The 2026 NBA Draft tips off Tuesday in Brooklyn and this class has been billed as one of the deepest in years. Below is a fantasy-first breakdown of where I’d like each prospect in the lottery to land, knowing very well there will be some surprises and shakeups along the way.
Washington Wizards: Cameron Boozer — F, Duke
Boozer to the Wizards is a safe, but ideal fantasy scenario. Washington’s frontcourt is in flux. Anthony Davis may ask for a trade and Alex Sarr is recovering from offseason foot surgery. Boozer’s tweener size offers versatility to play both forward spots and some center, which is key for his fantasy positional eligibility. He possesses 20 and 10 potential and is efficient. The defensive stats may be a knock, but he can produce from Day 1 if he lands in Washington. And the Wizards just locked up Trae Young on a four-year deal. That’s a nice PG to have on your side.
Utah Jazz: AJ Dybantsa — F, BYU
Dybantsa joining the Jazz gives him a platform to showcase his scoring and athleticism on a team seeking a star wing. Pairing him with Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. is pretty dynamic. It seems like fate that he landed in Utah after playing there in High School and his lone season at BYU. He’s got a deep bag offensively and is arguably one of the best athletes in his class. There are some mouths to feed, but the Jazz will make space for a talent like AJ.
Memphis Grizzlies: Darryn Peterson — G, Kansas
Ja Morant is going to be traded, so Peterson joining the Grizzlies gives him a fantastic fantasy setup since they’ll need scoring and playmaking. Peterson should play a large role from the outset. His combo of athleticism and offensive skill will translate to early points, assists and 3s in fantasy formats. I’d probably draft him in the top-100 if he ends up in Memphis.
Chicago Bulls: Caleb Wilson — F, North Carolina
Wilson’s rebounding, rim running and shot-blocking land in a Bulls frontcourt that’s desperate for athleticism and defensive stats. With Chicago retooling, he’ll log heavy minutes, translating to early fantasy value. He’d be another rookie that I would target near the first 100 picks for the upside alone. New coaching under Tiago Splitter with Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis leading the way — Wilson would fit perfectly over guys like Patrick Williams and Jalen Smith. If Wilson is on the board, Chicago shouldn’t hesitate.
Los Angeles Clippers: Mikel Brown Jr. — G, Louisville
Brown heading to the Clippers gives him a runway to play alongside Darius Garland as the team likely pivots from Kawhi Leonard. Brown is one of only a few players since 2008 to post a 30%+ assist rate, 14+ 3-point attempts per 100 possessions, 84%+ free-throw shooting and an elite free-throw rate in the same season. Durability shouldn’t be an issue and landing in L.A. would give him room to play free and get plenty of minutes.
Brooklyn Nets: Darius Acuff Jr. — G, Arkansas
Acuff is a pure fantasy engine: 23.5 points and 6.4 assists per game on 48/44/81 shooting, the best season-long efficiency-meets-volume guard profile in this class. Although Brooklyn drafted a ton of guards last season, none of them stack up to Acuff. If we’re looking for fantasy production, there’s a lot up for grabs, with Michael Porter Jr. as the only true threat offensively and Egor Dёmin a distant second.
Sacramento Kings: Kingston Flemings — G, Houston
Flemings is a do-everything lead guard (16.1/4.1/5.2, 1.5 steals) who plays bigger and faster than his frame suggests, with real two-way value for category leagues. He’s not an explosive scorer at this stage, so his fantasy floor leans more on assists and steals than points. The Kings have a lot of veterans to feed, but the backcourt, without Russell Westbrook, is compelling. They need a table setter and he’d be a strong option.
Atlanta Hawks: Aday Mara — C, Michigan
Mara’s elite shot-blocking and size are tailor-made for a Hawks team thin at center. Onyeka Okongwu will be the starter, but he can play PF or C, with Mara in there to battle against larger centers. Atlanta’s need for rim protection and rebounding means Mara should rack up defensive stats quickly, making him a strong fantasy target for blocks and FG% leagues, even at 20 minutes per game. Think a better passing version of Donovan Clingan and Zach Edey types.
Dallas Mavericks: Brayden Burries — G, Arizona
Burries is a 6’5″, 215-pound three-level scorer (16.1/4.9/2.4 on 49/39/81 splits) with legit two-way tools. The playmaking is still developing, so don’t expect big assist totals as a rookie. Dallas already has ball-handlers in Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg, so Burries’ fantasy path likely runs through off-ball scoring and defense rather than usage. Burries adds scoring punch to a Mavericks squad that can let him develop off-ball while working on his future as the team’s PG.
Milwaukee Bucks: Nate Ament — G, Tennessee
Ament has the size (6’10”) and shooting/passing flashes of a featured wing, but his freshman efficiency (39.9/33.3/79.0) badly lagged the preseason hype. When Milwaukee moves on from Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks could be looking at a full teardown, which would hand Ament exactly the runway and reps he needs to refine his game in real time. There will certainly be other players involved, so this draft pick will be very interesting by Tuesday night. The Bucks reportedly still want to be a playoff-caliber team after any Giannis deal, but I think they’ll be closer to a developmental project where taking Ament would make sense for a long-term upside play.
Golden State Warriors: Morez Johnson Jr. — F, Michigan
The Warriors are old AF and need to inject some youth into this squad. Enter Johnson, a high-motor rebounder and defensive force who brings instant energy to a Warriors squad transitioning to a new era. Golden State’s veteran presence means he won’t be forced into a huge role early, but he has the athleticism and win-now profile to crack the rotation now. This, of course, assumes the Warriors don’t bring in any high-profile players like LeBron James or Leonard.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Yaxel Lendeborg — F, Michigan
A 23-year-old senior who transferred from UAB and won a title at Michigan, Lendeborg is as fantasy-ready as anyone in this class. A do-it-all forward who roams as a defensive disruptor while contributing as a scorer, rebounder, and low-key creator, as seen by his 15.1/6.9/3.2 production with 2.4 stocks per game. OKC just traded Aaron Wiggins and declined Kenrich Williams’ team option, so there is space for Lendeborg to produce. Dynasty managers should dock him some spots because of his age.
Miami Heat: Keaton Wagler — G, Illinois
A late riser who put up a well-rounded stat line of 18/5/4 while connecting on 40% on his 3s in his freshman season proves there’s something there. The caveat here is that Miami will likely have to give up this pick in any deal involving Giannis. So while I think Miami makes sense given the Heat’s been trying to move Tyler Herro for a long time, the Bucks may be taking a couple of options at guard.
Charlotte Hornets: Hannes Steinbach — C, Washington
Steinbach led the entire NCAA in rebounding as a freshman (11.8 boards per 40) and offers an immediate interior floor for a Hornets team that is pretty small on their back line. Ryan Kalkbrenner and Mousa Diabate weren’t enough, so further reinforcements make sense. He has a nice touch around the rim and could be a reliable double-double threat as he gets more reps.
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