Nikola Jokic Goes No. 1 in ESPN 10-Team Fantasy Points Mock Draft
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With the NBA season set to begin on Oct. 21, ESPN’s fantasy basketball staff held a 10-team head-to-head points mock draft on Oct. 14 to fine-tune their rankings and strategies.
How the first round unfolded
1. Nikola Jokic (Denver, C) kicked things off, followed by 2. Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio, C), 3. Luka Doncic (Los Angeles Lakers, PG), 4. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee, PF/C) and 5. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City, PG).
Picks six through ten completed the opening round: Anthony Edwards (Minnesota, SG/SF), Cade Cunningham (Detroit, PG/SG), Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento, PF/C), Anthony Davis (Dallas, PF/C) and Trae Young (Atlanta, PG).
Notable selections after Round 1
• Karl-Anthony Towns launched Round 2 at No. 11 overall.
• Stephen Curry slipped to No. 24 (Round 3, Pick 4).
• Projected rookie standout Cooper Flagg went 31st overall, opening Round 4.
• Ja Morant was chosen 32nd, directly after Flagg.
• Reigning MVP candidate Joel Embiid did not come off the board until Pick 54 (Round 6, Pick 4).
• Other high-profile veterans included LeBron James at Pick 20 and Kevin Durant at Pick 23.
Draft format and participants
The exercise followed standard ESPN head-to-head points scoring with 10 managers: Eric Moody, Joe Kaiser, Steve Alexander, Andre’ Snellings, Michael Schwartz, Tom Carpenter, Jim McCormick, Eric Karabell, Pierre Becquey and Matt Williams.
The complete 13-round board featured a blend of proven stars, rising sophomores, rookies and long-term bets, offering a snapshot of how real drafts might play out in the final week before Opening Night.
Source: ESPN
