Alex Burns's Fantasy Basketball Rankings (Categories): Top 200 for 2025-2026 Drafts

October 3, 2025

Alex Burns's top 200 fantasy Basketball rankings (categories) for 2025-2026 drafts. See which NBA players he is targeting and fading with his fantasy basketball rankings.

If you are reading this, congratulations! You have officially entered into the greatest time of the year - Fantasy Basketball draft season! With the NBA regular season set to tip off in just a few short weeks, now is the ultimate time to begin preparations for your draft(s). And what better way to start than with rankings!

These rankings aren't just a list thrown together; they are the product of months of deep dives and late nights. I've projected stats for nearly 300 players, fine-tuned category weights, balanced volume with efficiency, and baked in everything from current injuries, rotation quirks, and regression risks. Once the foundation was set, I went back through and tweaked the board to reflect how I'm actually drafting my own teams. In other words, this is the blueprint I trust when I'm on the clock.

Below, you will find my full 9-Cat breakdown, complete with a list of 'my guys' I'm planting the flag on and the players I'm fading at their current ADP. In this piece, it's all about category leagues (my points league rankings will be dropping next week), so stay tuned! With that said, grab your pumpkin-spiced latte, sit back, relax, and let's dive in!

2025-2026 Fantasy Basketball Rankings: Alex's Top 200

My Guys

Devin Booker, G - Phoenix Suns
Average Draft Position - 13.3, My Rank - 7

Devin Booker's box score looked fine last year, but the efficiency dip told the real story. After back-to-back seasons over 49% from the field, he slid to 46.1% -- his lowest since 2017-18 -- even though his usage fell below 30% for the first time since 2016-17 (per Basketball Monster). The main culprit? A career-high 7.3 attempts from deep at just 33.2%.

Now fast forward to 2025-26: Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal are out of the picture, and Booker's usage is primed to climb back north of 30%. History says his three-point efficiency should bounce back, too, which would boost his overall FG%.

But what gets me really fired up is the potential for him to run full-time point. With Tyus Jones also gone, the only "true" point guards left are Collin Gillespie and Jared Butler. Jalen Green can handle the rock in spurts, but he's wired to score -- not to run an offense. That leaves Booker in a prime position to take the reins.

We've seen this movie before. Back in 2022-23, when Chris Paul missed 17 games, Booker averaged 29 points and 8.2 assists per night as the de facto floor general. That stretch showed us his fantasy ceiling when he's both the lead scorer and lead playmaker.

Very interesting

Devin Booker has excelled in the past when asked to play the point

In 17 games without CP3 last season he averaged 29 points and 8.2 assists on 65 TS%

Beal is also great at playing off the ball

Not sure I’m buying this ⬇️ https://t.co/mMyZ3DJIEs

— AB (@aburnshoops) July 16, 2023

In this current setup, Booker is one of the rare players who can give you elite points and strong assists without tanking your percentages, all while knocking down close to three triples per game. At the moment, I feel more confident taking Booker over guys like Anthony Edwards or James Harden in the first round.

Tyrese Maxey, G - Philadelphia 76ers
Average Draft Position - 20.8, My Rank - 11

Yes, you are reading that correctly -- I have Maxey ranked as a first-round guy this season. Some of that has to do with a few guys who normally go ahead of him, forced to miss the entire season (Damian Lillard, Tyrese Haliburton, Jayson Tatum), but I am all in on Maxey this season.

Maxey led the entire league in MPG last season (37.7) and appears poised to see a lion's share of minutes amidst all of the injury uncertainty in Philly. Joel Embiid is, well, Joel Embiid, and Paul George is slated to miss the entirety of training camp and possibly the start of the season after offseason knee surgery. To make matters worse, Jared McCain suffered a thumb injury that will force him to miss the start of the season as well. So, where will all the production come from? Tyrese Maxey.

He is undoubtedly the engine of Philly's offense, and after a top 10 per-game finish in 52 games last year, I'm expecting more of the same. While his career-high 1.8 steals could come down a few ticks, he could certainly improve his efficiency (43.7%), and I'm projecting his usage to surge north of 30% this season.

At this range in drafts, you are typically deciding between guys like Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant, but I tend to lean more towards Maxey's youth and opportunity.

Jalen Johnson, F - Atlanta Hawks
Average Draft Position - 34.8, My Rank - 19

I get why Jalen Johnson’s ADP has slipped a bit with Kristaps Porzingis now in Atlanta, but it's important to understand that Johnson has already flashed the kind of all-around production that has everyone drooling over Cooper Flagg in the same draft range. In his 36 healthy games last season, Johnson put up 18.9 points, 10 boards, 5 dimes, 1.6 steals, and 1.0 block on 50% shooting — and that’s with a rough shooting start dragging those numbers down.

Looking ahead, the Hawks’ rotation has plenty of new names, but the foundation remains intact, with Porzingis essentially slotting in for Clint Capela. Even with KP in town, Johnson should continue to operate as the Hawks’ go-to weapon, especially after we saw Trae Young lean more into a facilitator’s role early last year.

And let’s not forget — Johnson doesn’t even turn 24 until December. He’s improved every season, and he’s shown he can stuff a stat sheet across the board. If he can stay on the court, he will destroy his current ADP.

Reed Sheppard, PG - Houston Rockets
Average Draft Position - 138.8, My Rank - 114

Sheppard has always had a strong fantasy skillset, but we didn't get to see much of it last year as he spent much of his rookie campaign buried on a deep Rockets' squad. Things were supposed to be the same this year, but a season-ending torn ACL for Fred VanVleet changes the picture drastically. It's unclear if Ime Udoka will trust Sheppard to start at point out of the gate for a win-now team, but even if he doesn't, his playing time seemingly gets a huge boost.

Much like the Thompson twins, Sheppard doesn't necessarily need 35 minutes to be on the fantasy radar. His activity and instincts on defense allow him to rack up stocks quickly despite his smaller frame, as evidenced by his nearly 2 steals and one block per 36 minutes last season as a rookie. Even if he sees 25 minutes a night to start the season (which might be too conservative), getting a guy in the double-digit rounds with the kind of upside as Sheppard doesn't grow on trees. There aren't too many guys available after pick 100 with the skillset to average 2 threes, 2 steals, and a block per game.

While I can easily see Sheppard finishing as a top 100 guy this season, there are still a few unknowns about how Houston will proceed after the VanVleet news. Will they roll Amen Thomson out at the point? Will they make a trade to free up cap space and sign a veteran? Or do they fully unleash Sheppard? His ADP has already gone up over the last week, and it will likely continue to do so as he appears poised to take on a larger role entering his 2nd season.

Tari Eason, F - Houston Rockets
Average Draft Position - 122.4, My Rank - 95

I'm having a hard time comprehending Eason's current ADP. Sure, I guess Dorian Finney-Smith's arrival could somewhat cap his minutes upside, but we're talking about a guy who was able to finish 65th overall in Per Game value in only 24.9 MPG last season. Are we expecting him to play less? No. So, what's the reasoning for his ranking?

Much like Amen Thompson, Eason is a defensive savant who can fill it up on a per-minute basis, so even if he plays 25 MPG again this season, he can be productive and useful in fantasy. But at his current cost, no one in that range has top 50 upside like Eason.

It is worth mentioning that a report was released earlier this week stating they will be cautious with Eason on back-to-backs this season. Houston has 14 back-to-backs this season and doesn't have its first one until December, so it's not really something I'm worried about.

Ausar Thompson, F - Detroit Pistons
Average Draft Position - 95.3, My Rank - 70

Thompson got off to a slow start last season due to a blood clot issue and struggled to secure consistent minutes. Some days it would be 30+, and other games it would be 18. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff swore the lower minutes were due to maintenance, but I'm not buying it. Despite 22.5 minutes per game, Thompson was still able to average 10.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.7 blocks, which was good enough for him to finish as a round 11 value when all was said and done. Just for fun, I'll give you his per 36 numbers as well: 16.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.7 steals, and 1.1 blocks.

He's now fully healthy and projects to start at small forward to begin the season. If he can consistently flirt with 30 or more minutes, his skillset defensively is elite enough to boost him inside the top 50. For that, I am perfectly looking his way in the 70s or later due to the massive upside.

I'm not going to sit here and pretend that he's the same player as his brother, Amen, or possesses the same elite upside, but Ausar has all the tools to be a true league winner if the minutes land where I think they will.

Isaiah Jackson, C - Indiana Pacers
Average Draft Position - 146.8, My Rank - 109

Jackson is fully recovered from his ruptured Achilles that forced him to miss the majority of the season, and he returns to a huge opportunity. With Myles Turner's departure to Milwaukee, Indiana's center spot is up for grabs, and although it's unclear who will start to begin the season, Jackson has been working with the starters, according to head coach Rick Carlisle.

Rick Carlisle says that Isaiah Jackson has been working with the starting 5 in pickup games, but nothing is set in stone on who will start.

— Alex Golden (@AlexGoldenNBA) September 29, 2025

His main competition for starters minutes are the likes of the newly acquired Jay Huff, James Wiseman, Tony Bradley, and James Wiseman. I believe Jackson is by far the most talented of the group, and he's the only one who boasts a valuable fantasy record. In years past, Jackson was an auto stream when Turner missed time, displaying a unique ability to swat shots, grab boards, and score in double figures on elite percentages. Across his first four seasons, I-Jax has posted 17.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 blocks per 36 on just under 60% from the field.

I'm not suggesting or anticipating him to see 30 minutes a night, but he's displayed huge upside and now finds himself with the biggest opportunity of his career. He's an absolute auto-pick for me in the double-digit rounds and has all the makings of a league winner if he can stay healthy.

Kyshawn George, F - Washington Wizards
Average Draft Position - 146, My Rank - 126

George had some really nice moments last season, and things only got better once Kyle Kuzma was out of the picture. In 36 games without Kuzma, George routinely flirted with 30 minutes as a rookie and posted 10.2 points, nearly 5 boards, 2.8 assists, 2 threes, 1.2 steals, and just short of a block per game.

The Wizards do have a ton of bodies, including veteran Khris Middleton, who could annoyingly soak up wing minutes, but with Bilal Coulibaly nursing a thumb injury and his status up in the air to begin the season, George could easily find himself starting on opening night. This is a situation where opportunity and skillset could cement his spot in the rotation and make him a very useful option all season long. And to find that where he's currently being drafted is great value.

Kyle Filipowski, F/C - Utah Jazz
Average Draft Position - 135, My Rank 125

Filipowski had some great moments as a rookie, but was mostly held back by a deep frontcourt rotation in Utah. With John Collins out of the way and Taylor Hendricks likely eased back after a serious season-ending injury, Filipowski is in contention to start alongside Walker Kessler, pending how they choose to deploy polarizing lottery pick Ace Bailey. At the very least, Filipowski appears headed for a sizable uptick from the 21.1 MPG he saw last season, and he can deliver fantasy-friendly numbers.

He has all the momentum after an impressive showing in Summer League, with averages of 29.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists on 56% from the field and 39% on threes en route to being named the Summer League MVP. If his performance this summer is any indication of the leap he is poised to take, we could be staring at a breakout season in the 11th round.

My Fades

LeBron James, F - Los Angeles Lakers
Average Draft Position - 16.4, My Rank - 28

I get it, it's LeBron James, but the guy will be 41 years of age this season. Luka Doncic is now the engine for this Lakers squad and we saw LeBron's usage take a slight hit in the 23 games they shared together last season. In those games, we saw his assists drop from 8.9 to 6.7, and he averaged over half a shot less per game. While minor, it does add up over the course of the season and while LBJ seemingly hasn't slowed down at a normal pace, it's coming.

He's a third-round guy for me this season, which means I will have very few shares with his current ADP hovering around the early-mid second round.

Karl-Anthony Towns, C - New York Knicks
Average Draft Position - 11.4, My Rank 15

I had high hopes for KAT's fantasy prospects heading into last season based solely on the fact that he would be starting at center for a coach who plays his starters heavy minutes. That turned out to be correct. This season, however, things are a bit different. Out goes Tom Thibodeau and in comes Mike Brown. Brown has a track record of playing his guys heavy minutes as well, but no one in recent memory is on Thibs' level. So I would expect a slight decrease in minutes for not only Towns, but the entire starting cast for the Knicks.

But the biggest reason I will not draft Towns in the first round is the threat of Mitchell Robinson entering the starting lineup this season. If he does, and it looks that way after their first preseason game, it will relegate KAT to the starting power forward slot. And playing extra minutes away from the rim will almost assuredly lead to fewer rebounds, fewer block opportunities, and a worse field goal percentage.

So while he was phenomenal as the starting center last season, a slight minutes hit and the possibility of reduced center minutes is enough for me to drop him out of the first round in drafts.

Dyson Daniels, G/F - Atlanta Hawks
Average Draft Position - 43.6, My Rank - 46

This isn't entirely a fade because I will happily scoop up Daniels in the fourth round, but where he's going in the drafts I've been a part of has me hesitant to pull the trigger where I would need to. For example, he went at pick 27 in my Locked On Fantasy Bowl draft - which is a 9-Cat league with serious managers. While I love Daniels and was routinely reaching for him in the later rounds last year, I'm a bit worried about the potential regression in his numbers this season.

As amazing as Daniels's 3.0 steals per game was last season, it would have led the league in every season since 2008-09. I have him projected for 2.7 steals, which is still elite, but even that small of a drop off has the potential to ding his value. Not to mention, a lot of his offensive production last season came when Atlanta was missing a slew of players.

I have Dyson Daniels projected for 2.7 steals per game this season, which would have led the NBA in every season since 2008-2009

A simple testament to how ELITE and unsustainable his 3.0 steals per game was last season

— AB (@aburnshoops) September 14, 2025

With more wing bodies now in town (Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luke Lennard), along with a healthy Jalen Johnson and second-year Zaccharie Risacher, Daniels may not have the room to put up the same numbers offensively as he did last season.

So, while it isn't a complete 'fade' per se, he's not someone I am reaching for like I did last season, now that all of his upside is baked into his cost.

Ivica Zubac, C - Los Angeles Clippers
Average Draft Position - 34.2, My Rank - 53

There's no sugarcoating it: Zubac was a bona fide league-winner last season. He played a career-high 32.8 minutes (finally, Ty Lue) and put up 16.8 points and 12.6 rebounds a night. He finished 30th in Per Game value, which is massive considering he was routinely being selected outside of the 8th/9th rounds in most drafts. If you were one of the lucky ones who took the plunge, congratulations! For the rest of us, how could we miss it?

The reason for listing him as a fade here is solely due to the Clippers' offseason moves, as they brought in John Collins and 97-year-old Brook Lopez this summer. Last season, Ty Lue didn't really have a choice but to play Zubac 30+ minutes due to a lack of trustworthy depth. This season, that won't be the case. Lopez is almost assuredly hovering around 20 MPG, and Collins profiles as a reliable small-ball center (something that Lue loves), which gives the Clippers room to deploy some different lineups and variations throughout the season.

Part of what made Ivica Zubac special in fantasy last season was because of where you drafted him (106 ADP)

The Clippers brought in Brook Lopez and traded for John Collins this offseason, yet he's going in the 3rd/4th rounds in early drafts

Easy pass for me, don't fall for it

— AB (@aburnshoops) September 17, 2025

With Lopez and Collins in the picture, I think it's a very real possibility that Zubac sees less than 30 MPG, which would certainly limit his upside. And drafting him in the third round essentially has all of his upside baked in. So, while I love his fantasy game, I'm afraid his current ADP is just as egregious as it was last season, but this time reversed in the opposite direction.

Josh Hart, F - New York Knicks
Average Draft Position - 54, My Rank - 99

Hart enjoyed a productive fantasy season last year, and it's got people lining up to draft him inside the top 60 this season. I think that is a mistake for multiple reasons. For one, Hart was 0.1 minute per game away from leading the league in MPG (38.6). With Tom Thibodeau gone and Mike Brown in, that almost certainly will not be the case this season. In fact, there is a good chance that Hart shifts to the bench in favor of Mitchell Robinson to begin the year. Even if he sees 30 MPG, expect his numbers to drop a bit.

Something to watch:

If Mitchell Robinson opens the season as the starting center, not only will it push Josh Hart to the bench, but will also impact Karl-Anthony Towns

Towns starting at PF = less rebounds, less blocks, and lower FG% (cc Anthony Davis) https://t.co/ZGTJicpJW1

— AB (@aburnshoops) October 2, 2025

Additionally, the arrivals of Jordan Clarkson and Malcolm Brogan to the second unit may take away some of the ball handling, which would make it hard for Hart to sniff 5.9 assists per game again.

Jaylen Brown, G - Boston Celtics
Average Draft Position - 31.3, My Rank - 41

I know a lot of people are excited about Brown's opportunity this season, but there are a few things that force me to pump the brakes when looking his way in the third round. My biggest worry is that Brown is coming off of arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in June. While he should be cleared to begin the season, a knee procedure isn't nothing. Combine that with the fact that the Celtics find themselves in sort of a 'lost year' with Jayson Tatum recovering from a ruptured Achilles, and I wouldn't be shocked to see the Celtics take a cautious approach with Brown throughout the season.

What's stopping the Celtics from "tanking" or resting Brown over the last few months of the season to preserve their chances of a healthier title shot with Tatum next season? For that reason, there are just too many I feel much more comfortable looking his way one round later than his ADP. Even though some other injury risks are going in his range (Tyler Herro, De'Aaron Fox, Joel Embiid, Zion Williamson, Kawhi Leonard), all of those guys possess higher fantasy upside. Give me Herro or Fox in the 4th round over Brown as things currently stand.

RJ Barrett, F - Toronto Raptors
Average Draft Position - 86.8, My Rank - 166

Barrett has never been a good categories guy, but injuries in Toronto made him useful for stretches last season. I believe all of that changes this season. With Brandon Ingram in town, and full health for Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley, Barrett goes from being a top 2 option offensively to easily 4th in the pecking order. Sure, he'll get his 15 points a night, but he practically offers nothing else.

With his early-season volume from last year a thing of the past, he belongs in the De'Aandre Hunter/Kyle Kuzma range rather than anywhere close to the top 100.

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