Fantasy Basketball Mock Draft: Head-to-Head Categories 4.0

On Tuesday evening, I participated in a 12-team, 9-category head-to-head mock draft hosted on Yahoo's platform. I joined a completely random mock, picking from the No. 3 spot against other semi-anonymous fantasy diehards. Below, I'll post my team, followed by some round-by-round analysis of surprises, lessons and general takeaways.

Fantasy Basketball Mock Draft

My Team

1. Luka Dončić (DAL - PG,SG)

2. Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK - PF,C)

3. Alperen Şengün (HOU - C)

4. Franz Wagner (ORL - SF,PF)

5. Pascal Siakam (IND - SF,PF)

6. Isaiah Hartenstein (OKC - C)

7. Brandon Ingram (NOP - SG,SF,PF)

8. Austin Reaves (LAL - PG,SG)

9. Terry Rozier (MIA - PG)

10. Tyus Jones (PHX - PG)

11. Marcus Smart (MEM - PG,SG)

12. Dennis Schröder (BKN - PG)

13. Jaime Jaquez Jr. (MIA - SF)

This is one of the favorite teams I've drafted in all of my 2024-25 NBA Fantasy mocks. I think I ended up with a strong and unique build.

You can really go any direction after drafting Doncic since he's proficient in almost every category, but I opted to lean in with a playmaking big man build. It's heavy in the points, rebounds and assists categories, while I should have the ability to be competitive in both field-goal percentage and threes – a rare combination. And while my steals and blocks numbers may not be elite, I have a nice blend of both. That's something I can shore up off the waiver wire if I find myself needing one of those two categories to thrive.

If I reached for anyone, I think it was Hartenstein in the sixth round. But he fits the build, and I wanted to ensure I had one more quality center in this two-center format. And if early preseason is any indication, it's possible he has a career year in Oklahoma City.

Here are the round-by-round results with some analysis. My picks are in bold.

Round 1

(1) william - Victor Wembanyama (SAS - C)

(2) dnd - Nikola Jokić (DEN - C)

(3) Alex - Luka Dončić (DAL - PG,SG)

(4) Zenders - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC - PG)

(5) Zach - Anthony Davis (LAL - PF,C)

(6) Henry - Joel Embiid (PHI - C)

(7) DT - Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL - PF,C)

(8) Abel - Jayson Tatum (BOS - SF,PF)

(9) bjayfinch - Tyrese Haliburton (IND - PG,SG)

(10) Bekir - Stephen Curry (GSW - PG,SG)

(11) Derek - Domantas Sabonis (SAC - C)

(12) Kenny - Trae Young (ATL - PG)

I wouldn't say there's anything crazy here, but I do like Haliburton at pick 9. I have mixed feelings about Sabonis at 11, since I think he'll have a decrease in production this season. But the reality is that he's always on the court, and you can lean into his strengths in a H2H 9-cat format. Punt threes and punt defense, and you've got yourself a strong build, even if your first round pick isn't great "value".

Round 2

(1) Kenny - Anthony Edwards (MIN - SG,SF)

(2) Derek - Jalen Brunson (NYK - PG)

(3) Bekir - Donovan Mitchell (CLE - PG,SG)

(4) bjayfinch - James Harden (LAC - PG,SG)

(5) Abel - Scottie Barnes (TOR - SG,SF,PF)

(6) DT - Devin Booker (PHX - PG,SG)

(7) Henry - LaMelo Ball (CHA - PG,SG)

(8) Zach - Kevin Durant (PHX - SF,PF)

(9) Zenders - Chet Holmgren (OKC - PF,C)

(10) Alex - Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK - PF,C)

(11) dnd - Damian Lillard (MIL - PG)

(12) william - LeBron James (LAL - SF,PF)

I was surprised to see Durant slip to the middle of the second round. He normally gets picked around the turn, but occasionally, you get a risk-averse draft room. Brunson at pick No. 14 overall is just too high. He was essentially a late-second to early-third round value last year, but I don't see how he improves upon that. Bringing in Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges only serves to take touches away from Brunson.

Round 3

(1) william - De'Aaron Fox (SAC - PG)

(2) dnd - Kyrie Irving (DAL - PG,SG)

(3) Alex - Alperen Şengün (HOU - C)

(4) Zenders - Paul George (PHI - SG,SF,PF)

(5) Zach - Lauri Markkanen (UTA - SF,PF)

(6) Henry - Tyrese Maxey (PHI - PG,SG)

(7) DT - Cade Cunningham (DET - PG,SG)

(8) Abel - Fred VanVleet (HOU - PG)

(9) bjayfinch - Jalen Williams (OKC - SG,SF,PF)

(10) Bekir - Dejounte Murray (NOP - PG,SG)

(11) Derek - Bam Adebayo (MIA - C)

(12) Kenny - Evan Mobley (CLE - PF,C)

This is about as chalky as it gets for a third round. I was ecstatic to get Sengun here, who is good value, fits my build and obviously qualifies at center in the two-center format. If he got selected before my pick, I may have opted for Cade Cunningham, Jalen Williams or Bam Adebayo.

Round 4

(1) Kenny - Ja Morant (MEM - PG)

(2) Derek - Jalen Johnson (ATL - PF)

(3) Bekir - Myles Turner (IND - C)

(4) bjayfinch - Jaren Jackson Jr. (MEM - PF,C)

(5) Abel - Immanuel Quickley (TOR - PG,SG)

(6) DT - Paolo Banchero (ORL - SF,PF)

(7) Henry - Jimmy Butler (MIA - SF,PF)

(8) Zach - Desmond Bane (MEM - SG,SF)

(9) Zenders - Jaylen Brown (BOS - SG,SF)

(10) Alex - Franz Wagner (ORL - SF,PF)

(11) dnd - Kawhi Leonard (LAC - SG,SF,PF)

(12) william - Rudy Gobert (MIN - C)

Another fairly standard round, but a relatively early selection for Quickley. He typically goes in the fifth round, but I won't be surprised if he continues to creep up the draft board. He's finally in a starting role for an entire season and should function as Toronto's No. 2 option behind Scottie Barnes.

Round 5

(1) william - Zion Williamson (NOP - PF,C)

(2) dnd - Darius Garland (CLE - PG)

(3) Alex - Pascal Siakam (IND - SF,PF)

(4) Zenders - Jarrett Allen (CLE - C)

(5) Zach - Derrick White (BOS - PG,SG)

(6) Henry - Jamal Murray (DEN - PG,SG)

(7) DT - Jalen Duren (DET - C)

(8) Abel - Julius Randle (MIN - PF)

(9) bjayfinch - Miles Bridges (CHA - SF,PF)

(10) Bekir - Nikola Vučević (CHI - PF,C)

(11) Derek - DeMar DeRozan (SAC - SF,PF)

(12) Kenny - Deandre Ayton (POR - C)

I was happy to get Siakam in Round 5. I think he's become underrated in fantasy, and a full season in Indiana's fast-paced and spaced offense should only help him. Garland is also great value in Round 5. His numbers took a hit last year while he dealt with injuries. I expect a bounceback, and his floor is incredibly high.

Round 6

(1) Kenny - Zach LaVine (CHI - SG,SF)

(2) Derek - Mikal Bridges (NYK - SG,SF,PF)

(3) Bekir - Tobias Harris (DET - SF,PF)

(4) bjayfinch - Brandon Miller (CHA - SG,SF)

(5) Abel - Josh Giddey (CHI - SG,SF)

(6) DT - Bradley Beal (PHX - PG,SG)

(7) Henry - Nic Claxton (BKN - C)

(8) Zach - Cam Thomas (BKN - SG)

(9) Zenders - Kyle Kuzma (WAS - PF)

(10) Alex - Isaiah Hartenstein (OKC - C)

(11) dnd - Jordan Poole (WAS - PG,SG)

(12) william - Michael Porter Jr. (DEN - SF,PF)

Round 6 is where we start to see the mix of "well, someone has to draft him" players and "imagine if this player reaches his upside" players. I explained my Hartenstein dart at the top of the article, so I'll highlight that I think this is the appropriate spot to take a shot on Cam Thomas and Jordan Poole as well. I don't think you can go wrong with Thomas here. Poole was disappointing/horrible for much of last season, and this is maybe a slight reach for him, but he cleaned things up at the end of the year. Maybe he'll be more comfortable in Year 2 with the Wizards.

Round 7

(1) william - D'Angelo Russell (LAL - PG)

(2) dnd - Jakob Poeltl (TOR - C)

(3) Alex - Brandon Ingram (NOP - SG,SF,PF)

(4) Zenders - Anfernee Simons (POR - PG,SG)

(5) Zach - Devin Vassell (SAS - SG,SF)

(6) Henry - Jusuf Nurkić (PHX - C)

(7) DT - Jrue Holiday (BOS - PG,SG)

(8) Abel - Tyler Herro (MIA - PG,SG)

(9) bjayfinch - Collin Sexton (UTA - PG,SG)

(10) Bekir - Keegan Murray (SAC - SF,PF)

(11) Derek - Jonas Valančiūnas (WAS - C)

(12) Kenny - Bogdan Bogdanović (ATL - SG,SF)

These are all strong picks. I'll highlight my Ingram pick, though. I'm as skeptical of Ingram as anybody. He's injury-prone, playing with a bunch of other high-usage players, and he's on the trade block. But he's also three-position eligible, which is rare, and his floor is high as a walking 20/5/5. I'm not going to worry too much about Ingram's downside in Round 7.

Round 8

(1) Kenny - OG Anunoby (NYK - SF,PF)

(2) Derek - Alex Caruso (OKC - SG,SF)

(3) Bekir - Brook Lopez (MIL - C)

(4) bjayfinch - Trey Murphy III (NOP - SF,PF)

(5) Abel - Coby White (CHI - PG,SG)

(6) DT - Mark Williams (CHA - C)

(7) Henry - Jalen Suggs (ORL - PG,SG)

(8) Zach - Jonathan Kuminga (GSW - PF)

(9) Zenders - Jalen Green (HOU - PG,SG)

(10) Alex - Austin Reaves (LAL - PG,SG)

(11) dnd - Ivica Zubac (LAC - C)

(12) william - Chris Paul (SAS - PG)

I know White is going to have to contend with Zach LaVine being back and Josh Giddey coming in, but it just doesn't feel like he should be available in the middle of Round 8. He's not getting you any defensive stats, but everyone in this area of the draft has glaring flaws. The difference is that most of them aren't also threats to average an efficient 20 points and 5 assists while hitting threes. More than anything, this is proof that great guards are still available at the end of drafts. Get your big men early.

Round 9

(1) william - Herbert Jones (NOP - SF,PF)

(2) dnd - CJ McCollum (NOP - PG,SG)

(3) Alex - Terry Rozier (MIA - PG)

(4) Zenders - Clint Capela (ATL - C)

(5) Zach - Khris Middleton (MIL - SF)

(6) Henry - Jabari Smith Jr. (HOU - PF,C)

(7) DT - Draymond Green (GSW - PF,C)

(8) Abel - John Collins (UTA - PF,C)

(9) bjayfinch - Onyeka Okongwu (ATL - PF,C)

(10) Bekir - Walker Kessler (UTA - C)

(11) Derek - Daniel Gafford (DAL - PF,C)

(12) Kenny - Jerami Grant (POR - SF,PF)

Rozier is getting zero buzz this season away from the Hornets. That makes sense since he's contending for usage with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. But the fantasy community also doesn't like drafting Butler or Herro due to injury concerns. From a playmaking perspective, Rozier is the clear next man up if one or both of those guys are injured. This is also where centers start to run out quickly. If you see Okongwu come off the board and you still need a center, you're in trouble.

Round 10

(1) Kenny - Kristaps Porziņģis (BOS - PF,C)

(2) Derek - Zach Edey (MEM - C)

(3) Bekir - Naz Reid (MIN - PF,C)

(4) bjayfinch - Dereck Lively II (DAL - C)

(5) Abel - Bobby Portis (MIL - PF,C)

(6) DT - Amen Thompson (HOU - SG,SF)

(7) Henry - Cameron Johnson (BKN - SF,PF)

(8) Zach - Trayce Jackson-Davis (GSW - PF,C)

(9) Zenders - Keyonte George (UTA - PG,SG)

(10) Alex - Tyus Jones (PHX - PG)

(11) dnd - Klay Thompson (DAL - SG,SF)

(12) william - Josh Hart (NYK - SF,PF)

I like taking a chance on Thompson in Round 10. He was great in somewhat limited minutes last year. Houston's rotation is a bit of a logjam, but Thompson is a multi-position player who can fill in wherever there's an injury. By comparison, my Jones pick is a higher-floor option but with less upside.

Round 11

(1) william - Aaron Gordon (DEN - PF,C)

(2) dnd - Ausar Thompson (DET - SF,PF)

(3) Alex - Marcus Smart (MEM - PG,SG)

(4) Zenders - RJ Barrett (TOR - SF,PF)

(5) Zach - Brandin Podziemski (GSW - SG)

(6) Henry - P.J. Washington Jr. (DAL - PF)

(7) DT - Rui Hachimura (LAL - SF,PF)

(8) Abel - Norman Powell (LAC - SG,SF)

(9) bjayfinch - Al Horford (BOS - PF,C)

(10) Bekir - Aaron Nesmith (IND - SF,PF)

(11) Derek - Deni Avdija (POR - SF,PF)

(12) Kenny - Malcolm Brogdon (WAS - PG,SG)

These are all fine picks, so I'll highlight my Smart selection. He's fairly low on Memphis' offensive pecking order, but he should be a lock for 30 minutes per night and fits their defensive mentality. Like my Rozier pick from earlier, there's no buzz with Smart, but he's someone that's shown consistent top-75 upside in the past half-decade and is an excellent source of steals.

Round 12

(1) Kenny - Mike Conley (MIN - PG)

(2) Derek - Donte DiVincenzo (MIN - SG,SF)

(3) Bekir - Buddy Hield (GSW - SG,SF)

(4) bjayfinch - Malik Monk (SAC - SG,SF)

(5) Abel - Jaden Ivey (DET - PG,SG)

(6) DT - Andrew Wiggins (GSW - SF,PF)

(7) Henry - Wendell Carter Jr. (ORL - C)

(8) Zach - Karlo Matkovic (NOP - PF)

(9) Zenders - Ben Simmons (BKN - PG)

(10) Alex - Dennis Schröder (BKN - PG)

(11) dnd - Jeremy Sochan (SAS - SF,PF)

(12) william - De'Anthony Melton (GSW - PG,SG)

You know things are getting sketchy when Ben Simmons and Karlo Matkovic come off the board. Matkovic played only eight minutes during New Orleans' preseason opener. One more low-minute showing and he should probably be off standard draft boards entirely. Ivey has played well in preseason and is a nice talent bet late in drafts. I went with Schroder, hoping for a payoff in what should amount to a role where he's the second-best offensive option.

Round 13

(1) william - Grayson Allen (PHX - PG,SG)

(2) dnd - Scoot Henderson (POR - PG)

(3) Alex - Jaime Jaquez Jr. (MIA - SF)

(4) Zenders - Russell Westbrook (DEN - PG)

(5) Zach - Andrew Nembhard (IND - PG,SG)

(6) Henry - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (ORL - SG,SF)

(7) DT - Caris LeVert (CLE - SG,SF)

(8) Abel - Kelly Oubre Jr. (PHI - SG,SF)

(9) bjayfinch - Keon Ellis (SAC - SG,SF)

(10) Bekir - Jaden McDaniels (MIN - SF,PF)

(11) Derek - Jordan Clarkson (UTA - SG,SF)

(12) Kenny - Jonathan Isaac (ORL - SF,PF)

Officially the "why not?" portion of the draft, I went with Jaquez – someone I just believe will play about 30 minutes per night and is talented. The best pick here is probably Henderson, though. If you have a chance to bet on the No. 3 overall pick during his second year in the league with the final selection of your fantasy draft, especially one who will be starting, you just do it.

Fantasy Basketball Draft Strategy

Check out RotoWire's How to Play Fantasy Basketball guide for a complete walkthrough, but here is some basic advice:

• Check out custom NBA Fantasy Projections
• Look into Fantasy Basketball Mock Drafts
• Listen to a Fantasy Basketball Podcast
• Check in on Fantasy Basketball Player News
• Read Fantasy Basketball Articles
• Dive into RotoWire's Fantasy Basketball Draft Kit
• Study NBA Depth Charts
• See RotoWire's Fantasy Basketball Dynasty Rankings