Anthony Davis shouldn’t be drafted in the first round
Zion Williamson should be taken before the third round
Sometimes if you do enough fantasy basketball mock drafts, consume a lot of preseason content and listen to what everyone seems to be saying, everything starts to look and sound the same.
Everyone’s treating Williamson like a risky fantasy pick, but the ceiling is massive. He put up 24.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 5.3 APG in 30 games last season and also posted career-best marks in steals and blocks. Yes, durability is a concern, as he has played 30 or fewer games in four of six seasons, but he enters 2025-26 in the best shape of his career. If he stays healthy, Williamson can smash his ADP (33.0) and finish inside the top 20. — Moody
Last season marked a career effort statistically, yet it still wasn’t elite production compared with the high bar set at point guard in the NBA. I am a fan of Murray’s game from a real basketball lens, but not as enthused in fantasy given the lack of any single special category. Denver capably replaced the usage and shooting volume of Michael Porter Jr. (with Cameron Johnson) and arguably has more shot creation rostered than last season. — McCormick
I am higher on Sheppard than most. I think he is a clear top-60 player in category leagues and has similar upside in points leagues. Coming out of the 2024 NBA draft, I had Sheppard as the player in his class most ready to produce, with a consistent 3-point shot and strong combo guard skills. But Sheppard was drafted to a Rockets team with too many quality perimeter options to get an opportunity as a rookie. After the team traded two perimeter starters for Kevin Durant and lost Fred VanVleet to injury, Sheppard is now poised to earn starter’s minutes and an honorary “Sophomore of the Year” award this season. — Snellings