Fantasy basketball draft guide: Rankings, mock drafts, sleepers, projections and analysis
Whether you are trying fantasy basketball for the first time or are an experienced fantasy hoops veteran, the 2024-25 ESPN Fantasy Basketball draft guide has everything you need to crush your drafts.
From rankings and profiles to sleepers, breakouts and busts, we’ve got you covered from every angle, all in one convenient place.
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Rankings and Projections
Top 150 H2H points rankings
André Snellings ranks his top 150 players for fantasy basketball leagues that use head-to-head points scoring systems.
Top 150 H2H roto and category rankings
André Snellings reveals his top 150 players for fantasy basketball leagues that use roto and category scoring systems.
Sortable player projections
Every point, rebound, steal, 3-pointer, block, turnover, steal, shot and free throw taken makes a difference in fantasy. We have them all projected for you right here.
Mock drafts
8-team, head-to-head points (Oct. 2)
10-team, head-to-head categories (Sept. 26)
10-team, head-to-head points (Sept. 19)
Draft tiers
H2H points draft tiers by position
Which positions are the deepest and at which do you need to nab a top player early on? André Snellings groups players into tiers at each position for head-to-head points leagues.
Roto and category draft tiers by position
André Snellings groups players into tiers at each position for roto and category leagues.
Strategy and advice
André Snellings’ Ultimate Draft Board
Dré crunches the numbers and highlights the best spots to draft key players throughout your fantasy basketball draft.
Sleepers, breakouts and busts
Which fantasy basketball players are going to exceed expectations? Who will flop the hardest? Who is ready to take things to an elite level? Our experts identify their picks.
Eric Karabell’s ‘Do Draft’ list
Which players should you try to land in your fantasy basketball draft? Eric highlights the ones who should be on your radar.
Eric Karabell’s ‘Do Not Draft’ list
Winning your fantasy basketball league begins with finding value in the draft while avoiding “overdrafting” players. Karabell cuts through the hype to bring you the players he feels are being overvalued.
Our experts list five players they are targeting in drafts
Take a look at which players our fantasy experts don’t want to leave drafts without.
Should you draft Jokic or Wembanyama at No. 1 this season?
Nikola Jokic hasn’t slowed down, but is he still the guy to take with the first pick after Victor Wembanyama’s amazing rookie season?
Players who can make or break your draft
Who are the biggest risk/reward players in fantasy basketball drafts this season? André Snellings identifies his top 10.
Steve Alexander’s five stars to pass on in drafts
Just because they are big names doesn’t mean you should take these stars at their current average draft position
Nine sleepers to target in drafts
Jim McCormick identifies players falling outside the top 100 picks in ESPN leagues who have a chance to be solid fantasy contributors.
Four draft trends you need to know about this season
Steve Alexander identifies trends he’s seen in fantasy drafts this year, and explains what you need to know going in.
Five second-year players ready to make a leap
Steve Alexander pinpoints five players who can be expected to be much bigger contributors in their second NBA season.
Target these seven players in middle rounds of drafts
Eric Moody identifies talented players who are falling past pick 50 in drafts and can turn good fantasy teams into great ones.
Other helpful tips
10 tips to help you win your fantasy basketball league
André Snellings lays out what it takes to put yourself in the best position to win your fantasy basketball league ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season.
How to ace your salary cap draft
Are you ready for your salary cap draft? Jim McCormick lays out helpful strategies and tactics you can use to ace draft day.
The pros and cons of points, roto and category leagues
Which fantasy basketball scoring format should you play? Jim McCormick breaks down the most popular options so you can choose for yourself.
Tools
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Mock draft lobby
Take part in some mock drafts to work out the kinks before your real ones. Practice makes perfect.
Average draft position (ADP)/live draft results
Get a leg up on your opponents by knowing where each player is being selected in ESPN drafts so you can get the best value possible.
ESPN Fantasy Basketball 101 – How to play
Thinking about trying out fantasy basketball for the first time? Here is everything you need to know so you can join in on the fun.
Analytics glossary
Wondering what things such as eFG%, pace, usage rate and CARMELO mean? Seth Walder explains each notable NBA advanced analytics term so you can make the most of them in fantasy.