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Top 20 ranked players for NBA Fantasy 2025/26

Author

Karan Talwar
September 09, 2025

In this piece I’ll cover my top 20 projected players for the upcoming 2025/26 NBA fantasy season.

This does not mean you need to draft each player exactly where I’ve ranked them. It means that if you can land them later than this spot, you’re getting value.

A few notes on how I build these projections/rankings:

  • I put a premium on players who contribute in points, assists, and rebounds, since those tend to be the least variable year over year.

  • I disregard turnovers entirely.

  • These rankings will be updated periodically as we get more info from training camp and preseason. I will update the date on the website.

  • Rankings are not the be-all, end-all way to enter a draft. Everything is subjective: team builds, punts, positional scarcity, and draft runs all shift value. Use rankings as a guide, not a rulebook — letting a list dictate your draft is a sure-fire way to lose.

  • For example, Zion at 20 does not mean I am drafting him at 20. His current ADP is in the 50s, and if I can get him there, that simply means I’ve landed multiple rounds of value in the right build.

  • Yes, some of these players like LaMelo Ball, Zion, and Anthony Davis carry injury risk. You may choose to push them down your own lists a bit. In my rankings, I’ve prioritized per-game upside, moreover, Ball, Zion and Davis are entering the season healthy for now, all indications. However Embiid with his recurrent injuries and not healthy to start the season, I am not interested in anywhere in the top 20. Kawhi isn’t far from this spot.

With that in mind, here are my 20 projected players for 2025/26 as of 8th September, 2025:

  1. Nikola Jokic

  2. Victor Wembanyama

  3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

  4. Luka Doncic

  5. Giannis Antetokounmpo

  6. Anthony Davis

  7. Cade Cunningham

  8. Anthony Edwards

  9. Trae Young

  10. Devin Booker

  11. James Harden

  12. Stephen Curry

  13. Kevin Durant

  14. LaMelo Ball

  15. Jalen Johnson

  16. Karl-Anthony Towns

  17. Lebron James

  18. Tyrese Maxey

  19. Donovan Mitchell

  20. Zion Williamson

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