While most fantasy basketball focuses on head-to-head competition, whether in categories or points leagues, some prefer the rotisserie route. A slow start can be harder to rebound from in that format, but it also opens the door for managers to take more gambles to strengthen their roster through trades or the waiver wire throughout the season.
Rotoworld fantasy basketball writer Raphielle Johnson recently participated in a 12-team, nine-category roto mock draft, building a team with the first pick. Which player is the superior option to start a roster with: Nikola Jokić, Victor Wembanyama, or someone else? How does that choice affect how a manager should build out the rest of their roster? Let’s take a look.
Round 1
Round 1
Position(s)
Player
Team
1
C
Nikola Jokić
Denver Nuggets
2
C
Victor Wembanyama
San Antonio Spurs
3
G
Luka Dončić
Los Angeles Lakers
4
G
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Oklahoma City Thunder
5
G
Cade Cunningham
Detroit Pistons
6
G
Tyrese Maxey
Philadelphia 76ers
7
G
Anthony Edwards
Minnesota Timberwolves
8
F/C
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Miami Heat
9
F
Jayson Tatum
Boston Celtics
10
F
Jalen Johnson
Atlanta Hawks
11
G
Donovan Mitchell
Cleveland Cavaliers
12
G
Tyrese Haliburton
Indiana Pacers
While there has been no shortage of managers going the Wembanyama route with the first overall pick, I stuck with the reliable Jokić. He’s been the best player in fantasy basketball for years, and even if he doesn’t retain that crown this season, his overall skill set means Jokić won’t fall far down the rankings if that changes. The Joker led the NBA in rebounds and assists last season and has finished first or second in league MVP voting each of the last six seasons. And with the Nuggets’ depth taking a hit via Peyton Watson‘s exit, they may need even more from the three-time MVP to remain a contender in the West.
The roto format tends to favor Luka Dončić, as it can minimize the impact of his turnover number. One could argue for him going second in this mock instead of Wembanyama, but the 7-foot-5 phenom can win the blocks category for a manager on his own. If there was a surprise in the first round of this mock, it may be Johnson, even with the strides he’s made in Atlanta. That roster has gotten deeper, and having CJ McCollum in the fold from the start could cut into Johnson’s usage.
Round 2
Round 2
Position(s)
Player
Team
1
G/F
Cooper Flagg
Dallas Mavericks
2
F/C
Scottie Barnes
Toronto Raptors
3
G/F
Kevin Durant
Houston Rockets
4
F/C
Karl-Anthony Towns
New York Knicks
5
G
Jamal Murray
Denver Nuggets
6
G
Josh Giddey
Chicago Bulls
7
G
Trae Young
Washington Wizards
8
F/C
Chet Holmgren
Oklahoma City Thunder
9
G/F
Austin Reaves
Los Angeles Lakers
10
G
Amen Thompson
Houston Rockets
11
G
LaMelo Ball
Minnesota Timberwolves
12
G
Jalen Brunson
New York Knicks
For the Round 2/3 turn, I wanted to get at least one high-usage player, preferably a guard, to supplement Jokić’s production. Enter Jalen Brunson, whose ADP is hovering around this point in early drafts. While the Knicks could continue the path they took to their first NBA title in 53 years last spring by running more of the offense through Karl-Anthony Towns, Brunson will still have the ball in his hands plenty.
Also, Austin Reaves could prove to be the steal of the second round if the Lakers decide to stagger his and Dončić’s minutes more to ensure at least one of them is on the floor at all times.
Round 3
Round 3
Position(s)
Player
Team
1
F/C
Evan Mobley
Cleveland Cavaliers
2
G
Stephen Curry
Golden State Warriors
3
F/C
Domantas Sabonis
Sacramento Kings
4
G
Devin Booker
Phoenix Suns
5
F/C
Alperen Şengün
Houston Rockets
6
G
James Harden
Cleveland Cavaliers
7
G/F
Jaylen Brown
Philadelphia 76ers
8
G/F
Deni Avdija
Portland Trail Blazers
9
F/C
Bam Adebayo
Miami Heat
10
G/F
Kawhi Leonard
Toronto Raptors
11
F
Lauri Markkanen
Utah Jazz
12
G/F
Trey Murphy
New Orleans Pelicans
While better offensive options were available going into the third round, I targeted defense by selecting Evan Mobley. His usage dipped slightly last season, but the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year still offered reliable fantasy value. His scoring and rebounding averages also improved after the All-Star break, as did his field goal percentage. A full season sharing the court with James Harden may boost Mobley’s fantasy value.
In this mock, the third round had some significant injury question marks, most notably Leonard, Markkanen and Murphy. If he’s available for most games, Leonard can provide elite fantasy value, so keep an eye on his ADP this month.
Round 4
Round 4
Position(s)
Player
Team
1
C
Jalen Duren
Detroit Pistons
2
C
Walker Kessler
Los Angeles Lakers
3
F
Jalen Williams
Oklahoma City Thunder
4
C
Donovan Clingan
Portland Trail Blazers
5
F
Brandon Miller
Charlotte Hornets
6
G
Derrick White
Boston Celtics
7
F
LeBron James
Philadelphia 76ers
8
F/C
Jaren Jackson Jr.
Utah Jazz
9
F/C
Anthony Davis
Washington Wizards
10
G/F
Kon Knueppel
Charlotte Hornets
11
F/C
Pascal Siakam
Indiana Pacers
12
F
Paolo Banchero
Orlando Magic
Paolo Banchero hasn’t been a great category-league option for most of his career, mainly because of percentages and turnovers. Jokić, Brunson, and Mobley are good in the field-goal percentage category and can help offset Banchero’s deficiency there. Also, he’s played at least 72 regular-season games in three of his first four seasons, so availability shouldn’t be a major concern.
This mock draft was held not long after the Hornets announced that Kon Knueppel is likely to miss the start of the regular season with a hamstring injury, so it was surprising to see him go in the fourth round. Also, Duren continues to slip down draft boards as his contract situation remains unresolved.
Round 5
Round 5
Position(s)
Player
Team
1
G/F
Dyson Daniels
Atlanta Hawks
2
F
Franz Wagner
Orlando Magic
3
G/F
Desmond Bane
Orlando Magic
4
G
Kyrie Irving
Dallas Mavericks
5
C
Onyeka Okongwu
Atlanta Hawks
6
G
Keyonte George
Utah Jazz
7
F
Michael Porter Jr.
Brooklyn Nets
8
G
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Atlanta Hawks
9
G/F
Brandon Ingram
LA Clippers
10
F/C
Naz Reid
Charlotte Hornets
11
F
Cameron Boozer
Memphis Grizzlies
12
G
Damian Lillard
Portland Trail Blazers
I targeted defense with this pick, selecting Dyson Daniels to lock down the steals category. His 2025-26 production in that category didn’t match his 2024-25 output of three steals per game, but no one will be upset about a player averaging two steals per game. The key to Daniels’ fantasy outlook is whether he can improve his shooting, having made 18.8 percent of his three-point attempts and 61.5 percent of his free throws last season. That second number noticeably affects Daniels’ fantasy ceiling.
Other serious swings came in this round, including George and Boozer. The Ingram pick is questionable after the Clippers revealed that doctors found a partially torn Achilles when they operated on his heel this offseason. Should managers draft him at all? Or should they look to take a late-round flier? Personally, I’d leave that problem to another manager.
Round 6
Round 6
Position(s)
Player
Team
1
C
Joel Embiid
Philadelphia 76ers
2
G
Darius Garland
LA Clippers
3
C
Ivica Zubac
Indiana Pacers
4
G
Dejounte Murray
New Orleans Pelicans
5
C
Jarrett Allen
Cleveland Cavaliers
6
C
Zach Edey
Memphis Grizzlies
7
G
Tyler Herro
Milwaukee Bucks
8
C
Alex Sarr
Washington Wizards
9
C
Kel’el Ware
Milwaukee Bucks
10
G
Ryan Rollins
Milwaukee Bucks
11
F
Matas Buzelis
Chicago Bulls
12
F
OG Anunoby
New York Knicks
Count me among those who believe that OG Anunoby is once again undervalued in fantasy rankings. Getting him in the sixth round is a major steal, especially since availability wasn’t an issue in either of his first two full seasons in New York. Embiid and Garland are two other potential steals at the start of this round, as long as they stay healthy. Regarding Garland, Ingram’s injury raises his ceiling, especially early in the season.
While the Ware pick offers some intrigue, I’ve got concerns about Milwaukee’s perimeter rotation going into the season. Herro could put up big numbers in a contract year, but he’ll face a lot of competition for scoring opportunities, including Rollins.
Round 7
Round 7
Position(s)
Player
Team
1
G
De’Aaron Fox
San Antonio Spurs
2
C
Rudy Gobert
Minnesota Timberwolves
3
G
Payton Pritchard
Boston Celtics
4
F
Julius Randle
Brooklyn Nets
5
F
Paul George
Boston Celtics
6
F
Mikal Bridges
New York Knicks
7
G
Stephon Castle
San Antonio Spurs
8
G
VJ Edgecombe
Philadelphia 76ers
9
G/F
Cedric Coward
Memphis Grizzlies
10
F
Caleb Wilson
Chicago Bulls
11
G
Coby White
Charlotte Hornets
12
F/C
Zion Williamson
New Orleans Pelicans
Can fantasy managers and basketball fans in general overemphasize a player’s postseason struggles when evaluating their potential? I wonder if that’s the case with De’Aaron Fox, whose first NBA Finals experience wasn’t good. Add in Dylan Harper likely getting more chances, and Fox could lose some playing time. However, the seventh round is a good spot to draft the veteran point guard, especially if you aren’t too concerned about free-throw percentage.
Castle could be more of a gamble than Fox, but getting him in the seventh round makes more sense than his current (at the time of publishing) fifth-round ADP. Then again, if you aren’t concerned about percentages or turnovers, Castle will be higher on your draft board.
Round 8
Round 8
Position(s)
Player
Team
1
G/F
Norman Powell
Chicago Bulls
2
C
Nic Claxton
Chicago Bulls
3
C
Day’Ron Sharpe
Brooklyn Nets
4
G
Immanuel Quickley
Toronto Raptors
5
F
Jaden McDaniels
Minnesota Timberwolves
6
G/F
Ausar Thompson
Detroit Pistons
7
F/C
Derik Queen
New Orleans Pelicans
8
G
Dylan Harper
San Antonio Spurs
9
G/F
Andrew Wiggins
Miami Heat
10
F/C
Jabari Smith Jr.
Houston Rockets
11
F
AJ Dybantsa
Washington Wizards
12
G
Ty Jerome
Memphis Grizzlies
With Ja Morant no longer in the fold, is it Ty Jerome time in Memphis? That certainly seems to be the case going into the preseason. Of course, he’s only surpassed 50 games once in his NBA career, so fantasy managers should keep that in mind. Given the guards on my roster at this point in the draft, I was comfortable gambling on Jerome. Quickley, who was close to a top-50 player last season, could be the steal of this round, while the Queen pick felt ambitious.
Round 9
Round 9
Position(s)
Player
Team
1
G/F
Josh Hart
New York Knicks
2
G/F
Zach LaVine
Sacramento Kings
3
C
Kristaps Porziņǵis
Golden State Warriors
4
F
Miles Bridges
Phoenix Suns
5
C
Myles Turner
Milwaukee Bucks
6
F
Toumani Camara
Portland Trail Blazers
7
C
Isaiah Hartenstein
Oklahoma City Thunder
8
G
Ja Morant
Portland Trail Blazers
9
C
Jusuf Nurkić
Utah Jazz
10
G
Jalen Suggs
Orlando Magic
11
G
Andrew Nembhard
Indiana Pacers
12
G
CJ McCollum
Atlanta Hawks
Points were no longer my concern at this point in the draft, so I opted for versatility and selected Hart. Despite everything said about his postseason shooting struggles, he shot 41 percent from three during the regular season. Given what he can bring to the table, Hart shouldn’t have much trouble providing top-100 fantasy value. However, LaVine (selected with the next pick) can offer excellent value to any manager who can get him outside the first 75 picks.
Round 10
Round 10
Position(s)
Player
Team
1
F/C
Collin Murray-Boyles
Toronto Raptors
2
F
Peyton Watson
Cleveland Cavaliers
3
G
Davion Mitchell
Miami Heat
4
F/C
John Collins
Detroit Pistons
5
C
Jakob Poeltl
Toronto Raptors
6
G
Ayo Dosunmu
Minnesota Timberwolves
7
C
Khaman Maluach
Phoenix Suns
8
G
Darryn Peterson
Utah Jazz
9
C
Neemias Queta
Boston Celtics
10
F/C
Aaron Gordon
Denver Nuggets
11
F/C
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Los Angeles Lakers
12
F
Keegan Murray
Sacramento Kings
Is Keegan Murray the forgotten man in Sacramento? He missed most of last season due to injury, which has impacted his early ADP. He may be underrated, especially with the Kings moving on from DeMar DeRozan. If the Kings move LaVine at some point, Murray’s value could get a welcome boost.
The Maluach pick was interesting because he isn’t guaranteed to be the Suns’ starting center with Mark Williams sidelined. Oso Ighodaro filled that role last season, and he could win the opportunity again. Maluach certainly has upside, but it isn’t a foregone conclusion that he’ll be the Opening Night starter.
Round 11
Round 11
Position(s)
Player
Team
1
G
Brandin Podziemski
Golden State Warriors
2
G
Reed Sheppard
Houston Rockets
3
G/F
Kyshawn George
Washington Wizards
4
G
Kevin Porter Jr.
Milwaukee Bucks
5
G/F
Devin Vassell
San Antonio Spurs
6
F
Yaxel Lendeborg
Golden State Warriors
7
G/F
Jalen Green
Phoenix Suns
8
G/F
Cason Wallace
Oklahoma City Thunder
9
G/F
Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Milwaukee Bucks
10
G
Tre Jones
Chicago Bulls
11
G
Ajay Mitchell
Oklahoma City Thunder
12
G/F
RJ Barrett
Toronto Raptors
I went with Brandin Podziemski here because he played all 82 games and had his most productive season to date in 2025-26. With Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody sidelined by knee injuries, Podziemski has more room to produce offensively. Another Warrior, Lendeborg, was selected in the 11th round, and the rookie forward is well-equipped to contribute immediately.
Thunder guards Wallace and Mitchell could both be fantasy steals after Luguentz Dort’s departure. With Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe also gone, Wallace and Mitchell are worth considering within the first 100 picks. Sharing the floor with a ball-dominant guard like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may lower their fantasy ceilings in a roto format, but their floors should be reliable.
Round 12
Round 12
Position(s)
Player
Team
1
G
Jrue Holiday
Portland Trail Blazers
2
F
Jimmy Butler III
Golden State Warriors
3
C
Maxime Raynaud
Sacramento Kings
4
G
Fred VanVleet
Houston Rockets
5
G
Collin Gillespie
Phoenix Suns
6
F/C
Paul Reed
Detroit Pistons
7
G/F
Tari Eason
Houston Rockets
8
F/C
Bobby Portis
Miami Heat
9
C
Wendell Carter Jr.
Orlando Magic
10
F/C
Draymond Green
Golden State Warriors
11
G/F
Christian Braun
Denver Nuggets
12
G/F
Quentin Grimes
Los Angeles Lakers
This early in the preseason, three Lakers starters are essentially known: Dončić, Reaves, and Walker Kessler. Grimes will have every opportunity to lock down one of the two remaining spots, and given Dončić and Reaves’ defensive deficiencies on the perimeter, the Lakers need him to. Grimes’ key will be whether he can produce more as a rebounder and defender than he did in Philadelphia. Getting starters’ minutes could help, improving his fantasy value.
Round 13
Round 13
Position(s)
Player
Team
1
F
Saddiq Bey
New Orleans Pelicans
2
C
Nikola Vučević
Orlando Magic
3
C
Moussa Diabaté
Charlotte Hornets
4
G/F
Aaron Nesmith
Indiana Pacers
5
F
Tobias Harris
San Antonio Spurs
6
G/F
Herb Jones
New Orleans Pelicans
7
F
Dillon Brooks
Phoenix Suns
8
F/C
PJ Washington
Dallas Mavericks
9
F
Ace Bailey
Utah Jazz
10
G/F
Anthony Black
Orlando Magic
11
G
Daniss Jenkins
Detroit Pistons
12
G
Jeremiah Fears
New Orleans Pelicans
I decided to go with Bey for my final pick, adding even more points production. However, the Pelicans’ rotation is a concern because of the mix of veterans and young players who need opportunities. Bey is coming off the most productive season of his NBA career, showing no ill effects from missing all of 2024-25 while rehabbing from a torn ACL. Even with limited defensive output, he finished last season as a top-100 fantasy player.
At this point in the draft, most managers are taking a swing on someone far exceeding preseason expectations, but this mock draft had a lot of “safe” choices. Harris has a lower ceiling in San Antonio than he did as a starter in Detroit, and the same goes for Vučević returning to Orlando. Washington is likely to be the subject of trade rumors again due to Dallas’ frontcourt depth, while Fears’ role may expand in New Orleans, even if he comes off the bench.
Final Team Nikola JokićJalen BrunsonEvan Mobley Paolo BancheroDyson Daniels OG AnunobyDe’Aaron Fox Ty JeromeJosh Hart Keegan MurrayBrandin Podziemski Quentin GrimesSaddiq Bey
Points, assists, steals, and three-pointers were strengths in building out this roster, while percentages and blocks were weaknesses. I’m not too much of a “punt” person, but the blocks category stands out. Daniels and Anunoby do most of their defensive work in steals, with Mobley as the lone reliable shot-blocker on this roster.