With the 2025 draft wrapped up, the next logical step is to start drafting those rookies into your dynasty league! Perhaps the best method is to wait a little bit longer to start drafting, but sometimes, the real sickos like us just need to draft. It’s the itch that can’t be scratched any other way.
So here’s my take on how to value these players in dynasty leagues, with a few thoughts on whether they’re better for rebuilding or contending teams and if they’ll be optimized in points or categories formats.
The tier names indicate where I think they have a chance to finish in redraft leagues in the future, which should give a good indication of what type of value to place on these players. We'll have a larger dynasty rankings update coming next month that will include this rookie class!
Rotoworld writers Raphielle Johnson and Noah Rubin pick fantasy basketball winners and losers following a busy week that began with the Kevin Durant trade.
Tier 1: Perennial Top Five
1. F Cooper Flagg, DAL
He's in a league of his own, which we've known for a while. No matter what format you're playing in, Flagg should be the first player off the board.
Tier 2: Top 25 upside
2. G Dylan Harper, SAS
The clear No. 2 option in every format. Harper is going to have a ton of success as Victor Wembanyama's point guard for a long time.
Tier 3: Multiple Top 75 seasons ahead
3. G V.J. Edgecombe, PHI
Edgecombe's path to minutes in year one is entirely dependent on how important his defense becomes. In a large role, he can be an elite source of steals. How much the offense develops will determine just how dominant he can be.
4. F Ace Bailey, UTA
Perhaps this wasn't Bailey's preferred destination, but it checks all the boxes of a place where he'd want to be. He's just in Utah. Bailey will have a chance to start immediately and get a ton of shots. He was also a solid rebounder and good source of blocks at Rutgers.
5. G Kon Knueppel, CHA
Knueppel should immediately slot in as the starting shooting guard next to LaMelo Ball and get a ton of three-pointers, which he can provide efficiently. He can provide some other decent numbers across the board, but the value will be found in category leagues, where his strong percentages will be amplified.
6. G Jeremiah Fears, NOR
Landing in New Orleans isn't ideal for the short term, but the 18-year-old undersized guard was never going to dominate immediately. Bump him down your board if you need year one production, but Fears has the potential to be a truly dominant offensive player.
7. C Derik Queen, NOR
Does the fit next to Zion Williamson work defensively? Probably not, but it could be a ton of fun on offense. Plus, if you give up an unprotected first-round pick that is the more favorable pick between two teams in a class as stacked as 2026, you better be committed to making this thing work.
8. C Khaman Maluach, PHX
The trade for Mark Williams minutes before taking Maluach was heartbreaking, but that doesn't mean we should bump him down our boards. Williams is a gifted offensive big, but Maluach should be better defensively and is certainly an impactful offensive player as well. Plus, Williams certainly has some injury question marks. It's not an unrealistic scenario that Maluach is simply better than Williams within a year or two.
9. C Thomas Sorber, OKC
Sorber isn't a short term success pick. The absolute best case scenario is that he develops in the G League as a rookie and ends up being good enough that the Thunder decline IsaiahHartenstein's team option for the 2026-27 season and have Sorber fill that role. The more realistic scenario is it takes a bit longer for Sorber to crack the rotation, but he is a truly gifted big with a fantasy-friendly skillset.
10. F Collin Murray-Boyles, TOR
CMB would be higher if he were in a better situation. He has the statset to be a dominant fantasy producer, especially in category leagues. However, the fit next to Scottie Barnes is an interesting one. Still, talent wins out, and it's hard enough to drop him this low.
11. G Egor Demin, BKN
Regardless of how you feel about Demin as a prospect (I am lower on him), this is an ideal situation. Brooklyn had so many point guard issues last season, so they drafted three of them, and then also a seven-footer that plays like a point guard. Using the No. 8 pick on Demin means they're going to give him the keys and let him run the show. If you're looking for year one production and can deal with inefficiency, Demin could be taken earlier.
Tier 4: Potential Top 75 seasons ahead
12. G Cedric Coward, MEM
Coward could replace Desmond Bane in the starting lineup. He has a 7'2" wingspan and shoots threes. Fantasy stud potential.
13. G Tre Johnson, WAS
The scoring and shooting are great, but he doesn't contribute much else in the box score. Johnson should be a better player for the Wizards than he will be for fantasy managers.
14. G Kasparas Jakucionis, MIA
He slipped to the Heat, and now Jakucionis doesn't have a ton of competition for minutes. The fit next to TylerHerro is questionable on defense, but Jakucionis in a large role should lead to a ton of production in the box score.
15. C Ryan Kalkbrenner, CHA
The Hornets added Kalkbrenner in the second round, and he'll compete for a starting role immediately. He averaged 2.7 blocks per game in college and is now going to be fed easy buckets by LaMelo Ball.
16. C Danny Wolf, BKN
Wolf is a dynamic center that should be able to create mismatches against big defenders. Also, bigs that can pass like Wolf don't come around often, and most of them are fantasy studs.
17. G Walter Clayton Jr., UTA
There's a real chance Clayton ends up being the best point guard on the team by opening night. In that role, he'll provide a ton of three-pointers and assists. Utah has said they're done tanking, and Clayton will help with that.
18. F Rasheer Fleming, PHX
He slid to the second round, but Fleming is much better than that. He can shoot threes at has a 7'5" wingspan. Fantasy goldmine on a team without much depth.
Tier 5: Top 100 upside
19. F Noa Essengue, CHI
Essengue isn't the most polished scorer, but he should get some easy looks off passes from Josh Giddey, and he's a nice upside swing on the wing for Chicago. It'll be interesting to see how he co-exists next to Matas Buzelis.
20. F Carter Bryant, SAS
Bryant is a high-level defensive prospect with offensive upside. There isn't a clear path to ample minutes at this point, but his defense will be valuable. How his offense progresses will determine how much success he has, since he should be able to get defensive stats if he's on the floor.
21. C Joan Beringer, MIN
Long-term project here. The hope is he can learn how to be Rudy Gobert from the man himself. Don't expect much production over the next few seasons, but the upside here is tremendous.
22. F Nique Clifford, SAC
A win-now piece for the Kings, and if he can get enough minutes, he's a win-now pick for fantasy managers. He's an older prospect, but he can provide well-rounded numbers in the box score.
23. C Yang Hansen, POR
I liked Yang before the draft. He's a strong passer for a big man that played well at the combine. Like everyone else, I didn't expect him to be a first-round pick, and I certainly didn't expect him to go 16th. However, Portland's management basically staked their reputation on this pick, and that means something to me. He has a fantasy-friendly skillset. How he fits with DonovanClingan is unclear, but I wouldn't let Yang fall past this spot in your rookie draft, and if you trust Joe Cronin, feel free to take a swing earlier.
24. G Jase Richardson, ORL
Orlando is the perfect fit for Richardson to thrive as an off-ball guard next to some big playmakers. May not play a lot early, but he is an efficient, cerebral guard that will make Magic fans happy.
25. F Asa Newell, ATL
In terms of playstyle, John Collins is a pretty good comparison for Newell, and Collins enjoyed some really productive seasons in Atlanta. With Jalen Johnson in front of him, Newell doesn't have the same path to minutes that Collins had, but as situations change, there is a path for Newell to be a really good fantasy option.
Tier 6: I see the vision
26. G Nolan Traore, BKN
Not sure how he fits with the other point guards they drafted, but the assist upside is intriguing.
27. G Hugo Gonzalez, BOS
Gonzelez got playing time on a talented Real Madrid team as a 19-year-old. He's effective in transition and on defense. The shot needs work, but this is an upside swing for Boston
28. F Adou Thiero, LAL
An athletic defender on the wing that can score in transition. Thiero fills a lot of needs for the Lakers and the steal upside is intriguing for fantasy managers.
29. F Will Riley, WAS
Riley has the upside to impact the game in a multitude of ways on offense, but it may be a few years. Washington will give him the chance to develop, but don't expect early production.
30. G Ben Saraf, BKN
The playmaking upside is intriguing, but I'm once again not sure how everything fits together in Brooklyn with all of these ball handlers.
31. G Kam Jones, IND
Tyrese Haliburton is likely going to miss all of next season. Jones was a productive point guard last season and could immediately provide some value for fantasy managers if they need him to start from time to time.
32. F Noah Penda, ORL
Another big playmaker for the Magic that is also a high-level defender. Penda's path to minutes isn't clear, but he's a talented player that just needs to figure out a way to score.
33. G Drake Powell, BKN
I really like Powell as a prospect, but I don't think it's going to translate to much fantasy value. He's a high-level defender and a freak athlete, but that didn't translate to many defensive stats at North Carolina.
34. C Amari Williams, BOS
Kristaps Porzingis is in Atlanta. AlHorford and LukeKornet are free agents. Somebody has to play center in Boston, and TylerZeller is not walking through that door. Williams was also a strong passing center for a big at Kentucky last season.
35. C Maxime Raynaud, SAC
I would've taken Raynaud much earlier than where the Kings got him, so it was a great value pick for them. I was hoping he'd find a situation where he could play a lot early on, but being the backup behind DomantasSabonis doesn't leave him many minutes. In a different situation, I'd take Raynaud much earlier.
36. C Yanic Konan Niederhauser, LAC
A rim-runner that can block shots is an archetype that has had a lot of success playing with James Harden, but the backup to Ivica Zubac doesn't leave Konan Niederhauser with much of an opportunity early on.
37. F Liam McNeeley, CHA
McNeeley struggled in a role for UConn that he won't play in the NBA. But even if he's better than he was in college, there isn't a lot that's going to translate for fantasy basketball in any format, unless you're really desperate for three-pointers.
Tier 7: Wild Cards
38. F Bogoljub Markovic, MIL**
39. F Micah Peavy, NOR
40. G Alijah Martin, TOR
41. F Jamir Watkins, WAS
42. G Javon Small, MEM
43. F Sion James, CHA
44. G Chaz Lanier, DET
45. C Johni Broome, PHI
46. G Koby Brea, PHX
47. F Eric Dixon, LAL*
48. C Vladislav Goldin, MIA*
49. C Rocco Zikarsky, MIN
50. G John Tonje, UTA
51. F Lachlan Olbrich, CHI
52. G Ryan Nembhard, DAL*
53. G Tyrese Proctor, CLE
54. G Mark Sears, MIL*
55. G Will Richard, GSW
56. G Kobe Sanders, LAC
57. G Kadary Richmond, WAS*
58. F RJ Luis Jr., UTA*
59. G Chucky Hepburn, TOR*
60. G Hunter Sallis, PHI*
61. G Caleb Love, POR*
62. F Alex Toohey, GSW
63. G Max Shulga, BOS
64. F Brooks Barnhizer, OKC
65. F Eli Ndiaye, ATL*
66. F Mohamed Diawara, NYK
67. G Taelon Peter, IND
68. G Jahmai Mashack, MEM
69. C Dylan Cardwell, SAC*
70. F CJ Huntley, PHX*
71. G Tamar Bates, DEN*
72. C Hunter Dickinson, NOR*
73. G Miles Kelly, DAL*
74. F Saliou Niang, CLE**
*Two-way UDFAs
**Draft-and-stashes
Raphielle Johnson
