Three members of the Rotoworld NBA crew (Raphielle Johnson, Noah Rubin, and Ameer Tyree) recently participated in a 12-team mock draft with other fantasy analysts across the industry.
I couldn’t join them, so I did the next best thing – critiqued them. Here are my draft grades for all 12 teams.
Raphielle Johnson (Rotoworld)
Victor Wembanyama (SAS – C)
Jalen Brunson (NYK – PG)
Alperen Sengün (HOU – C)
Jaylen Brown (BOS – SG,SF)
Kawhi Leonard (LAC – SG,SF,PF)
Jrue Holiday (BOS – PG,SG)
Julius Randle (MIN – PF)
Terry Rozier (MIA – PG)
Anfernee Simons (POR – PG,SG)
Bobby Portis (MIL – PF,C)
Trayce Jackson-Davis (GSW – PF,C)
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (MIA – SF)
Stephon Castle (SAS – PG)
As expected, Wemby went first overall in this mock, and Raphielle paired him with a dynamic guard in Brunson. Sengun in the third round was a bold choice, but he’s expected to take the next step forward after a tremendous 2023-24 campaign. Kawhi Leonard is a tough sell based on health, but getting him as a fifth pick is unbelievable value, as is landing Randle with a seventh. The final three picks are solid sleeper options that have strong potential. This is a well-rounded team that should compete in multiple categories weekly.
Grade: B+
Papi Roi (Fantasy Basketball PH)
Nikola Jokić (DEN – C)
Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK – PF, C)
Kyrie Irving (DAL – PG, SG)
Jimmy Butler (MIA – SF, PF)
Jamal Murray (DEN – PG, SG)
D’Angelo Russell (LAL – PG)
Devin Vassell (SAS – SG,SF)
Bogdan Bogdanović (ATL – SG,SF)
Jonas Valančiūnas (WAS – C)
Cameron Johnson (BKN – SF, PF)
John Collins (UTA – PF, C)
Ben Simmons (BKN – PG)
Patrick Williams (CHI – PF)
Jokic could only play second banana to Wemby, and his selection at No. 2 overall was far from shocking. Towns in the second round could be a bit of a stretch, as we haven’t seen what he can do in a Knicks uniform yet. Irving, Butler, and Murray in Rounds 3-5 are excellent value picks, and the late selections of Bogdanovic, Johnson, and Collins could be huge for this squad. Simmons and Williams are major dart throws who could realistically be back on the waiver wire by Week 2. It’s a well-rounded team with some questionable draft choices.
Grade: B
Adam Stock (Elite Fantasy Basketball)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC – PG)
Devin Booker (PHX – PG, SG)
Damian Lillard (MIL – PG)
Immanuel Quickley (TOR – PG, SG)
Jarrett Allen (CLE – C)
Miles Bridges (CHA – SF, PF)
Ivica Zubac (LAC – C)
Jalen Suggs (ORL – PG,SG)
Collin Sexton (UTA – PG, SG)
Josh Hart (NYK – SF, PF)
Jeremy Sochan (SAS – SF,PF)
Gary Trent Jr. (MIL – PG, SG)
Aaron Gordon (DEN – PF, C)
SGA should compete to finish as fantasy’s top option yet again, so his selection at No. 3 overall makes complete sense. The Booker-SGA pairing gives this team a strong foundation at guard, and Lillard, in the third round, is a monster steal. Quickley is expected to be a phenomenal option for the Raptors with his stat-stuffing abilities, but taking him in the fourth round is a bit of a reach. After loading up at guard, Allen in the sixth and Zubac in the eighth give this team some center depth, and late forwards round out the roster. This is a one-dimensional squad, top-heavy at guard and lacking depth at F and C.
Grade: C+
Adam King (Fantasy Basketball International)
Anthony Davis (LAL – PF,C)
Chet Holmgren (OKC – PF,C)
Jalen Williams (OKC – SG, SF, PF)
Rudy Gobert (MIN – C)
Isaiah Hartenstein (OKC – C)
OG Anunoby (NYK – SF,PF)
Mark Williams (CHA – C)
Dyson Daniels (ATL – PG, SG)
Alex Caruso (OKC – SG,SF)
Dereck Lively II (DAL – C)
Jonathan Isaac (ORL – SF, PF)
Ausar Thompson (DET – SF,PF)
Kel’el Ware (MIA – C)
AD fourth overall is drafting him at his ceiling, and given his unprecedented availability last season, this feels like potential fool’s gold. Holmgren in the second round feels like a money play, but J-Dub in the fourth round is a bit of a reach. The same is true of the following two picks and many later-round selections. OKC is loaded with talent this season, but this team has four Thunder players rostered, which could be problematic, especially when that team is playing a short week. Defensive numbers should be spectacular here, but there are a lot of holes, particularly in points and triples.
Grade: C-
Dan Titus (Yahoo Sports)
Luka Dončić (DAL – PG,SG)
Scottie Barnes (TOR – SG, SF, PF)
De’Aaron Fox (SAC – PG)
Paolo Banchero (ORL – SF,PF)
Jalen Duren (DET – C)
Brandon Miller (CHA – SG, SF)
Walker Kessler (UTA – C)
Keegan Murray (SAC – SF, PF)
Zach Edey (MEM – C)
Jalen Green (HOU – PG, SG)
Brandin Podziemski (GSW – SG)
Norman Powell (LAC – SG, SF)
Jerami Grant (POR – SF,PF)
Titus’ selection of MVP-favorite Doncic at No. 5 is solid, and Barnes in the late second round makes sense after his breakout season. Fox had the best season of his career, and Banchero is steadily ascending to stardom. Aside from Stormin’ Norman and Grant to close out the final two picks, this team embraced a youth movement and balanced the roster with multi-category contributors and depth at each position.
Grade: A
HoopWizardNBA (Hoop Wizard Fantasy Basketball)
Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL – PF,C)
Stephen Curry (GSW – PG)
LeBron James (LAL – SF,PF)
Ja Morant (MEM – PG)
Franz Wagner (ORL – SF,PF)
Cam Thomas (BKN – SG)
Josh Giddey (CHI – SG, SF)
Amen Thompson (HOU – SF)
Kyle Kuzma (WAS – PF)
Marcus Smart (MEM – PG, SG)
Khris Middleton (MIL – SF)
Deni Avdija (POR – SF,PF)
P.J. Washington Jr. (DAL – PF)
Opening a draft with Giannis, Curry, and LeBron feels like a no-brainer, and getting Ja and Wagner with the following two picks is insane value. Thomas should see all the minutes and usage he can handle for the rebuilding Nets this season. The jury is out on Giddey after a painful season in OKC, and while Amen Thompson has plenty of upside, taking him in the eighth round is still a significant reach. The rest of this team’s draft was solid, particularly the upside of the final two picks in Avdija and Washington.
Grade: B
Mike Catron (Watching the Boxes Fantasy Basketball)
Jayson Tatum (BOS – SF,PF)
Kevin Durant (PHX – SF, PF)
Cade Cunningham (DET – PG, SG)
Jalen Johnson (ATL – PF)
Mikal Bridges (NYK – SG,SF,PF)
Nikola Vučević (CHI – PF,C)
Brandon Ingram (NOP – SG, SF, PF)
Naz Reid (MIN – PF, C)
Keyonte George (UTA – PG, SG)
Alex Sarr (WAS – PF)
Scoot Henderson (POR – PG)
Andre Drummond (PHI – C)
Zaccharie Risacher (ATL – SF)
A Tatum-Durant pairing is just what the doctor ordered for this team, which added Cunningham in the third round to get an elite guard on the roster. The picks in Rounds 4-7 were solid, mainly adding Ingram so late in the draft. Reigning Sixth Man of the Year Reid should continue to ascend, and Drummond could see plenty of minutes if Joel Embiid misses time. Henderson is an intriguing late-rounder, but Sarr and Risacher (the first two picks in the 2024 NBA Draft) may have trouble finding their footing right out of the gate. This team had some strong picks, but this is another one-dimensional roster devoid of depth at G.
Grade: C-
Ameer Tyree (Rotoworld)
Trae Young (ATL – PG)
Domantas Sabonis (SAC – C)
Lauri Markkanen (UTA – SF,PF)
Dejounte Murray (NOP – PG, SG)
Nic Claxton (BKN – C)
Michael Porter Jr. (DEN – SF,PF)
Herbert Jones (NOP – SF,PF)
Coby White (CHI – PG, SG)
Clint Capela (ATL – C)
Donte DiVincenzo (MIN – SG,SF)
Mike Conley (MIN – PG)
Donovan Clingan (POR – C)
Klay Thompson (DAL – SG, SF)
This team should easily win assists each week with the pairing of Young and Sabonis alone. Murray in the fourth round is a high-upside value pick who’s being undervalued in New Orleans. Claxton in Round 5 should pay off, as the big man will be a contender to lead the league in blocks, and he’ll see heavy minutes for a rebuilding Brooklyn squad. White and DiVincenzo offer excellent, late-round guard value, though taking Conley and DiVincenzo back-to-back could be overkill. I love the Clingan selection as a late-round flyer, and stealing Klay as a final pick is filthy. He’ll thrive in Dallas despite some poor preseason shooting.
Grade: A
Matty Garrett (Insight Fantasy)
Tyrese Haliburton (IND – PG)
Fred VanVleet (HOU – PG)
Evan Mobley (CLE – PF, C)
Desmond Bane (MEM – SG)
DeMar DeRozan (SAC – SF,PF)
Zach LaVine (CHI – SG, SF)
Jabari Smith Jr. (HOU – PF)
Trey Murphy III (NOP – SF)
Daniel Gafford (DAL – PF, C)
Draymond Green (GSW – PF)
Keon Ellis (SAC – SG, SF)
Andrew Nembhard (IND – SG)
Malik Monk (SAC – SG, SF)
This draft started strong with Haliburton in the first round, but taking FVV second was a stretch. LaVine is a wild card with plenty of question marks, making him a risky selection. The rest of this draft felt disjointed, without a lot of value, direction, or upside. There are three Kings players on this squad, but this roster won’t be lighting the beam too often.
Grade: D
Noah Rubin (Rotoworld)
Joel Embiid (PHI – C)
James Harden (LAC – PG,SG)
Jaren Jackson Jr. (MEM – PF,C)
Bam Adebayo (MIA – C)
Pascal Siakam (IND – SF,PF)
Bradley Beal (PHX – PG, SG)
Jordan Poole (WAS – PG, SG)
Tyler Herro (MIA – PG, SG)
Jonathan Kuminga (GSW – PF)
Onyeka Okongwu (ATL – PF,C)
Taylor Hendricks (UTA – SF, PF)
De’Anthony Melton (GSW – PG, SG)
Bilal Coulibaly (WAS – SG,SF)
We can call this the “Heart Attack Squad” because this collection of players regularly sends their manager into cardiac arrest. Embiid has struggled to stay healthy, Harden can be hot and cold, JJJ is always at risk of missing games, and Beal can’t stay on the court anymore. Kuminga and Okongwu have upside, but will they be utilized optimally by their respective teams? Poole’s first season in Washington was maddening, and Melton is perennially lauded by fantasy managers as a “this is his year” player. Hendricks could start for Utah, but that team is loaded at forward, and Coulibaly may be a better real-life option than a fantasy stud. Some people are risk-takers, but this team feels downright dangerous.
Grade: D
Jimmy (Twitter entry)
Anthony Edwards (MIN – SG, SF)
LaMelo Ball (CHA – PG, SG)
Paul George (PHI – SG,SF,PF)
Zion Williamson (NOP – PF, C)
Darius Garland (CLE – PG)
Deandre Ayton (POR – C)
Jakob Poeltl (TOR – C)
Austin Reaves (LAL – PG, SG)
Jusuf Nurkić (PHX – C)
Kristaps Porzingis (BOS – PF,C)
RJ Barrett (TOR – SF,PF)
Jaden Ivey (DET – PG,SG)
Kelly Oubre Jr. (PHI – SG,SF)
Ant-Man in the first round could return appropriate value even if he doesn’t get there on a per-game basis. He’s chronically available, which is huge for fantasy hoops managers. Ball is a risky option, given his health, but he can be a first-rounder on a per-game basis if his ankle holds up. PG13 feels like a good selection in the third round, though Williamson in the fourth is a mighty stretch. Garland and Ayton are solid values, but Poeltl doesn’t do enough to feel like a great pick in the seventh round. Grabbing Porzingis so late will be huge for this team if it can wait until he returns after a multi-month absence. There is a nice mix of options at each position on this team and some solid values across the roster, though none can be considered tremendous.
Grade: C+
Steve St-Pierre (Menace Podmen Fantasy Podcast)
Donovan Mitchell (CLE – SG)
Tyrese Maxey (PHI – PG, SG)
Derrick White (BOS – PG)
Myles Turner (IND – C)
Brook Lopez (MIL – C)
Tobias Harris (DET – SF,PF)
CJ McCollum (NOP – PG)
Tyus Jones (PHX – PG)
Chris Paul (SAS – PG)
Noah Clowney (BKN – SF)
Al Horford (BOS – PF,C)
Christian Braun (DEN – SG)
Dennis Schröder (BKN – PG)
This team hit guards heavily in the early rounds, pairing Spida with Maxey in Rounds 1 and 2 and grabbing White in the third. Turner in the fourth isn’t exactly a home run, as the three-point shooter doesn’t offer much value in rebounds and FG%, which are typical big-man specialties. Lopez fits that same mold, though those two centers could win this team the blocks category each week. Jones is a strong, late-round PG, though the rest of these picks are dubious and littered with advanced age or screaming question marks.
Grade: D-
