Fantasy Basketball Cheat Sheet 2022-23 - Top Players, Sleepers, Busts

Fantasy Basketball Cheat Sheet 2022-23 - Top Players, Sleepers, Busts

This article is part of our NBA Draft Kit series.

Fantasy basketball season is here, with NBA Opening Night less than a week away. In addition to RotoWire's Top 150 Fantasy Basketball Rankings, you can find top picks for points leagues and roto leagues below, plus a list of sleepers and players to avoid.

RotoWire's full 2022-23 Fantasy Basketball Draft Kit is at the bottom of the page, complete with custom projections, ADP data, articles and expert mock draft results.

Fantasy Basketball Top Players - Points Leagues

  1. Nikola Jokic DEN C
  2. Luka Doncic DAL G
  3. G. Antetokounmpo MIL F
  4. Joel Embiid PHI C
  5. James Harden PHI G
  6. Jayson Tatum BOS F
  7. Karl-Anthony Towns MIN C
  8. LeBron James LAL F
  9. Trae Young ATL G
  10. Ja Morant MEM G
  11. Domantas Sabonis SAC C
  12. Bam Adebayo MIA C
  13. Kevin Durant BRO F
  14. Pascal Siakam TOR F
  15. Damian Lillard POR G
  16. Devin Booker PHO G
  17. Dejounte Murray ATL G
  18. Tyrese Haliburton IND G
  19. Anthony Edwards MIN G
  20. LaMelo Ball CHR G
  21. Paul George LAC G
  22. Bradley Beal WAS G
  23. Stephen Curry GS G
  24. Anthony Davis LAL F
  25. Nikola Vucevic CHI C
  26. DeMar DeRozan CHI F
  27. Cade Cunningham DET G
  28. De'Aaron Fox SAC G
  29. Evan Mobley CLE F
  30. Scottie Barnes TOR F
  31. Rudy Gobert MIN C
  32. Julius Randle NY F
  33. S. Gilgeous-Alexander OKC G
  34. Darius Garland CLE G
  35. Jaylen Brown BOS F
  36. Donovan Mitchell CLE G
  37. Zion Williamson NOR F
  38. A. Sengün HOU C
  39. Jarrett Allen CLE C
  40. Jimmy Butler MIA F
  41. Kawhi Leonard LAC F
  42. Keldon Johnson SAN F
  43. Fred VanVleet TOR G
  44. Khris Middleton MIL G
  45. Brandon Ingram NOR F
  46. RJ Barrett NY G
  47. Zach LaVine CHI G
  48. Chris Paul PHO G
  49. Terry Rozier CHR G
  50. Josh Giddey OKC G

Want the full list customized for your league settings? Subscribe to RotoWire for the complete 2022-23 Fantasy Basketball Cheat Sheet.

Fantasy Basketball Top Players - Roto Leagues

  1. Nikola Jokic DEN C
  2. James Harden PHI G
  3. Luka Doncic DAL G
  4. Joel Embiid PHI C
  5. G. Antetokounmpo MIL F
  6. Jayson Tatum BOS F
  7. Kevin Durant BRO F
  8. Karl-Anthony Towns MIN C
  9. LeBron James LAL F
  10. Stephen Curry GS G
  11. Trae Young ATL G
  12. Damian Lillard POR G
  13. Tyrese Haliburton IND G
  14. LaMelo Ball CHR G
  15. Anthony Davis LAL F
  16. Paul George LAC G
  17. Kawhi Leonard LAC F
  18. Fred VanVleet TOR G
  19. Devin Booker PHO G
  20. Cade Cunningham DET G
  21. Bam Adebayo MIA C
  22. Anthony Edwards MIN G
  23. Ja Morant MEM G
  24. Darius Garland CLE G
  25. Pascal Siakam TOR F
  26. Myles Turner IND C
  27. Domantas Sabonis SAC C
  28. Rudy Gobert MIN C
  29. Bradley Beal WAS G
  30. Jimmy Butler MIA F
  31. Evan Mobley CLE F
  32. Nikola Vucevic CHI C
  33. S. Gilgeous-Alexander OKC G
  34. Scottie Barnes TOR F
  35. Dejounte Murray ATL G
  36. Chris Paul PHO G
  37. Jaylen Brown BOS F
  38. DeMar DeRozan CHI F
  39. Kyrie Irving BRO G
  40. Donovan Mitchell CLE G
  41. Kristaps Porzingis WAS F
  42. Alperen Sengun HOU C
  43. Jrue Holiday MIL G
  44. Brandon Ingram NOR F
  45. Khris Middleton MIL G
  46. Zion Williamson NOR F
  47. De'Aaron Fox SAC G
  48. Julius Randle NY F
  49. Zach LaVine CHI G
  50. Jerami Grant POR F

Want the full list customized for your league settings? Subscribe to RotoWire for the complete 2022-23 Fantasy Basketball Cheat Sheet.

Fantasy Basketball Sleepers

Grabbing a sleeper pick during your draft and watching it pay off for you every game during the season is an amazing feeling. In fact, there may be nothing more satisfying in fantasy sports than hitting the jackpot on a sleeper pick.

To aid you in your quest for the elusive fantasy basketball sleeper, we've put together a full list of 2022-23 Fantasy Basketball Sleepers.

  1. Alperen Sengun, Rockets
  2. Collin Sexton, Jazz
  3. Buddy Hield, Pacers
  4. Lauri Markkanen, Jazz
  5. Devin Vassell, Spurs
  6. Gary Trent, Raptors
  7. Tre Jones, Spurs
  8. Kelly Oubre, Hornets
  9. Kelly Olynyk, Jazz
  10. Jarred Vanderbilt, Jazz
  11. Malik Beasley, Jazz
  12. Cody Martin, Hornets
  13. Isaiah Hartenstein, Knicks
  14. Isaiah Jackson, Pacers
  15. James Wiseman, Warriors
  16. Santi Aldama, Grizzlies
  17. Tari Eason, Rockets
  18. Gary Payton, Trail Blazers
  19. Victor Oladipo, Heat
  20. Sam Hauser, Celtics

Fantasy Basketball Busts

Anthony Davis, Los Angeles LakersLAL

There's no question that Davis is one of the most talented players in the league. But he has seen his production decline since joining the Lakers. After averaging at least 11.1 rebounds per game in each of his final three seasons with the Pelicans, he hasn't averaged more than 9.9 rebounds per game with the Lakers. His scoring numbers have also declined, thanks to him playing alongside LeBron James and Russell Westbrook.

The reason to avoid Davis is not because of his production; it's because of his inability to stay healthy. He only played 40 games last season and has appeared in 76 games the previous two seasons. Going back even further, he has played fewer than 60 games in three of the last four seasons. Given that it will likely take at least a mid-to-early second-round pick to acquire him in most fantasy drafts, his injury history makes him too risky.

Dejounte Murray, Atlanta HawksATL

Murray broke out last season. After the Spurs moved on from DeMar DeRozan, Murray was left to run the show. He didn't disappoint, averaging 21.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.4 three-pointers per game.

As good as Murray was, he's now in a completely different situation with the Hawks. He's gone from leading the Spurs in scoring and assists to playing a supporting role to Trae Young, who's had a usage rate of at least 33.0 percent and averaged at least 9.3 assists in each of the last three seasons. Murray should still play a ton and has a chance to lead the league in steals. However, it's fair to expect a significant decline in his points and assists.

Draymond Green, Gold State WarriorsGSW

The problem with Green, for fantasy purposes, is that he's a non-factor in terms of points scored. He hasn't averaged more than 8.0 points per game in the last four seasons. The Warriors don't look for him to score much, leaving him with a usage rate below 15.0 percent in three of those seasons. While he won't hurt fantasy managers on the boards, he's averaged below 7.5 rebounds per game in each of the last four seasons, as well. Last season, he averaged just 2.1 more rebounds per game than Curry.

Another concern with Green is that he just finished a lengthy playoff run and will turn 33 years old in March. If the Warriors want to repeat, they will need Green healthy during the playoffs. That means they might not push him during the regular season, potentially limiting his playing time and/or giving him more days off.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City ThunderOKC

As appealing as Gilgeous-Alexander is, he comes with plenty of concerns. The Thunder should be tanking again, especially with Chet Holmgren (foot) suffering a season-ending injury during the summer. OKC likely has their sites on Victor Wembanyama -- the expected first pick in the 2023 Draft. With the Thunder looking to land high draft picks the last two seasons, Gilgeous-Alexander has been limited to 35 and 56 games, respectively.

To further complicate matters, Gilgeous-Alexander suffered a Grade 2 left MCL sprain during the offseason, putting his status for opening night in doubt. The Thunder should be cautious with his current injury, and any other ones that he suffers later in the season, even minor ones. Like Kawhi Leonard, expecting Gilgeous-Alexander to reach 60 games played is a stretch. He's being selected mostly in the third round of fantasy drafts, leaving him with the potential to disappoint.

Fantasy Basketball Draft Prep

Take a look at RotoWire's fantasy basketball offerings to prepare for your drafts.

For more NBA betting content, including 2022-23 NBA championship odds, check out RotoWire's sports betting hub, where you'll find NBA futures oddsNBA player futures and props and more betting tools.

RotoWire Community
Join Our Subscriber-Only NBA Chat
Chat with our writers and other RotoWire NBA fans for all the pre-game info and in-game banter.
Join The Discussion
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alex Barutha
Alex is RotoWire's Chief NBA Editor. He writes articles about daily fantasy, year-long fantasy and sports betting. You can hear him on the RotoWire NBA Podcast, Sirius XM, VSiN and other platforms. He firmly believes Robert Covington is the most underrated fantasy player of the past decade.
NBA Pick'Em Today: Best Plays on Underdog and Sleeper for Thursday
NBA Pick'Em Today: Best Plays on Underdog and Sleeper for Thursday
NBA Betting Picks Today: Best Plays and Player Props for Thursday
NBA Betting Picks Today: Best Plays and Player Props for Thursday
NBA DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Thursday, November 21
NBA DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Thursday, November 21
NBA Betting Picks Today: Best Plays and Player Props for Wednesday
NBA Betting Picks Today: Best Plays and Player Props for Wednesday
NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Wednesday, November 20
NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Wednesday, November 20
NBA DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Wednesday, November 20
NBA DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Wednesday, November 20