The NBA draft is always one of the best days on the sports calendar for fantasy basketball managers, offering a glimpse at the next wave of talent to enter the league.
Some seasons, many rookies are worthy of fantasy attention. Other seasons, like this past one, there are only a handful of instant impact first-year players.
So where does this draft class stand?
Here are the players with the talent to contribute to fantasy teams from Day 1.
Instant impact
Cade Cunningham, PG, Detroit Pistons
The Pistons hope they've drafted their next superstar in Cunningham, and they'll put the keys to the franchise in his hands from Day 1. Standing at 6-8 and 220 pounds, Cunningham has the size to be a nightmare to opposing guards and the skill to shred bigger defenders. He's a physical lead guard type that the Pistons could choose to employ as their full-time point guard, or that they might equally utilize as an off-ball scoring threat. Cunningham isn't the most explosive athlete in the draft, with neither electric quickness nor video game leaping ability, but with his ratio of height, strength and mobility in an NBA-ready body he should be able to make his mark on the game immediately.
Cunningham averaged 20.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 3.5 APG, 2.3 3PG, 1.6 SPG and 0.8 BPG in his freshman year at Oklahoma State. He can work off the dribble, is an excellent passer with either hand, operates well out of the ISO and plays solid defense as well. Jay Bilas compares him to Grant Hill, but says Cunningham is more advanced than Hill was when he entered the league. Mike Schmitz calls Cunningham the most complete player he's evaluated. According to the draft projections from ESPN SIG, Cunningham's 98.0 grade is the best in his class by a significant margin, with a larger gap between his and the second best score (Jalen Green's 95.9) than between second and sixth. This season, he projects as a plus contributor across the board in eight-category leagues, and a legitimate impact starter in points leagues.
Jalen Green, SG, Houston Rockets
In Green, the Rockets picked a player that has drawn comparisons to everyone from Tracy McGrady to Bradley Beal. Green projects as perhaps the most gifted scorer in this class, able to knock down shots from all levels of the court. He's strong at creating his own shot off the bounce and flourishes in ISO situations. Green went straight to the G League after high school, and made 46% of his field goal attempts and 36% of his 3-point attempts from the NBA-distance 3-point arc. He has all-world athleticism, including incredible leaping ability and excellent speed, and uses those gifts to finish at the rim and draw fouls. He's a strong free throw shooter and creates enough off the dribble for himself and teammates to project as a combo guard in the NBA. Green is also a solid defender, who averaged 1.5 steals per game in the G League.
Green joins a Rockets squad that currently has two other scoring guards in veteran John Wall and up-and-comer Kevin Porter Jr., but he should be the offensive centerpiece out the gates. He already has a season of professional experience, including play in a bubble, which should serve him well in getting off to a strong start from Day 1. Green is right behind Cunningham in early Rookie of the Year odds, and according to the ESPN SIG draft projections has a strong 43.0% chance to develop into an NBA All Star. Green would have been a viable top overall pick candidate in many NBA drafts, and will be worth consideration in the early-middle rounds of fantasy basketball drafts.
Evan Mobley, PF, Cleveland Cavaliers
Mobley is 7-0 with a 7-4 wingspan, and has drawn comparisons to Chris Bosh and Anthony Davis. Kendrick Perkins said that Mobley reminds him of a modern day Bill Russell... extraordinarily high praise. Mobley is an explosive leaper that gets off his feet quickly, which serves him well at both ends of the court. He's got the ability to defend the rim, protect the paint, crash the glass and rim-run on offense even before getting to some of his more refined skills. He's also got good touch on his jumper and strong passing ability, and he's comfortable going out to the perimeter on offense or switching onto guards on defense. The biggest weakness in his game is his lack of bulk at only 215 pounds. He also lacks consistent ISO scoring skills, which could limit his ability to be a lead scorer.
On the Cavaliers, however, Mobley wouldn't be asked to be a lead scorer. He'll be joining recent high lottery draft picks Collin Sexton and Darius Garland, who'll be relied upon to create offense, which should allow Mobley to focus on his strengths. The Cavaliers are still young and early enough in their rebuild process that they should allow Mobley to get minutes early and often as a rookie. He's athletic enough to get minutes playing at the four next to Jarrett Allen, and also is likely to get some center minutes when Allen sits. Mobley is considered by some to be the most talented player in this class in the long term, but even as a rookie he has the upside to score in the teens and potentially lead all rookies in both blocks and rebounds. Mobley's Rookie of the Year odds are only slightly behind Green's, and he should also come off the board in the middle rounds of fantasy basketball leagues.
Jalen Suggs, PG, Orlando Magic
Suggs "fell" to the Magic at the No. 5 pick, giving them an elite point guard prospect and one of the best players in college basketball last season while at Gonzaga. Suggs was both Mr. Football and Mr. Basketball for the state of Minnesota in high school, and his quarterback skills are still on full display in his basketball career. He has excellent court vision, is a great decision maker and elite floor general. He also has great size for a point guard at 6-4, 205 pounds and uses his strength, quickness and leaping ability to break down defenses off the dribble and finish strong in the paint. Suggs will need to work on his consistency from behind the arc and improve on his 76.1% free throw shooting, but otherwise has a complete offensive game that should scale well to the NBA level. He's also a physical defender that generated almost two steals a game in college, and a strong rebounding guard that averaged almost six boards.
Suggs projects to be the elite lead guard that the Magic have been looking for, and is another rookie that could produce impact numbers from the start. The ESPN SIG draft projections peg him as the third best prospect in the class, with a grade of 95.4 that's only a fraction behind Green and slightly ahead of Mobley that pegs him with a 41.6% chance to develop into an All-Star. On a Magic squad with little in the way of playmakers, Suggs should produce fantasy starter caliber numbers early and is worthy of fantasy draft consideration in the middle rounds.
Keep an eye on
Scottie Barnes, SF, Toronto Raptors
Barnes is a unique, versatile combo of a long, glue guy and a point guard. Capable of playing multiple positions on both offense and defense, Barnes has drawn comparisons to Draymond Green. The Raptors choosing him with the fourth pick suggests to many that the rumors of Pascal Siakam being on the trade block may be true. Barnes would be behind Siakam and OG Anunoby for playing time at present, but if Siakam is moved then Barnes could compete for starter minutes during his rookie season. He didn't produce big scoring stats in college, but does have all-around production upside with strong defensive numbers with sufficient playing time.
Josh Giddey, PG, Oklahoma City Thunder
Giddey is a 6-9 point guard that has grown three inches in the last three years, and as a teenager still could grow more. He's an excellent passer that led the Australian NBL with 7.4 APG last season, and his strong pick-and-roll skills should translate immediately to the NBA. He forms an intriguing backcourt of the future next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but his lack of scoring ability and explosiveness, as well as his developing nature, makes him more of a flyer than a must-draft in fantasy hoops this season.
Alperen Sengun, C, Houston Rockets
Sengun was described by ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony as "arguably the most productive 18-year old in high-level European basketball history" after he averaged 18.6 PPG (67% FG, 81% FT), 8.9 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.5 BPG and 1.3 SPG in only 28.0 MPG to lead his team to the semifinals of the Turkish league playoffs. He's a strong interior scorer with great rebounding and defensive instincts. He's also a plus passer, and has drawn comparisons to Domantas Sabonis. Some see Sengun as a dark horse Rookie of the Year candidate, which makes him a player of interest and potential late-round flyer.
Jonathan Kuminga, SF, and Moses Moody, SG, Golden State Warriors
Kuminga is a long, athletic forward that has also drawn consideration as one the most talented players in this draft. He is another player that skipped college and went straight to the G League, giving him professional experience. Early in the G League there was thought he might challenge for the No. 1 pick, but his lack of a consistent jumper caused him to slide down lists. On a Warriors team built to contend right now, Kuminga could be more of a longer term project than an immediate impact player.
Moody may have the more NBA-ready game than Kuminga, and projects as a solid 3 and D wing that could contribute right away. But again, the Warriors are built to win now and have other wings in Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins that should dominate the minutes and shots.
Franz Wagner, SF, Orlando Magic
Wagner was the second lottery pick for the Magic, and projects as an elite defensive forward with excellent length and mobility. On offense he's good at moving without the ball and finishing at the rim. Wagner is still very young, with room to grow, and has draft bragging rights after being picked No. 8 overall, 17 picks ahead of where big brother Mo was drafted in 2018. With the Magic deep in rebuilding mode after having traded away most of their starters last season, Wagner could end up competing for starter minutes as a rookie and thus is worth keeping an eye on.
James Bouknight, SG, Charlotte Hornets
Booknight is an explosive scorer that many mock drafts had going as high as sixth in this draft. He fell to the Hornets at 11, and his short term fantasy basketball viability will depend strongly on whether they bring back both Terry Rozier and Devonte' Graham as scoring guards next to LaMelo Ball. Long term, Bouknight looks like a good fit next to Ball in their backcourt of the future.