The Hawks’ Jalen Johnson outperformed his ADP by one round in 9-cat and two rounds in High Score.
If you nailed your fantasy basketball draft, you probably landed at least one of the players below. We’re talking the players who either met or greatly exceeded their draft slot. It’s the offseason for the vast majority of fantasy hoops leagues, so let’s reflect on the single best pick from each round, based on Yahoo ADP.
Round 1
Best Pick: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (ADP: 3.8)
The first round was riddled with injuries, so I picked SGA. Gilgeous-Alexander appeared on 27.6% of Yahoo’s top-500 public leagues, signaling you likely had a contending team if you rostered him. Despite missing 10 games around the All-Star break, he returned in March for the fantasy playoffs and finished the season ranked third overall in 9-cat and fourth in High Score. He played more games than any other first-round pick, proving his reliability.
Round 2
Best Pick: Tyrese Maxey (ADP: 18.1)
Maxey delivered first-round value most of the season, finishing top-five in 9-cat and top-seven in High Score. He hit career highs in six of nine categories and ranked as the fifth-most rostered player on Yahoo’s top-500 teams. As the Sixers’ leader, Maxey is on track to be a top-12 pick next season.
Round 3
Best Pick: Jalen Johnson (ADP: 24.9)
Johnson played at a first-round level for much of the season, making a huge leap as a passer with a career-best 8.0 assists per game. He finished with 13 triple-doubles, tied for second-most this season with Josh Giddey. Johnson’s versatility and improved offense made him a game-changer, outperforming his ADP by one round in 9-cat and two in High Score.
Round 4
Best Pick: Jamal Murray (ADP: 36.5)
Murray finally earned his first All-Star bid after a phenomenal season in which he played over 70 games, posting career-best marks in scoring, assists, FG% and 3s per game. His spike performances of 50 and 40-plus point efforts swung matchups, but his consistency stood out from what we’ve seen in past seasons. Murray exceeded expectations by a considerable margin, ranking 15th in High Score and closing out 9-cat formats as the 10th-best player on a per-game basis.
Round 5
Best Pick: Kawhi Leonard (ADP: 45.9)
I told you to fade Kawhi — my mistake. Few expected him to return to his 2019 form, play back-to-backs and produce at this level. He did it all for the Clippers and nearly hit 50/40/90 shooting splits. Leonard became one of the best value picks after finishing top-five in 9-cat and top-15 in High Score. Board man got paid — and so did his fantasy managers.
Round 6
Best Pick: Jalen Duren (ADP: 56.9)
Duren’s growth as a scorer raised his fantasy stock. He increased his field-goal attempts, improved his FT shooting and became one of the most efficient big men near the rim this season. He’s elevated his bag offensively from far more than an effective pick-and-roll guy into a player who can operate in the post and get to different spots with ease using his size and physicality. The sixth-round ADP was always too light, and while I’d like to see more opportunities with him as a creator/playmaker, we haven’t seen what his ceiling looks like. I think he’s the modern-day Chris Webber. Time will tell, but he was a beast this season.
Round 7
Best Pick: Julius Randle (ADP: 63.4)
I was between Brandon Ingram and Randle here. Ingram had a strong bounce-back campaign where everyone essentially wrote him off, but I went with Randle because he ranked higher in 9-cat and High Score by season’s end. Randle was quietly very good the entire year, averaging 21-7-5 with 1 steal per game on 48% shooting from the field. In an era where rest is expected, Randle has played in every game thus far. He’s only three games away from playing in all 82, which would be the second time in his career that he’s accomplished that feat. Randle finished a tad higher than his ADP in 9-cat, but in High Score, he finished as a top-40 player.
Round 8
Best Pick: OG Anunoby (ADP: 71.2)
Anunoby anchored the Knicks and fantasy teams in 9-cat, finishing 32nd — four rounds ahead of his draft spot. He offers strong all-around value, with efficient stats and a balance of offensive and defensive contributions. He’s better for 9-cat, as his under-20 ppg and low assists aren’t as valuable in High Score, where he ranked 83rd.
Round 9
Best Pick: Donovan Clingan (ADP: 88.9)
Cling-kong was a dud in Week 23 (speaking from experience). Still, Clingan improved as a sophomore. He played more minutes (27 per game), averaged a double-double (12.1 points, 11.6 rebounds), led the league in offensive rebounds (4.5) and ranked fifth in blocks (1.7). He even attempted three 3-pointers a game. He finished 77th in High Score, averaging 34.8 fantasy points. In 9-cat? A top-50 option. Solid!
Round 10
Best Pick: Onyeka Okongwu (ADP: 98.8)
Okongwu was another quiet beast who surpassed market expectations. For Okongwu to be one of the final picks of the 10th round is pretty wild considering his competition early in the season was Kristaps Porziņģis, who barely played this season and was eventually dealt. Okongwu’s a fixture of this new-look Hawks team and fits very well with fantasy managers seeking a balanced, well-refined player. He’s great for roto and 9-cat because he’s both efficient and doesn’t hurt you across categories. A low turnover rate, hits 3s, gets stocks, gives you 15 points a night with a solid 7 boards and a few assists. What more can you ask for?! Okongwu finished the year 37th in 9-cat and 74th in High Score. An all-around great season for the big man who finally got a chance to cook.
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