I have the Joker taking the top spot in my 2024-’25 fantasy rankings for two reasons, one being obvious: he can fill up a stat sheet as much as anyone. The other reason is his durability. Joker only missed three games last season and that makes a huge difference compared to other players in his tier. Always trust the safest play.
The unicorn that is Wemby took the league by storm last year and gave us one of the more impressive rookie seasons in NBA history. Perhaps the best part is that durability doesn’t seem to be an issue so far, as he cleared the 70+ game mark and never suffered any concerning injuries. The only reason why I’m not ranking him first overall is because I don’t think his field goal efficiency will be as good as Joker’s, but I won’t argue against anyone who says he’s too good to pass up with the first pick. Wemby can literally do it all, and he’s only going to get better!
SGA was the best player in fantasy basketball two seasons ago and the second best player in fantasy basketball last season. As such, I wouldn’t hesitate to pick him at this spot if he’s still available. SGA will fill up the offensive categories and also be a stocks machine, so it’s a no-brainer.
Joel was the top player in fantasy basketball last season, but are you willing to take a gamble on him knowing his health is a red flag? That’s the question. If Joel can stay on the floor and play the majority of the season, and that’s a big if, the reward will be immense. If not, say goodbye to your fantasy season.
AD surely surprised people last year when he played 76 of a possible 82 games. My guess is he realized he had no choice to do that since the Lakers needed him at all times just to have a chance at squeaking into the playoffs. If he can play the same amount of games next season, he’ll once again be a dominant fantasy player.
Luka took a leap as a free-throw shooter last season and that helped propel him into an early first-round fantasy player. That said, the turnovers are a mess and his free-throw percentage may dip a little next season, so that’s something to keep in mind, but the rest is golden. He was the first player in NBA history to average at least 33-9-9 in a season.
An underrated part about Kawhi as a fantasy player is that he can play two and sometimes even three positions. Similar to AD and Embiid though, Kawhi’s health is a red flag. For the first time in a while, I thought he was going to be entering a season free of concern, only to find out that he now has yet another lingering knee issue. The risk is up to you.
Spida may not be contending in Cleveland, but he can help your fantasy squad contend. He averaged 26 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds last season to go with a lot of three-point makes, and he shouldn’t have issues staying on the floor next season.
From a fantasy perspective, Hali is a rich man’s Trae Young in that he takes better care of the ball and he’s a more efficient shooter. Dimes are a rare commodity in fantasy basketball too, and Hali can dish in bunches, so don’t hesitate to draft him at this spot.
Kyrie is a fantasy owner’s delight. He manages to be a top 10 fantasy player every year and somehow still manages to be underrated. I wouldn’t let him fall past this spot. Take him and enjoy the points, three-pointers and high efficiency across the board.
Speaking of delights, KD deserves a mention too. He’s an elite fantasy player every year with the only caveat being his health. Last year he played 75 games though, so hopefully all injuries are behind him. He’s old on paper now, but he still looks like he’s in his prime. Take him at this spot and run.
JT slipped in fantasy value a little bit last season because of how deep the Celtics were, and that won’t change next season. But he’s still a sure thing because he’s ultra durable and his scoring plus high volume threes remain a force.
Lauri’s ascension in Utah has been remarkable. Before joining the Jazz he was an afterthought, but now he’s a star-level player both in the NBA and fantasy basketball. Enjoy the scoring, rebounding, and high volume three-point makes. Oh by the way, he’s efficient too!
Steph at 14 nearly feels blasphemous after proving to be a premier fantasy asset for so many years. But the dimes took a bit of a dip, and so did the steals and field goal percentage. The league has also caught up to him as far as volume threes go. That said, I think he can improve in the aforementioned areas next season, even though the supporting cast around him isn’t ideal.
Chet was basically a rookie last season and managed to finish his campaign as the 20th best fantasy player. Now imagine how he’ll look in year two after an inevitable leap.
Scottie might’ve had the biggest leap out of any player last year as he improved in every major statistical category across the board. He’s oozing confidence on the floor now and it’s showing in the numbers, including the stocks. Expect another leap in scoring and an uptick in efficiency too.
Speaking of leaps, Maxey’s scoring leap this past season was really impressive. He even followed up a strong regular season with a postseason that was just as good. Maxey can drop 30 points on teams with ease now, and he’s really efficient across the board. I don’t think Philly’s addition of Paul George will affect his numbers much either. He’ll definitely be a good source of dimes and threes again and he’ll continue to grow, so draft him here with confidence.
LeBron is now 20 years into his career and somehow still playing like a superstar. He’s a complete anomaly in his battle against father time and showing no signs of slowing down based on the numbers he just posted last year. Points, rebounds, assists, and threes are guaranteed, and so is the efficiency. If you can get LBJ in the late second or early third, consider it great value.
Book is as good as it gets for a shooting guard in fantasy basketball. He can score, dish, and rebound. He’s also really efficient and is pretty good at limiting turnovers. The only shame is that he can have a hard time staying on the court. Hopefully he’ll be able to stay healthy next season.
PG managed to be a top 11 player in fantasy basketball last year. The numbers may dip since he’ll be playing alongside two stars in Maxey and Embiid next season, but the talent is still very much there and he’ll find a way to get his. PG can flat out score and he’s efficient, period.
LaMelo is another player who just can’t seem to stay on the floor for a full season. It’s a shame, because he’s one of the better fantasy basketball players when he’s at 100%. Draft him if you’re willing to take a risk. The reward will be immense.
If I told you that FVV was among the 17 best fantasy basketball players last year you probably wouldn’t believe me, but that’s what the data shows. He’s a sneaky good fantasy player because he’s a steals machine who makes a lot of threes while contributing nicely in assists and free-throw percentage. More importantly, he doesn’t miss many games.
I’m going to sound like a broken record here, because KP joins the long list of guys who can be extremely valuable to your fantasy team if he can play the majority of the season. Once again, if you’re willing to take the risk, he can be a game-changer come playoff time.
The man known as Swipa down in Sacramento has emerged as a top fantasy contributor thanks to his impressive scoring output and high volume threes. I just wish he shot free throws as well as most elite guards did because it would push his fantasy value to first round territory. Here’s to hoping he finally cracks the 80% mark as a free-throw shooter.
Dame slowed down last year but admittedly, he wasn’t in the best shape. He’s still a great scorer who can dish and make a ton of threes. If being a top 25 fantasy player after a down year means anything, that should be good news for future Dame owners.
