Below you\u2019ll find some of the biggest variations among notable players.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Nikola Joki\u0107 headlines Rotoworld\u2019s Preseason Top 200, but key injuries across the league make this one of the most unpredictable fantasy seasons in years.<\/p>\n G\/F Amen Thompson (Houston Rockets)<\/p>\n Ours: 15 Thompson\u2019s 2024-25 season started out slowly but quickly gained momentum. He ended his sophomore campaign with a full head of steam after earning a starting gig and making the most of his opportunities.<\/p>\n Thompson averaged 14.1 points, 8.2 boards, 3.8 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocked shots for the season, but those numbers rose to 15.9 points, 8.8 boards, 4.9 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.4 blocks across his final 44 games – all starts. His ability to stuff the stat sheet was evident by his 18 double-doubles and three triple-doubles, and he\u2019s already drawing praise from new teammate Kevin Durant.<\/p>\n Thompson\u2019s only deficiency is his shooting ability, but he is a hyper-athletic point forward who can rack up stats in bunches, and with Fred VanVleet out for the season, there should be no shortage of minutes for Thompson, who could operate as Houston\u2019s starting point guard.<\/p>\n The Rotoworld crew is all in on Thompson taking another step forward and producing fringe first-round value. If you\u2019re playing on Yahoo or Fantrax, Thompson\u2019s ranked at least two rounds lower, making him a tremendous value on those platforms.<\/p>\n G Jalen Green (Phoenix Suns)<\/p>\n Ours: 79 Green was featured in this article last season, and some things never change. The young offensive-focused guard has been a polarizing fantasy option since he joined the league thanks to his \u201cempty calorie\u201d stats that lean heavily on high-volume, low-efficiency scoring. For that reason, we\u2019re the lowest on him at Rotoworld, and if fantasy managers in your league want to bite in Rounds 3-5, let them!<\/p>\n Drafting Green in that range is taking him at his absolute ceiling, though he hasn\u2019t come close to approaching that value thus far.<\/p>\n G Immanuel Quickley (Toronto Raptors)<\/p>\n Ours: 59 The Rotoworld crew is bullish on IQ due to his strong stat-stuffing abilities, but rankings from other platforms – not so much. Taking Toronto\u2019s starting PG after Pick 75 presents a ton of value for a player with fifth-round upside. If you\u2019re playing at ESPN, Yahoo or Fantrax, he\u2019s worth targeting as a mid-round sleeper. That\u2019s a \u201chigh IQ\u201d strategy.<\/p>\n F Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans)<\/p>\n Ours: 54 If you\u2019re reading this article, you already know about Zion\u2019s storied NBA career. He\u2019s had trouble staying on the court due to numerous injuries, and the media has criticized him relentlessly about his diet and work ethic.<\/p>\n Based on his appearance heading into the 2025-26 campaign, it\u2019s safe to say that the media won\u2019t be offering many criticisms.<\/p>\n Williamson looks slim in his media day photos, and he says he feels great. His upside is tremendous thanks to his elite athleticism, scoring, rebounding and passing abilities.<\/p>\n F LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers)<\/p>\n Ours: 29 \u201cFather Time is undefeated.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe dropoff is imminent.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo one in NBA history has played 23 seasons.\u201d<\/p>\n Blah, blah, blah. We\u2019ve been hearing similar tropes about Bron\u2019s age for over a decade now, and he has yet to make good on any of them. James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.6 blocks and 2.1 triples last season. He\u2019s played at least 70 games in back-to-back seasons, and fantasy managers can target him in the early-to-mid third round.<\/p>\n Despite posting strong numbers at age 40, James is getting older and has a lot of tread on the tires. Luka Doncic should be the focal point of the offense this season, and drafting James with a top-15 pick is a bit ambitious. If you\u2019re playing on ESPN or Yahoo, you can sit back and watch fellow managers reach.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Your one-stop-shop for Rotoworld\u2019s fantasy basketball draft coverage. <\/p>\n C Mark Williams (Phoenix Suns)<\/p>\n Ours: 67 Injuries have been the hallmark of Williams\u2019 brief NBA career, and he\u2019s played in no more than 44 games in any of his three seasons. The big man posted career numbers in 2024-25, finishing with 15.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.7 steals and 1.2 swats. Phoenix was hurting at center so bad last season that they traded for Williams and selected Khaman Maluach in this year\u2019s draft.<\/p>\n The former should open the season as the starter and, assuming he can stay on the court, a big season is in store. We\u2019re the highest on him at Rotoworld and expect him to be a strong value in fantasy drafts.<\/p>\n F\/C Santi Aldama (Memphis Grizzlies)<\/p>\n Ours: 106 The Rotoworld team has the highest expectations for Aldama as he gets set for what could be the best season of his career. With Jaren Jackson Jr. and Zach Edey set to miss time to start the 2025-26 campaign, Aldama could be in line for substantial minutes.<\/p>\n Aldama posted career-best numbers in 2024-25, averaging 12.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.8 triples across 25.5 minutes. The Grizzlies inked him to a three-year, $52.5 million deal in the offseason, highlighting their confidence in him.<\/p>\n G Cam Thomas (Brooklyn Nets)<\/p>\n Ours: 80 Heading into the new season, Thomas finds himself being talked about for all the wrong reasons, and he\u2019s looking to flip the narrative.<\/p>\n The young guard broke out at the end of the 2023-24 season, averaging 26.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.6 dimes across his final 18 appearances. In 2024-25, he averaged a career-best 24 points per game, though injuries limited him to just 25 contests.<\/p>\n Thomas went through a tumultuous offseason with the Nets regarding his contract, but he ultimately picked up his $6 million qualifying offer to return for the 2025-26 campaign.<\/p>\n Asked Cam Thomas about his response to Zach Lowe and the “empty calories, ball hog” narrative around the league:<\/p>\n \u201cIt gets frustrating, whether you want to admit it or not, that people keep trying to spread these narratives and lies about you that just aren\u2019t true without\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/exEXj9TKRR<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
ESPN: 23
Yahoo: 31
Fantrax: 44<\/p>\n
ESPN: 42
Yahoo: 59
Fantrax: 33<\/p>\n
ESPN: 80
Yahoo: 83
Fantrax: 104<\/p>\n
ESPN: 71
Yahoo: 32
Fantrax: 79<\/p>\n
ESPN: 15
Yahoo: 14
Fantrax: 42<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
ESPN: 94
Yahoo: 81
Fantrax: 167<\/p>\n
ESPN: Outside top-150
Yahoo: 112
Fantrax: 159<\/p>\n
ESPN: 92
Yahoo: 66
Fantrax: 119<\/p>\n