Papi Roi’s NBA 2025-26 Fantasy Basketball Positional Tiers

The Point Guards

Sep 22, 2025

Kamusta mga Ka-BLEAV-ers! By the way, I am your NBA Fantasy Papi, and I am bringing the Filipino Brand of Fantasy Basketball straight to the Fantasy Basketball BLEAV Family! For our first content, let me cover the Positional Tiers for this coming NBA 2025-26 Season. This topic is part of the main structure you need to understand whenever you are planning, managing, and drafting your Fantasy Team every year in every league. Yes, we have our usual Player Rankings as a guide. Still, understanding which player provides a similar value per position will give you a big advantage, especially if you are playing in a competitive league where most of your ideal strategy does not happen. You need Plan B to Z to ensure you end up with the best set of players during drafts.

Let us start zooming in on Point Guards—the standard core of fantasy teams. These dudes sling dimes, drop buckets, and steal souls on defense. Of course, with the direction of the NBA where the goal is to achieve a positionless basketball, we will focus on the PG-eligible guards that traditionally average a good amount of assists. I've crunched the numbers, mixing last season's fireworks with my personal projections that will help you get a clearer picture of who to pick or who to prioritize. Grab your popcorn or whatever snackity snack is near you and let’s start rockin'!

Tier 1: The Upper Class of Fantasy Basketball Guards

These beasts are your set-it-and-forget-it anchors. They're averaging monster lines and projected to keep feasting in bigger opportunities this season, so if you can snag one early, you're almost cheating.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC Thunder):

After mentioning his name, I can basically just stop here since this is very obvious given that SGA was a straight monster last year, dropping 32.7 points, 6.4 assists, 5 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1 block per game. And can I just say that his influence on Free throws is just untouchable (literally). The one thing he usually lacks compared to the likes of Luka is his inability to make it rain from the outside. But please take note that he averaged his career high 3-point average last year with 2.1 per game, which should be easily replicable, especially with OKC’s goal to be the first team to win B2B champion since 2017.

Luka Doncic (LA Lakers):

Oh man, I was one of the big believers that Luka would have a big season last year but despite the let down, he still balled out with 28.2 points, 8.1 boards, and 7.5 dimes, 3.6 snipes and 1.6 steals per game even in a "down" year post-trade. This year, in a healthier and slimmer form, I will expect a better statistical season for the new Big Dog in LA. Take note that I am also a firm believer that Ayton’s addition to the Lakers should make things better and easier to their system.

Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons):

The Motor Machine Gun Stud! He broke out in 2024-25 with 26.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1 steal and a league-high 9.1 assists per game. There is no stopping the emergence of the Detroit Pistons and Cade is their main Engine. Another year with almost the same system, but this time the whole team is healthier and more experienced, which will definitely help Cade to be more efficient. Jaden’s presence could take away assist,s but could allow him to get better shots, especially from the outside.

Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors):

At the age of 36, Curry is still the heart and backbone of GSW, and I don’t think it would change this year. Yes, his body is not getting younger but what he does should stay the same. In 70 games, he averaged 24.5 points, 6 assists, 4,4 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 4.4 snipes per game, which is the lowest he garnered in his last 5 seasons. Is this a sign of the inevitable decline? Maybe, but you have to understand that part of Curry’s arsenal is his percentages, and that aspect of his game is still strong.

Tier 2: The Elite Options

This next list could’ve been ranked higher, but since there are several aspects of their game, role, or team that hold them back, they are priced lower.

Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks):

After 7 years, this is the first year that Trae is going to play with a Center like Porzingis, and we could finally see Trae’s full potential with improved spacing and probably the most ideal Pick and Roll partner. Despite recording his career high in assists, he actually just averaged 24.2 points per game, which is his lowest scoring average since his rookie season – so we could actually see a bounce back season for Ice Trae!

James Harden (Los Angeles Clippers):

Last season was The Beard’s comeback year. His 22.8 Points and 3 snipes per game were his best averages since 2020. Obviously, Kawhi’s presence alongside Clippers’ deep roster would hinder Harden’s potential to replicate or surpass his numbers last year, but with the latest Balmer-Kawhi issue, we could easily see James to take over the opportunity once again.

Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers):

I might be one of the few who believe in a better Spida Season this year. First, he should start strong since Cleveland’s backcourt is going to be depleted in their first weeks. The team wants to get as many wins as they can to lock in a better playoff placement and get a better chance in the Eastern Conference, especially in a year where several top teams do not have their main guys anymore, namely, Miami (Jimmy), Milwaukee (Dame), Indiana (Hali), and Boston (Tatum).

Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns):

Booker is back as the Suns’ top dog. Obviously, we should expect his numbers to be bette,r especially his scoring and assists, but potential concerns include a history of missing games due to injuries and a possible slight dip in efficiency as he carries a heavier offensive load. It’s also a puzzle as to how Jalen Green fits his type of game. Will he play more as a playmaker? Will they take turns? Or will he just assume his usual role? One thing is for sure, they have finally have an athletic front court this year, and that is something he has not experienced since his rookie year (unless you consider Ayton athletic 😊 ).

LaMelo Ball (Charlotte Hornets):

Quick talk. If there’s any guard available outside the first round that can finish a season in the first round, That’s gonna be Melo. The thing is, we should emphasize the “Finish a Season” part of the statement.

Tier 3: Battle-Tested Options

The next set of guards has the potential to be the next generation of elite guards in fantasy basketball, or are just rock-solid options as of the moment.

Tyler Herro (Miami Heat):

I personally think Herro is the cheaper version of DBook. They share a similar type of plays, strengths, and weaknesses. And like Booker, Herro is going to get an increased offensive responsibility both in scoring and playmaking. At this point, I do not think his 23.9 points, 5.5 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.3 snipes is a fluke.

Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers):

Maxey offers a compelling combination of high-volume scoring, strong assists, elite free throw percentage, and the potential for a rebound in efficiency. His role as a central player in the 76ers' offense, especially with the uncertainty surrounding Embiid and George, makes him a valuable and relatively safe guard pick. Again, the key to his value here is Embiid and George, so expect fluctuations in his value.

Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks):

Brunson is a reliable source of points and assists, with a solid field goal percentage. Brunson’s 2024-25 season stats included 26.0 points, 7.3 assists, and 2.3 snipes per game. The thing is, Coach Thibs is gone, so we should expect his averages to tone down due to the dip in his minutes. Plus, the Knicks are deeper this season, which should allow him to get more rest against bad teams and blowout games.

Josh Giddey (Chicago Bulls):

Now that Giddey has inked his contract with the Bulls. We could really say that he should be on your list of targets if you need a primary guard. He represents a high-upside pick with a unique fantasy skillset, especially in category leagues that value his ability to get above-average rebounds for a guard. His projected increase in usage in Chicago, combined with his triple-double potential, makes him an intriguing option if you miss out on the top-tier guards during your drafts.

Derrick White (Boston Celtics):

White is one of my favorite players in the NBA. Why? Because he can do a lot of things very well. For example, he averaged a career high 16.4 points last year and still tallied one steal and one block for the whole season. With a significantly different Boston lineup, we should expect him to either replicate or even bump his numbers more this year. The thing is, there is going to be a risk of him resting and probably cruising through the year if the Celtics decide to just skip this season and just wait for Tatum to be healthy next year.

That’s it for now, Fam! I will discuss the complete list of my Point Guard Tiers via Fantasy Basketball PH Podcasts. You should also check our BLEAV Network Episodes and Articles for more Fantasy Basketball content.