2025-2026 Fantasy Basketball Rankings - Thunder Dan's Draft Guide

October 8, 2025

Thunder Dan's fantasy basketball rankings (2025-2026) and draft guide. Use his tiered rankings as your fantasy basketball draft guide for draft sleepers and targets.

This might be the most interesting year for fantasy basketball drafts that we have seen in the last decade. Injuries will keep players typically taken in the first few rounds, such as Tyrese Haliburton, Jayson Tatum, and Damian Lillard, out for the season. Kyrie Irving is set to miss at least half the season, and no one knows what to do with Joel Embiid (or Paul George) and their massive injury risks. Will Kawhi Leonard face any disciplinary action if it's confirmed that he was involved in some shady dealings with Steve Ballmer?

We've seen players rise and fall in the default rankings, and they're probably not done yet. But with only a few weeks before the season starts and with your drafts firing up sooner than later, I wanted to get my rankings out earlier this year so they can be as useful as possible. I will likely make some more adjustments in the coming week, but I am ready to show where I am with these players for now.

I'm never afraid to take some stands on players and be aggressive with my rankings. I will highlight some players in each tier that I'm either higher or lower on than the current Yahoo Rank. So here they are, my top-150 9-Category draft rankings for the 2025-2026 fantasy basketball season.

Thunder Dan's Fantasy Basketball 9-Category Rankings: Top 150

Players I'm Higher On Than The Field

Early Rounds

Anthony Davis, PF/C - DAL

• Yahoo Rank: 7
• TD Rank: 5

If you can't stomach the injury risk, I get it. But Davis is simply too good a 9-CAT player for me to ignore him in the first round. He was fourth in 9-CAT last year in per-game value.

He should put up huge numbers in Dallas this year, especially with Kyrie out for the first half (or more) of the season. He fits every build, and his only true weakness is a lack of threes, which you can snag at any part of the draft.

Tyrese Maxey, PG - PHI

• Yahoo Rank: 18
• TD Rank: 7

I know I am not the only analyst driving the Maxey hype this season, but does anyone have him as high as 7th? There's some risk taking him there if Joel Embiid actually plays a full season or Paul George manages to stay on the court, but I am not counting on either of those things happening.

Year 6 for Tyrese Maxey in Philly coming soon... pic.twitter.com/03kgCAD2W6

— NBA (@NBA) September 26, 2025

Maxey is entering his prime right now and can score with ease and efficiency. We'd like to see more assists at some point, but I think we see him push up towards the 30-point per game territory if he's asked to carry the scoring burden for the Sixers this season.

Derrick White, PG/SG - BOS

• Yahoo Rank: 33
• TD Rank: 28

If you have ever read any of my content before, you'll know that I am a White stan. He's a great example of a player who has much more value in category formats than points leagues. He's a great player in real life, but in 9-CAT fantasy hoops, he's becoming a legend.

White finished 34th in per-game value last season, and he projects to see an uptick in shots and assists with the Celtics attempting to replace the production of Jayson Tatum. As long as he remains relatively efficient (he shot 44% from the field last season with just 1.7 turnovers per game), his uptick in scoring, threes, and assists could push him up into the conversation for the top 25 this year. He was also one of the best sources of blocks (1.1 last year) at the guard position.

Middle Rounds

Kristaps Porzingis, PF/C - ATL

• Yahoo Rank: 48
• TD Rank: 41

He didn't do much in his preseason Hawks debut, but Porzingis did look sharp when playing overseas in the Eurobasket tournament. Injuries are always a concern and he only played 42 games last year for Boston. However, he's still just 29 years old and does things on a basketball court as a 7-footer that no one else can do.

Look at how Kristaps Porzingis is moving, man 🥹 pic.twitter.com/PO6BmJdDCW

— Point Made Basketball (@pointmadebball) August 30, 2025

The unicorn finished 22nd in per-game value last season and has a skillset that is tailor-made for category leagues with his ability to stretch the floor and protect the rim. This Hawks team is loaded and deep, which should allow them to keep Porzingis's minutes in the 28 to 30 minute range to keep him healthy. That's still plenty of court time for him to put up great numbers, and I look forward to seeing him in the pick-and-roll/pick-and-pop with Trae Young this year.

OG Anunoby, SF/PF - NYK

• Yahoo Rank: 66
• TD Rank: 45

This won't be the last time you hear me (or other analysts) discuss Anunoby's weirdly low default rank. He finished inside the top 40 last year, and the only thing that has changed this year in New York is the coach. Anunoby is built for 9-CAT with his ability to contribute across the board and is the perfect "glue guy" for your squad. If you're playing in a very competitive league, don't count on him being there in the 60-70 range; the sharp managers know his true value.

Cameron Johnson, SF/PF - DEN

• Yahoo Rank: 91
• TD Rank: 63

This is where you can really take advantage of the Yahoo ranking. Cam Johnson was 52nd in per-game value last year in Brooklyn and is now in a much better offense in Denver. Don't worry about the volume of shots; in Johnson's case, less is going to mean more (value).

Johnson is the perfect piece to put around Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. He can hit threes at a high rate and do so without hurting your FG%. If his scoring takes a small hit, he can make up for it with elite efficiency.

Late Rounds

Matas Buzelis, SF/PF - CHI

• Yahoo Rank: 88
• TD Rank: 73

The cat is out of the bag! Buzelis wasted no time in showing us what he's going to be capable of this season. He put up 19 points in just 18 minutes in Chicago's first preseason game, while grabbing eight rebounds.

Matas Buzelis' first 30-piece of his young career.

31 points | 12-18 FG | 5-10 3PT pic.twitter.com/YES5FOgH88

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) March 23, 2025

His ranking has already jumped nearly 20 spots, and you're going to have to reach to get him ahead of your league mates if you want to get in on the breakout. He's only 20 years old and is uber-skilled. It's hard to even project his stats this season, because we got only a small taste of his potential in his rookie season. But it's not hyperbole to say "the sky is the limit." I love this kid, and I think he will end up going down as the best player from his draft class when it's all said and done.

Toumani Camara, SF/PF - POR

• Yahoo Rank: 123
• TD Rank: 90

If you whiff on Anunoby, you can still snag Camara several rounds later. He's going to give you similar production across the board with less scoring. Portland is an interesting team for fantasy this year with DeAndre Ayton and Anfernee Simons in L.A. and Boston, respectively. Camara's excellent defense should keep him on the court, and he has the potential to beat his final rank from last season (90) if he increases his scoring a bit while continuing to chip in threes, steals, and blocks.

Players I'm Avoiding Where They're Ranked

Early Rounds

Giannis Antetokounmpo, PF/C - MIL

• Yahoo Rank: 3
• TD Rank: 12

It's nothing personal, Giannis. I am just not interested in being forced into a punt-FT% build with my first-round pick. The way I approach Giannis is that if other managers overvalue him (most do) and he goes early, I will pass. If he drops to the end of the first round because no one wants the FT% burden, then I'll take a shot on him and build myself a monster punt-FT% team.

Jalen Brunson, PG - NYK

• Yahoo Rank: 20
• TD Rank: 27

Brunson is a baller, there's no doubt about that. But he feels awfully overvalued here at 20 when he finished at 50 in 9-CAT last season.

“It’s important to win, but you also have to understand ‘I want to keep this guy’s minutes here, this guy’s here’ instead of trying to extend everybody’s minutes. Because if the season’s long we don’t want anybody worn out by the end”

— New Knicks coach Mike Brown

⬇️ More ⬇️ https://t.co/eeGiXu3XHJ pic.twitter.com/pmomwqc0cj

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) September 30, 2025

He should be a beast in scoring, assists, and FG% again this season but there's a chance that Mike Brown cuts his minutes back a little, and his lack of steals is a major wart.

Middle Rounds

Paolo Banchero, PF/C - MEM

• Yahoo Rank: 40
• TD Rank: 51

This isn't as egregious a misprice as it was a week ago, when Paolo was ranked in the twenties. This is where you have to separate your admiration for a guy's game in real life from your fantasy hoops decision-making. Banchero is a points league stud, but was 131 in 9-CAT last season because of his FT%, turnovers, and lack of defensive stats. There's certainly value in his counting stats, but he's the new Julius Randle - a guy you should never take early just because they can post big PRA numbers.

Brandon Miller, SF/PF - CHA

• Yahoo Rank: 50
• TD Rank: 60

Let me be clear here - I think Miller is a fine young player who has a bright future in the league. However, I have a hard time seeing how he has top-50 value this season if LaMelo Ball stays healthy. He averaged 26 points per game without Ball last season, but just 19 points with him in the lineup.

.@brandmillerr down the lane! pic.twitter.com/jWRIYgnoWr

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) October 5, 2025

Miller was just 75th in per-game value last season, missing the majority of the season with an injury of his own. The Hornets actually look like a potential playoff team this year if Ball can stay healthy with the additions of Kon Knueppel and Ryan Kalkbrenner through the draft and Collin Sexton through a trade. It's just hard to get on board with Miller as the likely third option on offense (behind Ball and Bridges) when he doesn't add a ton of value in defensive categories and can drag down your FG%.

Miles Bridges, SF/PF - CHA

• Yahoo Rank: 54
• TD Rank: 66

Bridges was a beast at times down the stretch last season, but he profiles much better in points leagues than in 9-CAT. He set career-highs in rebounds and assists per game, but took a step back in efficiency, shooting just 43% from the floor, and he doesn't do much defensively (0.7 steals, 0.7 blocks).

As I said with Miller, I think Charlotte is a much more balanced team this year and not so reliant on Bridges or Miller to carry such a big load. They also have three true centers on the roster (Mason Plumlee, Kalkbrenner, and Moussa Diabete), so I think we see fewer minutes for Bridges as a small-ball center, meaning those rebounds could take a hit.

Late Rounds

Michael Porter Jr., SF/PF - BKN

• Yahoo Rank: 76
• TD Rank: 100

This is a ranking that I can't figure out one bit. Yes, Porter Jr. finished 73rd in per-game value last season, but that was in Denver, where he was playing with Nikola Jokic, who creates opportunities for everyone around him. I feel very confident that Porter Jr.'s efficiency as a shooter is going to go down as he tries to be one of the top two scoring options for Brooklyn alongside Cam Thomas.

He's coming off career-highs in points, and he's likely to improve upon those 18.2 points per game this year. But other than points, rebounds, and threes, he offers little else, and I worry about how he finishes out the season in Brooklyn, as we've seen them embrace the tank and play a bunch of young guys, spreading out the minutes.

Cam Thomas, SG - BKN

• Yahoo Rank: 85
• TD Rank: 111

This is your annual reminder that Cam Thomas is incredibly overrated in category leagues. He's fine for points leagues, but those aren't my specialty, as I play mostly in H2H and Roto leagues with the standard nine categories.

Cam Thomas hoops pic.twitter.com/JYqW07yWpn

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) September 30, 2025

Thomas is going to score a ton of points, but he doesn't do much else. "But he's passing more this preseason, Dan!" Yeah, I will believe it when I see it. And his late-season shutdown risk negates any potential improvement in other categories for me. It's a hard pass from me on any Nets in drafts. I will wait to see how things shake out this season and will look at some of their younger guys as streamers down the stretch.

Keyonte George, PG/SG - UTA

• Yahoo Rank: 113
• TD Rank: 149

I know George is just entering his age-22 season and that he's flashed some upside in his first two seasons. But his fantasy skillset isn't all impressive once you look past the scoring. He averaged just 5.6 assists in 31.5 minutes per game last year as Isaiah Collier took over as the Jazz's point guard, shifting George over to shooting guard. And he's now shot 39% from the field in two straight seasons, which is no bueno for me as I value FG% too much to have volume scorers on poor shooting on my team.

Furthermore, Utah is set to be a mess of rotation yet again. They continue to rebuild, but there's little clarity as to which young players they want to develop or build around. They took Ace Bailey (another guy who wants the ball in his hands) and Walter Clayton Jr. in the draft this season, further muddying the potential rotation in the backcourt this season.

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