Adam Koffler's 2021-22 Fantasy Basketball Rankings and Draft Analysis

Finally, we get a "normal" NBA regular season to look forward to after consecutive years of abbreviated basketball due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. And with that, fantasy basketball is back, and so are my top-200 rankings for 9-category head-to-head leagues!

Below you'll find my 2021-2022 fantasy basketball rankings compared to the RotoBaller Consensus. The nine categories include FG%, FT%, 3PM, Points, Rebounds, Assists, Steals, Blocks, and Turnovers.

I'll run through a few players I'm higher on and a few players I'm lower on than the Consensus. Let's get right into it!

9-Category Head-to-Head Rankings

Players I'm Higher On

OG Anunoby (My Rank - 28, RotoBaller Consensus - 46)

Anunoby finished the 2020-21 season ranked 35th in 9-category head-to-head leagues on a per-game basis. This season, there's no more Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam is coming off labrum surgery and is expected to miss at least the first month of the season. Anunoby played well last season despite lingering injuries throughout the year. In his last 19 games, he averaged 19.1 points (3.0 3PM), 5.5 boards, 2.8 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.7 blocks, and just 1.7 turnovers in 34.1 minutes per game. Expect OG to take another step forward this season and cement himself as a go-to guy for this Toronto Raptors squad alongside Fred VanVleet.

Richaun Holmes (My Rank - 33, RotoBaller Consensus - 43)

Holmes has transformed his game since joining the Kings ahead of the 2019-20 season. In his last two seasons in Sacramento, he's finished 42nd and 33rd in 9-category head-to-head leagues on a per-game basis. Last season, he shot 63.7% from the field and a career-high 79.4% from the free-throw line. He also averaged a career-high 1.6 blocks in just over 29 minutes per game. Holmes was so impactful the Kings decided to sign him to a four-year, $55M contract extension. Don't be surprised if Holmes finishes within the top-30 players in 9-cat formats this season.

Derrick White (My Rank - 50, RotoBaller Consensus - 64)

Just like Anunoby in Toronto, Derrick White looks like he's going to be called on to lead this San Antonio team in 2021-22 alongside Dejounte Murray. DeMar DeRozan, who soaked up 26.3% of the usage. But with DeRozan off the floor, White saw his usage skyrocket from 22.9% all the way up to a team-high 27.6%. He could realistically be a 20/5/5 guy with two steals + blocks per game this season. You don't want to miss out on that production.

Jakob Poeltl (My Rank - 61, RotoBaller Consensus - 93)

Staying in San Antonio, another guy I'm very high on this season is Jakob Poeltl. He finished just 95th on a per-game basis last season, but that doesn't paint the entire picture. He didn't see consistent minutes until LaMarcus Aldridge stepped away from basketball. From February 3rd on, per Basketball Monster, Poeltl was ranked 64th on a per-game basis. During that stretch, Poeltl saw his minutes increase to near 30 per game, averaging 10 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.8 steals, and 2.1 blocks per game. He's not quite Rudy Gobert, but for a fraction of the cost, he gives you statistics just like Gobert.

Players I'm Lower On

Devin Booker (My Rank - 40, RotoBaller Consensus - 29)

I promise I'm not a Devin Booker hater. He's just not as good of a 9-category performer playing alongside Chris Paul. Two seasons ago, prior to CP3's arrival, Booker finished 29th on a per-game basis. Last season, he finished just 75th. What happened? Well, he turned into a "just" a scorer. He went from averaging 6.5 assists in 2019-20 to just 4.3 assists in 2020-21. Surely there's room for improvement in Booker's overall statistics, but don't expect a top-40 finish this season.

Russell Westbrook (My Rank - 54, RotoBaller Consensus - 40)

I'm actually surprised I have Russell Westbrook ranked this high. I guess part of me believes his shooting percentages will go up with less volume in Los Angeles. Last season, he shot just 43.9% from the field and 65.6% from the stripe. For the number of shots and free throws he was taking, these percentages tanked both categories for fantasy managers on weekly basis last season. Now playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, his efficiency could increase, but we should also subsequently expect his production across the board to decline. He's a very good option in points leagues, but not such a great option in 9-category head-to-head leagues.

Ja Morant (My Rank - 71, RotoBaller Consensus - 57)

Morant the player is so much better than Morant the fantasy asset. He doesn't shoot the ball well, just 44.9% from the field and 72.8% from the line and he doesn't do enough in other categories to make up for the poor shooting. He's averaging 7.3 assists for his career, but just 3.9 rebounds and 3.3 turnovers per game. There's potential for Morant, but he'll need to get better across the board to finish within the top-75 this season.

More Fantasy Basketball Draft Articles