Coming into the league with some of the highest expectations of any rookie, Wembanyama exceeded even many optimists' hopes. The 7-foot-4 phenom led the NBA in blocks per game (3.6) and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting. That's before considering the bulk of his statistical output, which only improved as the season went along. In his 43 games after the New Year, the Rookie of the Year averaged 23.1 points on 48/34/80 shooting, 10.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 3.9 blocks and 1.2 steals in 29.7 minutes. Almost hidden in Wembanyama's stats are his relatively low minutes, and if he can start seeing closer to 35 minutes more consistently, that will create a boost in his numbers by default. After the team sandbagged the point guard position for much of last season, that's set to change this time around. Chris Paul signed a one-year deal with the Spurs and should be a massive boost to Wembanyama's effectiveness, acting as a true floor general capable of directing traffic and dropping dimes. The rest of the surrounding core is mostly the same, creating no new questions about someone fighting for touches. Regardless of league type - redraft, keeper, points, 8-category, 9-category, head-to-head-, roto, you name it - Wembanyama can, and probably should, be drafted No. 1 overall.

Winner of his third MVP, Jokic continues to make his case for best player on the planet. He didn't set any meaningful career highs, but that's not exactly an indictment for a 28-year-old who averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, 9.0 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.9 blocks in 34.6 minutes. His job isn't getting any easier, though. After last season saw the departure of Bruce Brown, this offseason saw the departure of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - an important 3-and-D piece. KCP was effectively not replaced, so it will be up to Christian Braun and Peyton Watson to step up. But the Nuggets will start to look really thin really quickly if any member of the starting five suffers a significant injury. That could potentially lead to more usage, or at least more shot attempts, for Jokic in spurts. Whether that potential is enough for fantasy managers to select him No. 1 over Victor Wembanyama is one thing, but Jokic should practically be locked in as a Top 2 fantasy selection this season. It's arguable he's the safest bet on the board in that respect.

The 25-year-old is coming off his first NBA Finals appearance, losing to the Celtics. Even in the regular season, Doncic had his best season to date, finishing third in MVP voting. He led the NBA with 33.9 points per game, doing so on efficient 49/38/79 percent shooting, even posting a 73-point performance against the Hawks. He also led the league in usage rate (36%) for the third time in four seasons. Close to averaging a triple-double, Doncic also racked up 9.8 assists, 9.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. Few players have as safe of a floor as Doncic, and that shouldn't change in 2024-25. The team will look a bit different this season, with Klay Thompson added to the mix among a full season of trade-deadline acquisitions P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford. But nothing that Dallas has done in the offseason suggests Doncic will take any step back in production, and he's actually still young enough to make strides in his game. Ultimately, he's a clear first-round fantasy selection worthy of being selected in the top five of nearly every league.

Gilgeous-Alexander is the driving force behind a Thunder team that exceeded expectations in 2023-24, finishing with the best record in the Western Conference (57-25). After taking fifth in MVP voting the previous season, SGA finished as last year's runner-up. While he did not set a high in points per game (30.1), he averaged highs in assists (6.2), steals (2.0) and field-goal percentage (53.5%) and notably led the league in total steals (150) and made free throws (567). For the second straight year, the guard was the fourth-ranked eight-category player in per-game value, truly establishing himself as an elite fantasy asset. Though OKC lost to Dallas in the Western Conference Finals, the Thunder are clearly on the upswing and are a legitimate contender. Notably, the team traded Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso and added Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency this summer. There's only so much more usage SGA can handle, so Giddey's departure will likely benefit other players on the roster, like Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace. Ultimately, there's no reason to believe Gilgeous-Alexander won't be worthy of a high-first-round pick again in almost all fantasy leagues.

Last season was one of Davis' healthiest recently, with the big man's 76 appearances representing the first time he's crossed the 70-game threshold since 2017-18. He produced at an elite level, finishing on the All-NBA Second Team and the All-Defensive First Team behind 24.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.2 steals in 35.5 minutes. Even though Davis had his most productive season in half a decade, fantasy managers still have reason to be cautious regarding the 31-year-old's health. He's a first-round talent, but drafting him there still incurs risk. In terms of the team around AD, it will be much of the same. LeBron James is leading the way, with D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura presumably filling out the rest of the starting five, though it's possible Jarred Vanderbilt gets a nominal starting spot for defensive purposes. Regardless, fantasy managers shouldn't expect any massive swings in per-game production from AD, who is one of the best two-way bigs in the game.

After missing all of his true rookie season with a foot injury, Holmgren debuted last season. The No. 2 overall pick from 2022 didn't disappoint, putting together a strong season that would have landed him Rookie of the Year honors were it not for Victor Wembanyama. Offensively, Holmgren was efficient, averaging 16.5 points and 1.6 threes on 53/37/79 shooting. On defense, his shot-blocking was elite, averaging 2.3 swats per game, which was good for the second-highest block percentage (7.3%) in the league. His rebounding was solid (7.9 per game) but certainly lower than hoped for given his 7-foot-1 frame. The Thunder were one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA last season, and they addressed that issue in the offseason by adding center Isaiah Hartenstein. Regardless of how much center or power forward Holmgren plays, he could be in the mix for more offensive responsibilities as his game develops, especially with the team trading away Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso. Holmgren's rebounding and shot-blocking could be affected negatively, but it's possible he will make up for it with more points, assists and steals. Either way, with Holmgren already establishing himself as a top-40 fantasy asset, managers shouldn't feel like they're taking much risk taking him in the second or third round as he enters his age-22 season.

Last season was a breakout for the Pacers, who made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals after finishing the regular season 47-35. Haliburton's final averages don't tell the full story of his season. He began the season with more potent stats, but a hamstring injury limited his minutes and production from most of January onward. In Haliburton's first 32 appearances, he averaged 24.2 points on 50/40/87 shooting, 12.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals across 34.1 minutes. In his final 35 regular-season contests, he averaged 16.8 points on 46/32/84 shooting, 9.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 31.1 minutes. Despite this downturn, Haliburton still returned back-end first-round per-game value for managers in category formats. That should be plenty encouraging for managers this year to select the point guard in the middle-to-late first round. The team is returning essentially the same group, though a full season of Pascal Siakam, plus the return and development of Bennedict Mathurin - who missed the end of the regular season and all of the playoffs - may draw some shot attempts away from Haliburton. That said, he's still one of the best passers and most efficient shooters in the NBA, so there should be no expectations of a dropoff.

After missing the All-Star game in 2022-23, Young re-secured the accolade last season. Entering his age-26 season, Young should have more opportunities for usage. During the offseason, Atlanta bailed on the Dejounte Murray experiment, sending him to New Orleans for picks and depth pieces. The Hawks are now in a soft rebuild focused around Young, Jalen Johnson and No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher. Putting aside the finger injury that limited Young to 54 games, Young had a successful 2023-24 from a fantasy perspective, returning near-first-round per-game value in category formats. That was despite a drop in usage to 30.5 percent - a significant downturn compared to the 34.4 percent rate he boasted the year before Murray's arrival. Young still led the NBA in assist rate (45.1 percent), averaging 10.8 dimes per game in addition to 25.7 points on 43/37/86 shooting, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals. His assists and steals were career highs. Given his youth, role and proven fantasy production, Young should be in the conversation for a late first-round fantasy pick this season. He's already posted two seasons averaging more than 28 points and two seasons averaging more than 10 assists.

Shortly after the 2023-24 season began, Harden forced his way off the 76ers and to the Clippers, joining Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Playing next to that pair led to Harden's least productive season since his final year in Oklahoma City. He averaged 16.6 points and 2.6 threes on 43/38/88 shooting, 8.5 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 34.3 minutes. Despite the reduced numbers, he was still able to return third-round value in most fantasy formats. Harden is still a great passer and three-point shooter, but he's showing his years entering his age-35 season. The primary change is his reduced shot attempts at the rim and fewer free throws as a result. Harden's free-throw attempts have declined in two straight seasons. He took just 4.8 attempts last season, contrasted with 8.2 attempts in 2021-22 and 11.8 attempts in 2019-20. Despite signs of Harden's decline, he may experience a mini-bounceback in 2024-25. George left for Philadelphia in the offseason, with the Clippers failing to replace him with another high-usage player. That leaves plenty of usage on the table for Harden and Leonard. And considering Leonard's injury history, there will be plenty of nights where Harden is the true, clear No. 1 offensive option. Drafting Harden comes with risk, but there's more upside than last season.

The 2022-23 MVP was off to another great campaign last year before it became derailed by a meniscal flap tear that sidelined him from late January until early April. After two relatively healthy seasons where Embiid played 68 and 66 games respectively, the big man's injury history caught back up to him. The result was 39 regular-season appearances in 2023-24, with averages of 34.7 points on 53/39/88 shooting, 11.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.2 steals. On a per-game basis, those numbers were good enough to make Embiid the No. 1 producer in eight-category formats. But now the question is on the front of everybody's mind as much as it ever was - how much can we trust Embiid to stay healthy? He's entering his age-30 season as someone who missed the first two years of his career and has never played 70 games in a season. There is no perfect answer in terms of where to draft him in fantasy based on risk/reward, but there's no question he's a first-round talent. The team around him has changed, though. The 76ers effectively replaced Tobias Harris with Paul George - a much higher-usage player, though also one with his own injury woes. How much George takes usage away from Embiid and Tyrese Maxey remains to be seen, and it's possible George ultimately slots in as the third option. Either way, the talent bump should theoretically allow Embiid to play fewer minutes and take more time to rest with the goal of preserving him for the playoffs.

It was another excellent season for the perennial MVP candidate, who finished fourth in the award voting. The addition of Damian Lillard did little to reduce Antetokounmpo's production. If anything, it actually helped his fantasy value through increased efficiency, with Antetokounmpo averaging 30.4 points per game on a career-high 61.1 percent shooting. He also dished a career-high 6.5 dimes per game. Plus, after a season of decreased defensive numbers, he got his steals average back to 1.2 and his blocks to 1.1. It should be much of the same for the two-time MVP as he enters his age-30 season. The Bucks' core is the same, though it will be interesting to see how the team adjusts with a full season of Doc Rivers. It's possible Lillard takes on some more usage as he gains comfort, but that shouldn't stop Antetokounmpo from being one of fantasy's top producers. As always, fantasy managers in category leagues need to take note of his poor free-throw shooting on high volume, but there are enough ways to work around that to make him worthy of a first-round selection.

Edwards and the Timberwolves took a step forward last season. Minnesota made it to the Western Conference Finals, while Edwards was voted to the All-NBA Second Team amid his second straight All-Star campaign. His fantasy value remained essentially unchanged, but he reached career highs in points (25.9), assists (5.1), field-goal percentage (46.1%) and free-throw percentage (83.6%). He's shown an ability to score from all areas of the court, notably adding more mid-range jumpers to his arsenal. In terms of his role, it should be more of the same for Edwards as he enters his age-23 season. Minnesota swapped Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, but the rest of the core remains intact. There's potential for Edwards to take on more playmaking responsibilities as Mike Conley's twilight years carry on. And given Edwards' age, he still has plenty of potential development ahead of him. Fantasy managers should feel comfortable taking Edwards in the second round of almost all league types as an emerging star who can shoot, pass, defend and rebound.

Amid a tumultuous 2023-24 season for the Warriors - not limited to Klay Thompson's struggles, Draymond Green's antics and Jonathan Kuminga's impatience - Curry was a stable ledge to hold onto. The 10-time All-Star surprisingly played 74 games, which was his most since 2016-17. While he didn't return first-round fantasy value due to slipping assist (5.1), rebound (4.5) and steal (0.7) numbers, Curry's 26.4 points and 4.8 threes on 45/41/92 shooting remained elite. Entering his age-36 season, Curry now begins a new chapter of his career, as the Warriors' Big 3 has officially seen a piece fall off with Thompson joining Dallas. Now Curry and Green - and to some extent, Andrew Wiggins - are the veterans of a ship with a young crew. Despite Curry's age, the conditions are better set than ever before for him to take even more control of the offense, especially in terms of firing shots. He averaged 32.8 points per 36 minutes last season with Thompson and Chris Paul off the floor. Players like Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Buddy Hield and Kyle Anderson will step into some of that vacated usage, but their effectiveness in new roles remains to be seen. The rub is the potential for Curry to get hurt. Good health went a long way for him last season, but it can't be counted on. There are competing factors when looking at Curry in fantasy, but he should firmly be a second-round pick at worst in most drafts.

Consistency is an underrated quality. Tatum's production is Exhibit A in this argument. The newly crowned champion once again played 73-plus games last season. Over the last four seasons, Tatum has averaged over 26.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.8 three-pointers and 4.2 assists per game each year. And he was an All-Star in the last five seasons. The star forward finished sixth in MVP voting last year. While his scoring took a dip (26.9 ppg versus 30.1 the year prior), his field-goal percentage increased from 46.6 to 47.1 percent. And let's not forget Tatum's career free-throw percentage of 84.4 percent at a high volume, ideal for end-of-game closeouts. Boston's loaded depth chart allowed the team to play Tatum a minute less per game versus 2022-23. The presence of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday somewhat relieved the need for Tatum and Jaylen Brown to carry the team. The Celtics are bringing back almost the exact same roster, so Tatum's role as lead scorer and surprising facilitator will continue. And he's only 26 years old. In fact, Tatum's numbers could further blossom during the first half of the season while Porzingis recovers from a foot injury. Tatum and Brown will need to score more often with Porzingis out. While gaudy stats are never guaranteed, Tatum's consistent production is one of the safest bets in the Association.

Last season marked Lillard's first outside of Portland. After 11 seasons with the Trail Blazers, he was traded to Milwaukee, joining forces with Giannis Antetokounmpo. The season had its ups and downs, though the downs - including firing coach Adrian Griffin, Khris Middleton's injuries, and Lillard and Antetokounmpo being hurt in the playoffs - felt more pronounced given the team's expectations. As expected, Lillard's usage took a hit. His 28.4 percent usage rate was his lowest since his third year in the league. Not only that, but his efficiency was below his standards, with the All-Star averaging 24.3 points on 42/35/92 shooting. On a positive note, Lillard appeared in 73 games - his most since 2018-19. He also averaged 7.0 assists to only 2.6 turnovers, which was tied for the second-best assist-to-turnover ratio of his career. Managers who selected Lillard in the first round didn't get what they hoped for, but he was still able to scrape together a top-20 finish in total eight-category fantasy value. Lillard and those around him have cited the change in scenery and disruptive events in his personal life for his down season. However much stock managers want to put into that will be a big determining factor in Lillard's fantasy value. But the reality of Lillard entering his age-34 season and no longer being the No. 1 option on his team isn't up for interpretation.