Since you’ve clicked on this article, both ball and fantasy are life for you. We are six weeks into the NFL season. Geez, where did the time go? And the NBA season begins once again on Oct. 21. Life is good. Until then, we have plenty of time to add more fantasy leagues into the portfolio, but don’t fret, this article is about best ball, which means all the benefits of drafting with no in-season management. It’s like eating a cake fed to you by a robot arm that wipes your mouth, washes the dishes and bakes more cake!
Here is the 4-1-1 before you dive into the rankings:
Drafts are 16 rounds with 12 teams in each league. While we still have time, there are two options for drafting: a 30-second clock and an eight-hour clock. As it gets closer to opening night, drafts will all have 30-second clocks.
Lineups will consist of two guards, two forwards, one center, two utility players and nine on the bench (G/F/C). The highest-scoring players are automatically chosen by our bot overlords.
Scoring is a points format. Each real point is worth 1.0 fantasy point. A three-pointer is 0.5 points. A rebound is 1.25 points. An assist is 1.5 points. A steal is 2.0 points. A block is 2.0 points. A turnover is minus 0.5 points. A double-double is 1.5 points. A triple-double is 3.0 points.
As for the tournament format:
Round 1 starts Oct. 21 and ends on Feb. 22. The NBA Cup championship game on Dec. 16 will not be included. Top two teams advance.
Round 2 starts Feb. 23 and ends March 8. Top team advances.
Round 3 starts March 9 and ends March 22. Top team advances.
Round 4 starts March 23 and ends April 5. This round consists of 34 teams with every team receiving a payout.
These rankings are skewed toward the playoff weeks.
Now to the rankings:
For transparency, these rankings are geared toward the playoff weeks. In addition, most of the rankings are what my projections spit out, but I’m not necessarily selecting players directly off the list. I used it as a foundation then make executive decisions based upon roster construction and playoff schedules.
| PLAYER | TEAM | |
| 1 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | MIL |
| 2 | Luka Doncic | LAL |
| 3 | Cade Cunningham | DET |
| 4 | Victor Wembanyama | SAS |
| 5 | Nikola Jokic | DEN |
| 6 | Kevin Durant | HOU |
| 7 | Anthony Davis | DAL |
| 8 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | OKC |
| 9 | Alperen Sengun | HOU |
| 10 | Domantas Sabonis | SAC |
| 11 | Ja Morant | MEM |
| 12 | James Harden | LAC |
| 13 | LaMelo Ball | CHA |
| 14 | Paolo Banchero | ORL |
| 15 | Karl-Anthony Towns | NYK |
| 16 | Trae Young | ATL |
| 17 | Anthony Edwards | MIN |
| 18 | Zion Williamson | NOP |
| 19 | Stephen Curry | GSW |
| 20 | Franz Wagner | ORL |
| 21 | Tyrese Maxey | PHI |
| 22 | Devin Booker | PHO |
| 23 | De’Aaron Fox | SAS |
| 24 | Scottie Barnes | TOR |
| 25 | Jalen Brunson | NYK |
| 26 | Jaylen Brown | BOS |
| 27 | Pascal Siakam | IND |
| 28 | Jalen Duren | DET |
| 29 | Donovan Mitchell | CLE |
| 30 | Amen Thompson | HOU |
| 31 | Josh Giddey | CHI |
| 32 | LeBron James | LAL |
| 33 | Kawhi Leonard | LAC |
| 34 | Jalen Johnson | ATL |
| 35 | Bam Adebayo | MIA |
| 36 | Cam Thomas | BKN |
| 37 | Lauri Markkanen | UTA |
| 38 | Jalen Williams | OKC |
| 39 | Jaren Jackson Jr. | MEM |
| 40 | Austin Reaves | LAL |
| 41 | Tyler Herro | MIA |
| 42 | Myles Turner | MIL |
| 43 | Evan Mobley | CLE |
| 44 | Brandon Miller | CHA |
| 45 | Derrick White | BOS |
| 46 | Cooper Flagg | DAL |
| 47 | Kevin Porter Jr. | MIL |
| 48 | CJ McCollum | WAS |
| 49 | Darius Garland | CLE |
| 50 | Trey Murphy III | NOP |
| 51 | Deni Avdija | POR |
| 52 | DeMar DeRozan | SAC |
| 53 | Deandre Ayton | LAL |
| 54 | Ivica Zubac | LAC |
| 55 | Jimmy Butler | GSW |
| 56 | RJ Barrett | TOR |
| 57 | Brandon Ingram | TOR |
| 58 | Jamal Murray | DEN |
| 59 | Immanuel Quickley | TOR |
| 60 | Julius Randle | MIN |
| 61 | Michael Porter Jr. | BKN |
| 62 | Alex Sarr | WAS |
| 63 | Joel Embiid | PHI |
| 64 | Miles Bridges | CHA |
| 65 | Jalen Green | PHO |
| 66 | Rudy Gobert | MIN |
| 67 | Nikola Vucevic | CHI |
| 68 | Zach LaVine | SAC |
| 69 | Jaden Ivey | DET |
| 70 | Jordan Poole | NOP |
| 71 | Desmond Bane | ORL |
| 72 | D’Angelo Russell | DAL |
| 73 | Bobby Portis | MIL |
| 74 | John Collins | LAC |
| 75 | Josh Hart | NYK |
| 76 | Chet Holmgren | OKC |
| 77 | Coby White | CHI |
| 78 | Jonathan Kuminga | GSW |
| 79 | Payton Pritchard | BOS |
| 80 | Kel’el Ware | MIA |
| 81 | Draymond Green | GSW |
| 82 | Walker Kessler | UTA |
| 83 | Anfernee Simons | BOS |
| 84 | Ausar Thompson | DET |
| 85 | Paul George | PHI |
| 86 | Jakob Poeltl | TOR |
| 87 | Isaiah Hartenstein | OKC |
| 88 | Bradley Beal | LAC |
| 89 | Devin Vassell | SAS |
| 90 | Reed Sheppard | HOU |
| 91 | Dejounte Murray | NOP |
| 92 | Isaiah Jackson | IND |
| 93 | Santi Aldama | MEM |
| 94 | Kristaps Porzingis | ATL |
| 95 | OG Anunoby | NYK |
| 96 | Nicolas Claxton | BKN |
| 97 | Scoot Henderson | POR |
| 98 | Mark Williams | PHO |
| 99 | Donovan Clingan | POR |
| 100 | Jarrett Allen | CLE |
LeBron James – I initially had him sixth overall, primarily because the playoff schedule is good with eight Round 2 games, seven Round 3 games and seven games during the final round. With the news that he will miss at least three to four weeks, and possibly more, I dropped him down to the Kawhi Leonard area. Some of the other players with injuries, I didn’t drop as much, but James is 41 years old and Father Time could be coming for him.
Giannis Antetokounmpo – Antetokounmpo is the highest projected player for me during the playoffs. Milwaukee plays 22 games with eight Round 2 games, seven Round 3 games and seven games in the final round. Keep in mind that I’m assuming that everyone plays all the games.
Nikola Jokic – All things being equal, Jokic is the best fantasy asset by a wide margin. But all things are not equal because Denver has the worst playoff schedule with 19 games games: six Round 2, seven Round 3 and six games in the final round.
Cade Cunningham – The roster construction continues to be optimized around Cunningham, and I think he levels up again. Detroit also has the best playoff schedule with 23 games: eight Round 2, seven Round 3 and eight games during the final round.
Kevin Durant – Durant is buried in the default rankings and he’s often available at the end of the second round. Durant has never garnered an obscene usage rate, often settling in the 29% range, but he’s so efficient and contributes across the board that he provides plenty of fantasy goodies. Houston brought Durant in to be that alpha on offense, and I have a not-so-sneaky suspicion that he will oblige. Houston and Detroit are tied for the best playoff schedules.
Alperen Sengun – The center position isn’t particularly deep so Sengun gets elevated, especially since Houston has a great playoff schedule. But it’s not just about positional scarcity or playoff schedule because Sengun is already one of the best players in the NBA at age 23. It’s well within the range of outcomes that Sengun levels up to enter the elite tier.
Ja Morant – Injuries are a concern, so from a season-long perspective, he shouldn’t be this high. But I’m trying to optimize for the playoffs. Sure, it’s a best case scenario since there’s no guarantee that he plays all the games during the playoffs, but we are looking for a 22-game streak, which isn’t out of the question. Memphis plays seven Round 2 games, seven Round 3 games and eight games during the final week.
LaMelo Ball – Ball is great for points leagues because we don’t have to worry about the shooting efficiency while still being a nightly triple-double threat. Health is also a concern but we only need him for 21 games. Charlotte plays six games during Round 3 but eight games in the final round.
Anthony Edwards – Edwards is only 24 years old but is already one of the best players in the league. The offensive bag is deep and we may not have seen all the rabbits get pulled out yet. He could level up, which is frightening and exhilarating at the same time. Unfortunately, Minnesota plays six games in Round 2 and six games in the final round.
Zion Williamson – If only Williamson could stay healthy. If only I could jump 50 inches and have a six pack. New Orleans plays eight, six and seven games during the playoffs, so the schedule isn’t great, but Williamson is such a fantasy beast when healthy that asking for a 21-game streak of awesomeness, while improbable, would be Tony the Tiger greeeeeaaaattt and isn’t impossible.
Franz Wagner – Wagner is so freaking good and the addition of Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones could make him even deadlier. Orlando has a great playoff schedule with 22 total games and eight during the final round.
Devin Booker – Phoenix only plays 20 games with six games in Round 2 and the final round.
De’Aaron Fox – Fox is dealing with a hamstring injury so he could miss a few games to open the season, but the injury doesn’t sound too serious and we primarily care about the end of the season. The Fox/Wembanyama duo could be epic and the Spurs have a good playoff schedule with eight, seven and seven games.
Jalen Duren – Detroit has the best playoff schedule and centers are a valuable commodity. Duren could very well level up, both on offense and defense. He’s still only 21 years old!
Amen Thompson – The playoff schedule is the best and Thompson could garner more usage with Fred VanVleet out due to injury, but my projections are a little lower than the default ranking. I don’t mind taking him there, though, because the upside is tantalizing.
Josh Giddey – Giddey is a triple-double threat and just got paid, so there are no issues from a usage standpoint. The Bulls also play eight games during the final week. Unfortunately, Chicago only plays six games in Rounds 2 and 3.
Kawhi Leonard – The Clippers are going to manage Leonard during the regular season to have him ready for the NBA playoffs. With how competitive the Western Conference is, if the Clippers are in contention come the DK playoffs, then Leonard could play all the games. He did play back-to-backs last season. The Clippers play six games in Round 2, which stinks, but then have eight and seven games in the final two rounds.
Cam Thomas – Thomas is going to huck and chuck until his arm can’t take it anymore. He’s also developed his playmaking chops recently. Now, there is plenty of risk with Thomas because we have no idea what Brooklyn is going to do at the end of the season, so Thomas could be rested. The default rankings may have this risk baked in. If he does play, though, the Nets have a good playoff schedule with seven, eight and seven games.
Lauri Markkanen – Markkanen reminded us how great of a player he is during EuroBasket over the summer. Unfortunately, he hasn’t played much with the Utah Jazz due to injuries and tanking. And with three potential franchise-changing players at the top of the draft pool, Utah could be sitting Markkanen down the stretch once again. But there’s also the chance he gets traded. If for some reason Utah plays Markkanen down the stretch, the Jazz have a great playoff schedule with seven, seven and eight games during the final rounds.
Evan Mobley – Cleveland doesn’t have a great playoff schedule with 20 games, six in Round 2 then seven in each of the final two rounds.
Kevin Porter Jr. – Porter has been “my” guy since the first draft back in July. I have an unhealthy infatuation with him and a ton of shares. Porter has been named the starting point guard and he can contribute at both ends of the floor. He has three career triple-doubles and once scored 50 points in a game. Porter averaged 30.6 minutes, 20.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 2.8 steals in the final five games of the regular season. In five playoff games, he averaged 11.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 0.8 steals. Milwaukee then rewarded him with a two-year, $11 million contract.
CJ McCollum – McCollum will likely start for the Wizards early on. Washington has a good playoff schedule with seven, eight and seven games. The Wizards could rest McCollum to tank and give the young players run at the end of the season, though.
Darius Garland – Cleveland has a bad playoff schedule and Garland is dealing with an injury, but the default ranking seems way too low.
Ivica Zubac – Zubac played a career-high 80 games last season while averaging 32.8 mpg, the first time over 30 mpg. The center depth chart was barren behind him last season, but the Clippers brought in Brook Lopez this season.
RJ Barrett / Brandon Ingram / Immanuel Quickley – Toronto plays only six games in Round 2 but then get eight games in the final round. My projections have most of the Raptors a little higher than the default rankings.
Jalen Green – Green is empty outside of points, but the main thing is that Phoenix only plays six games in Round 2 and the final round.
Nikola Vucevic – Chicago plays eight games the final round but only get six games in Rounds 2 and 3. There is a chance that Vucevic gets traded, though.
Jaden Ivey – Ivey’s season was cut short last season after 30 games. Too bad because he was balling out, averaging 17.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting a career-high 46% from the field and 40% from downtown. The field goal percentage was 42% the first two seasons. Detroit has the best playoff schedule.
Desmond Bane – Orlando has a good playoff schedule with seven, seven and eight games. Unfortunately, I’m a little down on Bane this season. Not because of the skills because he’s a baller, but I think the role is reduced.
Chet Holmgren – Holmgren being F eligible instead of C downgraded him a bit, but it’s mainly about the playoff schedule with only 20 games and six games in Round 3.
Isaiah Jackson – Jackson and Porter are the two guys I’ve been most bullish on. I think Jackson starts for Indiana and plays around 28 minutes while Jay Huff gets 20 minutes. Jackson is coming off an Achilles injury but has looked spry in the offseason. He should provide plenty of blocks. The playoff schedule isn’t great with 20 games and six games in Round 2, but Jackson is a last-round selection.
Jarrett Allen – Cleveland doesn’t have a great playoff schedule and Allen played a career-low 28 mpg. He did start all 82 games, though. He’s a fine player and contributes a little something something in every category, but I think he’s a bit overrated in the default rankings.
