EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlanta Hawks
I’m on the fence about Jalen Johnson as a first-round pick. The counting stats look great (22.5/10.3/7.9 last year), but I think I’ve been underestimating CJ McCollum’s impact for 9-cat specifically. In 36 games without CJ, Johnson was 9th in per-game value; 36 games with him, 34th. Not bad, but that’s a two-round drop-off. Suffice it to say, the second round is probably more appropriate.
Boston Celtics
The battle that matters here is Neemias Queta versus Mitchell Robinson, because Queta was a top-75 9-cat guy last year. How much does Mitchell threaten that ceiling? A lot, potentially. Same profile (boards, blocks with minimal usage) and direct minutes competition; I project Queta wins the job outright, but if not, that ADP could be looking suspect. The offset is Robinson himself. He’s always banged up, so even in a timeshare Queta should play more games overall. Oh — and will Baylor Scheierman start at shooting guard?
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Brooklyn Nets
Egor Demin is rising. It’s not just the five assists in both preseason appearances; he showed a real offensive bag against the Sixers, scoring 13 points in a variety of creative, impressive ways. The offseason bulk-up looks way more significant than Chet’s (ha). Still waiting to see what rookie Mikel Brown Jr. has to offer.
Charlotte Hornets
The injuries tell the story: Coby White (calf) and Kon Knueppel (hamstring) are out the entire preseason. That likely gives a short-term boost to Dennis Schröder (starting PG) and Grayson Allen (starting SG). Both are free in most drafts and early-season steamers if their aforementioned starters aren’t ready for opening night. Don’t sleep on Diabate as a late-round big for boards and blocks.
Chicago Bulls
Jalen Smith is a riser: 13 and 8 in 20 minutes in Wednesday’s preseason game, and with Nic Claxton out (hamstring, re-evaluated Oct. 19), he’s the clearest injury fill-in on the board.
Caleb Wilson will likely hurt your efficiency, but the points-league appeal is real: 15 points in 29 minutes with a path to 30-plus mpg.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Peyton Watson looked good in his debut: 7 points with 4 rebounds, 4 assists with 2 blocks. The hamstring issue seems behind him. He’s good value after pick 100. HC Kenny Atkinson specifically praised the Jaylon Tyson-Watson wing pairing and Tyson led the team with 14 points while James Harden rested against Boston.
Detroit Pistons
Jalen Duren signed (five years, $200M, thankfully), and the holdout is finito. But my top breakout here is Ausar Thompson; we know about the stocks, but the offensive growth is the story. His shot profile is already changing; he’s hitting more confident middys, and his playmaking is underrated. That’s why his ADP is climbing.
Indiana Pacers
Um, Jarace Walker? He handed out 10 assists with one turnover in a team-high 28 minutes, easily the best playmaking game of his young career. His +18 also led the team in their win over the Wolves. He’s firmly on my intrigued list because I don’t know what to take from this.
Miami Heat
Point-Giannis is ridiculous and I don’t care about his free-throw issues and lack of 3s. He’s a top-five player across formats and will put up serious numbers in Miami. I’m moving him up in my 9-cat rankings, so don’t be surprised when it happens.
Milwaukee Bucks
Kel’el Ware is already going off. He’s another player for whom it doesn’t matter if he’s starting or coming off the bench. When he plays, he puts numbers on the board. Kyle Kuzma continues to be hot garbage, while Jaime Jaquez Jr. moving into the starting lineup is noteworthy. I didn’t expect that to happen so soon, so he gets a bump in my rankings, too.
New York Knicks
It’s all about KAT not getting paid. Negotiations are “nowhere close,” per Chris Haynes. The Knicks also said they would pause on negotiations until later in the season. Not great, but also not actionable, since it’s not like Towns won’t play.
Orlando Magic
Minimal movement; the bet is health plus a new coach. The thing I’m watching: Franz Wagner on the ball more? If his usage ticks up as a creator, there’s another gear here beyond last year’s line. Anthony Black is the first guard off the bench with a path to 25-plus mpg. He’s my favorite stash on the roster.
Philadelphia 76ers
Joel Embiid: 8 turnovers. Ugly. Disgusting. He looked bad, like he hadn’t played 5-on-5 in a long time. Everyone else in the starting lineup looked decent, and the full five played together in the first half versus Brooklyn, so the starters are set. That said, I think they should bring VJ Edgecombe off the bench for Dean Wade. LeBron’s line (10/4/5, one FG attempt, 8-8 FT) shows he doesn’t need to be aggressive to still get the numbers.
Toronto Raptors
I’m still bullish on Collin Murray-Boyles making a big sophomore leap. If anything happens to Immanuel Quickley, Jamal Shead is the backup to watch. He’s a great passer who handles the ball well, and his per-minute stats are solid. High assist rate with low turnovers is always preferred in 9-cat formats.
Washington Wizards
Trae Young and AJ Dybantsa look good. Trae opened his preseason with 15/4/4/ with 2 steals; Dybantsa with 11/2/2/4 steals while starting. AD likely won’t get the extension he wants. Deandre Ayton could be a sleeper pickup early on for boards, points and low-end blocks if Alex Sarr remains out.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Dallas Mavericks
Daniel Gafford will be a sleeper big; Santi Aldama had knee surgery, Dereck Lively’s still shelved (foot, not running), and Morez Johnson Jr. (lower leg) just joined them. His role grew by default and he started in Macao. Kyrie will make his debut in exactly one of the two Macao games, and I’m excited to see him back, 19 months post-ACL.
Denver Nuggets
DeMar DeRozan is the sixth man, his first bench role since his rookie year. I’m not interested in him for fantasy, and I’m not interested in Christian Braun or Cam Johnson either. It’s Jokić, Murray or nothing. Honestly, the most interesting Denver question is whether anyone outside the top two cracks the top 150 — maybe Aaron Gordon?
Golden State Warriors
Brandin Podziemski’s usage in the preseason is up to 28% through two games; the breakout is coming. He’s extension-eligible and the Warriors did nothing to bolster the backcourt beyond Brandon Williams, so the runway is his. Al Horford will likely come off the bench, giving Gui Santos and Yaxel Ledenborg 12-team appeal.
Houston Rockets
Fred VanVleet looked like the Fred of old in Macao: 17 points, 7 assists, 2 steals and five 3s in 24 minutes, his first game since the September 2025 ACL tear. I’m not overreacting to one preseason game, but if this is the version Houston gets, his ADP is too low.
Los Angeles Clippers
The risers are Isaiah Jackson and Rui Hachimura. Jackson started the opener and HC Ty Lue reportedly likes the Garland-Jackson combination. If he starts over Brook Lopez, he’s worth a late-round flier.
Hachimura benefits because the Clippers desperately need another scorer while Brandon Ingram (heel) is out. He has 20 ppg upside early on.
Los Angeles Lakers
Quentin Grimes seems locked in as a starter; he’s started all three preseason games and is trending toward a rotation lock on the wing. Jake LaRavia has the early edge at PF. Walker Kessler (finger) hasn’t debuted, but it’s not concerning. Not much to say about Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves — elite guards no matter the format.
Memphis Grizzlies
Cam Boozer looks like a beast: the ROY frontrunner has zero obstacles to volume. The passing, sneaky steals, poise and early usage (24%) make him a worthy mid-round pick. The positive Ty Jerome buzz continues. He’s a steal relative to ADP.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Joan Beringer deserves a roster spot in 12+ 9-cat formats. He’s the only true backup big by default, and that matters on a team this thin up front. I don’t love Jonathan Kuminga, but this team will be fun. Don’t sleep on Ayo Dosunmu having more impact than Kuminga. I may be too high on LaMelo Ball, but a third-round ADP is off; I’m taking him in the second.
New Orleans Pelicans
Bennedict Mathurin starting over Herb Jones is somewhat interesting. I don’t love either, because they’re specialists in different ways. Mathurin is the scorer, and Herb offers the defense. The problem is Herb can’t stay healthy. Another thing to monitor is how the team deploys Jeremiah Fears. He started for Dejounte Murray and, over two preseason games, he’s averaged 13.5 points in 18.3 minutes while shooting 50% from the field and 50% from three on eight attempts per game.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Aday Mara — I have no idea what’s happening, but he hasn’t missed a shot and looks great. Could he force a timeshare with Isaiah Hartenstein? Also need to watch Cason Wallace versus Ajay Mitchell for the other starting spot, though Sam Presti effectively confirmed Wallace starts. I still like both as draftable guys in 9-cat.
Phoenix Suns
The center spot is the battle: Oso Ighodaro has both starts, but Khaman Maluach is playing more minutes (21 mpg vs. 16 mpg) despite coming off the bench. With Mark Williams out until at least February, I’m hedging my bets on Maluach. Miles Bridges’ ankle injury is not considered serious.
Portland Trail Blazers
Ja Morant looked rusty; the lift isn’t there yet. Who knows, it could be gone. The Blazers guard situation remains one of the most puzzling in the NBA and I’m steering clear of most of it. Though, Damian Lillard’s ADP seems modest.
Sacramento Kings
The Darius Acuff buzz is building. He’s this year’s rookie PG volume bet and I’m buying for points leagues. Does Nique Clifford have the edge on the sixth-man role? It’s good to see that Domantas Sabonis says he’s 100% post-knee surgery. I like his bounce-back discount. Don’t talk to me about Ben Simmons.
San Antonio Spurs
Whether Dylan Harper starts or not, he’s effectively a sixth starter. He started for De’Aaron Fox on Thursday and delivered 16/4/4. He’s so good, so put it on wax — he’s seeing 28-30 minutes, somehow, someway. His ADP is affordable, too.
Utah Jazz
Nurk’s out a month (plantar plate tear). What’s the fallout? Uninspiring Jaxson Hayes steps in as the likely starter, but he’s not that appealing for fantasy. Kyle Filipowski gets a bump in the rotation, but I’d expect JJJ to play more at center than initially planned. Shoutout to Darryn Peterson for reminding people why he was one of the top prospects in his class. He’s a walking bucket who scores effortlessly. He should be an option as you approach the 100s.