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In fantasy basketball, you can't win your draft in the first three rounds, but you can certainly lose it. Early on, the goal should be to build your team around surefire studs, while mitigating as much risk as possible.
The middle rounds represent a fantastic opportunity to go after high-upside players. You know, the guys with league-winning potential, who also carry a few question marks. Knowing who to target in the middle rounds is just as important as playing it safe in the early rounds.
Here is a list of my favorite mid-round guys to target in fantasy drafts. For this piece, we'll designate rounds 4-9 as the middle rounds. Let's dive right in!
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Best Mid-Round Values To Target In Fantasy Basketball
Scottie Barnes - SF - Toronto Raptors
Current Blended ADP - 53.5
Barnes was dubbed a major breakout candidate heading into last season and although he wasn't terrible, he failed to reach the lofty expectations many had hoped for. This season, we're jumping right back on that hype train. With Fred VanVleet out and Dennis Schroder in, Barnes will be tasked with a larger load offensively. His jump shot is still a work in progress, but his all-around skillset is what has people buzzing. Barnes has averaged 15.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.8 blocks across his first two professional seasons and he has substantial room to grow with greater responsibility in store.
Michael Porter Jr. - SF - Denver Nuggets
Current Blended ADP - 97.0
The man known as MPJ has shown flashes of fantasy brilliance, but injuries and inconsistent stretches have allowed him to slip through the fantasy cracks as of late. Denver lost some key depth pieces in Bruce Brown and Jeff Green this offseason, so the Nuggets will need MPJ to be ready to rock. We're only two seasons removed from his top-30 finish with averages of 19.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.6 stocks, and 2.8 threes on 54/44/80 shooting splits. He has room to obliterate his 8th-round ADP if all goes according to plan.
Devin Vassell - SG - San Antonio Spurs
Current Blended ADP - 88.5
Vassell was my favorite value heading into last season, and he's found himself atop my list once again. Last year's breakout season was derailed by a knee injury, but he's fully healthy and the Spurs just paid him handsomely. He finished last season with 18.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.7 threes, but his final tally is somewhat skewed after the Spurs managed him carefully to close out the year. Vassell's all-around game is still a work in progress, so expectations need to be held in check, but he has tremendous upside that isn't commonly found outside the first five rounds.
Tyus Jones - PG - Washington Wizards
Current Blended ADP - 85.8
I've written a great deal about Jones this offseason, but for whatever reason, the hype hasn't seemed to catch on. He's been one of the most reliable backup point guards in the league over his first eight seasons but has finally been given his shot to start for the Wizards. Looking back on his days in Memphis, any time Ja Morant missed time, Jones was essentially a free space in fantasy. He gave you assists, steals, and threes with double-digit points on a nightly basis, and was a fixture in DFS lineups. That type of production doesn't grow on trees, and in this case, it can be found in the 7th round or later.
Rudy Gobert - C - Minnesota Timberwolves
Current Blended ADP - 73.2
I know he left a sour taste in people's mouths last season, but I believe it's led to him being a bit underrated in drafts. There's no getting around it, last year was brutal per his standards. He averaged less than two blocks a night for the first time in his career, and his 11.6 rebounds were his lowest total since 2018. That said, I believe he can get things back on track this season. He was a consensus third-round pick last offseason and his ADP should be above guys like Jarrett Allen and Nicolas Claxton. Gobert has become an automatic pick for me in the 6th-round in drafts, and sometimes sooner depending on the punt build I'm trying to construct.
Onyeka Okongwu - C - Atlanta Hawks
Current Blended ADP - 106.9
Okongwu has fallen in my ranks in recent weeks, solely due to Clint Capela remaining on the Hawks roster. Myself - and fellow fantasy managers - were hoping Capela would be moved this offseason, or at the very least, relegated to a role behind Okongwu. Not only has that not happened, but Hawks coach Quin Snyder seems to like having Capela on the floor, as evidenced by his playing time during the playoffs.
Still, Okongwu is a per-minute beast and is one injury (or trade) away from elite fantasy production. Even with Capela in the picture, it's likely they share similar minutes on a nightly basis, so Okongwu will have some standalone value. While I'm no longer reaching for him in drafts, he's the type of guy I'd like to stash on my bench to see how things shake out.
Ben Simmons - PG - Brooklyn Nets
Current Blended ADP - 122.4
On one hand, I get why Simmons' ADP is so low right now. On the other, it seems foolish. Things haven't been smooth sailing for him in the past few years but we do know what he's capable of when fully healthy. And by all accounts, that's exactly what he is. I imagine his ADP will jump after the community sees how good he's looked in limited preseason action, but still, there isn't any excuse for him to be going in the double-digit rounds at this point.
Zach Collins - C - San Antonio Spurs
Current Blended ADP - 123.4
Collins has been one of my favorite values all offseason and is likely my most drafted player in mocks. He started 26 games for the Spurs last season and posted 14.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in 28 minutes. If you haven't noticed by now, those 3.9 assists are the same number that currently has drafters swooning over Alperen Sengun six rounds earlier. Now, Victor Wembanyama will alter the dynamic of this team, but Collins will be the starting center and he's shown his skill set as a big man is friendly to fantasy when given the minutes. I'll take him a couple of rounds earlier and won't think twice about it.
Jabari Smith Jr. - PF - Houston Rockets
Current Blended ADP - 100.6
Smith's rookie season was forgettable from a fantasy perspective, but he showed in Summer League that could be gearing up for a substantial sophomore leap. He has all the tools to blow up in fantasy with a three-point game, the ability to rebound, and an underrated propensity to block shots. While there's a smorgasbord of frontcourt depth in Houston, Smith will start to open the year and his ability to flex into a small ball five should have Ime Udoka playing him heavy minutes. I'm okay with where he's being drafted at the moment, but wouldn't be all that shocked if he blew the doors off of his current 8th-round ADP.
Josh Giddey - PG - Oklahoma City Thunder
Current Blended ADP - 54.5
Giddey is someone I'm finding myself gravitating to a lot in the middle rounds. His stat line of 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists last season is well-rounded and he has a new toy in Chet Holmgren entering the lineup. Holmgren will likely take some scoring upside away, but it should positively impact his assist numbers. As for rebounding, having a guard who can flirt with double-digit rebounds on a nightly basis can't be overstated enough. Holmgren will eat into that total as well, but there aren't a ton of guards that can give you that type of boost. Giddey's SG/SF/PF eligibility also allows for some nice flexibility when setting lineups.
Franz Wagner - SG - Orlando Magic
Current Blended ADP - 70.7
Wagner is one of my favorite real-life prospects and he's slowly climbing my fantasy ladder. He just does everything well. From scoring efficiently, to guarding multiple positions, he's going to have a long and prosperous NBA career. Despite his impressive play, we've been waiting for his fantasy value to catch up to his real-life impact. By no fault of his, Orlando has had a plethora of players in the backcourt rotation for the last couple of seasons.
While it hasn't impacted his playing time, his production has been limited. I believe that will change this season, however, and that he'll be able to build off of his average of 18.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and one steal. On top of his apparent talent, he's also durable. Wagner has only missed a total of five games across his first two seasons.
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