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With fantasy football in full swing and outside temperatures decreasing slightly in some parts of the country, it’s time to begin preparing for fantasy basketball. While there may have been a clear-cut top option in category league drafts ahead of last season, with Denver’s Nikola Jokic owning that distinction, that is not the case now. The Joker has competition in the form of Spurs sensation Victor Wembanyama, who looks like a terrifying talent if his rookie season represents his “floor.”
Over the weekend, I had the honor of participating in a 12-team, 9-category mock draft hosted by fantasy basketball analysts Mitch Casey and Karan Talwar. I landed the second overall pick through good fortune, meaning I would get the “leftover” between Wembanyama and Jokic. In category leagues, the first seven picks are relatively “safe,” regardless of order, before getting a bit hairy. Below is a round-by-round draft breakdown, followed by my final team. We’ll have plenty of fantasy content on the site between now and the end of the “draft season” next month.
Round 1
1. PF/C Victor Wembanyama (SAS)
2. C Nikola Jokic (DEN)
3. PG/SG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC)
4. PG/SG Luka Doncic (DAL)
5. PF/C Anthony Davis (LAL)
6. PG Tyrese Haliburton (IND)
7. PF/C Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL)
8. C Joel Embiid (PHI)
9. SF/PF Jayson Tatum (BOS)
10. PG Trae Young (ATL)
11. SG Anthony Edwards (MIN)
12. SG Donovan Mitchell (CLE)
Wembanyama was the first overall pick, which is unsurprising given how well he played as a rookie. He finished last season as a top 10 per-game player in 8- and 9-cat formats. Again, as stated in the intro, if last season represents Wembanyama’s floor, the rest of the NBA (and fantasy managers who don’t land him) are in trouble. I’m fine with the reliable Jokic, whose run of three consecutive first-overall seasons in per-game value ended last season. He finished third…brutal. As for totals, the Joker has been first overall for four straight seasons.
The fantasy-related concerns truly begin with Embiid at eighth overall. The 76ers center was limited to 39 games last season due to a knee injury suffered in late January, and he…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/12-team-9-cat-mock-225800524.html
Author : NBC Sports
Publish date : 2024-09-10 22:58:00
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