LeBron James is officially a 76er, and if you thought your early fantasy basketball draft board was set, think again. This huge move just dropped after a drawn-out process, forcing a fresh, post-Summer League look at the top-50 fantasy basketball draft rankings for 9-category leagues. Seriously, this changes everything for how we think about the top talent out there.
Wemby vs. Jokic for Number One, Plus Some Guard Love
Alright, let’s get into it. Your top-10 is looking spicy. Victor Wembanyama for San Antonio is the author’s pick for number one overall, and you know what? It’s Wemby’s time. Nikola Jokić is still a beast and many will have him at 1.01, but the hype for Wemby is real. Luka Dončić from L.A. and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in OKC are basically interchangeable at number three, you can’t go wrong there. Look, Cade Cunningham’s turnovers? Yeah, they can absolutely drive you up a wall, but he is a stat-stuffing machine on both ends of the court, and he can actually lead the league in assists. Tyrese Maxey in Philly is going to see his usage take a slight hit now that Jaylen Brown and James are in the fold, but you should expect his efficiency to skyrocket. Jayson Tatum makes a well-deserved return to the top 10; he should be ready to go for a full, monster season. And don’t sleep on the young bucks, Jalen Johnson from Atlanta and Scottie Barnes from Toronto. Their versatility earns them late first-round validity, with Johnson finishing 13th in 9-cat just last season.
Second and Third Round Targets: Risers, Returners, and Caution Flags
Moving into the 11-20 range, we’ve got some interesting storylines. Jamal Murray, Donovan Mitchell, and Tyrese Haliburton are all there, but a word of caution on Haliburton: he is returning from an Achilles tear. He should still put up plenty of counting stats, but be ready for some missed games due to load management. Giannis Antetokounmpo lands in the second round for 9-cat because his poor free-throw shooting and lack of 3-pointers are just too much of a headache. However, if you’re in a points league? He is a top-five player, no question. Cooper Flagg in Dallas ranks high, and you should absolutely expect a big sophomore leap from him because he can literally do it all. Chet Holmgren in OKC is set to have his best season to date, and Austin Reaves in L.A. is going to feast on usage now that LeBron is gone. Karl-Anthony Towns and Kawhi Leonard are both efficiency-driven, productive assets, though you need to keep an ear out for any news regarding that alleged cap circumvention investigation with the Clippers and Leonard.
The third round? It’s shaping up to be pretty guard-heavy. Guys like Josh Giddey in Chicago and LaMelo Ball in Minnesota offer multi-cat upside at the point. Expect strong bounce-backs from Trae Young and Stephen Curry, who were both limited by injuries last season. Jalen Brunson is recovering from offseason wrist surgery, but the King of New York should be cleared by the preseason. Lauri Markkanen, who was eighth in per-game value last year but only played in 42 games, is projected to play far more this season with Utah finally looking to compete. An uptick in 3s could be coming for Bam Adebayo, alongside his usual steady dose of double-doubles and stocks. James Harden’s usage and efficiency slipped in Cleveland, where he is. Deni Avdija from Portland rounds out the top-30.
This early look gives us so much to chew on. Get ready to shuffle those rankings, folks. The fantasy season is just around the corner, and these insights are just the beginning of what’s going to be a wild ride. Stay sharp, because every pick matters!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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