X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Fantasy Basketball Risers, Rookies and Draft Sleepers (Northwest Division) - Collin Sexton, Josh Giddey, Anfernee Simons, Mike Muscala

The regular season is inching closer by the day, and most offseason moves have already been completed – barring a surprising Russell Westbrook trade, or the pending Jae Crowder deal when/if Phoenix finds a proper partner before tip-off day. Each team's depth chart is mostly complete, so it makes sense to start analyzing how it could work come October. Before diving into the fantasy season, RotoBaller has you covered with some last-minute basketball depth chart recaps for each team, including some useful bits of analysis for players you want to keep on your radar.

The charts below are based on career usage rates while the rosters have been updated to reflect these off-season moves. The charts don't include players drafted this summer, although they are factored into the depth charts; in other words, you'll find some charts "missing" a player at a certain position/role in the charts below, as we don't have data about them regarding usage percentage in the NBA yet but we can already predict where they'll slot in their franchise's rotation. That being said, comments will be made on rookies when deemed necessary in each team breakdown.

Here are the current preseason depth charts for the Western Conference Northwest Division.

Upgrade To VIP: Win more with our NBA and DFS Premium Pass, get expert tools and advice from proven winners! Jamie Calandro and Dan Palyo lead the RotoBaller team in 2024-25 with exclusive DFS picks, Prop picks and more. Gain VIP access to our Lineup Optimizer, Research Station, DFS Cheat Sheets and VIP Chat Rooms. Go Premium, Win More!

 

Utah Jazz - Fantasy Basketball Depth Charts

Impact Rookies: None

The Jazz are so different from how they looked just a few months ago that it's nearly impossible to know how they'll perform next season. One thing is clear, and that is that this team is not going anywhere near the postseason for the next few seasons barring an incredible surprise – and a dumb approach to franchise building, that'd be, having an extraordinary chance at landing a top draft pick.

Utah is going to start five new players all at once. That's an entirely new lineup and it's also absolutely insane. Just looking at the chart above you get an idea of how fluid this roster is/could be when the ball gets rolling. Will Sexton start at the point? Will Conley usurp him...or get traded? Azubuike at the center spot, or Olynyk? Maybe Walker Kessler? Lauri Markkanen at the four, or maybe he plays at the three with Olynyk at the four and Azubieke in the middle? Too many questions but not much fantasy upside.

Conley is the only lock to hit 2,000+ FP in daily contests and be valuable over full season-long leagues. Kelly Olynyk has been one of my must-have fantasy players for years, but now that his role is so up-in-the-air, who knows what is ahead for him? Not to mention the more-than-probable trades that all veterans in this team will at some point have to endure.

I'm betting on Lauri Markkanen leading the team in total FP and most statistical cats by the end of the year. His Eurobasket performance this summer was impressive and he should carry that into the regular season with a much larger role than he's ever had in the past in his first five NBA seasons.

Collin Sexton, if available and playing to his best levels, should be good for some 20-3-3 baseline. Of course, that depends entirely on his health and how he comes back from playing just 11 games last season and missing the remainder of the year. The shooting percentages have always been wildly bad and he's the most inefficient shooter ever, but he hoists so many shots that he gets there on brute force alone.

 

Denver Nuggets - Fantasy Basketball Depth Charts

Impact Rookies: None

The Nuggets might not have any impactful rookies on their roster but this season will feel like having landed a couple of high-lottery picks with the returns of Jamal Murray (who missed 2022 after playing 48 games in 2021) and Michael Porter Jr. (who only played nine games last season). None of those two merits discussing a lot here because you already know that they're bombastic and should draft them without much hesitation.

Should I share any comments on Nikola Jokic? I don't think so, but just in case: back-to-back MVP awards, back-to-back no. 1 fantasy finishes, five-season run finishing inside the top-10 OVR in the fantasy realm. Enough said.

Aaron Gordon is good, but not great. He will give you a phenomenal FG% to go with some neat rebounding (6+ RPG) but there is not much more on offer with MPJ and Murray coming back and getting tons of opportunities to get stats in offense and defense.

KCP is a solid addition but his 3&D profile might only serve you if you're hurting for shooting percentages and huge three-point volume. The splits ended at 43/39/89 on nearly 11 FGA, 5+ 3PA, and 2.0 FTA, so there's that. He should get all starts at the SG spot so that also boosts his upside. Ish Smith, Bones Hyland, and Davon Reed got negatively impacted by the return of Murray and the addition of KCP, rendering them all useless in fantasy terms.

 

Portland Trailblazers - Fantasy Basketball Depth Charts

Impact Rookies: None

No player currently rostered by the Blazers finished last season into the top-80 OVR fantasy players. Seriously. Only Nurkic finished above the top-110 OVR player. Dame (29 G) missed so much time that he could only barely crack the top 200. Anyway, this is a fresh new start with fresh new faces and fresh new hopes in the PDX.

Damian Lillard is your guy here and last season's injury woes shouldn't return this season – Lillard had played at least 66 games in all of his prior nine NBA campaigns. Must-draft, must-enjoy player everywhere. The rest of the rotation, though, is all a big question mark as it's so new that we'll have to wait and see how it gets built and how things play out on the basketball court.

The safest pick other than Dame should be Jusuf Nurkic. He will get stiffer competition for opportunities after the arrival of Jerami Grant, but at least his role won't change and he should stay in the paint hitting easy buckets to boost your FG% while also providing another double-double 15-10 season easily. The TOPG (2.6 last season) should go down because there will be no need for him to risk possessions anymore.

Jerami Grant is the man of mystery in Portland. He is coming off two greatly efficient seasons as the face of the Pistons (albeit missing nearly 30 and 40 games each of the past two years) in which he posted above-average 1.05 and 1.00 FP/min marks. Is that enough if he misses so much time once more? Maybe if he plays 32 MPG and you're happy with some top-60-ish production. The per-game line should stay up and at a minimum of 18-4-3-1-1, though.

Anfernee Simons was great last year but he might bust this season – at least in the context and at the ADP he will command. Yes, he thrived once and for all (and still just 22 years old!) but he needed 29+ MPG and for Lillard to get off the court to do so. Someone had to produce, thus the 17-2-4 on clear career-high 14 FGA and nearly 8 3PA per game. I would tame my expectations when it comes to Simons overperforming again this season.

Some under-the-radar players might be found in C Drew Eubanks (7-5-1 per-game line in just 17 MPG last year; now the clear-cut backup center) and SG/SF Josh Hart (he can do it all; off a 15-7-4-1 campaign playing 33 MPG and still keeping up his efficiency to above-average levels; shot 50/34/75 splits for a great 61.0% true shooting percentage).

 

Minnesota Timberwolves - Fantasy Basketball Depth Charts

Impact Rookies: None

Loaded starting unit with a rather putrid bench. That is the perfect description of the new Wolves. You can draft any of the top-four players (sorry, Kyle Anderson) without much hesitation because either 1) they thrive on their own (Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert) or 2) they are part of such a talented unit and context that alone raises their upside (D'Angelo Russell).

If I had to pick, I'd prioritize Gobert over KAT over Edwards over Russell in that order. Watch out for Edwards going absolutely off with KAT and Gobert commanding too much defensive attention. He could be in for his first top-15 season and he's barely 20 years old.

D'Angelo Russell should start every game at the point and put up some 15-4-8-1 line by default. Gobert is a lock for another 15-13 season. KAT could have a double-double year with 20+ PPG. And I don't think it's crazy for Edwards to go for a 20-5-5-1 per-game line.

Other than that I wouldn't probably touch any Wolf with a draft pick, but rather wait and see how things develop and then (depending on how things look) try and snatch some interesting names from the WW. Keep an eye on Naz Reid, although years-past production might go down the sink with KAT and Gobert now on the team.

 

Oklahoma City Thunder - Fantasy Basketball Depth Charts

Impact Rookies: None

The line above is the most painful thing I've written in this whole series of DC-breaking. Seriously. No Chet Holmgren for another year hurts my heart.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is going to be out for a while as it was reported on Sept. 21 that had suffered an MCL sprain in his left knee. The optimal return should happen before the start of the regular season, but we all know OKC is playing the Tank Game so easing him into the rotation shouldn't be surprising at all – as it won't be to see him sitting out the post-ASB part of the season. Sad, but true.

Josh Giddey is the most ridiculous thing to land in Planet NBA of late. He's coming off a 12-7-6-1 season as a rookie. That's (almost) unheard of and he will help you in each and every existing category that factors in your league's score system. Watch out for the TOPG (3.2) because those were hella high.

Dort is definitely not a fantasy darling but someone had to make some baskets so he ended last season putting 17 PPG. Mike Muscala is a very-under-the-radar option for those hurting for shooting percentages, but of course comes with a super-limited upside in all other categories, mostly the counting ones with subpar per-game lines. Pokusevski might explode in his third season as a pro after going for a 7-5-2 line last year in just 20 MPG.

The rookies will play because someone has to, but none of them comes even remotely close to having the potential impact of featuring Chet.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy basketball mobile app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, lineup notifications & DFS articles. All free!

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Alexander Romanov

Islanders Retain Alexander Romanov on $50 Million Contract
Andrei Kuzmenko

Signs Up for One More Year with Kings
Morgan Geekie

Signs Long-Term Extension with Bruins
Ivan Provorov

Stays in Columbus on Seven-Year Deal
Alex Pietrangelo

Stepping Away From Golden Knights for Health Reasons
Matias Maccelli

Maple Leafs Bring in Matias Maccelli
Evan Bouchard

Inks $42 Million Contract with Oilers
Vladimir Tarasenko

Wild Acquire Vladimir Tarasenko From Detroit
Patrick Kane

Signs New One-Year Deal with Red Wings
Brad Marchand

Lands Six-Year Extension
Aaron Ekblad

Remains a Panther on Eight-Year Deal
Mitchell Marner

Heads to Vegas
Randy Arozarena

Homers Twice, Plates Four Monday
Shea Langeliers

Hits Three-Run Homer In Return From Injured List Monday
Wilyer Abreu

Belts Grand Slam and Hits Inside-the-Park Home Run
Philadelphia 76ers

Trendon Watford Lands in Philadelphia
Jordan Clarkson

Expected to Sign With Knicks
Zack Wheeler

Tosses Eight Shutout Innings, Punches Out 10
Santi Aldama

Remains with Grizzlies
Atlanta Hawks

Nickeil Alexander-Walker Lands in Atlanta
George Springer

Exits Early Monday With Neck Injury
Jalen Ramsey

Could Move Around in Pittsburgh
Los Angeles Clippers

Brook Lopez Strikes Deal With Clippers
Jonnu Smith

to be Used in Hybrid Role
Terry McLaurin

Commanders, Terry McLaurin Not Close on Contract Extension
Hunter Goodman

Likely Headed to Injured List
Chicago Bulls

Tre Jones Remaining in Chicago
Michael Mayer

Raiders Not Interested in Trading Michael Mayer
Houston Rockets

Dorian Finney-Smith Signing With Rockets
Trent Grisham

Exits With Hamstring Tightness
Atlanta Hawks

Caris LeVert Joining Pistons
Milwaukee Bucks

Kevin Porter Jr., Bucks Reach Agreement on a New Contract
Brooklyn Nets

D'Angelo Russell Heading to Dallas
Denver Nuggets

Bruce Brown Jr. Heading Back to Denver
Atlanta Hawks

Clint Capela Returning to Houston
Cameron Johnson

Traded to Denver
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Signs Massive Extension
Michael Porter Jr.

Traded to Brooklyn
Matt Chapman

Could Return for Start of Giants Homestand
Wyatt Langford

Expected to Return on Saturday
Yanquiel Fernández

Yanquiel Fernandez Called Up to Majors
Tyler Mahle

Dealing With Rotator-Cuff Strain
Brooklyn Nets

Ziaire Williams Expected to Return to Nets
Austin Wells

to Miss Next Two Games
Tre Mann

Set to Become an Unrestricted Free Agent
Bo Bichette

Scratched With Sore Knee
Cody Martin

to Enter Free Agency
Los Angeles Clippers

Nicolas Batum Staying with Clippers
Jurickson Profar

to Return on Wednesday
Jordan Clarkson

Jazz Finalize Contract Buyout for Jordan Clarkson
Aldrich Potgieter

Wins Rocket Mortgage Classic
Thorbjorn Olesen

Finishes Tied for 41st at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Denny McCarthy

Finishes Tied For 12th at Travelers Championship
Chris Kirk

Finishes Tied For Second at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Michael Kim

Finishes Tied for 26th at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Max Homa

Misses Cut at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Lucas Glover

Finishes Tied For Ninth at Travelers Championship
PGA

Nico Echavarria Finishes Tied For Sixth at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Brooklyn Nets

Day'Ron Sharpe Staying with Nets
Colby Thomas

Called Up From Triple-A
Shea Langeliers

A's Reinstate Shea Langeliers From Injured List
Pittsburgh Steelers

Rumors Still Swirling Around Potential T.J. Watt Trade
Bryce Harper

Activated and Starting on Monday
Ilia Topuria

Becomes The New Lightweight Champion
Charles Oliveira

Knocked Out At UFC 317
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena Lands on Injured List With Fractured Ribs
Kai Kara-France

Alexandre Pantoja Submits Kai Kara-France
Kai Kara-France

Submitted At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Extends His Win Streak
Tyler Boyd

Interested in Playing for Steelers
Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Now Looking to Acquire a Tight End
Brandon Royval

Drops Decision
L'Jarius Sneed

Says he's Healthy
Renato Moicano

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Beneil Dariush

Gets Back In The Win Column
Felipe Lima

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Payton Talbott

Bounces Back
Minkah Fitzpatrick

Heading Back to Miami
Jonnu Smith

Shipped to Pittsburgh
Alex Bowman

Competitive Run Ends With Third-Place Finish at Atlanta
Erik Jones

Secures A Top-Five Finish After Adversity In Atlanta
Tyler Reddick

Collects A New Career-Best Finish At Atlanta
Jalen Ramsey

Steelers Acquiring Jalen Ramsey
Kerry Carpenter

Leaves Game with Apparent Hamstring Injury
Jonas Brodin

Expected to Miss Start of Next Season
TB

Conor Sheary Placed on Waivers for Contract Termination
Dante Fabbro

Stays with Blue Jackets on Four-Year Deal
Joel Hofer

Commits to Blues for Two More Years
Kevin Bahl

Signs Long-Term Extension with Flames
Oneil Cruz

Smacks Two Homers
Jordan Spence

Traded to Ottawa
Petr Mrazek

Heads to Anaheim
John Gibson

Red Wings Acquire John Gibson
Matthew Knies

Inks Six-Year Extension with Maple Leafs
Aaron Judge

Blasts Two Homers, Dealing With Back Issue
Chase Elliott

Ends Winless Skid With Atlanta Victory
Brad Keselowski

Falls Short of Atlanta Victory
NFL

NFL Won't Hold Supplemental Draft This Year
Damon Arnette

Getting Second Chance With Texans
Deommodore Lenoir

Arrested for Obstruction of Justice
Carson Hocevar

Recovers From Big One to Finish 10th at Atlanta
William Byron

Caught up in Atlanta Big One but Retains Points Lead
Denny Hamlin

Top In-Season Challenge Seed Denny Hamlin Eliminated in Lap 70 Crash
Ty Dillon

Bottom Seed Ty Dillon Upsets Denny Hamlin to Advance in In-Season Challenge
Marvin Harrison Jr.

Expected to Make Second-Year Jump
Jalin Hyatt

Looking to Flip the Script in 2025
Kyle Larson

Don't Expect Kyle Larson to Win First Drafting Track Race on Saturday
Christopher Bell

Unlikely to Complete Atlanta Sweep
Brad Keselowski

Seeks Another Clutch Win for Hail-Mary Playoff Bid
Chris Buescher

Unlikely to Lead Enough to Have Much DFS Value
Alex Bowman

Qualifies Best Among Non-Fords but Unlikely to Contend at Atlanta
Ryan Preece

Will Probably Run Better Than Usual at Atlanta
Austin Dillon

Consistently Mediocre at Atlanta
Ty Gibbs

Slightly Faster Lately but Unlikely to be a Factor at Atlanta
Erik Jones

a Low-Key Strong DFS Option
Noah Gragson

Could Have DFS Value as One of the Lowest-Qualifying Fords
Riley Herbst

Unlikely to Replicate February Atlanta Finish
Ty Dillon

Could Benefit from Kaulig Speed
Dylan Sampson

Being Used as a Receiver
Carson Schwesinger

Figures to be in Full-Time Role in 2025
Cedric Tillman

Should Have Full-Time Role
Bryce Young

Looking More Comfortable, Showing More Intensity
Aaron Rodgers

Roman Wilson Could Fit Nicely With Aaron Rodgers
Charles Oliveira

Can Become A Two-Time Lightweight Champion
Ilia Topuria

A Favorite At UFC 317
Kai Kara-France

Can Become The New Flyweight Champion
Alexandre Pantoja

Set For Fourth Title Defense At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Brandon Royval

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Renato Moicano

Returns At UFC 317
Beneil Dariush

An Underdog At UFC 317
Payton Talbott

Looks To Bounce Back
Felipe Lima

Set To Open Up UFC 317 Main Card
Michael Thorbjornsen

Returns in Detroit at Rocket Classic
Adam Hadwin

Could Struggle Over the Weekend in Detroit
Cam Davis

Hopes Detroit Magic Can Spark Turnaround
Matt Wallace

a Boom-or-Bust Option at Rocket Classic
Joel Dahmen

Not Cutting it Lately
Michael Kim

Searching for Spark at Rocket Classic
Rasmus Hojgaard

a High-Ceiling Play in Rocket Classic
Matt McCarty

a Wild Card Heading into Detroit
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF