X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Fantasy Basketball Rankings (2024-25) - Thunder Dan's Draft Guide

Jalen Duren - Fantasy Basketball Rankings, DFS Picks, NBA Injury News

Dan's fantasy basketball rankings (2024-2025) and draft guide. Use his tiered rankings as your fantasy basketball draft guide for draft sleepers and targets.

We are drawing ever closer to the start of the NBA season and the beginning of my favorite fantasy sport - fantasy hoops!

If your league hasn't drafted yet, odds are you are going to be drafting soon! I have been doing some mock drafts with other folks in the industry and digging into my personal projections to try and bring you some of the most unique and useful rankings for your head-to-head and roto category leagues.

I'm never afraid to take some stands on players and be aggressive with my rankings. In addition, I will highlight some players in each tier that I'm either higher or lower on than the current Yahoo ADP. So here they are, my top-150 9-Category draft rankings for the 2024-2025 fantasy basketball season.

Upgrade To VIP: Win more with our NBA and DFS Premium Pass, get expert tools and advice from proven winners! Jamie Calandro and Dan Palyo lead the RotoBaller team in 2024-25 with exclusive DFS picks, Prop picks and more. Gain VIP access to our Lineup Optimizer, Research Station, DFS Cheat Sheets and VIP Chat Rooms. Go Premium, Win More!

 

Fantasy Basketball 9-Category Head-to-Head Rankings

TD Rank Player
1 Victor Wembanyama
2 Nikola Jokic
3 Luka Doncic
4 Anthony Davis
5 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
6 Jayson Tatum
7 Tyrese Haliburton
8 Kevin Durant
9 James Harden
10 Domantas Sabonis
11 Anthony Edwards
12 Donovan Mitchell
13 Scottie Barnes
14 Chet Holmgren
15 Giannis Antetokounmpo
16 Joel Embiid
17 Trae Young
18 Stephen Curry
19 Karl-Anthony Towns
20 De'Aaron Fox
21 Tyrese Maxey
22 Kyrie Irving
23 Damian Lillard
24 Jalen Brunson
25 Devin Booker
26 Fred VanVleet
27 Paul George
28 LeBron James
29 LaMelo Ball
30 Lauri Markkanen
31 Alperen Sengun
32 Jalen Williams
33 Jalen Johnson
34 Jimmy Butler
35 Dejounte Murray
36 Evan Mobley
37 Jaren Jackson Jr.
38 Bam Adebayo
39 Cade Cunningham
40 Derrick White
41 Jaylen Brown
42 Desmond Bane
43 Myles Turner
44 DeMar DeRozan
45 Rudy Gobert
46 Immanuel Quickley
47 Jarrett Allen
48 Jalen Duren
49 Deandre Ayton
50 Zion Williamson
51 Pascal Siakam
52 Ja Morant
53 Kawhi Leonard
54 Darius Garland
55 Tobias Harris
56 Jamal Murray
57 Paolo Banchero
58 Miles Bridges
59 Nikola Vucevic
59 Nic Claxton
60 Franz Wagner
61 Brandon Ingram
62 Josh Giddey
63 Trey Murphy III
64 Michael Porter Jr.
65 Brook Lopez
66 Mikal Bridges
67 Jrue Holiday
68 Bradley Beal
69 Isaiah Hartenstein
70 Jusuf Nurkic
71 Zach LaVine
72 Devin Vassell
73 D'Angelo Russell
74 Keegan Murray
75 Tyler Herro
76 Bogdan Bogdanovic
77 Kyle Kuzma
78 Coby White
79 Jordan Poole
80 Jakob Poeltl
81 Brandon Miller
82 Austin Reaves
83 CJ McCollum
84 Anfernee Simons
85 Julius Randle
86 Jonas Valanciunas
87 Jonathan Kuminga
88 Collin Sexton
89 Alex Caruso
90 Daniel Gafford
91 Cam Thomas
92 Walker Kessler
93 Jalen Suggs
94 Clint Capela
95 OG Anunoby
96 Mark Williams
97 Jabari Smith Jr.
98 Jalen Green
99 Tyus Jones
100 Naz Reid
101 Onyeka Okongwu
102 Ivica Zubac
103 Chris Paul
104 Draymond Green
105 John Collins
106 RJ Barrett
107 Terry Rozier
108 Bobby Portis Jr.
109 Kristaps Porzingis
110 Mike Conley
111 Brandin Podziemski
112 Aaron Gordon
113 Dereck Lively II
114 Klay Thompson
115 Amen Thompson
116 Donte DiVincenzo
117 Deni Avdija
118 Al Horford
119 Herbert Jones
120 Trayce Jackson-Davis
121 Cameron Johnson
122 Zach Edey
123 Marcus Smart
124 Grayson Allen
125 Norman Powell
126 P.J. Washington Jr.
127 Alex Sarr
128 Malcolm Brogdon
129 Jaime Jaquez Jr.
130 Keyonte George
131 Jerami Grant
132 De'Anthony Melton
132 Ausar Thompson
134 Dennis Schroder
135 Scoot Henderson
136 Josh Hart
137 Tari Eason
138 Kelly Olynyk
139 Andrew Nembhard
140 Dyson Daniels
141 Aaron Nesmith
142 Malik Monk
143 Nick Richards
144 Andrew Wiggins
145 Taylor Hendricks
146 Stephon Castle
147 Wendell Carter Jr.
148 Jaden McDaniels
150 Nikola Jovic

 

My Guys - Players I'm Higher On Than The Field

Early Rounds

Paul George, Jalen Williams, Jalen Johnson, Fred VanVleet, Jimmy Butler

I am going to roll through these in a quick-hit fashion with a more detailed analysis to come in future articles.

PG13 is a 9-cat stud who should fit in perfectly alongside Maxey and Embiid. He doesn't need to be the top usage guy to be incredibly valuable in steals, blocks, assists, and threes. Jalen Williams took a big leap last and brings such a unique blend of guard stats with excellent FG% and efficiency - he just fits so well on any team.

(PG13 sitting out B2B has caused me to drop him down nearly a full round in my rankings)

Jalen Johnson should pick up some of the usage and assists vacated by Dejounte Murray. He was cruising towards top-40 value last year before the injury and is just dripping with athleticism. He's only to get more efficient and polished as he continues to evolve his game.

FVV is such a beast I find myself taking him ahead of guys like Damian Lillard and Jalen Brunson. What he lacks in scoring, he makes up for with elite assists, threes, and defensive stats. The 0.5 blocks from a point guard is "out of position stat" gold.

Jimmy Butler's issue is always durability, but his upside for this format is massive if he can stay on the court and he's well worth taking ahead of his ADP for that reason alone. Butler does a little of everything and then at least once every few weeks just completely takes over a game and drops a massive line that can win you a week in H2H.

Middle Rounds

Jalen Duren, DeAndre Ayton, Trey Murphy III, Bogdan Bogdanovic

I'm quite enamored with both Duren and Ayton in this range and I try to snag them ahead of others whenever possible. Duren showcased some of the best rebounding rates in the league last year, while also flashing an improved offensive game and some solid passing skills. You won't get many blocks, but you will get some elite rebounding with solid percentages.

Ayton had a massive finish to the season last year, and while a lot of guys were out for Portland, he should be the first or second option on offense again this year - and is as talented offensively as any young center in the NBA. Ayton finished in the top-40 and if you can deal with the injury and shutdown risk, he's primed for another big year.

Murphy is such a solid all-around player with an elite fantasy skill set. He just needs minutes and a defined role. Right now, the rotation and usage in New Orleans could be messy and that's the reason that a lot of folks are down on Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, and Brandon Ingram. But Murphy has value even in a sixth-man role and gets a big boost as soon as a starter gets hurt (with Zion and Ingram it's only a matter of time).

Bogdanovic is a guy I have already written about a few times, he's simply way too far down the rankings on every site for a guy who was a top-60 player last year. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, he's going to have a major role in Atlanta and if you watched the Olympics or any Hawks basketball the last few years, you know this guy is an incredibly skilled offensive player.

Late Rounds

Al Horford, Grayson Allen, Dyson Daniels, PJ Washington

Horford is an ageless wonder who always finds a way to be productive even as the last option on offense. Porzingis is out until December at least and is going to be handled carefully after that. Big Al is a great guy for the end of your bench in 9-cat.

Grayson Allen was simply one of the most efficient three-point shooters in the NBA last year, making 2.7 treys while still shooting 50% overall from the floor. He's going to get minutes off the bench with the Suns and can slide into the starting lineup if/when Beal and others need a night off.

Daniels is starting to become a trendy pick among the industry pros, mainly because we've seen what he can do on a per-minute basis in steals, boards, and assists and he's now in a position to either start or have a defined role in Atlanta.

Washington was really good in Dallas last year as playing the four consistently with Gafford and Lively at the five allowed him to be at his natural position. He averaged 11.7 points, 6.2 boards, 1.8 threes, 1.2 steals, and 0.9 blocks in his 29 games with the Mavs and those numbers will certainly play at this ADP if he can replicate them this season.

 

Stay Away - Players I'm Avoiding at ADP

Early Rounds

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, Devin Booker, Dejounte Murray

Unless you want to embrace a punt FT% build, I'd avoid Giannis in the first round. If he slips too far into the second round, he becomes a value and I'd go for it. But he's not worth the hassle around picks six through 9 whether you are playing H2H or Roto.

Curry could be coming off an Olympics hangover and is the lone splash brother left in Golden State. He's another year older and I'd rather go after scoring and assists from other players with higher ceilings.

Devin Booker is no longer the point guard on this team, as Tyus Jones—a true pass-first point guard—is in the lineup. Between fewer assists and having to share usage with a healthy Bradley Beal, I could see his overall numbers taking a dip.

Murray is a guy I would still draft if everyone agrees that he's overrated and slips too far, but the move to New Orleans means he now shares the court with a bunch of high-usage players and it's unlikely he sees the type of shot volume or usage with the Pelicans.

Middle Rounds

Ja Morant, Kawhi Leonard, Paolo Banchero, Mikal Bridges

Morant has always been an overrated player for 9-cat as his only two big contributions are points and assists with average free throw shooting on solid volume. He's not changing the way he plays and his defense is non-existent.

Kawhi's injury situation is troubling and while Paul George is now gone, this feels like it could be a rough season in Clipper land. If Kawhi is going to miss a chunk of time or sit on back-to-backs and be an early shutdown risk, then he's going to be a wasted pick, even if he's dropping into the fourth round.

Banchero is a much better pick in points leagues, his stat line reminds me of Julius Randle's. You get plenty of counting stats, but not many peripheral stats.

Bridges move to New York should be great for the Knicks in real life, but for fantasy, he should take a big hit in usage and he will have to be as uber-efficient as he was his final season and a half in Phoenix to hit value where he's being drafted, which is at his ceiling.

Late Rounds

Cam Thomas, Mark Williams, Kristaps Porzingis, Jerami Grant

I really don't care if Cam Thomas scores 28 points a game, he does literally nothing else and is about the most hollow fantasy scorer in the game. People always overvalue points in fantasy and I'd much rather fade him as he can be a big drag in too many other categories.

Williams's injury scares me. I know Charlotte is saying it's not serious, but he sat out a lot of games last season and they have no reason to push him to play this year in what should be another rebuilding season for the Hornets. I like his game, but I don't draft players who have constant nagging injuries if I can avoid it.

Speaking of injuries, Porzingis is out until at least Christmas and you know that Boston will ease him back into things with his minutes and probably give him rest days, too. His ADP reflects that, but I am still probably not drafting him unless he falls into the final few rounds. There are just too many other healthy players here with upside.

Jerami Grant has devolved into a pretty mediocre fantasy player after once showing some promise of being a 1-1-1 guy (threes, steals, and blocks). Portland paid him but is probably looking to unload him to any kind of contender that wants him the first chance they get as they have other younger players they want to develop. He will be hurt and miss games and if he's not moved, probably get shelved down the stretch.

 

Color-Coded Draft Rankings

These rankings are the same as the ones above, but a different view with some color-coding:



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy basketball mobile app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, lineup notifications & DFS articles. All free!

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Zack Wheeler31 mins ago

Records Nine Strikeouts
Jared Jones36 mins ago

To Undergo MRI This Week
Luis Rengifo44 mins ago

Returns On Wednesday
Chandler Simpson51 mins ago

Sitting Out Versus Lefty
Joc Pederson57 mins ago

Taking A Seat Versus Southpaw
Leody Taveras1 hour ago

Sitting Out On Wednesday
Brandin Podziemski2 hours ago

Upgraded To Available
Cam Davis2 hours ago

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Corey Seager2 hours ago

Goes On 10-Day Injured List With Hamstring Strain
Michael Porter Jr.2 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Game 3
Minnesota Vikings2 hours ago

Vikings Waive NaJee Thompson, Trevor Reid
Adam Svensson2 hours ago

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Jonathan Aranda2 hours ago

Sitting Against Southpaw
Jake Fromm2 hours ago

Lions Release Jake Fromm
Logan O'Hoppe3 hours ago

Out Against Pirates
Seattle Seahawks3 hours ago

Cameron Young Let Go By Seattle
Detroit Lions3 hours ago

Detroit Makes Kerby Joseph The Highest-Paid Safety In League History
Davion Mitchell3 hours ago

Moves Into Starting Lineup Wednesday
Seiya Suzuki3 hours ago

Scratched On Wednesday With Wrist Soreness
Brandin Podziemski4 hours ago

Picks Up Questionable Tag
Al Horford4 hours ago

Starts Game 2
Michael Porter Jr.4 hours ago

Practices On Wednesday
Jayson Tatum4 hours ago

Out On Wednesday
Isaiah Stewart4 hours ago

May Miss Another Game Thursday
NYI4 hours ago

Cal Clutterbuck Announces Retirement
Pavel Zacha4 hours ago

Recovering From Small Procedure
Will Smith4 hours ago

Out With Sore Wrist On Wednesday
Connor Wong5 hours ago

Likely To Go On Rehab Assignment This Weekend
Nikolaj Ehlers5 hours ago

To Miss At Least Two More Games
Lucas Giolito5 hours ago

Could Make Season Debut Next Thursday
Miro Heiskanen5 hours ago

Still Out On Wednesday
Blake Snell5 hours ago

To Be Shut Down From Throwing, Might Go For More Imaging
John Klingberg5 hours ago

Enters Oilers Lineup For Game 2
Grayson Rodriguez5 hours ago

Has Mild Lat Strain, To Resume Throwing In A Couple Weeks
Evander Kane5 hours ago

To Make Season Debut Wednesday Night
Edwin Díaz5 hours ago

Edwin Diaz Leaves With Left-Hip Cramping On Wednesday
Gabriel Landeskog5 hours ago

Likely To Play In Game 3
Cam Smith5 hours ago

Absent From Astros Lineup
Will Smith5 hours ago

Resting At Wrigley
Denver Broncos6 hours ago

Broncos Not Expected To Trade Up In Round 1
Nicky Lopez6 hours ago

Cubs Re-Signing Nicky Lopez
Houston Texans6 hours ago

Texans Trying To Move Up In Round 1 Of NFL Draft
Atlanta Falcons7 hours ago

James Pearce Jr., Mike Green Potential Top Targets For Falcons
Royce Lewis7 hours ago

Expected To Start Rehab Assignment This Week
Pablo López7 hours ago

Pablo Lopez Likely To Rejoin The Rotation This Weekend
Dallas Cowboys7 hours ago

Cowboys Could Add Wide Receiver Help With No. 12 Pick
New Orleans Saints7 hours ago

Saints Likely To Address Defense With No. 9 Pick?
7 hours ago

Rams Eyeing Trade Up For Tyler Warren, Colston Loveland?
Patrick Mahomes7 hours ago

Itching To Get Explosive Passing Game Back
Chris Olave8 hours ago

Saints Picking Up Chris Olave's Fifth-Year Option
Derek Carr9 hours ago

Saints Hope To Have Clarity On Derek Carr Soon
9 hours ago

Chiefs Talk With TreVeyon Henderson
Los Angeles Rams9 hours ago

Rams Not Ruling Out Acquiring Jalen Ramsey
Dallas Cowboys9 hours ago

Micah Parsons Taking Part In Offseason Program
Anthony Richardson9 hours ago

Working On His Footwork
Kayshon Boutte9 hours ago

A Trade Candidate?
Kirk Cousins9 hours ago

Browns, Steelers, Vikings Could Target A Trade For Kirk Cousins
Jaren Jackson Jr.12 hours ago

Posts Team-High 26 Points In Tuesday's Loss
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander13 hours ago

Notches 27 Points Despite Poor Shooting
Max Greyserman13 hours ago

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Pascal Siakam13 hours ago

Scores Team-High 24 Points In Game 2 Win
Giannis Antetokounmpo13 hours ago

Posts Big Double-Double In Game 2 Loss
Lee Hodges13 hours ago

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA13 hours ago

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Julius Randle13 hours ago

Leads Timberwolves In Scoring In Game 2
Gary Woodland13 hours ago

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Luka Dončić13 hours ago

Luka Doncic Nets 31 Points In Lakers Win
Max McGreevy13 hours ago

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard13 hours ago

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Jock Landale13 hours ago

Unavailable For Game 2
Sam Stevens13 hours ago

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Jae'Sean Tate13 hours ago

Remains Out Wednesday
Nicolai Hojgaard13 hours ago

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
John Tavares13 hours ago

Collects Two Points In Overtime Win
Christiaan Bezuidenhout13 hours ago

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Frederik Andersen14 hours ago

Posts 40th Postseason Win
Akshay Bhatia14 hours ago

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young14 hours ago

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Kirill Kaprizov14 hours ago

Leads Wild To Valuable Road Win
Matthew Tkachuk14 hours ago

Returns With Three-Point Performance
Erik Van Rooyen14 hours ago

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Anthony Cirelli14 hours ago

Suffers Undisclosed Injury Tuesday
Gabriel Vilardi14 hours ago

May Return To Jets Lineup Thursday
John Klingberg14 hours ago

Ready To Return To Action
Evander Kane14 hours ago

Could Be An Option For Game 2
Michael Pittman Jr.22 hours ago

Back Injury Is In The Past
George Pickens22 hours ago

Steelers Appear Unlikely To Trade George Pickens
Andrew Novak23 hours ago

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin24 hours ago

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore1 day ago

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark1 day ago

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama1 day ago

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa1 day ago

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry1 day ago

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
Terry Rozier1 day ago

Ruled Out For Wednesday
Damian Lillard1 day ago

Will Have His Minutes Monitored Tuesday
Jayson Tatum1 day ago

Listed As Doubtful For Game 2
Derek Forbort1 day ago

Recovering From Surgery
Martin Fehérváry1 day ago

Martin Fehervary To Miss Postseason Following Knee Surgery
Luke Glendening1 day ago

Available For Start Of Playoffs
Mitchell Chaffee1 day ago

Available Tuesday
Cody Glass1 day ago

Good To Go Tuesday
Brenden Dillon1 day ago

Won't Play In Game 2
Damian Lillard1 day ago

Cleared To Play Tuesday
Nikola Jokić2 days ago

Nikola Jokic Posts 19th Postseason Triple-Double
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF