A new NBA season is upon us, which means it’s time for another edition of my ultimate fantasy basketball tiers. These tiers are designed to help give you a proper vantage point and understanding of the fantasy hoops landscape.
To do this, I’ve broken down my current Top 100 overall fantasy players into five tiers and 28 sub-groups. The sub-groups usually contain players at the same positions or with similar strengths, so you’ll want to do some apples-to-apples comparisons to help you hone in on your favorite players within each grouping.
To build a strong fantasy team you need to have a rock solid foundation first, so I suggest analyzing these Top 100 players as much as possible, and we’ll get to the late-round sleepers and top value picks later on.
Tier 1A players: No. 1 – No. 14
The ultimate building blocks
We’ll kick off this year’s ultimate tiers with the ultimate building blocks. For those lucky enough to land Wembanyama, you’re basically getting prime Hakeem Olajuwon stats, with 80% free throw shooting and a couple of 3-pointers per game sprinkled in. For those lucky enough to land Jokic, you’re getting a player at the height of his career (he’s won three of the past four MVP trophies), who may be playing with even more of an edge this season after failing to reach last year’s Western Conference finals.
Your next best bets for MVP
SGA and Luka finished second and third, respectively, in last season’s MVP voting, and barring injuries, they’ll continue to be legit MVP candidates for the next half dozen years or more. I consider SGA to be the superior roto player due to his excellent shooting percentages, while Doncic is a walking triple-double, making him the superior player in points-based leagues.
Locking in your big man stats
Davis is coming off his healthiest and most productive season with the Lakers, and LeBron James had no issues with shooting a little bit less and assisting Davis a little bit more last year. Expect that trend to continue in 2024-25.
It’s easy to forget just how dominant Embiid was because he only played half the season, but remember that at the time of his injury, a high percentage of Embiid’s fantasy managers were winning their leagues.
Giannis has almost become the forgotten superstar, despite finishing in the top four in MVP voting in each of the past six seasons. I guess consistency is boring? Meanwhile, all that Sabonis did was become the first player since Wilt Chamberlain in 1967-68 to average 13+ rebounds and 8+ assists per game in the same season, and he didn’t miss a single game.
The elite fantasy wings
I had Tatum, Edwards and Durant listed as tier 1A players a year ago, but it’s a well-earned promotion for Barnes. His stat line last season was reminiscent of prime Scottie Pippen numbers: 19.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.5 blocks and 1.7 threes per game.
I’m still waiting for Tatum and Edwards to become more efficient scorers. That will be the easiest path for them to improve their overall fantasy values. An increase in usage rate should be coming for both players, since Kristaps Porzingis is a safe bet to miss around 40 games for the Celtics and Karl-Anthony Towns is no longer around in Minnesota. As for Durant, he just turned 36 years old, but he only missed seven games last year, and he’s showing no signs of slowing down.
Getting a head start in assists
Last season, Haliburton led the league in assists with 10.9 dimes per game, while Young was right behind at 10.8 apg. No one else averaged double-digits in assists, and Luka and Jokic were the only other players to average even 9+ apg. For 2024-25, there’s a good chance that both players will surpass the 11 assist per game mark, as the Pacers will continue to play at a breakneck pace, and Dejounte Murray is no longer on the Hawks to vulture some assists away from Young.
Tier 1B players: No. 15 – No. 28
New York’s new 1-2 punch
It’s been a long time since the Knicks had a dynamic duo as good as Brunson and Towns, especially from a fantasy perspective. Towns should move up the rankings as a result of this trade, with the Tom Thibodeau all-you-can-eat minutes bump being a big reason why. New York definitely gave up some depth in this trade, which means Brunson and Towns are pretty safe bets to play 36 minutes per game, or closer to 40 minutes per game if/when injuries strike. If I were a Knicks fan, I would be crossing my fingers in hopes of landing this dynamic duo in my fantasy draft(s).
Pick your poison: Mitchell or Booker?
Born just 53 days apart from each other, both selected 13th overall in back-to-back drafts, and both with career averages between 24-25 points, 4-5 rebounds and 4-5 assists per game, it’s impossible to not link these two players to each other. They often get selected back-to-back in drafts, and I’m constantly changing my mind about which player I prefer.
Future Hall of Famers running the show
These elite guards are all in their mid-30’s, and there’s lots of pressure for them to perform up to their abilities this season for their teams to have success. I’ve listed Harden first because he has the highest fantasy ceiling due to Paul George bolting for Philadelphia and Kawhi Leonard still recovering from offseason knee surgery. His usage rate will be sky-high this season.
Lillard will be looking to have a redemption season after last year’s disappointment, while Curry can’t be happy about his team missing out on last year’s playoffs. I consider Curry to be the most dependable of this group, but he also might have the lowest fantasy ceiling due to the Warriors improving their overall depth.
Potential superstars, with obvious flaws
Here are four up-and-coming point guards with the ability to outperform several of the guards listed above, but they haven’t shown as much consistency, and they come with slightly more baggage. For Ja, he’s had a lot of trouble staying on the court in recent seasons, and he’s a very poor outside shooter — 30% 3P over his past two years. Fox improved his 3-point shooting by quite a bit last season, but his free throw shooting nosedived to less than 74% FT.
Due to his questionable shot selection, LaMelo has been a terribly inefficient scorer in the league, with an effective FG% under 52% in all four of his NBA seasons (last year, the league average was 54.7%). The same can be said for Cunningham, as his effective FG% was just 50% last season. Both Ball and Cunningham have also had lots of trouble staying healthy early in their careers.
Worthy No. 1 fantasy centers
If you missed out on the tier 1A centers, just grab one of these rock solid centers instead. Holmgren shined in his first NBA season, and even if his rebounds don’t improve by much due to the Isaiah Hartenstein addition, his 29.4 minutes and 16.5 points per game are sure to improve. I’ve given up hope on Bam ever becoming a great shot-blocker, but his stats are quite dependable otherwise. And Sengun’s free throw shooting hovering around the 70% mark is the only thing holding him back from becoming a Top 20 fantasy player.
Tier 2 players: No. 29 – No. 50
In points-based leagues, they’re tier 1B
Banchero, James and Williamson were three of only four players last season (Giannis was the other) who averaged 22+ points, 5+ rebounds and 5+ assists per game, while unfortunately shooting 75% or less from the charity stripe. Banchero doubled down on his poor free throw shooting by also shooting below 46% from the field, but it’s important to remember that he was only 21 years old last season. In roto leagues, this represents a slight challenge if you plan on drafting one of these guys, but in points-based leagues, they’re top tier stat stuffers.
Young players on the rise
At 22 years young for Johnson, and 23 years young for Maxey, J-Dub and Mobley, this group represents the future. Maxey was an All-Star for the first time last season, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Williams and/or Mobley join him this year (sorry Johnson, but I don’t foresee the Hawks winning enough games). At 25 years old, Quickley is the “old guy” in this group, but he’s still learning on the job when you consider that he only has 65 career starts under his belt.
How will Ja’s return affect them?
Bane and JJJ were forced to carry the Grizzlies last season due to Morant playing in just nine games, and it resulted in both players averaging career highs in scoring and assists. But Jackson’s shooting accuracy fell off the map, and his blocks per game were nearly cut in half. Will both players go back to being efficient scorers now that Ja is back, and will JJJ go back to being one of the most feared rim protectors in the league?
A change of scenery, but they’re still elite players
It’s fair to say that George and Murray were tier 1B players last season. I’ve moved them down to tier 2 for the season ahead, but they should still have no problem posting Top 50 numbers. George will get more wide open 3-point looks than ever before thanks to Embiid drawing multiple defenders, and he’ll still get a chance to go off whenever Embiid sits.
Murray will welcome having the ball in his hands a bit more in New Orleans, meaning he’s primed for an assist boost. And the ultra-durable DeRozan should thrive as an off-ball cutter for dimes from Sabonis.
Firmly in their primes
All of the players in this group are between 26 and 30 years old, meaning they’re currently in the sweet spot of their careers. While they’re gifted athletically, they’re also very cerebral players, and they won’t be making mental mistakes very often. While others are swinging for the fences on potential breakout players, don’t forget about the guys in this group.
How many games are they going to miss?
On a per game basis, Irving and Leonard were Top 15 fantasy players last season, while Murray was in the Top 35. But this trio hasn’t given us much hope in terms of their durability. Over the past five NBA seasons, they’ve missed an average of 33.8 games (Irving), 32.2 games (Leonard), and 32.0 games (Murray), respectively. I don’t blame you if you want to drop them down to tier 3.
GO DEEPER
2024 NBA team position rankings: Projecting all 30 teams’ depth charts
Tier 3 players: No. 51 – No. 74
Guards with tier 2 potential
One of the players who was in this grouping last year was Jalen Williams, and he’s definitely earned his promotion to tier 2. For Garland, he can’t play any worse than he did last season, as not being able to eat solid foods for over a month due to his fractured jaw sounded absolutely brutal.
Giddey lands in this group for the second year in a row, but one should like his chances of succeeding a little bit more now that he’s on a new team, with more freedom to run the show. And Thomas is going to have the green light to do whatever he wants on offense for Brooklyn. The Nets simply don’t have many other options to score and create.
Reliable mid-round centers
Here we have a rather large group of reliable centers to consider drafting in the middle rounds. Gobert probably has the highest upside now that Towns is out of town. Turner used to be a tier 2, or even tier 1B, player in nine-category leagues, but his blocks have declined for four straight seasons.
If you like double-double machines, look no further than Ayton, Vucevic and Duren. All three are solid free throw shooters as well, which makes up for their lack of shot-blocking. Claxton is the opposite, in that he’ll give you strong blocks and has led the league in FG% before, but his foul shooting is atrocious. And Hartenstein is the shiny new big man for the Thunder, whose versatile skills should fit right in.
Wings and forwards galore
In tier 3, you have fewer point guards and more wings and forwards. The Magic are hoping that Wagner can rediscover his missing 3-point shot (he was a dreadful 28% 3P last year), while Mikal Bridges is a solid bet to get his efficiency back up thanks to better teammates.
In Charlotte, Miller and Miles Bridges form a fun 1-2 punch to run the floor with LaMelo, but it will be interesting to see how their shots are divided up. The Nuggets would love for MPJ to take his game to another level this season, but he’ll need to expand his game beyond scoring. And the recent Knicks trade should move Anunoby into this tier, as he’ll likely play a bigger role now that they’ve lost some depth.
Polarizing players, part 1
Butler hasn’t played 65+ games in a season since 2018-19, and even the legendary Pat Riley has gotten frustrated with him. Poole was ice cold before the All-Star break, but he finished the season looking more like his old self, making him tough to assess for the season ahead. And both Russell and White were excellent last year, but the majority of fantasy managers still don’t seem to trust them.
More centers for your consideration
I consider these three giants to be a notch below the previous group of centers, but they have some intrigue. Zubac should be in line for more shot attempts than ever before, thanks to George’s departure and Leonard’s injury issues. Nurkic quietly had a rock solid season for Phoenix last year, and Edey appears poised to play major minutes right away for Memphis
GO DEEPER
Fantasy basketball 2024-25 draft cheat sheet: Top 150 players for roto, head-to-head and points leagues
Tier 4 players: No. 75 – No. 100
Players with tier 3 potential
When Herro is healthy and on a hot streak, he’s easily a tier 3 player, but he never stays healthy, and his inability to generate stocks (steals/blocks) is almost comical.
Reaves can sneak into tier 3 by simply hoisting up a couple more shots per game, but he’s an unselfish player by nature. I was planning for Beal to be a tier 3 player for the upcoming season, but Phoenix’s signing of Tyus Jones undercut Beal’s fantasy value slightly.
Kuminga took a nice step forward last season, but his 1.2 stocks per game mark was disappointing given his physical tools. Murray was poised to have a breakout campaign in 2024-25 before Sacramento added DeRozan in free agency. And I’d be more enthused by a Smith Jr. breakout if Tari Eason and Cam Whitmore weren’t lurking in the shadows. Man, the Rockets are deep!
Polarizing players, part 2
Some respectable fantasy managers who I know have been going after Harris quite aggressively in roto drafts, even targeting him inside the Top 60. I don’t consider Harris to be a tier 3 player, but perhaps he’ll prove me wrong. My initial reaction to Randle landing in Minnesota is not a positive one for his fantasy value. His usage rate will likely shrink, and Gobert will certainly limit his rebounding potential.
As for Green and Barrett, they both closed out last season with a bang, but they did most of their damage with high-usage teammates — Sengun and Barnes, respectively — out of the lineup. They also don’t have well-rounded fantasy games, which tends to rub some fantasy managers the wrong way. Speaking of rubbing people the wrong way, LaVine’s image has really taken a hit in recent years, and his 2024-25 season could go in a multitude of ways.
Will someone please trade for Brandon Ingram?
Realistically, with Zion and Murray already stuffing the stat sheet for New Orleans, there may not be enough shots, rebounds and assists to go around for Ingram, Murphy and McCollum to all post Top 100 numbers this season. But I’m banking on Ingram to be moved before the NBA’s February trade deadline, and you should be hoping for that too if you plan on drafting one of them.
Will someone please trade for Jerami Grant ?
Another team that could really use a trade to clear up their roster is the Blazers, with Grant being their top trade candidate. The Lakers have long been rumored to have interest in Grant, and I think there’s a good chance that he gets traded this year. Once that happens, not only will Simons and Henderson benefit, but Deni Avjia and Shaedon Sharpe as well.
Boring vets who can still get the job done
In three seasons with the Pelicans, Valanciunas averaged 14.6 points and 10.1 boards per game, with shooting clips of 55% FG and 81% FT, while missing just 11 total games. He’ll have plenty of rebound chances on the Wizards too, as rookie Alex Sarr isn’t quite ready for serious physicality. If you happen to be punting FT%, Poeltl is a great backup center to target in the later rounds.
The 34-year-old Holiday is the perfect example of a player who won’t hurt you in any particular category, but his upside is also pretty limited since he’ll be pacing himself for another extended postseason run. And Rozier’s play declined after joining Miami in the middle of season, but I expect him to be more efficient now that he’s fully acclimated to his new team.
Jazz players not named Markkanen
We know that Markkanen is a great player, but the Jazz struggled to produce much fantasy value from the rest of their team last season. Kessler failed to build on his promising rookie season, and now his name is constantly in trade rumors. Sexton had an excellent second half to his season, but his defensive numbers are very poor, and he’s still a bit hard to trust.
Collins also had moderate fantasy value, but he hasn’t shown much growth in recent years. And George likely has the highest ceiling out of this group, but he’ll need to shoot a whole lot better than 39% from the field, while trying not to replicate Sexton’s anemic defensive stats.
Center battles in Dallas and Atlanta
The Mavericks and Hawks have perhaps the most intriguing center position battles. In Dallas, I’m giving the edge to Lively over Daniel Gafford due to the enormous impact that Lively made during Dallas’ extended postseason run. And I initially gave Onyeka Okongwu the edge over Capela, but word out of Atlanta is that Okongwu’s toe injury from last season still isn’t fully healed. As a result, Capela sneaks into my Top 100 rankings, but remember that his terrible free throw shooting makes him less valuable in roto leagues.
To see which players just missed out on my Top 100 tiers, head over to my fantasy basketball 2024-25 rankings cheat sheet.
(Top photo of Victor Wembanyama, Nikola Jokic: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY)
