With training camps winding down, fantasy managers are bracing for the unexpected. Below is a club-by-club rundown of situations that could shake up roto and category formats during the 2025-26 NBA season.
Eastern Conference
Atlanta Hawks: Power forward Jalen Johnson is positioned for a top-10 overall roto finish if he maintains last year’s 20-point, 10-rebound pace over a full schedule after missing the final three months with a shoulder injury.
Boston Celtics: With Jayson Tatum (Achilles) not expected back until March, wing Jaylen Brown may need to shoulder a 30-points-per-game load. Guard Derrick White remains the cheaper draft-day alternative two rounds later.
Brooklyn Nets: Rookie point guard Egor Demin, fresh off a season at BYU, could average roughly 14 points and seven assists thanks to his 6-foot-9 frame and passing vision, making him a likely fantasy roster mainstay.
Charlotte Hornets: LaMelo Ball’s elite box-score lines may again be offset by limited availability; the guard has appeared in only 105 games across the past three seasons and had wrist and ankle procedures during the summer.
Chicago Bulls: Center Nikola Vucevic, 35 in October, still profiles as a top-10 roto contributor after finishing eighth on last year’s Player Rater while posting his customary 18-and-10 line with three-point range.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Evan Mobley, now 24, continues to chase his first 20-point, 10-rebound season and remains on the verge of hitting that threshold.
Detroit Pistons: Forward Ausar Thompson is going inside the top 100 in many drafts, but his Houston-based twin, Amen, offers the broader stat set. Ausar supplies steals and boards yet lacks perimeter scoring.
Indiana Pacers: Andrew Nembhard could leap to 16 points and 7.5 assists per night with Tyrese Haliburton sidelined for the season and T.J. McConnell nursing a hamstring strain.
Miami Heat: Second-year center Kel’el Ware is slated for a minutes bump after last season’s strong finish, setting a path toward roughly 14 points and 10.5 rebounds a contest.
Milwaukee Bucks: Myles Turner’s move north could translate into career highs of 18.2 points and 8.2 rebounds while preserving his trademark blocks and triples.
New York Knicks: New coach Mike Brown is unlikely to match Tom Thibodeau’s 37.6-minute average for Josh Hart, and the swingman is already dealing with finger and back issues, clouding his top-50 upside.
Orlando Magic: Newly acquired guard Desmond Bane may post the roster’s highest fantasy point total by contributing across every major category.
Philadelphia 76ers: The hope in Philadelphia is that Joel Embiid surpasses 60 appearances — he logged 66 and 68 games in the two campaigns preceding last year’s abbreviated run — while delivering roughly 28-10-1.5.
Toronto Raptors: Center Jakob Poeltl flirted with a double-double last year (14.5 points, 9.6 boards) and improved his free-throw rate from 55.1% to 67.4%, putting his first 10-rebound average within reach.
Washington Wizards: Second-year wing Cam Whitmore, freed from Houston’s depth chart, could emerge as the Wizards’ top fantasy scorer at around 20 points per night while veterans CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton loom as trade candidates.
Western Conference
Dallas Mavericks: Rookie swingman Cooper Flagg may eclipse 17 points and seven boards and could outscore teammate Anthony Davis if the veteran again falls short of 65 appearances.
Denver Nuggets: Newly acquired forward Cameron Johnson, replacing Michael Porter Jr., has a realistic shot at three made threes per game thanks to Nikola Jokic’s playmaking.
Golden State Warriors: Jimmy Butler III was 77th on last season’s Player Rater yet is still trending as a top-50 pick despite failing to reach 66 games since 2017.
Houston Rockets: Center Alperen Sengun, with Fred VanVleet (knee) out for the year, could channel the offense and flirt with seven assists per game, similar to Domantas Sabonis’ peak distribution numbers.
Los Angeles Clippers: Even at 36, James Harden heads into camp after a top-three fantasy finish a year ago and again commands the offense, making a middle-second-round ADP look light.
Los Angeles Lakers: Luka Doncic is projected to lead the league at roughly 31.5 points per contest while orchestrating an attack that still features All-Star forward LeBron James.
Memphis Grizzlies: Backup guard Scotty Pippen Jr. started 21 games last year, averaging 14.2 points, 5.7 assists and solid percentages, and could settle inside the top 100 with Ja Morant battling chronic ankle woes.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Versatile big Naz Reid nearly outpaced Rudy Gobert in fantasy points last year; with a new contract in hand and broader skills, he could finally surpass the three-time Defensive Player of the Year.
New Orleans Pelicans: Trey Murphy III surged to 21.2 points a game last season and peaked at 25.1 in January. With Zion Williamson’s health still uncertain, Murphy could headline the offense at roughly 23.5 points.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Third-year center Chet Holmgren is being drafted in Round 4 despite potential top-20 production that includes a possible 20-and-10 line and plentiful blocks.
Phoenix Suns: Center Mark Williams averaged 15.3 points and 10.2 boards in 44 games for Charlotte last season and could reach 65 appearances in a new system that values his free-throw accuracy (80-plus percent).
Portland Trail Blazers: Second-year 7-footer Donovan Clingan finished April at 10.3 points, 11.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks; a season-long double-double would cement top-100 relevance.
Sacramento Kings: Veteran guard Dennis Schroder is a low-cost assist source who could average six dimes if entrusted with primary playmaking duties over Malik Monk.
San Antonio Spurs: Sophomore combo guard Stephon Castle may carve out roughly 18 points and 5.5 assists while sharing the backcourt with De’Aaron Fox and funneling more three-point looks Fox’s way.
Utah Jazz: Forward Lauri Markkanen, going outside the top 75 in ESPN average draft position, still profiles as a top-50 asset after posting 25.6 points and 8.6 rebounds two seasons ago.
Denver Nuggets (additional note): Reiterating Jokic’s impact, the reigning MVP’s presence is expected to generate higher-quality looks for newcomers throughout the rotation, including Cameron Johnson.
Fantasy drafters aiming for an edge would be wise to monitor these scenarios as opening night approaches on Oct. 29.
Source: ESPN
