MUST Draft Players in NBA Fantasy Basketball Drafts 2025-2026

Dream Team!

Sep 15, 2025

Welcome to the latest BLEAV in Fantasy Basketball newsletter, where we turn championship dreams into reality one round at a time. This week's spotlight is the fantasy draft blueprint everybody wishes for…the top player picks for each of the first five rounds. Get ready for consistency, upside, and a little bacon grease, because this is my dream team and it could be yours too.

Round One: Luka Doncic is the Fantasy Core

If you land a top-five pick, let’s not overthink: Jokic is always 1, but Luka deserves a hard look in the next tier. Whether you’re obsessed with “skinny Luka” on the cover of Men’s Health or just want a stat monster, this guy nearly put up a triple-double last season: 33.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, 9.8 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. Even when dinged up, Luka finds ways to deliver those elite numbers. When he cooks, it’s with hot bacon grease…accept no substitutes.

Round Two: Devin Booker Has First Round Value

Book is a perpetual highlight reel for your fantasy roster. You’ll need to spend an early second-round pick, but for a guy projected at 26.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 7.6 assists this season, it’s worth the price. He might have some stinkers, but those blow-up games are so far above the norm, you'll often get more value than you paid for. Booker's ADP is locked in for the early second round…don’t snooze or he’ll be gone.

Round Three: LaMelo Ball is a Calculated Risk

LaMelo Ball is pure electricity on a fantasy roster and a major risk. He’s only cleared 47 games in one season so far (75 in 2021-22), but the projections (25.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 7.8 assists in 50 games for 2025-26) are league-winner material. Draft Ball in the third and stack the rest of your team with ironmen to hedge the upside. When healthy, he gives you monster weekly wins.

Round Four: Chet Holmgren Checks All Boxes

Fantasy managers want versatility, and Chet delivers. As a rookie, he played every game and gave you 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.3 blocks. The projections for this season are nearly the same (15.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.3 blocks). He hits threes, stuffs the stat sheet, and keeps things fun every night. If you want both a winning and watchable team, Chet is your fourth-round answer.

Round Five: Tyler Herro Breaks Out

Don’t make my old mistake—Tyler Herro is the real deal for fantasy. With Jimmy Butler gone, Herro takes the wheel in Miami and his scoring upside is undeniable. Last year, he exploded for 23.9 points per game post-Butler, and this year he’s projected near 22.8. Grab him in the fifth; you’ll thank yourself when the wins start stacking up.

Draft Board Recap

Luka Doncic (superstar)
Devin Booker (first-round talent)
LaMelo Ball (high risk, high return)
Chet Holmgren (category king)
Tyler Herro (breakout scorer)

This combo cooks up consistency, explosive upside, and week-winning swings. If you have questions, dilemmas, lineup drama, or whiteboard conspiracy theories, shoot me an email here. Play the waivers, set those lineups, and BLEAV in fantasy. You know the drill.