Fantasy Basketball 2025-26: Could an Unexpected Star Overtake Nikola Jokic as the Ultimate No. 1 Pick?

With the 2025-26 NBA season looming just around the bend, the fantasy basketball world is buzzing with anticipation. It’s that exhilarating moment when you dust off your draft strategy and wonder—what’s the savvy move when you’ve got the very first pick in the draft? I jumped into a Yahoo! mock draft holding that coveted top spot, and the chain of choices I made unfolded into quite the intriguing roster for a nine-category head-to-head showdown. From established stars to under-the-radar gems, my squad features some compelling names that could stir up the fantasy landscape this season. But hey, nothing’s ever perfect, and there were a few misses along the way too. Let’s dive into the nitty-gritty, round by round, and dissect how this draft shook out—because in the ever-evolving sphere of fantasy basketball, every pick tells a story. LEARN MORE

The start of the 2025-26 NBA season is approaching, which means it’s time to start preparing for your fantasy basketball drafts. What better place to start than figuring out what to do with the first pick in the draft?

I joined a Yahoo! mock draft and selected from the top spot. Here’s what my team ended up looking like for a nine-cat head-to-head league.

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1. Nikola Jokić (DEN – C)

2. Donovan Mitchell (CLE – PG,SG)

3. Kevin Durant (HOU – SF,PF)

4. Derrick White (BOS – PG,SG)

5. Lauri Markkanen (UTA – SF,PF)

6. Jordan Poole (NOP – PG,SG)

7. Andrew Nembhard (IND – PG,SG)

8. Onyeka Okongwu (ATL – C)

9. Brandin Podziemski (GSW – PG,SG)

10. Jaden McDaniels (MIN – SF,PF)

11. Tari Eason (HOU – SF,PF)

12. Kyrie Irving (DAL – PG)

13. Taylor Hendricks (UTA – SF,PF)

I was able to get quite a few players that I’m really excited about this season, like Andrew Nembhard and Brandin Podziemski, but there were multiple players that I missed out on. Let’s go round-by-round and talk about how things went.

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Round 1

1. Nikola Jokić (DEN – C)

2. Victor Wembanyama (SAS – C)

3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC – PG)

4. Luka Dončić (LAL – PG,SG)

5. Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL – PF,C)

6. Cade Cunningham (DET – PG,SG)

7. Anthony Davis (DAL – PF,C)

8. Domantas Sabonis (SAC – C)

9. Anthony Edwards (MIN – PG,SG)

10. Trae Young (ATL – PG)

11. LeBron James (LAL – SF,PF)

12. Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK – PF,C)

This season, it’s a three-player discussion for the top pick: Jokic, Wemby and SGA. I prefer Jokic, but there really isn’t a wrong decision. All three players have unique statistical outputs that put them on a different level from everyone else in the league. Luka is the clear No. 4 pick. Drafts start with the fifth pick, and I agree with Giannis here.

Round 2

1. Devin Booker (PHX – PG,SG)

2. Alperen Sengun (HOU – C)

3. Stephen Curry (GSW – PG)

4. James Harden (LAC – PG,SG)

5. Scottie Barnes (TOR – SG,SF,PF)

6. Evan Mobley (CLE – PF,C)

7. Jalen Johnson (ATL – SF,PF)

8. Jalen Williams (OKC – SF,PF)

9. Paolo Banchero (ORL – PF,C)

10. Tyrese Maxey (PHI – PG)

11. LaMelo Ball (CHA – PG,SG)

12. Donovan Mitchell (CLE – PG,SG)

I was pleasantly surprised to see Mitchell slide to the end of round two. I would take him closer to the beginning of this round than the end. Banchero was a bit early to me, but he fits in well with Luka Doncic, who was that manager’s pick the round before. It’s cool to see a few of the older players still mixed in here, but it was mostly a youth movement in this round, which I don’t disagree with.

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Round 3

1. Kevin Durant (HOU – SF,PF)

2. Jaylen Brown (BOS – SG,SF)

3. De’Aaron Fox (SAS – PG,SG)

4. Jalen Brunson (NYK – PG)

5. Josh Giddey (CHI – PG,SG)

6. Chet Holmgren (OKC – PF,C)

7. Amen Thompson (HOU – PG,SG,SF)

8. Bam Adebayo (MIA – PF,C)

9. Pascal Siakam (IND – PF,C)

10. Ja Morant (MEM – PG)

11. Franz Wagner (ORL – SF,PF)

12. Ivica Zubac (LAC – C)

I have both Durant and Mitchell ranked in the top-20, so I was happy to add KD here. I would’ve also taken both Chet and Amen in round two, so those were nice value picks. I definitely considered both instead of Durant, but I stuck true to my rankings. KD is going to fit in flawlessly with this Rockets team, which means we should get another first-round per-game finish from him.

Round 4

1. Trey Murphy III (NOP – SF,PF)

2. Tyler Herro (MIA – PG,SG)

3. Zion Williamson (NOP – SF,PF)

4. Cooper Flagg (DAL – SF)

5. Jaren Jackson Jr. (MEM – PF,C)

6. Dyson Daniels (ATL – PG,SG,SF)

7. Desmond Bane (ORL – SG,SF)

8. Josh Hart (NYK – SG,SF,PF)

9. Kawhi Leonard (LAC – SF,PF)

10. Jamal Murray (DEN – PG,SG)

11. Joel Embiid (PHI – C)

12. Derrick White (BOS – PG,SG)

While I wasn’t disappointed to get White here, I was hoping Jackson Jr., Daniels or Bane would slide to me. Jackson Jr. is a second-round pick to me, so I was surprised he was still on the board in this round. Bane was an elite addition for the Magic, and I don’t think he’s going to see a massive drop in production. As for White, he should have a high-usage season in Boston, which isn’t the best role for him, in my opinion. Still, there should be a production bump, though it may cost him some efficiency.

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Round 5

1. Lauri Markkanen (UTA – SF,PF)

2. Michael Porter Jr. (BKN – SF,PF)

3. Kristaps Porziņģis (ATL – PF,C)

4. Deni Avdija (POR – SF,PF)

5. Darius Garland (CLE – PG)

6. Jimmy Butler III (GSW – SF,PF)

7. Walker Kessler (UTA – C)

8. Nikola Vučević (CHI – C)

9. Miles Bridges (CHA – SF,PF)

10. Jarrett Allen (CLE – C)

11. Zach LaVine (SAC – PG,SG)

12. Brandon Miller (CHA – SF,PF)

If there is a player I have locked in as a bounce-back candidate, it’s Markkanen. Last season was a struggle for him, but there are many reasons why head coach Will Hardy will prioritize Markkanen on offense and make sure to put him in positions to succeed. I thought it was interesting to see Garland fall to 53. I have him ranked as a fourth-rounder and should’ve selected him with one of my two picks here. He’s expected to miss the start of the season with a toe injury, which isn’t ideal, but he’s too talented to fall further than this.

Round 6

1. Jalen Duren (DET – C)

2. Rudy Gobert (MIN – C)

3. DeMar DeRozan (SAC – SF)

4. Jalen Green (PHX – PG,SG)

5. Myles Turner (MIL – C)

6. Coby White (CHI – PG,SG)

7. Austin Reaves (LAL – PG,SG)

8. OG Anunoby (NYK – SF,PF)

9. Paul George (PHI – SG,SF,PF)

10. Cam Thomas (BKN – SG,SF)

11. Julius Randle (MIN – PF,C)

12. Jordan Poole (NOP – PG,SG)

Looking back, I also have Poole ranked ahead of Markkanen as a fourth-rounder, so I should’ve selected him earlier. With that being said, I was thrilled to get him here. He should be in for a big season for New Orleans, a team without its first-round pick. Poole should see a career-high in minutes per game and could certainly have his best season as a pro.

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Round 7

1. Andrew Nembhard (IND – PG,SG)

2. Deandre Ayton (LAL – C)

3. RJ Barrett (TOR – SF,PF)

4. Kel’el Ware (MIA – PF,C)

5. Jakob Poeltl (TOR – C)

6. Alex Sarr (WAS – C)

7. Immanuel Quickley (TOR – PG,SG)

8. Brandon Ingram (TOR – SG,SF,PF)

9. Mark Williams (PHX – C)

10. Anfernee Simons (BOS – PG,SG)

11. Andrew Wiggins (MIA – SG,SF)

12. Cameron Johnson (DEN – SF,PF)

After getting Poole at value in the last round, reaching for Nembhard was worth it to me. Whenever Tyrese Haliburton has missed time, Nembhard has thrived as a starting point guard. He won’t match Haliburton’s production this season, but he should be in for a big year. The difference is that he won’t just be a fill-in for Haliburton; the offense will be designed for him to have him as the lead man.

Round 8

1. Bennedict Mathurin (IND – SG,SF)

2. Fred VanVleet (HOU – PG)

3. Donovan Clingan (POR – C)

4. Ausar Thompson (DET – SF,PF)

5. Mikal Bridges (NYK – SF,PF)

6. Naz Reid (MIN – PF,C)

7. Payton Pritchard (BOS – PG)

8. Norman Powell (MIA – SG,SF)

9. Isaiah Hartenstein (OKC – C)

10. John Collins (LAC – PF,C)

11. Devin Vassell (SAS – SG,SF)

12. Onyeka Okongwu (ATL – C)

There were quite a few players that went in this round that I was disappointed to see taken before I had the chance to draft, Clingan and Thompson being the main ones. However, I was still happy with Okongwu, who I think will play a large role, regardless of whether he’s the starter. If the Hawks didn’t add Kristaps Porzingis, Okongwu would be selected much earlier, and I don’t think Porzingis is guaranteed to be the starter over Okongwu, though both should play 28-30 minutes per game regardless.

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Round 9

1. Brandin Podziemski (GSW – PG,SG)

2. Keegan Murray (SAC – SF,PF)

3. Malik Monk (SAC – SG)

4. Zach Edey (MEM – C)

5. CJ McCollum (WAS – PG,SG)

6. Matas Buzelis (CHI – SF,PF)

7. Jalen Suggs (ORL – PG)

8. D’Angelo Russell (DAL – PG)

9. Nic Claxton (BKN – C)

10. Shaedon Sharpe (POR – SG,SF)

11. Aaron Gordon (DEN – PF,C)

12. Bradley Beal (LAC – SG,SF)

There aren’t many guards that rebound better than Podziemski, and he was a top-75 player in nine-cat leagues after the Warriors traded for Jimmy Butler. The Warriors are still waiting on the Jonathan Kuminga situation to be resolved, but Podz is locked in as a starter. Edey is another player I was interested in. The Grizzlies should do a better job of putting him in situations to succeed in year two.

Round 10

1. Keyonte George (UTA – PG,SG)

2. Stephon Castle (SAS – PG,SG)

3. Tobias Harris (DET – PF)

4. Tre Johnson (WAS – SG)

5. Bobby Portis (MIL – PF,C)

6. Draymond Green (GSW – PF,C)

7. Jaden Ivey (DET – PG,SG)

8. Daniel Gafford (DAL – C)

9. Dereck Lively II (DAL – C)

10. Jeremy Sochan (SAS – PF,C)

11. Christian Braun (DEN – SG,SF)

12. Jaden McDaniels (MIN – SF,PF)

I was really hoping to get Braun here, but I’m happy with McDaniels, who is coming off his best season as a pro. He played 82 games and averaged career-highs in points, rebounds and steals. He finished just outside the top-75 in nine-cat leagues, making him a nice value pick in round 10. Braun finished just outside the top-50 last year, and while the additions of Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. may cut into his role, it won’t be enough for him to deserve falling this far down the board.

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Round 11

1. Tari Eason (HOU – SF,PF)

2. Toumani Camara (POR – SF,PF)

3. De’Andre Hunter (CLE – SF,PF)

4. Kevin Porter Jr. (MIL – PG,SG)

5. Scoot Henderson (POR – PG)

6. Mitchell Robinson (NYK – C)

7. Santi Aldama (MEM – PF,C)

8. Collin Sexton (CHA – PG,SG)

9. Ace Bailey (UTA – SF)

10. Jrue Holiday (POR – PG,SG)

11. Chris Paul (LAC – PG)

12. Jabari Smith Jr. (HOU – PF,C)

Perhaps others are scared off by the addition of Kevin Durant, but not me. Eason’s competition for minutes will be with Jabari Smith Jr., and he was a part-time starter down the stretch last year. Eason should play a significant role and has a fantasy-friendly skillset, making him worth the late-round swing.

Round 12

1. Ayo Dosunmu (CHI – SG,SF)

2. P.J. Washington (DAL – SF,PF)

3. Zaccharie Risacher (ATL – SF,PF)

4. Kon Knueppel (CHA – SF)

5. Dejounte Murray (NOP – PG,SG)

6. Donte DiVincenzo (MIN – PG,SG)

7. VJ Edgecombe (PHI – SG)

8. Jonathan Kuminga (GSW – SF,PF)

9. Dylan Harper (SAS – SG)

10. Jerami Grant (POR – SF,PF)

11. Al Horford (BOS – PF,C)

12. Kyrie Irving (DAL – PG)

I fully expect Kyrie to go earlier in real drafts, so I was happy to nab him here and immediately slot him into my IL slot. He is currently expected to return from his ACL tear in January or February, so I won’t get any use out of him for a while. However, he’s talented enough to be worth the wait.

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Round 13

1. Taylor Hendricks (UTA – SF,PF)

2. Nickeil Alexander-Walker (ATL – SG,SF)

3. Bilal Coulibaly (WAS – SG,SF)

4. Alex Caruso (OKC – SG,SF)

5. Klay Thompson (DAL – SG,SF)

6. Caris LeVert (DET – SG,SF)

7. Sam Hauser (BOS – SF,PF)

8. Brook Lopez (LAC – C)

9. Jeremiah Fears (NOP – PG)

10. Trayce Jackson-Davis (GSW – C)

11. Jordan Clarkson (NYK – PG,SG)

12. Rui Hachimura (LAL – SF,PF)

Hendricks was worth a late-round pick last season, and he’s absolutely worth one this year. The offense is questionable, but there isn’t a better perimeter defender in Utah. He has a good case to start, but even if he doesn’t, they won’t be able to compete without him playing a significant role. He has top-100 upside, which is what you’re looking for with your last few picks.

Be sure to check back for plenty more preseason content over the next month!