Fantasy Basketball Mock Draft 1.0: 12 Team, H2H, 9 Cat, Snake Mock Draft

Team One Roster and Mock Draft Summary

Team Strengths: Points, Assists
Team Weakness: FT%

This is the one pick you, most likely, can’t mess up! Sine this draft is a H2H 9-Categories league, it was a no brainer going with Nikola Jokic. First off, he is a soon to be MVP on a team that likes to run and gun. Offensive opportunity will run through him and he takes full advantage of it. Also, with this league being a categories league, he hits on all boxes. Points, Rebounds, Assists, Percentages, Blocks, Steals and even low Turnovers. In my opinion, the clear cut top option for pick #1 overall. After my first pick, I had to wait a little bit for my next pick to come around, but when it did I couldn’t believe I was able to snag LeBron James & Zion Williams back to back with my 2nd and 3rd picks. LeBron, although an aging commodity, is still one of the best basketball players in the league and will continue to be until her retires. Above that, like Jokic, he hits on almost all categories which is a huge advantage. He is even becoming more reliable from 3-point range. Getting two walking triple-doubles with my first two picks was music to my ears. Zion in the 3rd round I feel is great value. Zion is clearly option 1B out there in New Orleans which is great for your fantasy squad. Field Goal Percentage is a lock with Zion, as majority of his attempted are in the paint. He also gets Rebounds, Steals and Blocks on a very regular basis – a perfect stepping stone to a great roster.

Russell Westbrook kept falling in our draft and I feel he will be, at worse, a great insurance policy to LeBron James. Going along with the theme of this team so far, another triple-double threat on any given night. His scoring may dip with all the mouths to feed, but his assists should go way up and he has always been a strong rebounding PG. Draymond Green seems like a potential sleeper this year with Klay eventually returning. Once the Warriors get healthier, Draymond won’t feel as much pressure to shoulder the offensive load and can go back to Draymond of old. One more pick I want to touch on is a late round flier on TJ Warren. When healthy, he will have a heavy involvement in that offense and with him going in the 10-13th rounds, at that point, why not take a shot on someone who used to be a focal point in that IND offense? Talent is no issue with Warren… just need to make sure he is able to stay on the court.

Team Two Roster and Mock Draft Summary

Team Strengths: 3’s, Steals, FG%
Team Weakness: Points, Rebounds, Assists

With Nikola Jokic being the consensus number 1 pick in all leagues, I knew I was going to have to pick between James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo at number 2. I went with Harden, due to his all-round stat stuffing ability and the fact that he doesn’t have a bad category. Also, his PG/SG eligibility is very useful and getting great assists and points early is crucial, as they are the 2 most scarce categories. Next up, I drafted Rudy Gobert; his huge rebounding numbers, paired with elite blocks and high FG% make him one of the best big men in the league for fantasy. His low FT% may be a concern, but it’s not at a high enough volume to concern me, plus Hardens FT% should offset that.

Zach LaVine in the third round was a steal, adding more quality scoring and decent assists and rebounds. This was a slight risk, due to the new additions on the Bulls roster, but one that I was willing to take especially after his break-out season last year. My next 3 picks were with defensive stats in mind and OG Anunoby was next; one of the best defenders in the league, with high steal numbers, who should have a bigger role on offense now that Kyle Lowry has left. And again, that dual eligibility of SF/PF is helpful when trying to build an even roster. Dejounte Murray in the fifth round was a great pick, considering he has the ability to get a triple-double every game, as well as 2-3 steals. Lastly in this run of defensive players, Mikal Bridges joins the team, bringing with him elite steals and 3’s. I rounded out my roster with some very upside players, including Aleksej Pokusevski and 2 of the better rookies in this class, in Jalen Green and Evan Mobley.

Team Three Roster and Mock Draft Summary

Team Strengths: Points, FG%, Rebounds, Blocks
Team Weakness: FT%, Assists

The great thing about having the 3rd overall pick this year is it gives you a great chance to pick a superstar that will anchor your team. I decided to make a safe pick and take Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 1st round, after all he’s played in over 80% of regular season games since his rookie season which makes him very dependable. His consistency and multi-category efficiency is something you can’t pass up on. Fresh off a championship run everyone knows the Bucks will be hungry to defend their title and Giannis will have a big role in that as usual. Building around Giannis is easy since he contributes in every category, but I wanted to make sure I leaned into his strengths.

I knew I would be heavy on C and PF later in the draft to hopefully capitalize on blocks and rebounds, so I decided to grab Shai Gilgeous-Alexander early with my 2nd round pick. Shai is a PG who averages around 5 rebounds a game and can score efficiently. Sure, he might not assist much but he strengthens my favored categories while filling a dynamic position, allowing me to focus on other impact players later. Some other picks I am excited about; I think Jaren Jackson Jr is going to be really fun to watch after a not-so-ideal season last year but be prepared to grab him early if he’s there (rounds 3-5), Dennis Schroder seems to be a little overlooked given his meme-like offseason and Daniel Theis could be a featured piece for a thin Houston squad. I love the versatility of my team – a lot of rebounding and enough assists to keep me competitive week to week.  All of these guys will help me capitalize on the strengths that Giannis brings to the table!

Team Four Roster and Mock Draft Summary

Team Strengths: 3’s, FG%
Team Weakness: Rebounds

Pick 4 is a solid place to be since you’ll get an elite, top-notch player and not have to wait as long with the snake as the prior picks. I think that is evident by being able to snag Kevin Durant at 4. Often thought as one of the best players in fantasy basketball pre-injury, post injury Durant seems to be just as effective, but at a slight discount. Last year, Durant silenced all the worry by putting up a very Kevin Durant like season. They did manage his load, but this year he should return to the KD we are used to. Points, percentages, rebounds, blocks… whatever you need, he can get you. I surrounded my first pick with two people in round 2 and 3 who can shoulder the roster load, should something happen to Durant (injury/load management/etc). Kyrie Irving, although a bit off the collar, is a huge talent who can still absolutely ball.

Donovan Mitchell after Kyrie is the perfect fit for a roster that has a set PF/SF (Durant) & PG (Kyrie). Donovan is a PG who is first option in Utah that you can slot into your roster as a SG. A bit of a logistical loophole for rosters, you can snag Mitchell and not have to worry about figuring out what PG you are going to start. Mitchell is not going to be pretty on the percentages, but he will get you 20 points in the first quarter, so you can look past that. He is indeed a PG, so assists will be there and he in an underrated rebounder a well. Moving down the board a bit, if you feel you have the roster to wait until Christmas time, a Klay Thompson stash is a beautiful thing to have. Klay in the 9th round is massive. His injury was lower body and you don’t just forget how to shoot. When he returns, he will probably be on a “pitch count” early on, but could be the perfect secret weapon when making your playoff push. Lastly, Kyle Kuzma now in WAS could be a value sleeper later in rounds. In LA when he was given the reigns, he really took it in stride. Consistency is his achilles heel, but with the bad here and there, you will be rewarded with the good of 20+ PPG. Bradley Beal can’t score all the points and I think Kuzma will emerge as a potential second or third option on that team.

Team Five Roster and Mock Draft Summary

Team Strengths: 3’s, Assist, Points
Team Weakness: Rebounds, Blocks

At pick 5, I selected Damian Lillard, who is one of the best scorers in the league. He is also very rarely misses a game, which is a great advantage to have especially towards the end of the season in the fantasy playoffs. His ELITE 3-point shooting, FT%, and assists, make him an easy guy to build a team around. I followed him up with Nikola Vucevic, bringing great scoring and rebounds, plus when you can get 2-3 3-pointers a game from your C, you are in a great spot!

Michael Porter Jr was on the board for my 3rd round pick, and I could not have been happier to snag him here. After a slow start, he finally had his break-out year last season, bring some more elite 3-point shooting, scoring, and defensive stats to my team. Round 4 allowed me to pair Lillard with DeAaron Fox, bringing my team some awesome assist numbers and some more elite scoring. My next pick was a bit of a risk, considering his injury history last season, but Robert Williams can be a top 20 player, IF he plays enough minutes. His potential was too good to pass up, and he could be the reason many people win their fantasy leagues this year. I filled out the rest of my roster with some more defensive players in Marcus Smart and Robert Covington, and a couple of guys who could have redemption years in Spencer Dinwiddie and Wendell Carter Jr.

Team Six Roster and Mock Draft Summary

Team Strengths: 3’s, Assist, Steals, Points
Team Weakness: Rebounds, Blocks

It’s great having Stephen Curry back in action! Last year he reminded us all why he’s a top pick and brings your team immediate first round value. His year back in action was nothing short of spectacular – racking up a career high in points, rebounds, three-pointers attempted and three-pointers made. Another year back without a crowded backcourt makes grabbing him at #6 is a no-brainer. My goal after grabbing Steph was to add threes, assists, steals and points. Enter Jimmy Butler and Jrue Holiday! Both add assists, steals, points and good percentages.

I also wanted to focus on players who produce outside of their position.. so, Jimmy Butler is a huge addition for me as a SF who gets you close to 5 assists and well over 2 steals a game. He’s someone I am more than happy to reach for, and probably won’t make it to he 3rd round so be prepared to pull the trigger if you can around the 2nd round. Tobias Harris is an interesting name with the Ben Simmons drama still unfolding, he seemed to have fallen right into my lap and with a potential big opportunity for scoring on the horizon I felt comfortable taking him in the 4th round. Towards the end of the draft I was primarily looking to solidify my steals category since I felt like I loaded up on a lot of above average guards who also shoot the three. Chuma Okeke and Kelly Oubre Jr help me in that category, although they don’t fit my percentage build they aren’t high enough volume to tank that.

Team Seven Roster and Mock Draft Summary

Team Strengths: Rebounds, Blocks
Team Weakness: Assists

Alright. You’re pick 7 in a 12 team league. Don’t Panic. NBA Superstars are not at a premium, unlike maybe your fantasy football draft where if you don’t have the top 5 picks, you’re automatically in scramble mode. Compose yourself, breathe and snag Joel Embiid if he is there for you at 7. **HOT TAKE ALERT**. Joel will be a top 3 fantasy player by the end of the year. Joel at 7 is money in the bank, as long as he can stay healthy. He is probably one of the most dominant big men in fantasy since, dare I say it, Shaquel O’Neal. Since I am building this roster on solid big men, Damontis Sabonis in round 2 really solidifies my PF/C positions. Domantas really jumped onto the scene last year and established himself as a true top C/PF in the NBA. While he can score with ease and rebound with the best, he also dishes the rock like a PG. A little bit of a Jokic-Lite, Sabonis will not disappoint in the second round.

Going big man with my first two picks, round 3 I went with Chris Paul to lock in a true PG into the roster. CP3 went to PHX last year and was rejuvenated. Missing out on winning the championship last year, he is motivated to get back there and win it before he retires. A motivated Chris Paul, is a solid PG option in this year’s season. Myles Turner in the fourth round basically ensures that I won’t lose rebounds and blocks as well as really chip in on the 3-pointer avenue. The long shot pick on this roster was Lauri Markkanen. In CHI, I feel he was misused a bit and while ultra-talented, didn’t tap into his full potential. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying he was bad in CHI, but being traded to CLE in an attempt of a rebuild, he has the opportunity to stake his claim as the PF of the future for CLE and becomes a top 50 fantasy player by the end of the year. Getting him round 10 is a “take it to the bank” type pick. He will get the opportunity, so it is only a matter of time to see what he does with it.

Team Eight Roster and Mock Draft Summary

Team Strengths: 3’s, Rebound, Blocks, Points
Team Weakness: FG%, Steals

I think that team 8 is probably the best team from the draft, with a starting 5 that could dominate day in and day out. Drafting Karl-Anthony Towns at number 8 was a steal, considering he a top 5 fantasy contributor. His high 3’s and block numbers make him the perfect cornerstone to build around. The only concern about him is his health, but other than last season, he has been pretty reliable so its definitely a risk I am willing to take. My next pick was a slight reach, but I wanted him… BADLY. LaMelo Ball had an amazing rookie season, and he should be able to carry that on into this season and he could be in a position to average close to a triple double all season.

Brandon Ingram was a safe pick in the third round for sure, he doesn’t do anything special, but his steady rate of scoring and great %’s make him a good option here, especially after my next pick. Kristaps Porzingis is one of the most unique players in the league, but injuries have plagued him recently. If he can stay on the court, he can produce top-15 fantasy numbers, but it’s a big IF. Kyle Lowry and Anthony Edwards were next, bringing some more 3-point shooting and scoring and I rounded out the roster with some solid bench guys, in Reggie Jackson and Gary Trent Jr. I have 9 guys who are projected to make 2 or more 3-pointers a game, so that is a category I should have no problems in winning each week.

Team Nine Roster and Mock Draft Summary

Team Strengths: 3’s, Rebounds, Assists, Points, Turnovers (?)
Team Weakness: Percentages, Blocks

Christmas came early when I was gifted Luka Doncic at pick #9, which I think might be the steal of the first round (if that’s even a thing)! Not to be too dramatic, but knowing Luka has high volume and not the best percentages I knew trying to correct those categories might take too much effort in the long run. So, I set forth not worrying about percentages.. I don’t like using the term “punting” because anything can change on a week to week basis, but my strategy wasn’t to focus too hard on the percentages when making the rest of my picks.

That strategy was even more evident when I picked Julius Randle (3rd round), Buddy Hield (8th round) and Jordan Clarkson (10th round). All are great contributors in multiple categories, but have higher volume usually resulting in lower shooting percentages. I was OK with that given the multiple categories Julius gives me, the threes Buddy will provide and the points Jordan Clarkson gets. I was able to solidify that with Mr. Three himself Duncan Robinson in the 11th round (great value even with Victor Oladipo around) and Seth Curry in the 12th round. With the likelihood of Ben Simmons never playing for the Sixers again, there is a huge opportunity for the other Curry to cook – unless Ben Simmons is eventually traded for more backcourt help, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.

Team Ten Roster and Mock Draft Summary

Team Strengths: Steals, Points
Team Weakness: Assists

No need to beat around the bush, pick #10 it’s not ideal. However, it is in no way a kiss of death scenario, especially if you have people in front of you who haven’t done their research. Jayson Tatum late in the first round is a perfectly good player to have at that position. Proving to be a real force in the league the past few years, he undoubtedly will continue to do the same this year. Consistency is the name of his game, and you just got it. Fred VanVleet on the come around will cement you with a top 5, yes I said it, point guard. Every year has been better than the one before, and this year he could be in the MVP considerations. Able to score in bunches, he will also shoulder more of the load in the assists and steals department. Also, as a guard, underrated in his ability to get a block or two.

Follow that pick up with Devin Booker who is the offensive mainstay in PHX, and you’re off to a great start. Booker, like FVV, continues to get better every year. With CP3’s ability to distribute perfect passes, Booker will only have to focus on one thing and that is scoring. Percentages and points will be on your side with Booker and will allow you not to hunt for points later in the draft. By doing that, you can focus on other categories, like rebounds with Jonas Valanciunas in round 6. Double-double lock, you’ve helped your roster with rebounds as well as good percentages and mid-tier point scoring. Derrick Rose in the 12th round is a flier that could pay off big for you. Like CP3, you are putting stock in aging guards, but with a renewed sense of vigor in New York, Rose showed that he’s still got it. His biggest concern is health, so as long as he can keep that, he is a more than viable pick in the back half of your draft.

Team Eleven Roster and Mock Draft Summary

Team Strengths: FG%, Rebounds, Blocks, Points
Team Weakness: FT%, Steals

I started off drafting for this team with Bradley Beal and Paul George. Both guys had great years last season and should be able to have even better ones this year with the departure of Westbrook and the injury to Kawhi. Both are elite scorers and 3-point shooters, and they have great assist and rebound numbers for smaller guys. Pairing them with Clint Capela in the third round gave me a big advantage in rebounds, plus, his very high FG% should make up for those high-usage, bad shooting nights that Paul George and Beal sometimes have.

My fourth-round pick was a little risky considering his move to a new team, but Lonzo Ball could finally produce a quality fantasy season on his new team. He also rebounds well for a guard, and his steal numbers and PG/SG eligibility are a great addition to the roster. Jakob Poetl is one of the most underrated big men in the league, and although the fifth round may be a little high for him, he is more than capable of producing numbers to warrant that pick. His high FG%, rebounds, and block numbers will pair very nicely with Capela and when you add in my next pick, Isaiah Stewart, I have a very strong core of big men that should be able to beat most teams.

Team Twelve Roster and Mock Draft Summary

Team Strengths: Assists, Rebounds, Points, FT%
Team Weakness: FG%, Turnovers

Last year we all saw why Trae Young is the face of the future for point guards. Having averaged a career high in FG% while still contributing 25+ points per game, 9 assists and close to 1 steal is a recipe for a first round pick right there. Having the last pick of the round in a snake draft is unique since you get back to back picks, but you just have a long time in between picks so you really need to make them count. Definitely don’t stress though.. Trae Young is a great first pick to build your squad around. After grabbing an all-star PG in the first round, I turned around and picked Anthony Davis in the 2nd round. I think I probably reached for him, but knew he wasn’t going to be around when I picked in round 3 so I pulled the trigger early. I think Anthony Davis will have a bounce back year on a stacked Lakers team. If he can stay healthy, I think he will bring 1st round value like we’re used to seeing from the big man.

Since my first two picks made for a pretty balanced team, I decided to just go with some well rounded players to be competitive in a wide range of categories.. After all, the waiver wire is always your friend when figuring out your teams strengths mid-season. I went with another guard and center combo on back-to-back picks in the 3rd and 4th round grabbing Jaylen Brown and DeAndre Ayton. This gives me points, steals, blocks and helps my overall percentages. Jaylen Brown is coming off a brutal injury suffered late in the season but he is also coming off a career year averaging almost 25 ppg, 3.4 assists and over 1 steals – all career highs. I was able to have some fun with some later picks and grabbed rookie phenom Cade Cunningham since he has extreme upside and also grabbed Andre Drummond as Mr. Irrelevant in this mock draft. I think Andre Drummond can only perform better than he did last year, and backing up a fragile Embiid will give him opportunities to dominate the floor once again.