8 | Santi Aldama |
| TIER 9 | Cameron Johnson, Jerami Grant, P.J. Washington |
Thoughts on Power Forwards:
- Giannis Antetokounmpo holds the sole position in Tier 1. The fact that he achieves this despite his struggles at the free-throw line underscores his overwhelming dominance in other key categories.
- Anthony Davis is placed in Tier 2, with the primary reason for him not being in Tier 1 being the inherent availability risk due to his past injury history.
- Tiers 3-6 each contain at least three players whose default position is power forward, making it the only position besides point guard with such consistent depth across these tiers.
- Power forward becomes the sparsest position from Tiers 7-9. While dual-eligible players can mitigate some of this scarcity, the general implication is clear: if you miss out on one of the very few elite power forward options in the first couple of rounds, it becomes imperative to draft one in the middle rounds, as finding significant power forward value late in drafts is challenging.
Center Tiers
| Tier | Players |
|---|---|
| TIER 1 | Victor Wembanyama, Nikola Jokic |
| TIER 2 | Karl-Anthony Towns, Domantas Sabonis |
| TIER 3 | Myles Turner, Bam Adebayo, Nikola Vucevic |
| TIER 4 | Alperen Sengun, Ivica Zubac, Alex Sarr |
| TIER 5 | Walker Kessler, Joel Embiid |
| TIER 6 | Jakob Poeltl, Jarrett Allen, Jalen Duren, Onyeka Okongwu |
| TIER 7 | Donovan Clingan, Rudy Gobert |
| TIER 8 | Nic Claxton, Zach Edey, Isaiah Hartenstein |
| TIER 9 | Mark Williams, Kel`el Ware, Brook Lopez, Deandre Ayton |
Thoughts on Centers:
- Value among centers is overwhelmingly influenced by shot-blocking. This critical category is why, in the category rankings, Victor Wembanyama manages to outrank even the triple-double-averaging Nikola Jokic for the coveted top spot.
- Centers who can proficiently combine shot-blocking with three-point shooting are even more valuable, a trend clearly illustrated by Myles Turner`s presence in Tier 3 and Alex Sarr`s inclusion in Tier 4.
- Walker Kessler finds himself in Tier 5, alongside Joel Embiid, an enigmatic former MVP who comes with significant injury risk.
- There are two players in Tiers 1 and 2, and three players in Tiers 3 and 4. Tier 6 is the first to feature four options, and Tiers 8-9 collectively offer seven players, many of whom are strong shot-blocking role players. This implies that if you happen to miss out on one of the truly super-elite center options early in the draft, you are often able to effectively fill your center position later with valuable shot-blocking specialists.
