2026 NBA Draft: Fantasy Basketball First Round Winners and Losers

June 24, 2026

NBA analyst Thunder Dan Palyo recaps the first round of the 2026 NBA draft and gives his analysis on which players may have an impact on fantasy basketball next season.

The first round of the 2026 NBA Draft is in the books, and the first ten picks went almost entirely as predicted. We finally saw some players taken before or after their projections a bit later in the round, and we had only a few small trades on draft night after we saw a few pretty big trades (Giannis Antetokounmpo to Miami and Julius Randle to Brooklyn) the day before.

While some teams drafted specifically for needs, others went with the best available player. A few teams (like my Cleveland Cavaliers) traded out of the first round and didn't even make a pick on the first night of the draft.

The goal of this piece is not to declare which teams were winners or losers in terms of adding value to their franchise, and I think you could argue that just about every team came away from last night's draft feeling good about their selections. Instead, let's focus on which rookies are now positioned to have the biggest impact in standard redraft fantasy basketball leagues this coming season!

First Round Winners For Fantasy Basketball

Darryn Peterson, SG - Utah Jazz

I was convinced that Peterson was heading to Washington and Dybantsa to Utah, but it ended up being the other way around. It should work out in Peterson's favor in terms of fantasy value, as I think he'll have an easier opportunity to carve out a big role in Utah's lineup as the starting shooting guard alongside Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, Lauri Markkanen, and Jaren Jackson Jr.

If you've been following the NBA over the last five years,  you know the Jazz have been one of the most reliable tanking teams come the final few months of the season. While Utah could finally contend this year with its most talented roster in years, I think it's far more likely that they end up on the outside looking in, and Peterson could end up having an even bigger role for this team at the end of the season.

Cameron Boozer, PF - Memphis Grizzlies

Don't confuse Boozer's "boring," fundamental game with his elite potential to be a major impact player in fantasy basketball this year. He can score from anywhere on the floor and shot 39% from beyond the arc. He's also an incredibly hard-working player who averaged 10.2 boards and 4.1 assists in his rookie season at Duke.

Welcome to Memphis, Cameron Boozer‼️

The Duke star selected No. 3 in the NBA Draft 🐻 pic.twitter.com/KdejoUnLBh

— ESPN (@espn) June 24, 2026

He should have every opportunity in Memphis to start and play meaningful minutes. It wouldn't surprise me if Memphis ran the offense through him at times, too, giving him a lot of potential to be an asset in assists from the PF position. He's not a shot-blocker, but he should pile up points, rebounds, assists, and threes on solid percentages.

Caleb Wilson, PF - Chicago Bulls

You have to love what the Bulls did last night: adding arguably the most athletic player in this draft class and landing Dailyn Swain with pick 15. Wilson should slot in at PF and will get to play alongside newly-acquired Nicolas Claxton at center, while bumping Matas Buzelis over to his more natural position at small forward.

Wilson's fantasy profile is tantalizing. He's reportedly made some improvements already to his three-point shooting, which was the lone weakness in his game (25.9% last year), and his 2.9 combined blocks/steals is really appealing for 9-CAT leagues.

I think he'll play a lot right out of the gates, and he could end up being one of the best rookie performers this season.

Darius Acuff Jr., PG - Sacramento Kings

I think Acuff Jr. has the best landing spot for instant fantasy relevance. He averaged 23.5 points and 6.4 dimes last year in Houston and should immediately slot into the starting lineup in Sacramento at point guard.

He's a bit undersized, and there are concerns about his defense, but he can absolutely fill it up on the offensive end. I think he could shoot much better from the field than a lot of high-usage rookies typically do, as he was at 50.8% on two-point attempts last year and 44% on three-pointers.

Yaxel Lendeborg, PF - Golden State Warriors

Don't sleep on Lendeborg here! He's an "old" rookie at age 23, but that experience might get him on the floor faster for a Warriors team that values heady players and versatility. Golden State badly needs some youth in the frontcourt, with Draymond Green and Al Horford both having AARP memberships.

Lendeborg can do a little of everything from a fantasy perspective as he averaged 1.7 threes, 1.1 steals, and 1.2 blocks last year for the national champion Wolverines.

Cameron Carr, SG - L.A. Lakers

Carr was drafted by the Lakers with the 24th pick after they traded up with the Knicks. I was surprised that he fell that far in this draft as he was projected to go inside the top 15 picks or so.

The Lakers have a glaring hole at shooting guard and badly need some catch-and-shoot players to put around Luka Doncic, LeBron James (assuming he resigns), and Austin Reaves.

Cameron Carr is an exciting mid-first option...

7'1 wingspan, elite vertical athlete, deep + accurate 3P range. That's the pitch.

With a greater defensive/playmaking profiles he'd be in top 10 convos. Regardless, he has a role waiting for him. pic.twitter.com/iPW34HcC9J

— Basketball University (@UofBasketball) June 22, 2026

Carr knocked down 2.3 threes per game last year in Baylor on 37.4% from behind the arc on his way to 18.9 points per game. He also added 1.3 blocks per game despite only being six-foot-five, which could be another sneaky way that he could contribute fantasy value. He's no lock to start in L.A., but I think he will have a substantial role there sooner than later.

Alex Karaban, SF/PF - Sacramento Kings

The Kings made another really good pick at 29, trading up with the Cavs to land two-time NCAA champion Alex Karaban from Connecticut. He's another older player at age 23 who lacks the type of athleticism of the lottery picks, but he makes up for it with a really good basketball IQ and the ability to do a little of everything on the court.

With the 29th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, the
Sacramento Kings select Alex Karaban.

Draft Grade: A+

For the first time in a long time, the Kings went into a draft and identified players with winning characteristics and skills that make those around them better. Acuff's… pic.twitter.com/REAfG90gGd

— Sheldon Wohlman | Utility Sports (@_utilitysports) June 24, 2026

He's probably not someone who will be drafted in standard fantasy leagues, but if he works his way into regular playing time, I could see him putting up some solid stats across the board in Sacramento, where they badly need help on the wing.

First Round Losers For Fantasy Basketball

To be clear, when I include players in this section, it's not because I am not high on them as a player, but rather it has to do with their potential impact in redraft fantasy basketball leagues in their rookie year!

A.J. Dybantsa, SF - Washington Wizards

Washington really couldn't lose last night, whether they took Dybantsa, Peterson, or even Boozer. They went with the consensus #1 pick and took the dynamic scorer Dybantsa, possibly securing their future franchise player.

WITH THE FIRST PICK IN THE 2026 NBA DRAFT, THE WIZARDS SELECT AJ DYBANTSA‼️ pic.twitter.com/OKWfahRy7D

— ESPN (@espn) June 24, 2026

However, I think Dybantsa could be overdrafted a bit this coming season. You could argue that Washington was the worst spot for him to land among teams with the first four picks. The Wizards brought in Trae Young and Anthony Davis in trades last season. They will now have a very potentially crowded rotation with former first-round picks Alexandre Sarr and Tre Johnson both vying for touches on offense, too.

Kyshawn George had a mini-breakout of his own, and Bilal Coulibaly is a menace on defense. Dybantsa will surely play a ton, but I think he'll struggle to be a big-time scorer as the third or even fourth option on offense in Washington.

Dybantsa's fantasy profile is likely tied to his scoring, too, as he was a pretty mediocre three-point shooter and didn't add many defensive stats (1.4 blocks + steals) in his lone season at BYU.

Mikel Brown Jr., PG/SG - Brooklyn Nets

I really thought the Nets might trade down from the sixth overall pick or take someone like Nate Ament, who was probably a better fit for their roster. But they went with the best available, selecting Brown Jr. out of Louisville, and now have at least four young point guards on the roster as they drafted Egor Demin, Ben Saraf, and Nolan Traore last year.

This is not a knock on Brown Jr.'s talent at all, but going to Brooklyn is always messy for fantasy purposes, and it might be even messier for their young guys now that Julius Randle is in town to hog the ball with Michael Porter Jr.

The Nets have been notorious for playing their young guys all limited minutes down the stretch, too, so I am not sure I'll trust them to really feature Brown Jr. in his rookie year. I probably won't target him in any fantasy leagues this year.

Aday Mara, C, and Bennett Stirtz, SG - Oklahoma City Thunder

I like both Mara and Stirtz a lot, but going to the Thunder means that they will have a very difficult time cracking their rotation. Mara could eventually earn some minutes behind Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, but he's likely more of a project that OKC wants to develop for the future.

Stirtz will likely be buried on the depth chart as well, as OKC has Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace, Jared McCain, Isaiah Joe, and even Nikola Topic (who has yet to really play much at all as a former first-rounder) ahead of him.

Labaron Philon Jr., PG/SG - Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers just couldn't pass up the value here as Philon Jr., who was projected by some as a lottery pick, fell all the way to them at pick 22. However, they have already drawn some criticism for not drafting a big man to help back up Joel Embiid or another wing to give them some Paul George injury insurance.

#22: Philadelphia 76ers - Labaron Philon Jr.

Grade: A+

Okay, this is crazy value for the Sixers

Philon is the highest remaining player on my board and he fills a need on the Sixers, who lack shot-creation off of the bench

He’s not the size of prototypical guards, but he’s… pic.twitter.com/sHG57eOusR

— Point Made Basketball (@pointmadebball) June 24, 2026

Philon Jr. can score the basketball, but it's hard to see him carve out a big role in his rookie year playing behind Tyrese Maxey and last year's first-round pick, V.J. Edgecomb. I love him in dynasty formats, but in redraft leagues I think it's rather unlikely he makes much of an impact in year one.

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