Win Your Draft, Win Your Season: A Points League Mock That Shows the Blueprint

From Karl Anthony Towns and James Harden to LaMelo Ball and upside rookies, this BLEAV mock draft breaks it all down.

Aug 20, 2025

Welcome back to the BLEAV in Fantasy Basketball newsletter, where we turn mock drafts into masterclasses. In our latest session, I jumped into a 12 team ESPN Points League mock draft and came away with four out of five goats on my draft board. Here is the recap, the reasoning, and the players you need to think about if you want to win your league this season.

Early Rounds: Safe Picks with Winning Ceilings

Like clockwork, the opening of any draft is scripted: Jokic, Wemby, SGA, Giannis, Luka. Nothing shocking there. It is after pick five when the real decisions begin. Sitting late in the first, I locked in Karl Anthony Towns at pick 10. Towns continues to be underrated. Even with Rudy Gobert siphoning rebounds, he is still a 25 and 10 player in points formats who does not need excessive minutes to get it done.

On the turn, I paired that with James Harden. Call me old school, but Harden remains first round caliber in points formats. He finished last year averaging double digit assists and elite usage. I will happily scoop him up at the 2 3 turn because I believe he will return top 12 per game value in this format.

Round 3 to 5: Value Bombs and Risk Management

The middle rounds are where you swing for value, and this draft was no different.

Cooper Flagg in the third was my swing. Yes, rookies carry risk, but in points leagues where usage is king, I believe he will carve out immediate volume. Sometimes you need that upside pick.
LaMelo Ball in the fourth was a risk tolerance play. If he hits 50 healthy games, you smash value where he is going. Pairing him with Harden and Cat gives me insulation for those injury management weeks.
Brandon Miller and Miles Turner headlined my fifth round choices. Turner racks up boards, blocks, and efficient scoring every season. Miller is ascending, and in a mock this is where you take the leap.

I also want to spotlight Zion Williamson. Not my pick here, but his name came up. If you do not already have injury prone players, Zion is a smart gamble around the fourth or fifth. On a per game basis last season he averaged 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. If he stays on the floor, you profit.

Later Rounds: Risk, Rookies, and Stash Plays

This is where you turn creativity into championships. My theme was sprinkling high upside rookies and undervalued vets.

Isaiah Hartenstein in the seventh. Steady role who outproduces projections.
Matas Buzelis, Keonte George, Walter Clayton Jr. All speculative adds with paths to minutes. Clayton Jr. reminds me of a young Jalen Brunson. Undersized, skilled, and the kind of guard who creates value regardless of role.
Bradley Beal in the 10th. At this price, a no brainer. If he strings together a healthy stretch, you win the pick.

Along the way, I cautioned against overpaying for names like Jalen Brunson and Paul George, noting either coaching context or durability concerns.

Draft Philosophy Takeaways

Injury balance. It is fine to take Ball or Zion. Do not stack three or four injury risk players together. That tanks your floor.
Stacking teammates. Unlike football, stacking rarely pays in basketball. Cap it at two from the same team.
Swing late. The later rounds are for high variance, high upside plays. If they bust, cut them. If they hit, they change your season.

Final Team Review

From Kat and Harden, to Flagg and LaMelo, to vet rookie balance with Turner, Miller, and Beal, I like this build. I gave myself a 4 out of 5 goat rating. Early stability, mid round upside, and late round creativity. That is how you win mocks, and more importantly, how you prepare for championship seasons.

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