RADIO
Welcome to the slower part of the offseason, Rotoballers! The NBA Draft has come and gone. All of the prospects showcased their skills in the various summer leagues and now we wait for training camp and preseason. With that being said, we're going to take a look at the top 50 rookies this season for any managers partaking in dynasty leagues.
The key distinction for the dynasty league rankings is long-term success versus immediate impact. Sure, there will be players who will possess both of those values, and that will rank them quite high. It's important to note that while looking at these rookies for dynasty squads, the younger players with higher potential often will be seen ranked above a college senior who could play a handful of minutes in their first season.
In addition to these rookie ranks, our NBA team will be rolling out rankings for all different formats and the entire league as the season grows closer. You'll be able to find those rankings and more insight on the NBA premium page. Be sure to also download our free mobile app if you haven't yet -- stay up to date on the latest NBA news and articles, including free notifications on injuries and lineup alerts.
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NBA Rookie Rankings for Fantasy Basketball Dynasty
Without further ado, let's take a look at the top prospects coming into the NBA that are ready to make a long-term impact for all of your fantasy teams. Some will be no-brainers and others could end up becoming huge sleepers that other managers in your league weren't even thinking about. If any managers are looking for some rankings that include the veterans, check out Alex Burns' Way Too Early Fantasy Basketball Rankings for 2023-24.
Top 50 Dynasty Rookie Rankings
| Ranking | Player | Pos | Team | Age |
| 1 | Victor Wembanyama | C | SAS | 19 |
| 2 | Scoot Henderson | PG/SG | POR | 19 |
| 3 | Amen Thompson | PG/SG | HOU | 20 |
| 4 | Brandon Miller | SF/PF | CHA | 20 |
| 5 | Ausar Thompson | SG/SF | DET | 20 |
| 6 | Anthony Black | SG/SF | ORL | 19 |
| 7 | Taylor Hendricks | PF | UTA | 19 |
| 8 | Dereck Lively II | C | DAL | 19 |
| 9 | Jarace Walker | PF | IND | 19 |
| 10 | Bilal Coulibaly | SF | WAS | 18 |
| 11 | Cam Whitmore | SF | HOU | 18 |
| 12 | Cason Wallace | PG | OKC | 19 |
| 13 | Gradey Dick | SG/SF | TOR | 19 |
| 14 | Keyonte George | PG/SG | UTA | 19 |
| 15 | Kobe Bufkin | SG/PG | ATL | 19 |
| 16 | Leonard Miller | SF | MIN | 19 |
| 17 | Brandin Podziemski | SG | GSW | 20 |
| 18 | Brice Sensabaugh | SF | UTA | 19 |
| 19 | Nick Smith Jr. | PG/SG | CHA | 19 |
| 20 | Noah Clowney | PF | BKN | 18 |
| 21 | Dariq Whitehead | SG | BKN | 18 |
| 22 | Jordan Hawkins | SG | NOP | 18 |
| 23 | Jett Howard | SG | ORL | 19 |
| 24 | Jalen Hood-Schifino | PG/SG | LAL | 20 |
| 25 | Jaime Jaquez Jr. | SG/SF | MIA | 22 |
| 26 | Kris Murray | PF | POR | 22 |
| 27 | Gregory Jackson | PF | MEM | 18 |
| 28 | Sidy Cissoko | SG/SF | SAS | 19 |
| 29 | Tristan Vukcevic | PF | WAS | 20 |
| 30 | James Nnaji | C | CHA | 18 |
| 31 | Marcus Sasser | PG/SG | DET | 22 |
| 32 | Colby Jones | SG/SF | SAC | 21 |
| 33 | Kobe Brown | PF | LAC | 23 |
| 34 | Amari Bailey | SG | CHA | 19 |
| 35 | Rayan Rupert | SG | POR | 19 |
| 36 | Ben Sheppard | SG | IND | 21 |
| 37 | Maxwell Lewis | SF | LAL | 20 |
| 38 | Trayce Jackson-Davis | PF | GSW | 23 |
| 39 | Olivier-Maxence Prosper | SF/PF | DAL | 20 |
| 40 | Julian Strawther | SG | DEN | 21 |
| 41 | Julian Phillips | SF | CHI | 19 |
| 42 | Jordan Walsh | SF | BOS | 19 |
| 43 | Andre Jackson | SG/SF | MIL | 21 |
| 44 | Seth Lundy | SG/SF | ATL | 23 |
| 45 | Emoni Bates | SF | CLE | 19 |
| 46 | Jalen Slawson | PF | SAC | 23 |
| 47 | Chris Livingston | SF | MIL | 19 |
| 48 | Jalen Pickett | PG | DEN | 23 |
| 49 | Terquavion Smith | SG | PHI | 20 |
| 50 | Adama Sanogo | C | CHI | 21 |
Brandon Miller Outside of the Top 3?
Not often does the second-overall pick fall out of the top three in terms of dynasty value. Come to think of it, the second pick also isn't as highly debated as it has been this year. Miller made a late climb up the draft boards and ended up going to Charlotte, who drafted for need when Scoot Henderson was still widely regarded as the second-best player in this class.
Henderson still has the higher projected ceiling on a Blazers team that is trying to jump-start a rebuild and trade away Damian Lillard. Amen Thompson comes in at third because of the flashes of brilliance on both sides of the ball to go along with some crazy athleticism and a bigger build for a guard. Miller is just not as NBA-ready as the other three above him and his ceiling doesn't project to be as high, either. Grabbing Miller at four would be great value but using one of the first three picks on him would probably leave that manager disappointed.
Early Sleepers and Good Fits
Six through ten are all good bets due to age, fit, and upside. Each one of them can satisfy different categories and they all are primed to be eventual starters if their potential comes through as expected.
Dereck Lively II is exactly what the Mavericks have been looking for in a center. A rim-running defensive presence that can grab boards goes well with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Anthony Black is a very good blend of two-way skills that can outshine the guards in Orlando that haven't exactly played to their potential yet. Taylor Hendricks has all the signs of another Danny Ainge special as he possesses some of the best shooting skills in the lottery on top of explosive athleticism and a 7'1" wingspan.
Then, there's Jarace Walker who fits both a need for the Pacers and has some great potential on top of it. He currently slots into more of a backup role but could find his way into the starting lineup as a physical defender that could work very well in the pick-and-roll with Tyrese Haliburton. Bilal Coulibaly rounds out this tier as a longer project that has all of the physical tools to be a big-time two-way player and is still just 18 years old.
Cam Whitmore Climbs To The First Round
In a normal 12-team dynasty league, Whitmore would be a dream value at the end of the first round. Almost every media outlet and source around the league had him as a top-ten talent. Then he went to the Vegas summer league and proved he can score with the best of the other prospects and was named the Summer League MVP.
The athleticism, the shot, and the defense are all there. His only question marks are durability and the pre-draft interviews that made him slide so far down in the first round of the NBA Draft. Maybe there's an attitude and a leadership issue, which would also hold him back from being a surefire dynasty selection.
Interesting Talent In Tougher Situations
There are always some talented players that end up on better teams, which could turn into either a gift or a curse for both parties. Drafting a rookie on your dynasty team that could be buried on the bench for a while is a gamble that a lot of managers would rather trade away. The players in this tier, however, could very well end up as rotational players and even starters.
Cason Wallace, Keyonte George, Kobe Bufkin, and Leonard Miller all fit this mold. They happen to be behind players such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jordan Clarkson, Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, and Karl-Anthony Towns, respectively. If any sort of trade takes place or an injury occurs, then they could see some playing time sooner rather than later. At this very moment, however, they're better suited to wait a year or two before throwing them into some fantasy lineups.
Taxi Squad Heroes (Or Zeros)
Once you get into the later parts of the second round of a rookie draft or super deep into a startup draft, it's bargain bin time. Let's find those guys that could pop into the lineup down the road because they just need a little extra work on their game or they just need to mature a bit.
My favorite players that match this description, that would still be available toward the end of the second round, would be Jordan Hawkins, Dariq Whitehead, and Jett Howard. All three of them offer unique offensive skills right away but also have a higher ceiling than most would expect. Hawkins and Whitehead have plenty of time to grow as they're only 18 years old and happen to be in situations that could use some depth at the moment. Howard is the son of an NBA talent who has lived and breathed basketball since he was born and has a decent shooting percentage to match.
Finally, some deep-in-the-bag players that stood out in Summer League or just have a little extra NBA potential. This group includes none other than Sidy Cissoko, Amari Bailey, Seth Lundy, and Emoni Bates. Cissoko is a big-bodied guard from France that is still just 19 years old and will come into a great situation in San Antonio to develop alongside fellow Frenchman, Wembanyama. Bailey used to be a highly-touted prospect coming out of high school. He did well enough at UCLA to make the Pac-12 All-Tournament and All-Freshman teams. Now, he joins a young Hornets squad that could use some more more shooters.
Lundy is more of a do-it-all contributor that could help right away off of the bench, but also become someone along the lines of Bruce Brown. To wrap it all up, there's Bates who was thought to be the next version of Kevin Durant until he disappointed in college and got into some trouble off of the court. During the Las Vegas Summer League, however, Bates increased his stock yet again but is on a good Cavaliers team where he'll have to fight his way to earn playing time.
That about does it for the dynasty rookie rankings heading into the 2023-24 NBA season. Make sure to check back for more rankings and draft strategies as the season grows closer. Do you agree or disagree with any of these rankings? Let me know on Twitter @__Fisch. Plus, be sure to follow @RotoBaller and @RotoBallerNBA for fantasy updates throughout the offseason.
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