2026 NBA Draft: Fantasy basketball winners and losers from the first round

Winners

AJ Dybantsa, Washington Wizards

The No. 1 pick lands in a good fantasy-friendly situation where he can best showcase his dynamic scoring and athleticism. Dybantsa averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and over a steal per game as one of the best freshmen in the country. Now, Dybantsa teams up with Trae Young, Kyshawn George and Alex Sarr — with Anthony Davis potentially joining the mix. He’s a draftable fantasy asset from the jump and a safe bet to start from Day 1.

Cameron Boozer, Memphis Grizzlies

Boozer joining the Grizzlies is ideal because he can comfortably slot into the starting unit at power forward alongside Zach Edey. There’s legit double-double potential right out of the gates, especially considering Memphis is in rebuild mode. Boozer checks several boxes from a fantasy perspective, offering efficient production in points, rebounds and assists. Of the top three teams, this was the best outcome for his fantasy value.

Caleb Wilson, Chicago Bulls

I was concerned that Wilson would go to a place that wouldn’t maximize his talent. Usually, that place is Chicago. However, I’m trusting that its front office changes and commitment to targeting players with size, length and athleticism are the right way to redesign its roster. Wilson has the highest two-way ceiling in this draft to me and I think playing with an uptempo PG like Josh Giddey will help unlock his fantasy potential.

Nic Claxton has arrived, but I think Wilson is capable of posting 15-9-3 with a couple of stocks a game as a rookie. That’s a draftable asset in redraft leagues and I’ll likely have him near my top 100. It’s high, but I like Wilson’s talent that much as a Kevin Garnett-type player.

Darius Acuff Jr., Sacramento Kings

Sacramento’s recent track record of selecting point guards in the first round has gone well — Tyrese Haliburton, De’Aaron Fox, Davion Mitchell … still waiting to see on Devin Carter, but you get the point. Acuff reminds me of Stephon Marbury — mad handles, great passer and top-tier scorer. With Russell Westbrook out of the way, they needed a true lead guard, and they got the first player since Pete Maravich to lead the SEC in both scoring (23.5 PPG) and assists (6.4 APG) in the same season. Kings GM Scott Perry played with Acuff’s father, so it wouldn’t surprise me if this was all a part of the plan. Despite all of those veterans, I think the future of this franchise is in the hands of Acuff, which should be good for fantasy purposes.

Mikel Brown Jr., Brooklyn Nets

Brooklyn landing Brown at No. 6 feels like a dream scenario. The Nets find their floor general to orchestrate the offense for Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle, and Brown steps right in as the primary guard. At Louisville, he put up 18.2 points and 4.7 assists per game, showing off elite efficiency for a college guard. Don’t forget he was the best player on the Team USA U19 squad, which also featured fellow first-rounders Dybantsa, Morez Johnson Jr. and Koa Peat. With Brooklyn’s open roster, he’ll have every opportunity to cook.

Losers

Brayden Burries, Milwaukee Bucks

The talent is real, but the landing spot is brutal. Milwaukee is carrying Tyler Herro, Ryan Rollins, Kevin Porter Jr. and Kasparas Jakučionisin the backcourt. Burries is buried before he plays a single NBA minute. He’s still a top-10 dynasty pick, but until the Bucks shed some guard depth, redraft managers shouldn’t consider Burries an option in his rookie campaign.

New Orleans Pelicans

New Orleans spent the night and day dangling Trey Murphy III, trying to move into the first round and came away empty-handed. In a class loaded with players that could help improve their roster, not landing a single first-round pick is a miss. Failing to make a move before the draft only hurts its leverage, in my opinion.

New York Knicks

New York drafted Cameron Carr, then flipped him to the Lakers for PG Sergio De Larrea — a Valencia-based prospect who isn’t coming over next season. The Knicks burned a first-round pick on a draft-and-stash when they could’ve drafted some insurance for their championship roster. The Knicks love their international prospects, but in this instance, there were plenty of options to fill out their roster.