2025-26 Fantasy Basketball Mock Draft: Building around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

While head-to-head leagues may grant fantasy managers some grace if their teams start slowly, that isn’t necessarily the case in roto leagues. Availability, which is critical in any fantasy league regardless of format, is paramount; a star player sitting for an extended period can be crushing to a manager’s chances of winning their league.

I recently participated in a 12-team, 9-cat roto mock snake draft, holding the second pick, and there was no third-round reversal. After kicking things off with reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, I looked to craft a roster capable of offering value in all statistical categories. It should be noted that this draft was held before it was learned that Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro would undergo foot/ankle surgery that will sideline him indefinitely.

NBA: Playoffs-Milwaukee Bucks at Indiana Pacers

How to Play Fantasy Basketball 2025-26: Draft tips and beginner’s guide

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With fantasy basketball drafts beginning this month, here’s everything first-time players need to know about how to play and win their league.

Round 1

Pick

Position

Player

Team

1

C

Nikola Jokić

Denver Nuggets

2

PG

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Oklahoma City Thunder

3

PF/C

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Milwaukee Bucks

4

C

Victor Wembanyama

San Antonio Spurs

5

PG/SG

Luka Dončić

Los Angeles Lakers

6

PG/SG

Anthony Edwards

Minnesota Timberwolves

7

PG/SG

Cade Cunningham

Detroit Pistons

8

PF/C

Anthony Davis

Dallas Mavericks 

9

C

Domantas Sabonis

Sacramento Kings

10

PF/C

Karl-Anthony Towns

New York Knicks 

11

PG

Trae Young

Atlanta Hawks

12

PG/SG

Devin Booker

Phoenix Suns 

One can’t be blamed for considering Victor Wembanyama for the second overall pick. However, Wembanyama returning from a blood clot issue influenced my decision, as did Gilgeous-Alexander playing at least 75 games each of the last two seasons. Giannis Antetokounmpo going third, ahead of Wemby, was a mild surprise. However, given the proven production Milwaukee lost this offseason, it’s easy to envision a scenario in which Antetokounmpo’s numbers receive a boost.

Round 2

Pick

Position

Player

Team

1

PF/C

Paolo Banchero

Orlando Magic

2

PG/SG

James Harden

LA Clippers

3

SF/PF

LeBron James 

Los Angeles Lakers

4

C

Alperen Şengün

Houston Rockets

5

PG

Tyrese Maxey

Philadelphia 76ers

6

SF/PF

Jalen Williams

Oklahoma City Thunder

7

SG/SF/PF

Scottie Barnes

Toronto Raptors

8

PG/SG

De’Aaron Fox

San Antonio Spurs

9

SF/PF

Jalen Johnson

Atlanta Hawks 

10

PG/SG

LaMelo Ball

Charlotte Hornets

11

PF/C

Pascal Siakam

Indiana Pacers

12

SG/SF

Jaylen Brown

Boston Celtics

With the Pacers already having ruled Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) out for the 2025-26 season, some of their starters will receive a boost to their fantasy values. Siakam, who has center eligibility in Yahoo! leagues, certainly qualifies. He’s averaged 20.6 points per game as a Pacer, and I can see putting up a higher number than that this season.

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Round 3

Pick

Position

Player

Team

1

PG

Jalen Brunson

New York Knicks

2

PF/C

Evan Mobley

Cleveland Cavaliers

3

PG

Stephen Curry

Golden State Warriors

4

PF/C

Chet Holmgren

Oklahoma City Thunder

5

PG/SG

Donovan Mitchell

Cleveland Cavaliers 

6

PG

Ja Morant

Memphis Grizzlies

7

C 

Ivica Zubac

LA Clippers

8

SF/PF

Kevin Durant

Houston Rockets

9

SF/PF

Franz Wagner

Orlando Magic

10

SF/PF

Trey Murphy

New Orleans Pelicans

11

PG/SG

Josh Giddey

Chicago Bulls

12

SG/SF

Desmond Bane

Orlando Magic

According to the ADP data compiled by Hashtag Basketball, Yahoo! and Fantrax league participants value Mobley far more than ESPN managers do. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year, he increased his scoring by just over three points per game last season and shot 37 percent from three on an average of 3.2 attempts. With Darius Garland (toe) and Max Strus (foot) not expected to be available when the regular season begins, it would be unsurprising if Mobley’s offensive output were to increase.

Round 4

Pick

Position

Player

Team

1

SF/PF

Kawhi Leonard

LA Clippers

2

PG/SG/SF

Amen Thompson

Houston Rockets

3

SF/PF

Zion Williamson

New Orleans Pelicans

4

PF/C

Bam Adebayo

Miami Heat

5

PG/SG

Jamal Murray

Denver Nuggets

6

SF/PF

Lauri Markkanen

Utah Jazz

7

PG/SG

Tyler Herro

Miami Heat

8

C

Joel Embiid

Philadelphia 76ers

9

PG/SG/SF

Dyson Daniels

Atlanta Hawks

10

SG/SF/PF

Josh Hart

New York Knicks

11

PG/SG

Derrick White

Boston Celtics 

12

PF/C

Jaren Jackson Jr.

Memphis Grizzlies

Remember a few years ago when people assumed Derrick White’s fantasy value would decline after the Celtics acquired Jrue Holiday? Boston won the NBA title that season (2023-24), and White was nearly a top-25 player in fantasy basketball according to Basketball Monster. With Holiday no longer in the picture (traded to Portland, with Anfernee Simons headed to Boston) and Jayson Tatum (Achilles) set to miss a significant chunk of the upcoming season, White feels like a player who can once again offer elite fantasy value.

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Round 5

Pick

Position

Player

Team

1

PF/C

Kristaps Porziņģis

Atlanta Hawks

2

SF

Cooper Flagg

Dallas Mavericks

3

SF/PF

Jimmy Butler III

Golden State Warriors

4

C

Walker Kessler

Utah Jazz

5

SF/PF

Brandon Miller

Charlotte Hornets

6

SF/PF

Michael Porter Jr.

Brooklyn Nets

7

SF/PF

Deni Avdija

Portland Trail Blazers

8

SF/PF

Miles Bridges

Charlotte Hornets

9

C

Jarrett Allen

Cleveland Cavaliers 

10

C

Jalen Duren

Detroit Pistons

11

PG/SG

Austin Reaves

Los Angeles Lakers

12

PG

Darius Garland

Cleveland Cavaliers 

At the beginning of the fifth round, there were safer options on the board. However, I was confident enough in the selections made during the first four rounds that it felt like a good time to select Flagg. Plus, he probably would have been off the board by the time my next pick came up. Even with the Mavericks signing D’Angelo Russell, I’m intrigued to see how Kyrie Irving’s (knee) being out will impact Flagg’s opportunities to play with the ball in his hands.

Round 6

Pick

Position

Player

Team

1

SF

DeMar DeRozan

Sacramento Kings

2

PG/SG

Zach LaVine

Sacramento Kings

3

SG/SF/PF

Paul George 

Philadelphia 76ers

4

SG/SF

Cam Thomas 

Brooklyn Nets

5

PG/SG

Jalen Green

Phoenix Suns

6

C

Nikola Vučević

Chicago Bulls

7

PF/C

Julius Randle

Minnesota Timberwolves

8

PG/SG

Coby White

Chicago Bulls

9

SF/PF

Cameron Johnson

Denver Nuggets

10

PG/SG

Jordan Poole

New Orleans Pelicans

11

PG/SG

Andrew Nembhard

Indiana Pacers

12

SF/PF

RJ Barrett

Toronto Raptors

Like Siakam, Nembhard is a Pacer whose fantasy value may be boosted due to the Haliburton injury. He’s primarily been a starter his first three seasons, so that part of Nembhard’s role won’t change. However, the usage (16.3 last season; 16.2 for his career) stands to increase. Points, assists and steals are three categories I’m tracking in relation to the impact Haliburton’s absence will have on Nembhard this season.

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Round 7

Pick

Position

Player

Team

1

C

Deandre Ayton

Los Angeles Lakers

2

C

Myles Turner

Milwaukee Bucks

3

C

Alexandre Sarr

Washington Wizards

4

SF/PF

Ausar Thompson

Detroit Pistons

5

SF/PF

OG Anunoby

New York Knicks 

6

SG/SF/PF

Brandon Ingram

Toronto Raptors

7

C

Rudy Gobert

Minnesota Timberwolves

8

PG/SG

Anfernee Simons

Boston Celtics

9

PG/SG

Immanuel Quickley

Toronto Raptors

10

SG/SF

Bennedict Mathurin

Indiana Pacers

11

PF/C

Kel’el Ware

Miami Heat

12

PF/C

John Collins

LA Clippers

I was surprised that Turner was on the board at this point in the draft, especially since he is joining a team whose roster is not as deep as the Pacers’ squad he left in free agency. Sure, the Bucks center’s scoring has decreased each of the last two seasons. But the Bucks have a lot of question marks on their roster beyond Giannis and Bobby Portis. And if the scoring isn’t there, Turner will be good for a few blocked shots on most nights.

Round 8

Pick

Position

Player

Team

1

SG/SF

Devin Vassell 

San Antonio Spurs

2

C

Jakob Poeltl

Toronto Raptors

3

SG

Malik Monk

Sacramento Kings

4

PF/C 

Naz Reid

Minnesota Timberwolves

5

SG/SF

Andrew Wiggins

Miami Heat

6

SG/SF

Norman Powell

Miami Heat

7

C

Isaiah Hartenstein

Oklahoma City Thunder

8

SG/SF

Bradley Beal

LA Clippers

9

PG

Payton Pritchard

Boston Celtics

10

PG 

Fred VanVleet

Houston Rockets

11

SF/PF

Mikal Bridges

New York Knicks

12

C 

Mark Williams

Phoenix Suns

Getting a productive player who has yet to miss a game in seven NBA seasons at this point in the draft felt like a steal. Bridges’ first season with the Knicks may have been underwhelming in the eyes of some, but he’s capable of getting back to being the near-top 50 player he was during his time with the Suns. If anything, Bridges’ first full season with the Nets (2022-23) may have raised the bar too high regarding his fantasy value.

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Round 9

Pick

Position

Player

Team

1

SG/SF

Shaedon Sharpe

Portland Trail Blazers

2

C

Donovan Clingan

Portland Trail Blazers

3

C

Onyeka Okongwu

Atlanta Hawks

4

PG

Jalen Suggs

Orlando Magic

5

PG/SG

CJ McCollum

Washington Wizards

6

PG/SG

Keyonte George

Utah Jazz

7

SF/PF 

Jaden McDaniels

Minnesota Timberwolves

8

PF

Tobias Harris

Detroit Pistons

9

SG/SF

Christian Braun

Denver Nuggets

10

PG/SG

Brandin Podziemski

Golden State Warriors

11

SF/PF 

Toumani Camara

Portland Trail Blazers

12

PF/C

Aaron Gordon

Denver Nuggets

In selecting Clingan this round, I decided to target rebounds and blocked shots, not to mention upside. The scoring may not be there due to the number of options within Portland’s expected rotation, but rebounds and blocks are two areas where that should not impact Clingan’s fantasy potential. Also, rookie Yang Hansen’s skill set is such that there could be times when they share the court instead of head coach Chauncey Billups deciding that only one can be on the court at any given time.

Round 10

Pick

Position

Player

Team

1

PG

D’Angelo Russell

Dallas Mavericks

2

PF/C

Draymond Green

Golden State Warriors

3

C

Zach Edey

Memphis Grizzlies

4

C

Nicolas Claxton

Brooklyn Nets

5

C 

Dereck Lively II

Dallas Mavericks

6

PG/SG

Jaden Ivey

Detroit Pistons

7

PF/C

Jeremy Sochan

San Antonio Spurs

8

PF/C

Santi Aldama

Memphis Grizzlies

9

SF/PF

Matas Buzelis

Chicago Bulls 

10

SF/PF

Keegan Murray

Sacramento Kings

11

PG/SG

Stephon Castle

San Antonio Spurs

12

PG

Chris Paul

LA Clippers

Why not go with another UConn product in the 10th round? Castle, the reigning Rookie of the Year, should have more room to “spread his wings” offensively due to the departure of Chris Paul. While San Antonio added Dylan Harper in the draft, adding another guard to the mix, he isn’t guaranteed to be fully healthy to start the season after undergoing thumb surgery. Castle does need to be more efficient than he was as a rookie, but that should not have too negative an impact on this team.

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Round 11

Pick

Position

Player

Team

1

SF/PF

De’Andre Hunter

Cleveland Cavaliers

2

PF/C

Bobby Portis

Milwaukee Bucks

3

PF/C

Jabari Smith Jr. 

Houston Rockets

4

SG/SF 

Ayo Dosunmu

Chicago Bulls 

5

SF/PF

Tari Eason

Houston Rockets

6

SF/PF

P.J. Washington

Dallas Mavericks

7

SF/PF

Jerami Grant

Portland Trail Blazers

8

PG/SG

Kevin Porter Jr.

Milwaukee Bucks

9

SF/PF

Jonathan Kuminga

Golden State Warriors

10

PF/C

Al Horford

Free Agent

11

C

Daniel Gafford

Dallas Mavericks

12

SG/SF 

Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Atlanta Hawks

Portis is unlikely to be a starter, but he will still play plenty for the Bucks. Having only started 99 of the 339 games he’s played in Milwaukee, Portis has averaged 13.6 points and 8.3 rebounds in 25.0 minutes. As long as he continues to play 25 minutes, providing reliable fantasy value should not be an issue, regardless of league format.

Round 12

Pick

Position

Player

Team

1

PG/SG

Jrue Holiday

Portland Trail Blazers

2

SF/PF

Zaccharie Risacher

Atlanta Hawks

3

SG

Dylan Harper

San Antonio Spurs

4

PG/SG

Collin Sexton

Charlotte Hornets

5

SG/SF 

Bilal Coulibaly

Washington Wizards

6

SG

VJ Edgecombe

Philadelphia 76ers

7

PG/SG

Donte DiVincenzo

Minnesota Timberwolves

8

SG/SF 

Klay Thompson

Dallas Mavericks

9

C

Brook Lopez

LA Clippers

10

SG/SF 

Caris LeVert

Detroit Pistons

11

SF/PF

Herbert Jones

New Orleans Pelicans

12

SF/PF

Rui Hachimura 

Los Angeles Lakers

Jones only playing 20 games last season due to injury unquestionably impacts his draft position. However, he played at least 66 games in each of his first three seasons, so the concerns should not be at the level of, say, Zion Williamson. One of the NBA’s premier wing defenders, Jones has averaged 1.6 steals and 0.7 blocks per game as a pro. If he can offer a consistent perimeter shot as well, getting Jones in the 12th round could be a steal.

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Round 13

Pick

Position

Player

Team

1

SG

Tre Johnson

Washington Wizards

2

PF/C

Kyle Filipowski 

Utah Jazz

3

SG/SF

Grayson Allen

Phoenix Suns 

4

PG

Scoot Henderson

Portland Trail Blazers

5

SF

Ace Bailey

Utah Jazz

6

SF

Aaron Nesmith

Indiana Pacers

7

PG/SG

Reed Sheppard

Houston Rockets

8

SF/PF

Kyle Kuzma

Milwaukee Bucks

9

SF/PF

Khris Middleton

Washington Wizards

10

SF

Kon Knueppel

Charlotte Hornets

11

C

Jusuf Nurkić

Utah Jazz

12

PG

Russell Westbrook

Free Agent

Final team:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Pascal Siakam
Evan Mobley
Derrick White
Cooper Flagg
Andrew Nembhard
Myles Turner
Mikal Bridges
Donovan Clingan
Stephon Castle
Bobby Portis
Herbert Jones
Kyle Filipowski

I’m pleased with how this team turned out. Gilgeous-Alexander and Siakam are likely to lead the way scoring-wise, while Mobley and White should also offer excellent value at their respective draft positions. Flagg has gone earlier in the category league mocks I’ve participated in, and I wasn’t going to pass on the opportunity in the fifth round.

The Bridges pick felt like a steal; while he did struggle at times in his first season with the Knicks, availability has not been an issue for him at any point in his NBA career (knock on wood). To get a player you can assume to be available for all 82 games in the eighth round, especially one who logs the minutes that Bridges does, is quite the find.

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Jones did not play much last season due to injury, but he can produce excellent defensive stats when healthy. I’m betting on Clingan and Castle taking a step forward in their second seasons in the NBA, while Portis is worth grabbing despite coming off the bench on most nights.