1Cooper Flagg – PF – Dallas Mavericks – This is an obvious one. Whoever gets the first pick in every single fantasy league in the world will be selecting Flagg. He’s going to be a fantasy monster the likes of which we’ve never seen. It would be like if Andrei Kirilenko played in a fantasy era and was mixed with Jayson Tatum. He’s going to contribute in every category and dominate certain defensive ones. And he’s going to score. And be efficient. And be a superstar.2Dylan Harper – PG/SG – San Antonio Spurs – While he’s not the cleanest fit on the Spurs roster Harper has too much talent and upside to pass on. He might not be a complete fantasy monster like Flagg but he plays the type of al around game that’ll be really fun to have on your roster. By year two or three the numbers could be scary good.3VJ Edgecombe – PG/SG – Philadelphia 76ers – The number 3 overall pick is the type of explosive guard that can rack up points, rebounds, assists and steals. He’s electric with the ball in his hands and I feel like he has a whole different level that he can unlock in his game. He’s one of the better perimeter defenders in the draft and should be stocks machine. Don’t let him fall too far.4Ace Bailey – SF – Utah Jazz – With the drama’s of his pre-draft process hopefully behind us we can start to imagine Bailey blossoming into a number 1 option for the Jazz, scoring in bunches and rounding out the rest of his game as the years go by. We all know he’s going to score the rock, hopefully with decent shooting splits but he’s also a really good defender when he sets his mind to it. As he matures it would be great to see his passing and feel for the game develop but even if it’ doesn’t he can be a nice fantasy option. There is a little bit of bust potential here but the upside is immense.5Tre Johnson – SG – Washington Wizards – Tre is an offensive juggernaut who can get up shots in hurry. If he can round out his game a bit he’ll bring some good fantasy value but to start his career he’ll mostly be a jump shooting guard who will have some big scoring outbursts but might not provide much else. Long term he could be a really solid fantasy option.6Kon Knueppel – SG – Charlotte Hornets – This is where it gets wide open (just like with the actual draft). The only reason I’d give a slight nod to Kon over some of the other guys is I think he’s going to be incredibly efficient, while the other guys might really struggle with efficiency early in their careers. Kon is well positioned for playing time on this young Hornets team and I think he’ll be solid across the board and lethal from 3pt range. He might not be the flashiest player but his efficient play could make him a fantasy stud.7Walter Clayton Jr. – SG – Utah Jazz – The 18th pick in the draft will likely be a better fantasy player, especially over the next few years, than many of the young PF/C’s drafted ahead of him. If you’re in more of a win-now mode this could be a good pick but if you’re in a full rebuild then you might want to swing for the upside of one of the younger prospects.8Derik Queen – PF/C – New Orleans Pelicans – (OUT FOR A WHILE WITH A WRIST INJURY) The fit here is a bit weird but Queen is the type of big who gobbles up rebounds and has a knack for scoring in the lane. He’s not going to give you a ton of blocks but his scoring and rebounding should make up for it. He’s also a talented passer who can be an offensive hub. We’ve seen players like Alperin Sengun have a ton of fantasy value and Queen could be the next in that archetype.9Carter Bryant – SF – San Antonio Spurs – This is tough one. I think Bryant has really big upside but he’s also a low usage off-the-ball player who does a lot of things that don’t show up in the stat sheet. He’s a standout defender who can really lock down but it doesn’t always result in stocks. Still, I’d swing on his upside and not let him drop too far.10Cedric Coward – SG – Memphis Grizzlies – While he might not be the most flashy or exciting player I think Coward will be fantasy monster with his efficient shooting and defensive abilities. And he’ll probably get serious minutes as a rookie, which is always nice to see. He’s coming back from a shoulder injury and should be a full go by the time the NBA season starts.11Jeremiah Fears – PG – New Orleans Pelicans – I think there’s a clear path to Fears having the ball in his hands a ton early in his career and that can lead to big fantasy value. He’s going to turn the ball over, be a turnstile on defense and probably not shoot the ball well early in his career but the scoring and assists should be there. If he can improve his efficiency over the first few years he could be a fantasy monster.12Egor Demin – PG – Brooklyn Nets – I’m a huge Demin fan and don’t think he was a reach at no.8 in the draft. He’s likely to have the ball in his hands a lot in Brooklyn and should be an assist machine. If the 3pt shot comes around he’s going to be a really good fantasy asset.13Noa Essengue – PF – Chicago Bulls – Essengue is a high energy big forward who will likely contribute on the boards and by scoring in transition early in his career. He also has a knack for getting to the FT line and is a decent shooter from the stripe. If the stocks numbers are there he’ll be a solid fantasy option but don’t look for him to carry an offensive workload.14Danny Wolf – PF/C – Brooklyn Nets – The only big man selected by the Nets with their five first round picks, Wolf is a really intriguing fantasy prospect thanks to his passing, 3pt shooting and all around game. He’s turnover prone but if he can harness his skills and take better care of the ball he could be a really good fantasy player. I think his 3pt shot is for real and he’s one of the best passing bigs around.15Yang Hansen – C – Portland Trail Blazers – While many people think the Blazers reached for Hansen at no.16 I think they made a shrewd move by taking him where they did. If they had tried to trade down to get him in the 20’s he would have been gone. With that said there’s a logjam at the center position now and it’s hard to know when he’ll get minutes. He’s a solid rebounder, a good scorer and a really high level passer. It’s going to be really exciting to see how his career turns out.16Ryan Kalkbrenner – C – Charlotte Hornets – There is a clear path to playing time for Kalkbrenner in Charlotte and he has a chance to be really productive with rebounds, blocks and high efficiency scoring. He’s not the most sexy pick but could give really good value.17Khaman Maluch – C – Phoenix Suns – Maluach should get decent minutes during his rookie season while sharing the work load with Mark Williams. He’s not an elite rebounder or shot-blocker but he’ll be solid in those categories and will give you a really nice combination of high field goal percentage and good FT percentage. I don’t think he’ll be a fantasy stud but is a solid center option with some long-term upside to grow into. Eventually he has a chance to space the floor and contribute 3’s but don’t count on that in year one.18Kasparas Jakucionis – PG/SG – Miami Heat – KJ fell farther than most of us thought on draft day but lands in a good situation in Miami. He could out play his draft position and be solid fantasy player but will have to get more consistent shooting the outside shot.19Nique Clifford – SF – Kings – One of the most NBA-ready players in the draft, Clifford should get good minutes early in his career and he’ll contribute across the board. He’s a really solid defender, a great rebounder for a wing and a talented all around offensive player. I think he could be a sneaky fantasy stud.20Joan Beringer – C – Minnesota Timberwolves – Beringer is a swing-for-the-fences pick. He could be a defensive and rebounding monster but he’s on a good team that can afford to bring him along slowly so it could be a while before he gets consistent playing time. He’s a long term play who could really pay off in a few years.21Nolan Traore – PG – Brooklyn Nets – There is a world where Traore ends up as one of the better fantasy players from this draft class. He’s the type of guard that is best with the ball in his hands, does a good job of setting up teammates and can score as well. It remains to be seen who gets the keys to the Nets offense (him or Demin) but he’s got a chance to be a high usage player before too long.22Maxime Renault – C – Sacramento Kings – The high scoring/3pt bombing big man could drastically outplay his draft position and be a solid fantasy option.23Jase Richardson – PG/SG – Orlando Magic – Minutes might be hard to come by early in his Magic career but a heady, smart and efficient player like Richardson should find his way onto the court eventually.24Will Riley – SG – Washington Wizards – There are a lot of young wings in Washington but there should be some playing time and some shots for Riley. He’s a really talented offensive player with a pure shot. I really like his upside and would even consider taking him higher than this. Becoming a better defender will help him get on the court.25Asa Newell – PF – Atlanta Hawks – The Hawks have retooled the frontcourt and now have a good amount of depth and a lot of talent up front. Newell might not be getting big minutes in year one but he’s got a chance to develop into a productive player in time. He’s a very solid rebounder and a high energy player who has a nose for the ball.26Hugo Gonzalez – SG/SF – Boston Celtics – The Celtics are going into an interesting year where they can afford to play their young guys and develop their talent while preparing to be competitive again in 2026/27. Hugo is a high energy player who flies all over the court and should be a fan favorite in Boston. His 3pt shot is streaky but I think he’ll shoot it well eventually.27Johni Broome – PF/C – 76ers – Broome might not be a high upside player but he’s very NBA-ready, fundamentally sound and has a long history of being productive on the court. The Sixers are lacking depth up front and so there could be minutes for him as a rookie.28Ben Saraf – PG – Brooklyn Nets – It’s going to be interesting to see who gets time on the ball in Brooklyn and it might be a struggle to get touches with Traore and Demin on the team but Saraf is an exciting young talent who could be a good longer term play.29Liam McNeeley – SF – Charlotte Hornets – He’s a pure shooter and a connective passer who probably won’t give you a ton of other stats but could bring some value with his outside scoring ability.30Thomas Sorber – C – Oklahoma City Thunder – (OUT FOR THE YEAR WITH AN INJURY) He’ll be a back-up early in his career but could be in line for bigger minutes in year two. He has a chance to be a really good defender who racks up steals, blocks and rebounds. He’s also a very good passer for a big.–
