ESPN’s fantasy hoops experts
Wait — I must not mention the source. Correcting below.
Winning a fantasy basketball league takes a strong draft and savvy waiver-wire moves all season. It also takes foresight, which means seeing things before everyone else does. With that in mind, six fantasy hoops experts offered their boldest predictions for the 2026-27 NBA season. If any of them come true, they could swing fantasy leagues in a big way.
André Snellings, Eric Moody, Erik Karabell, Steve Alexander, Jim McCormick and Michael F. Florio share their hot takes below.
Kel’el Ware finishes top 30 on the Player Rater
McCormick: Myles Turner represents real traffic for Kel’el Ware, although the Milwaukee Bucks might feel compelled to prioritize Ware’s exposure, given a massive advantage in rebounding on both sides of the court. For an otherwise undersized, wing-centric roster, Ware represents a key frontcourt building block from the Giannis package. He overlaps with Turner in trailing plays and protecting the rim, but McCormick is betting that talent and playing time meet in Milwaukee this season.
Someone other than Nikola Jokic leads the league in fantasy points
Snellings: Nikola Jokic has led the league in total fantasy points for six straight seasons. Last season, he also led the league in fantasy scoring average, and he produced over 500 more fantasy points than the second-place player despite playing in just 65 games. This year, however, three players have a reasonable chance to overtake him.
Luka Doncic finished second in fantasy points last season. While he was still a Maverick, he posted a higher fantasy scoring average than Jokic, though in fewer games. With LeBron James no longer with the Lakers, Doncic could be in for his biggest fantasy season. Victor Wembanyama is coming off his best season and should keep improving at only 22 years old. Giannis Antetokounmpo has historically produced seasons with scoring averages similar to Jokic’s, and his new role with the Miami Heat could give him one of his better fantasy seasons.
Julius Randle returns to the top 25 in points leagues
Florio: Julius Randle is back as the top option on an offense, just as he was in his early days with the New York Knicks. Twice in a three-year span, Randle averaged over 24 points per game. Over that time, he averaged at least 9.9 rebounds each year and twice averaged over five assists per game. Florio also expects him to attempt more threes with the Brooklyn Nets, as he did with the Knicks. With Randle once again the focal point of an offense, volume wins out and props him up for another breakout fantasy season.
Walker Kessler finishes top 20 in category leagues
Moody: The stage is set for Walker Kessler to have a career season. Shoulder surgery limited him to just five games last season, but he is back on the court as he enters his first year with the Los Angeles Lakers. Playing alongside Doncic should lead to more easy baskets, similar to what Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford enjoyed in Dallas. Kessler already gives managers excellent field goal percentage, rebounds and blocks. If he plays 30-plus minutes per game, he could lead the league in blocked shots and crack the top 20 in nine-category leagues.
The Washington Wizards compete in the East
Alexander: Alex Sarr might be the odd man out in Washington. Alexander says he has reached the point where he trusts Anthony Davis and Trae Young, while AJ Dybantsa, Kyshawn George and Bilal Coulibaly, among others, are all somewhat intriguing. If Davis and Young are healthy and on the same page, the Wizards could shock people in the East. In Alexander’s view, they might be the ultimate risk-versus-reward team.
LeBron leads the Philadelphia 76ers in assists and finishes top 5 in the league
Karabell: LeBron James remains a wonderful passer, and he seems likely to run this talented offense when he is on the floor. So why not predict that James leads his new team in assists and finishes in the top five in the league? Karabell acknowledges we can debate how often James suits up and for how many minutes, and that James may shoot less than ever before. But he will always pass. Tyrese Maxey has always been more of a shooting guard than a point guard, so watch James average at least 8.0 assists per game, a figure Maxey has never approached.