Draft guide: All you need to win your league this season

Whether you are trying fantasy basketball for the first time or are an experienced fantasy hoops veteran, the 2025-26 ESPN fantasy basketball draft guide has everything you need to crush your drafts.

From rankings and projections to sleepers, breakouts and busts, we've got you covered from every angle, all in one convenient place.

Create, reactivate or join a league today!

Rankings and Projections

Top 150 H2H points rankings
André Snellings ranks his top 150 players for leagues that use head-to-head points scoring systems.

Top 150 H2H roto and category rankings
Snellings reveals his top 150 players for leagues that use roto and category scoring systems.

Sortable player projections
Every point, rebound, steal, 3-pointer, block, turnover, steal, field goal and free throw taken makes a difference in fantasy. We have them all projected for you right here.

Mock drafts

10-team, head-to-head points (Sept. 22)

10-team, head-to-head categories (Sept. 24)

Strategy and advice

Eric Karabell's 'Do not draft' list
Our expert highlights the players to fade at their current average draft position in fantasy basketball drafts.

Eric Karabell's 'Do draft' list
Our expert highlights the players who are falling further than they should be in fantasy basketball drafts this season.

Sleepers, breakouts and busts
Which fantasy basketball players are going to exceed expectations? Who will flop the hardest? Who is ready to take things to an elite level? Our experts identify their picks.

Ultimate Draft Board: Perfect picks for every round
Snellings crunches the numbers, factors in average draft position and highlights the best spots to draft key players throughout your fantasy draft.

Points league draft tiers
Snellings groups players into tiers by each position for head-to-head points leagues.

Category and roto league draft tiers
Snellings groups players into tiers by each position for category and roto leagues.

Top sleepers to target
These are the under-the-radar players to know about in your drafts.

Our experts list five players they are targeting in drafts
Take a look at which players our fantasy analysts don't want to leave drafts without.

Five big-name players to avoid in drafts
These are the notable players to steer away from in fantasy basketball drafts this season.

Should you draft Cooper Flagg at his current draft position?
Our analysts weigh in on the No. 1 pick of the 2025 NBA draft and what type of fantasy production they expect out of him as a rookie.

Eight players to target in the middle rounds
Building a quality roster depends on finding big contributors after the early rounds of your draft. Here are the ones to focus on.

Five position battles to watch during NBA preseason
With the NBA preseason under way, Eric Moody highlights the key position battles that fantasy managers need to watch closely.

Other helpful tips

10 tips to help you win your fantasy basketball league
Snellings lays out what it takes to put yourself in the best position to win your league ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season.

How to ace your salary cap draft
Are you ready for your salary cap draft? Jim McCormick lays out helpful strategies and tactics you can use for a successful draft.

The pros and cons of points, roto and category leagues
Which fantasy basketball scoring format should you play? Jim McCormick breaks down the most popular options so you can choose for yourself.

Tools

Create a league | Get the league back together | Join a league
Create, reactivate or join a league today!

Mock draft lobby
Take part in some mock drafts to work out the kinks before your real ones. Practice makes perfect.

Average draft position (ADP)/live draft results
Get a leg up on your opponents by knowing where each player is being selected in ESPN drafts so you can get the best value possible.

ESPN Fantasy Basketball 101: How to play
Thinking about trying fantasy basketball for the first time? Here is everything you need to know so you can join in on the fun.

Analytics glossary
Wondering what things such as eFG%, pace, usage rate and CARMELO mean? Seth Walder explains each notable NBA advanced analytics term so you can use them to your advantage.