The NBA season is nearly upon us with Opening Night set for Oct. 18.
That means fantasy basketball season is right around the corner, and The Sporting News is here to help you prepare for your draft.
If you’ve been locked in to fantasy football and slacking on your fantasy hoops research, we have you covered with top 200 player rankings, the top 20 players at each position and one sleeper for all 30 NBA teams heading into the new season.
We also had 10 members of our TSN staff run through a draft for our company fantasy league, using the results as a Mock Draft template to give readers an idea of where players may be selected.
The league is made up of five NBA experts and five fantasy sports experts, providing several different personalities, opinions and fan preferences into each pick.
You can find the full results below, followed by a few picks that were worth highlighting in each round of the Mock Draft.
2022-23 Fantasy Basketball Mock Draft board
| Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6 | Round 7 | Round 8 | Round 9 | Round 10 | Round 11 | Round 12 | Round 13 | Round 14 | |
| Jovan Alford (@Jovan10) | Joel Embiid | Paul George | Anthony Edwards | Tyrese Maxey | Nikola Vucevic | Jordan Poole | O.G. Anunoby | Michael Porter Jr. | D’Angelo Russell | Cole Anthony | Bennedict Mathurin | Harrison Barnes | Ivica Zubac | Kyle Lowry |
| Leandro Fernandez (@FernandezLea) | Nikola Jokic | Pascal Siakam | Darius Garland | Brandon Ingram | Deandre Ayton | Jalen Brunson | Tyler Herro | Devin Vassell | Keegan Murray | Lauri Markkanen | Chris Duarte | Jalen Smith | De’Andre Hunter | Joe Harris |
| Nick Musial (@MusialNick) | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Kawhi Leonard | DeMar DeRozan | Jaylen Brown | Khris Middleton | Desmond Bane | Jalen Green | PJ Washington | Gary Trent Jr. | Kevin Porter Jr. | Jaren Jackson Jr. | Brandon Clarke | Jordan Clarkson | Jalen Suggs |
| Micah Adams (@MicahAdams13) | Luka Doncic | Bam Adebayo | Cade Cunningham | Evan Mobley | De’Aaron Fox | Franz Wagner | Christian Wood | Collin Sexton | Herb Jones | Tre Jones | Jarred Vanderbilt | Mark Williams | Luguentz Dort | Patrick Williams |
| Scott Rafferty (@crabdribbles) | Stephen Curry | Ja Morant | Domantas Sabonis | Rudy Gobert | Zach LaVine | Keldon Johnson | Tobias Harris | Myles Turner | Jerami Grant | Russell Westbrook | Malcolm Brogdon | Cam Johnson | Onyeka Okongwu | Chris Boucher |
| Gilbert McGregor (@GMcGregor21) | Kevin Durant | LeBron James | Dejounte Murray | Chris Paul | Donovan Mitchell | Mikal Bridges | Clint Capela | Anfernee Simons | Wendell Carter Jr. | Buddy Hield | Jabari Smith Jr. | Montrezl Harrell | Dillon Brooks | James Wiseman |
| Alex Novick (@ANov_SN) | Tyrese Haliburton | Karl-Anthony Towns | Fred VanVleet | Bradley Beal | Jusuf Nurkic | Josh Giddey | Jakob Poeltl | Julius Randle | Mitchell Robinson | Josh Hart | Jaden Ivey | Isaiah Jackson | Ayo Dosunmu | Talen Horton-Tucker |
| Kyle Irving (@KyleIrv_) | Jayson Tatum | Devin Booker | Jimmy Butler | Zion Williamson | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Paolo Banchero | Jonas Valanciunas | Ben Simmons | Kyle Kuzma | Andrew Wiggins | Monte Morris | Nicolas Claxton | Bones Hyland | Kevin Huerter |
| Sloan Piva (@SloanPiva) | James Harden | Damian Lillard | Anthony Davis | Kyrie Irving | Jrue Holiday | Alperen Sengun | John Collins | Terry Rozier | Al Horford | RJ Barrett | Robert Williams III | De’Anthony Melton | Mo Bamba | Gordon Hayward |
| Jacob Camenker (@JacobCamenker) | Trae Young | LaMelo Ball | Jarrett Allen | Scottie Barnes | CJ McCollum | Kristaps Porzingis | Jamal Murray | Klay Thompson | Marcus Smart | Saddiq Bey | Daniel Gafford | Draymond Green | John Wall | Tari Eason |
Round 1
1. Joel Embiid
As great as Embiid is, Nikola Jokic should be the first overall pick in fantasy drafts regardless of league format.
The stats favor Jokic but even beyond that, he has been historically healthy, never playing fewer than 70 games in a season. Embiid is coming off of a career-high 68 games played last season but he’s much more of an injury risk than his MVP counterpart.
With all of this being said, fantasy is about having fun and a 76ers fan landed the first pick, so it’s hard to blame him. Who else would you expect him to go with?
7. Tyrese Haliburton
It might catch you by surprise to see Haliburton’s name with the rest of the group of players selected in the first round, but it shouldn’t. Expect Haliburton to be a hot commodity in fantasy this season, unlikely to fall past the first two rounds.
The 22-year-old was one of the best fantasy players in the league after he was traded to the Pacers last season, averaging 17.5 points, 9.6 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.8 steals on .502/.416/.849 shooting splits.
If you’re a Haliburton believer, you’re going to have to be willing to reach for him earlier than anyone else.
Round 2
11. LaMelo Ball
Just one hour after we completed our fantasy draft, the news broke that Ball is expected to miss the start of the season with a Grade 2 left ankle sprain.
While that would have likely raised a red flag and caused him to fall a bit further than 11th overall, don’t let the injury scare you away from selecting Ball. The Hornets are expected to be cautious with their franchise player, but Ball is a top-15 fantasy talent when he’s on the floor and he shouldn’t miss much time beyond the first few weeks of the season.
15. LeBron James
James slid on a lot of preseason fantasy basketball rankings but don’t let those fool you. The King is still the King.
James is coming off a season where he averaged 30.3 points per game — the second-highest scoring mark of his career. Although he’s 37 and entering Year 20 in the league, LeBron is still well worth a late-first or early-second-round pick in fantasy.
Getting him at 15th overall is very solid value here.
Round 3
22. Darius Garland
I’m a little bit surprised Garland fell to the third round after the breakout season he had last year. The first-time All-Star averaged 21.7 points and 8.6 assists per game, proving to be one of the best young playmakers in the NBA today.
Sure, Donovan Mitchell will steal some of his touches as a scorer but the offense will still run through Garland and there should be no hesitation in selecting the 22-year-old.
If this is any indication, he’ll be a second-round pick in most 12-team leagues.
25. Domantas Sabonis
Given Sabonis’ presence as a fantasy monster over the last two seasons, this feels like a steal at 25. Sabonis is another player who I noticed sliding in rankings this year and I cannot understand why.
Over the past two years, he has averaged 19.6 points, 12.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 55.3 percent from the field.
His ability to do a little bit of everything, combined with the fact that the Kings will need him to do a lot to be successful, makes Sabonis feel like a lock of a second or third-round pick.
Round 4
32. Kyrie Irving
Irving only appeared in 29 regular season games last year, burning a lot of the fantasy owners who rolled the dice on him in drafts. As a result, don’t be surprised if Irving slides in your fantasy drafts this year — just as he did in this one — because people will always be skeptical of his availability (and rightfully so).
However, don’t let Irving slide too far because when he’s on the floor, he’s an incredible talent. He averaged 27.4 points, 5.8 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 3.4 3-pointers per game last season and he will be eligible to play in home games again this season.
Selecting Irving in the third or fourth round feels about right.
33. Zion Williamson
With how sharp he’s looked in the preseason, I was shocked to see Williamson fall to the fourth round. The last time Williamson was healthy, he averaged 27.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while shooting 61.1 percent from the field and he looks like he’s in the best shape of his career heading into the 2022-23 season.
Even with the possibility of him sitting out some games for injury management, I would still suggest taking Williamson as early as the third round if you want him on your squad.
Round 5
46. Donovan Mitchell
Any time a player changes teams, it’s fair to wonder about how their fit and role will impact their performance. In the instance of Mitchell going to the Cavaliers — a team that desperately needed some offensive firepower on the wing — there shouldn’t be many hesitations about his impact.
Playing alongside Garland, Mitchell should get easier scoring looks than he’s ever had before. He also averaged a career-high 5.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game last season, proving he can affect other categories besides points. This was a great value pick.
48. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Gilgeous-Alexander fell to the fifth round because he is dealing with a sprained MCL that may cause him to miss the start of the regular season. While the injury isn’t expected to be serious, the Thunder will certainly be cautious with their franchise cornerstone.
There are a few reasons to be hesitant about selecting SGA. The Thunder will be one of the teams trying their absolute hardest to position themselves in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes, which means Gilgeous-Alexander (and other young pieces like Josh Giddey) could miss some time with “injuries” during the back half of the regular season.
That means he could be in and out of the lineup during the fantasy playoffs, but his talent still makes him worthy of a draft pick in the fourth or fifth round.
Round 6
52. Alperen Sengun
Sengun is one of my favorite sleeper picks this season. The second-year center is poised to take over the starting role in Houston and he already gave us a glimpse of what his production could look like. As a rookie, Sengun averaged 16.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.4 steals per 36 minutes.
If you’re in the sixth or seventh round and you’re unimpressed with the players available, scroll down and take a flier on Sengun.
53. Paolo Banchero
Banchero was the first rookie off the fantasy draft board, just as he was in the real NBA Draft this past offseason.
This was admittedly a bit of a reach, but I’m extremely confident in Banchero’s ability to make an immediate impact for the Magic. His ability to score, rebound, and create for his teammates makes him a multi-faceted weapon who should contribute to every statistical category in fantasy.
Round 7
63. Jalen Green
Green began to really look comfortable after the All-Star break last season. The No. 2 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft closed the season strong, going on a stretch of five-consecutive 30-point games before erupting for a career-high 41 points in the final game of the year.
He’ll look to carry that momentum into Year 2 as the Rockets’ No. 1 scoring option again, and he’s an upside play for fantasy managers in the sixth or seventh round.
70. Jamal Murray
Murray missed the entire 2021-22 season recovering from a torn ACL but the Nuggets’ star point guard is expected to be ready for Opening Night this year.
He’ll understandably slide in fantasy drafts because it’s likely that Denver eases him back into his role but once Murray gets his rhythm back, he’ll pick up where he left off as the Nuggets’ No. 2 option on offense. Don’t let him fall any further than where he was selected here.
Round 8
73. Ben Simmons
Simmons is another curious case in fantasy this season. He missed the entire 2021-22 season with a back injury (among other things), but now he is expected to be ready to go for the Nets on Opening Night.
Simmons was a fantasy Swiss Army Knife prior to his injury, contributing to every category while racking up defensive counting stats. While his role with Brooklyn is still somewhat unknown, it felt like a steal to land him in the eighth round. He’s a high-risk, high-reward player.
74. Julius Randle
It was only two seasons ago when Randle finished as a top-20 fantasy player with averages of 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game. The Knicks All-Star regressed in a big way last season, but he still put up solid counting stats from a fantasy perspective.
This was another late-round steal because if Randle can bounce back to his full potential this season, he’ll outperform his ADP with ease.
Round 9
82. Keegan Murray
Murray was the second rookie off the board and I’d argue he could (and should) have gone even earlier than he did. Everything Murray has done against NBA competition shows that he has the makings of a well-rounded fantasy basketball player.
He scores with efficiency, rebounds at a high level, contributes defensive counting stats, and can even pass a bit, too. He’s starting to create some Rookie of the Year buzz ahead of his first season and he could very easily be one of the biggest steals in fantasy drafts if he continues to get selected in this range.
Round 10
96. Russell Westbrook
This year will be, without a doubt, the lowest Westbrook has ever been drafted in fantasy. After a rough first season with the Lakers last year, Westbrook may not be the dominating fantasy force he once was, but he should still be selected sooner than he was here.
The NBA’s triple-double king is no stranger to stuffing the stat sheet and although your field goal percentage may take a hit, his contributions to all other counting stats outweigh the negatives. Westbrook is worth the risk.
Round 11
109. Robert Williams III & 103. Jaren Jackson Jr.
Grouping these two young, shot-blocking centers together because they will both start the season on the sidelines with injuries.
Williams is expected to miss 8-to-12 weeks after undergoing knee surgery, meaning he’ll be out until roughly the middle of December. Jackson had a procedure on his foot in the offseason, and he is expected to return at some point in November or December.
Both players will make an impact upon their return and this is around the time you’ll want to look into selecting them as a stash in your IR spot.
Round 12
116. Cam Johnson
Johnson will take over the starting power forward role in Phoenix this season and that should certainly give him a boost in fantasy. Last season, Johnson was a Sixth Man of the Year candidate with averages of 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.5 3-pointers per game. If you look at his per 36 numbers, he posted 17.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 steals and 3.5 3-pointers per game.
This late in the draft (and perhaps even earlier), it’s worth grabbing Johnson in case he has a breakout season in a bigger role.
Round 13
125. Onyeka Okongwu
Okongwu finally cracked the Hawks’ rotation during the back end of last season and he continued to earn minutes in the playoffs. The young and athletic center should see a more consistent role this season, contributing blocks, rebounds and a boost to field goal percentage.
He’s probably still more of a waiver-wire player while starting center Clint Capela is healthy, but this late in the draft, Okongwu is the exact type of player you want to take a chance on.
Round 14
131. Tari Eason
If preseason is any indication, Eason is in line for a big role for the Rockets during his rookie season. In his first three preseason games, he has averaged 20.7 points and 10.0 rebounds. He gives Houston the length and versatility it desperately needs on the defensive end, so he should see plenty of minutes to make a fantasy impact.
I would start keeping tabs on Eason as soon as the 10th or 11th round.
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