2023-24: Coming off of another summer representing his native Slovenia at EuroBasket, Doncic had the best season of his NBA career to date. Appearing in 70 games for the first time since his rookie campaign, the Mavericks star averaged 33.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.5 blocks, and 4.1 3-pointers in 37.5 minutes. Recording career-highs in points, assists, steals, and 3-pointers, Doncic had greater chemistry with Kyrie Irving and finished third in the MVP voting while leading the Mavs to the NBA Finals.

What’s Changed: Nothing has changed regarding Doncic’s role, but he did get a full summer to recuperate after Slovenia failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics.

Outlook: Doncic may not be involved in the conversation regarding who should be the first overall pick in category league drafts, but he is not going to be on draft boards very long. Last season, he had a Yahoo ADP of three, and the early numbers match that. Another year to work with Irving should only help matters, and Doncic has already developed good chemistry with 2023 first-round pick Dereck Lively II. As long as he remains healthy, fantasy managers should get another top-5 season out of Doncic.

2) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Age: 26 HT: 6-6 WT: 195

2023-24: After bursting onto the fantasy scene with a third-round finish during the 2021-22 campaign, SGA finished third in per-game fantasy value in 2022-23. He established himself as one of the game’s best two-way options by scoring in bunches and racking up defensive stats on the other end of the floor. The best was yet to come, as Gilgeous-Alexander finished second in per-game fantasy value last season behind monster averages of 30.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 2.0 steals, 0.9 blocks and 1.3 triples. He shot lights-out from the floor, knocking down 53.5%
of his shot attempts, and he converted 87.4% from the charity stripe. SGA set new career highs in assists, steals, and FG% while also leading the league in swipes. Most importantly for fantasy managers, the star guard appeared in 75 games – the most since his rookie season in 2018-19. Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City to a 57-25 record and the No. 1 seed in an ultra-competitive Western Conference.

What’s Changed: Oklahoma City brought in Alex Caruso in the offseason, and while Caruso could theoretically cut into SGA’s assist and steal numbers, the impact would be minimal at best.

Outlook: Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged at least 30 points, four rebounds, five assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.9 blocks in consecutive seasons, and he’ll remain a locked-in, top-10 fantasy option even if he experiences a slight drop-off in counting stats. He’s a quality shooter who doesn’t turn the ball over at a high rate, giving him a sturdy floor. The sky’s the limit for the 26-year-old, who’s amid his prime and ready to lead Oklahoma City on another playoff run. He’ll also lead any fantasy team that drafts him with a first-round pick.

3) Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers

Age: 24 HT: 6-5 WT: 185

2023-24: Haliburton earned a second consecutive All-Star Game appearance last season, averaging 20.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 10.9 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.7 blocks, and 2.8 3-pointers in 32.2 minutes. Shooting 47.7% from the field and 85.5% from the foul line, the Pacers point guard provided 1st-round per-game value in 8- and 9-cat formats while being a top 20 option in totals. Haliburton’s most significant issue was his hamstring injury in mid-January. He missed four games and may have rushed back due to a desire to remain eligible for postseason awards (that pesky 65-game minimum). It took Tyrese some time to hit his stride, but he was elite in leading the Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals. Another hamstring injury suffered during Game 2 of the conference finals sidelined him for the remainder of the series.

What’s Changed: Haliburton was with Team USA at the Paris Olympics but played sparingly as Steve Kerr’s team won gold. Following the Olympics, it was admitted that Haliburton was not 100%, so the injury likely had more to do with his role than the matchups.

Outlook: Since being traded to the Pacers, Haliburton has been one of fantasy basketball’s most productive point guards (and players in general). Having a whole training camp to work with Pascal Siakam should only strengthen their on-court chemistry, and the return of Bennedict Mathurin gives Tyrese another scorer to get the ball to. Despite their run to the conference finals, the Pacers aren’t mentioned much when pundits discuss threats to the champion Celtics. That may motivate Haliburton more than anything that happened in Paris. Look for him to come through with another top-10 fantasy season, and he should be a 1st-round pick in all leagues.

4) Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks

Age: 25 HT: 6-1 WT: 164

2023-24: Though he missed about a month and a half late in the season due to a hand injury, Young was still incredible on a per-game basis. He provided third-round value with averages of 25.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 10.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and 3.2 threes per game. He posted career-highs in both assists and steals, while his 3-point contributions leaped back up during Quin Snyder’s first full season at the helm. He only played 54 games, which was a career-low, and he had one of his worst years at the free throw line.

What’s Changed: After giving it two years, the experiment with Trae and Dejounte Murray in the backcourt ended. Young will no longer have to share playmaking duties, and the Hawks have started to surround him with shooters and defenders, which may be able to open things up for him.

Outlook: Despite the clunky fit next to Dejounte, Young was still among the elite in fantasy basketball. Managers should expect a poor field goal percentage, many turnovers, and no real contributions in rebounds or blocks. However, there aren’t many NBA players who can put up points and assists like Trae, and he can chip in enough 3-pointers and steals to make an impact. With Murray gone, Trae should see a bump in usage after he had his lowest rate since his rookie season. The changes the Hawks made this summer are a recipe for Young to have a big season.

5) Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks

Age: 34 HT: 6-2 WT: 195

2023-24: Lillard’s move to the Bucks was viewed mainly as the NBA’s most impactful transaction last season. However, the former Trail Blazers point guard sometimes struggled to adjust to his environment. He averaged 24.3 points per game and shot lower percentages from the field (42.4%) and three-point range (35.4%) compared to his final run with the team that drafted him. Dame’s playmaking and rebounding numbers remained unchanged after transitioning to the Eastern Conference. Still, he might not be the elite fantasy talent he once was because of his scoring upside.

What’s Changed: Lillard might be asked to carry a heavier load in 2024-25, as Cam Payne and Patrick Beverly are gone. Delon Wright will serve as his primary backup. Lesser support and more time to mesh with Milwaukee’s core and coaching staff could help Lillard have a resurgent season. He’ll need to put the ball in the basket more and covert his shots at a higher clip to regain elite point status.

Outlook: Lillard is a quality player but is no longer a consensus first-round option. In most leagues, he’s more likely to be drafted between the middle and end of the second round. Whether he can exceed expectations remains to be seen, as younger guards are hungry and ready to push him back a few spots.

6) Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Age: 36 HT: 6-2 WT: 185

2023-24: Last season was one of the worst full seasons of Curry’s career, as he averaged 26.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 4.8 triples per game. His scoring and shooting were still unreal, but he averaged career-lows in both assists and steals, which resulted in a hit to his 9-cat value. He still finished in the top 25, but it was a bit disappointing for a player who has finished as a first-rounder in every other season that he played at least 30 games. However, it wasn’t all bad, as he played in 74 games, which was his highest mark since the 2016-17 season.

What’s Changed: Klay Thompson left for Dallas, which broke up the Splash Brothers. However, the Warriors were able to replace him with Buddy Hield and De’Anthony Melton in the backcourt. None of these moves will impact Curry’s minutes, though Steve Kerr did drop him down to 32.7 minutes per game last year after three straight seasons playing at least 34.

Outlook: As long as Curry is still suiting up, he’ll be among the elite in fantasy basketball. His availability over a five-season stretch was a bit concerning, especially since he’ll turn 37 this season, but he quieted a bit of that noise last season. He shouldn’t have any issues leading the league in 3-pointers once again, but it would be a nice boost if he was able to make more of an impact in assists and steals than than he did last season. Regardless, managers should draft Curry with confidence.

7) LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets

Age: 23 HT: 6-7 WT: 180

2023-24: What a frustrating season for LaMelo and the managers that drafted him. Sure, he averaged 23.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 1.8 steals, and 3.2 threes per game, which allowed him to provide top-25 value. Those numbers were great, but he only played 22 games right after he played 36 games the year before. LaMelo’s on-court production has never been questioned, but his ability to stay on the court has been his most significant issue. His game is super fantasy-friendly, so hopefully, he’ll leave the injury issues behind him.

What’s Changed: Once again, LaMelo enters the season healthy. Hopefully, he’ll be more available this year than in the last two years, but they have a few new backup options at point guard. They acquired Vasilije Micic and Tre Mann at the deadline last year and added K.J. Simpson in the draft’s second round. However, if Ball is healthy, he’ll see a ton of minutes.

Outlook: Ball has never finished outside the top 75 in 9-cat leagues, and he hasn’t finished outside the top three rounds of producers since his rookie season. He does that despite many turnovers and a poor field goal percentage, which shows how strong he is in points, assists, steals, and 3-pointers while also being solid with free throws and rebounds. If it were a guarantee that LaMelo would play 70+ games, he’d be drafted in the first round every time. He’s simply that talented and will end up as a massive steal if he’s healthy this season.

8) Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets

Age: 27 HT: 6-4 WT: 215

2023-24: Murray enjoyed a strong statistical 2023-24 campaign, posting averages of 21.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.7 blocks, and 2.5 triples while shooting 48.1% from the field, and 85.3% from the charity stripe. The points, dimes, blocks, and FG% were all career-best marks for Murray, and the rebounds were the second-most of his career. Murray was excellent on a per-game basis, but injuries limited him to just 59 appearances. Durability has been a major concern for Murray, who missed the entire 2021-22 campaign and averaged just 57.7 games across his last four available seasons. Despite missing more than 20 regular-season games, Playoff Murray was ready to go as he nailed two game-winners in the Nuggets’ first-round series victory over Los Angeles.

What’s Changed: Murray will operate once again as Denver’s starting point guard in a rotation that should be even tighter than it was a season ago.

Outlook: Fantasy managers looking at Murray for the 2024-25 campaign should have heightened awareness of his durability issues. He appeared in 12 playoff games to end his NBA season and then competed in Paris as part of the Canadian men’s Olympic team. He’s always a dependable per-game option who can contribute in multiple categories, but there’s an obvious risk of him missing games.

9) James Harden, Los Angeles Clippers

Age: 35 HT: 6-5 WT: 220

2023-24: He was on Philadelphia’s roster to start last season, but Harden was traded to the Clippers early in the season and made his debut with LA early in November. He only missed a few games after that and averaged 16.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.6 triples per game. It was the first time he averaged fewer than 20 points since he was with the Thunder, about 12 years prior. Harden finished just outside the top 25 in 9-cat scoring despite his points, rebounds, and assists dropping from the previous year.

What’s Changed: Harden wasn’t in any trade rumors this summer, which gives us a bit more clarity heading into this season than we had heading into the last one. With Russell Westbrook and Paul George gone, Harden moved up the pecking order with the Clippers, and he should be the second offensive option behind Kawhi Leonard. As a team, they lost a lot of talent this summer, which allows Harden to fill the void with a big season.

Outlook: At 35 years old, Harden is approaching the end of his career. However, as far as situations go, this is one of the best that he has been in from a fantasy perspective. He was a third-round producer last season as the third scoring option while trying to figure out how to make things work with Kawhi, PG, and Russ. It was a bumpy start due to not having an offseason of practice as a team, but that shouldn’t be an issue this season. Harden has an opportunity to have a bounce-back season and return to being among the elite in fantasy basketball. He isn’t the same player that he once was, but he’s still good enough to make the most of this situation.

10) Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks

Age: 28 HT: 6-2 WT: 190

2023-24: Having played well during his first season with the Knicks, Brunson took things to another level in 2023-24. In 77 games, the Knicks point guard averaged 28.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 0.9 steals, and 2.7 3-pointers in 35.4 minutes, shooting 47.9% from the field and 84.7% from the foul line. Posting career-best averages in points, assists, and 3-pointers, Brunson finished fifth in Most Valuable Player voting and was a second-team All-NBA selection. He also made his first All-Star Game appearance and would ultimately lead the Knicks to the second round of the playoffs. Brunson suffered a fractured left hand during New York’s Game 7 loss to Indiana but is expected to be ready to go when training camp begins.

What’s Changed: Brunson made a move this summer that raised some eyebrows, agreeing to an extension worth a little over $156.5 million over four years. Had he waited, Brunson could have made upwards of $113 million more, but keeping a contending core intact was the point guard’s priority. Maybe the Knicks name Brunson captain without that gesture, but it’s clear who’s leading the way in the Big Apple.

Outlook: Brunson shouldered a heavy workload last season, one that got even heavier as the Knicks lost key players due to injury. As a result, he finished the regular season as a top 30 player in 8- and 9-cat per-game value and was a top 20 option in totals. However, However, with a healthy OG Anunoby, and the additions of KAT and Mikal Bridges, the Knicks should not rely on Brunson as much regarding his scoring output. The assists could increase though, making up for a potential decrease in points. The latter stages of the second round in standard league drafts is when fantasy managers should begin to consider selecting Brunson.