Scarce Small and Power Forwards Highlight 2025-26 Fantasy Basketball Category Draft Tiers
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ESPN fantasy basketball analyst Dr. André Snellings released his 2025-26 preseason category-league draft tiers on Oct. 2, mapping roughly 400 NBA players into position-by-position value groups. The list, built from season-long projections, weighs contributions in nine-category roto formats, where steals, blocks and three-pointers carry more impact than raw scoring totals.
The category math
Snellings explains that scarcity drives each metric’s weight. Points—the most common stat—add the least value per unit, while blocks—the rarest—count the most. As a result, defensive specialists and long-range shooters rise, and high-volume scorers with weak efficiency can fall in the rankings.
Point guard
Floor generals dominate the upper board. The first two tiers contain as many point guards as all other positions combined, a reflection of their league-leading output in steals and threes. Most in this group are franchise anchors, but specialists such as Derrick White (high threes, steals, blocks for a guard) also appear. Reigning steals leader Dyson Daniels lands in Tier 3 alongside All-Stars De’Aaron Fox and Jamal Murray. With three point guards in each of Tiers 3-5 and five in both Tiers 6 and 7, managers can find reliable help at the position in virtually any round.
Shooting guard
Anthony Edwards stands alone in Tier 1 after pacing the league in three-point attempts last season. Amen Thompson and Devin Booker form Tier 2; Thompson adds elite defensive lines, while Booker offers high-volume scoring on strong efficiency. Tier 3 features the largest cluster of shooting guards, signaling solid value in rounds three and four. Depth thins in mid-tiers but returns late, with Tiers 7-9 again populated by backcourt scorers.
Small forward
No small forward reaches Tier 1. LeBron James headlines Tier 2, his placement dampened by declining free throw accuracy. Tier 3 includes Jalen Williams and rookie Cooper Flagg; Snellings notes Flagg’s hype and positional scarcity could push him higher in drafts. Small forward choices are plentiful in Tiers 4-6, then drop sharply by Tier 9, suggesting the middle rounds are the safest window to secure the position.
Power forward
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the lone Tier 1 power forward, his dominance overshadowing free throw concerns. Anthony Davis sits in Tier 2, with injury risk keeping him from the top. At least three power forwards appear in each of Tiers 3-6, but the position becomes the sparsest of all from Tiers 7-9. Snellings advises locking in a power forward by the middle rounds if an early elite option is out of reach.
Center
Shot blocking rules the pivot. Victor Wembanyama’s rejections push him past triple-double machine Nikola Jokić for the overall No. 1 spot in category formats. Players who swat shots and stretch the floor—Myles Turner (Tier 3) and rookie Alex Sarr (Tier 4)—earn premium grades. Walker Kessler shares Tier 5 with former MVP Joel Embiid, whose availability remains a concern. Only two centers occupy each of Tiers 1 and 2, and three appear in Tiers 3 and 4, but depth expands later: Tier 6 lists four options, while Tiers 8-9 include seven shot-blocking specialists, giving managers fallback choices if early stars slip away.
Snellings encourages fantasy managers to create personalized tiers before draft day, noting that a brief exercise can sharpen strategy and reveal position scarcity that raw rankings may hide.
Source: ESPN
