Now that the 2023-24 fantasy basketball season is over, it’s time to start looking toward the future. There’s no better way to end last season than taking a look at potential first-round picks in 2024-2025.
Many months will pass before fantasy basketball drafts begin and a lot can change. We have the NBA Playoffs, followed by the NBA Draft, free agency and the Paris Olympics. Still, this list provides a helpful guide for die-hards who want to get an early start on planning for the upcoming season.
Read on as we discuss the best players entering next season.
It’s important to note that because the standard for Yahoo Fantasy basketball is point leagues, I combined the rankings list to account for point and category formats.
Wemby exceeded huge expectations in his debut campaign, putting up some of the best numbers we have seen from a newcomer in the last 50 years. He has the highest ceiling in all of fantasy hoops, and you’ll regret not taking this phenom first in your draft.
With so much stock potential and crazy stat lines, I think we have a new undisputed 1.01 in fantasy basketball.
The most reliable and consistent player over the last four seasons, the Joker might be the best second option in recent memory. I wouldn’t be mad if someone didn’t trust taking a second-year player (Wemby) as the first overall pick, knowing that Jokić has played 69+ games in every season of his career.
He’s always a threat to lead the league in triple-doubles, so once again, Jokić at two years old is a great consolation prize.
SGA had another MVP-worthy season and continues to be one of the most efficient point guards in the league. He fills the scoring charts in every category and averaged more than 30 points per game for the second straight season.
He should be a top pick in any format for his unique combination of scoring, efficiency, and ability to rack up a lot of stock as a guard.
Dončić led the league in scoring this season, and with no leading scorer on the Mavericks outside of Kyrie Irving, Luka will continue to boast one of the highest usage rates in the game.
His gaudy stats and improved accuracy at the charity stripe have me more interested in him than some of the oft-injured centers that have followed him this far.
If we could avoid the injuries, Embiid would be considered a top-three selection. He is so dominant. When healthy, he destroyed opponents in just three quarters. He averaged 31/11/4 in seven games, playing less than 30 minutes.
Embiid may post similar numbers to Shaq, but his health is a concern entering his ninth NBA season.
The Greek Freak takes a slight bump with me next year because he’s a beast in the points leagues. Damian Lillard’s arrival didn’t stop him from averaging 30 points, 11 rebounds and 6.5 assists with two actions. Just like Embiid and Dončić, Antetokounmpo will be in the top three in annual usage rate, and if you can shoot free throws effectively, Giannis is a guy you can build around and have success with.
Let’s hope his calf is fine and he doesn’t risk further damage in the playoffs or Olympics this summer.
The Celtics were the best team in the NBA and will likely continue to rule the Eastern Conference as long as Tatum is the leader. Like Jokić, Tatum rarely misses games and is at his best.
His scoring is down slightly from 2022-2023, but there’s no reason to think Tatum can’t return to a 30-point mark every night — even with one of the deepest starting lineups in the game.
The two-time All-Star led the league in assists for the first time this season and was one of two players to average at least 20 points with 10 dimes. As a point guard on one of the top two teams in pace and possessions per game, Haliburton will continue to be a top fantasy point guard when you factor in his efficiency and defensive production.
I had Hali in the top five last season, but his production was halted in 2024 after a hamstring injury and the arrival of Pascal Siakam.
The 65-game mandate to qualify for NBA awards and All-NBA teams has unexpectedly impacted some players. Davis has played in a career-high 76 games this year after playing no more than 54 in the previous three seasons. And unsurprisingly, he was great, finishing as the only player to average at least 24 points with 12 rebounds, one steal and two blocks this season.
Davis is the only player to post those numbers in the last twenty years (and has done so three times). Since he will be in the locker room at least once per game, there will always be some risk of injury associated with Davis.
The double-double machine is also one of the best passing machines in the game. Sabonis dished out more than eight assists per game (a career high), which helped Sabonis lead the league in triple-doubles. He is durable and offers fantasy managers almost everything except blocks, threes, and free throw percentage, but his consistency makes him one of the most reliable centers in fantasy.
Just like Giannis, he is also a specialist in the points league.
Durant continues to have an ideal fantasy game filled with efficiency. Somehow, even after an Achilles injury, he’s still torching his teammates, scoring 27 points a night on 52/41/86 shooting splits. Durant achieves this defensively as well, averaging more than two actions per game for the third time in his previous four seasons.
He will turn 36 this year, and a potential playoff run, plus an Olympic journey in Paris, could open up some questions about load management next season. Still, I’ll wait and see how this plays out. Until then, Durant is a top-12 option.
1.12: Chet Holmgren – PF/C, Oklahoma City Thunder
My boldest selection in the top 12 goes to Chet Holmgren. I was between Stephen Curry and Trae Young, and I will no doubt make adjustments if Trae Young or Dejounte Murray are traded, but I can’t deny the upside with Holmgren.
He finished fifth in the NBA in blocks and joins Wemby and AD as the only other players to average at least 16 points with seven rebounds and two blocks this year. His high block rate and efficiency on the field at such a young age had me intrigued enough to aggressively take him in the rankings heading into his second NBA season.
Do not believe me? Getting six shares in your first playoff game is different.
