Fantasy Basketball 2025 NBA Player Rankings and 1st-Round Mock Draft
The 2025-26 NBA season is here.
Well, it's lined up in the starting blocks, at least.
Games haven't arrived just yet, but their preseason versions will surface for the first time Thursday. From there, it'll be a relative sprint to opening night on Tuesday, Oct. 21.
This is a long-winded way of saying if you're not thinking about fantasy basketball yet, you're at real risk of getting left behind by your leaguemates. We're here—and you're here—to help make sure that doesn't happen, so let's dive into some fantasy talk with season rankings, a mock first round and debates you're sure to have when making your first pick.
2025-26 Points-League Rankings
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Top 30
- Nikola Jokić, C, DEN
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, PG, OKC
- Victor Wembanyama, C, SA
- Luka Dončić, PG, LAL
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, PF/C, MIL
- Anthony Edwards, SG/SF, MIN
- Cade Cunningham, PG/SG, DET
- Trae Young, PG, ATL
- Anthony Davis, PF/C, DAL
- Domantas Sabonis, PF/C, SAC
- Devin Booker, PG/SG, PHO
- Karl-Anthony Towns, PF/C, NYK
- LeBron James, SF/PF, LAL
- Tyrese Maxey, PG/SG, PHI
- James Harden, PG/SG, LAC
- Jaylen Brown, SG/SF, BOS
- Ivica Zubac, C, LAC
- Stephen Curry, PG, GSW
- Josh Giddey, PG/SF, CHI
- Pascal Siakam, PF, IND
- Jalen Brunson, PG, NYK
- Jalen Williams, SF/PF, OKC
- Bam Adebayo, PF/C, MIA
- Alperen Şengün, C, HOU
- Donovan Mitchell, PG/SG, CLE
- Ja Morant, PG, MEM
- Kevin Durant, PF, HOU
- Franz Wagner, SF/PF, ORL
- Zion Williamson, PF, NOP
- Paolo Banchero, SF/PF, ORL
Mock First Round
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This 12-team, categories mock draft was compiled using the mock draft simulator from FantasyPros.
- Nikola Jokić, C, DEN
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, PG, OKC
- Victor Wembanyama, C, SA
- Luka Dončić, PG, LAL
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, PF/C, MIL
- Anthony Edwards, SG/SF, MIN
- Trae Young, PG, ATL
- Anthony Davis, PF/C, DAL
- Cade Cunningham, PG/SG, DET
- Karl-Anthony Towns, PF/C, NYK
- James Harden, PG/SG, LAC
- Domantas Sabonis, PF/C, SAC
First-Round Debates
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How early is too early for Victor Wembanyama?
While this is a question you'll only ponder if you have a really early pick in hand, the truth is it's something you could ask yourself as soon as the No. 1 selection. That feels a tad too aggressive, all while acknowledging that the 21-year-old has true break-the-game-of-basketball potential.
Still, there's a bit of a mystery box situation that you wouldn't have with either Nikola Jokić or reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Jokić is 30, and Gilgeous-Alexander is 27, so they're right in the heart of their primes. For me, that gives them the slightest edge over the still-ascending Wembanyama.
Who goes No. 6?
By and large, most experts and fantasy managers alike will feature the same top five players: Jokić, Gilgeous-Alexander, Wembanyama, Dončić and Antetokounmpo. Their order might differ, but that's the quintet that should lead most drafts.
The question, then, is who should go next. Do you bet on the upside of Anthony Edwards or Cade Cunningham, both of whom are just one final leap away from superstardom? Do you cross your fingers and hope Anthony Davis ducks the injury bug long enough to deliver value on the pick? Do you take an early field-goal percentage hit to get all of the points and assists Trae Young will provide?
This is, honestly, a matter of preference, and you should go with whatever you feel in your gut. If your gut says to trust an expert, though, I'd take Edwards and hope there's just a bit more to what's already a stellar stat line.
Where do you slot Domantas Sabonis?
While Sacramento's center adds virtually nothing on the defensive end, he still stuffs a stat sheet like few others. In addition to his league-high 13.9 rebounds last season, he also poured in 19.1 points on 59 percent shooting and 6.0 assists. He even nearly netted one three-ball per game (0.9 on 41.7 percent shooting).
In theory, he has a shot to up his offensive involvement with De'Aaron Fox gone, but in reality, Sabonis could see a slight downturn in usage with the presence of ball-dominant co-stars Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. Once LaVine debuted on Feb. 5, Sabonis went from averaging 20.6 points and 6.5 assists to just 16.2 and 5.3, respectively.
For me, there's enough points-rebounds-assists potential to still sneak Sabonis into the back end of the first round, but just know there's a bit more risk in doing so than his season-long stats might imply.
