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Giannis Antetokounmpo is the clearest reason to stop chasing free-throw percentage. He made 65.0% on 9.9 attempts a game in 2025-26, enough volume that adding one excellent shooter is unlikely to rescue the team total. Remove that problem and his 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 62.4% FG become much easier to build around. This guide is written for a 12-team, nine-category head-to-head league, where the aim is a reliable route to five weekly category wins.
The next picks still have different jobs to do. Giannis averaged only 0.7 blocks, so he needs a teammate who can supply rim protection. Jalen Duren gives you much more FG% volume than Rudy Gobert, while Gobert offers more blocks. Alperen Sengun adds 6.2 assists from center. Those differences matter more than simply collecting players with poor free-throw percentages.
Shooting and turnovers are the easiest categories to lose by accident. Jamal Murray's threes and assists or Trey Murphy III's shooting and steals can be worth buying even when their strong FT% goes unused. Giannis, Sengun and Stephon Castle each averaged 3.2 turnovers, so combining them requires a separate plan for ball security. Daniels and Pritchard offer ways to add passing with a smaller turnover cost.
The live table uses corrected 2025-26 production with FT% removed. For the coming season's outlook, compare it with the projected Top 150 and current Yahoo ADP. Written draft ranges reference the 2026-09-26 ADP snapshot and use Yahoo standard pre-ranks checked 2026-10-13.
The strategy
Giannis is the clearest reason to build this way. He made 65.0% of his free throws on 9.9 attempts a game in 2025-26, enough volume that one excellent shooter is unlikely to rescue the team percentage. Once you stop trying to repair it, his 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 62.4% FG become much easier to build around. Mobley and Gobert offer different versions of the same opportunity: useful frontcourt production that comes with a free-throw cost other managers have to consider.
The important decision comes after the first pick. A Giannis team still needs threes, assists and real shot blocking; he averaged only 0.7 blocks himself. Taking every available big with a weak free-throw percentage can leave you with impressive rebounds and too few other ways to win. Murray, Murphy and White may give up some value at the line, yet their shooting or passing can do more for the finished team than another center.
This guide assumes a 12-team, nine-category head-to-head league. You are building a reliable route to five weekly category wins, with enough depth to compete in more when the schedule or opponent changes. In roto, finishing near the bottom in FT% creates a season-long standings deficit, so the same concession is harder to justify. In head-to-head, it is a practical way to stop spending draft capital on a category your opening picks make expensive.
Natural strengths & weaknesses
FG% and rebounds are the natural starting advantages, but the player differences matter. Duren shot 65.0% on 11.5 attempts; Gobert shot 68.2% on 6.5. Duren has more influence over the team percentage through volume, while Gobert gives you almost twice the blocks. Sengun supplies 6.2 assists from center, but his 51.9% FG is much less powerful than Giannis' efficiency. Choose the contribution your opening leaves short rather than treating every low-FT big as the same bargain.
Shooting is the easiest category to lose by accident. Gobert and Duren give you no threes, while Amen and Daniels each made only 0.3. That does not rule out combining them, but it means the other slots have real work to do. Murphy's 3.2 threes with 1.5 steals or Murray's 3.3 with 7.1 assists are valuable precisely because they cover more than one missing guard category. You still need points as well: Gobert, Ausar and Wallace can help a great deal without supplying much scoring.
Turnovers need a separate plan. Giannis and Sengun each averaged 3.2, and Castle brings another 3.2. Putting all three together may win assists while quietly conceding another category. Daniels supplied 5.9 assists with 1.8 turnovers, and Pritchard gave 5.2 with 1.4. Those alternatives help you add passing without making every possession expensive. Efficient bigs also let you carry a weaker shooter, but only up to a point: adding White, Suggs and another low-FG% shooter together can make FG% difficult despite the intended strength of the build.
Where the value sits in the draft
Giannis gives you a foundation in scoring, rebounds and FG%, leaving passing and threes as priorities for the following picks. Murray is a second-round guard option, while Flagg supplies broader forward production but leaves more shooting to buy later. Choose between them according to the categories your first pick leaves short.
White and Murphy belong in the third-round discussion, with Daniels, Clingan, Okongwu and Bane considered in round four. Daniels is especially useful for passing and steals when FT% is removed; if the roster already has Amen and several non-shooters, Murphy may solve the more important problem. A player falling is a bonus, not a draft plan.
Kessler is a fourth-round option if his practice progress translates into game availability. Queta supplies rebounds and efficient finishing later. Hartenstein adds center assists, but check his ankle status; Claxton's hamstring and Nurkić's toe injury also complicate immediate availability. Nurkić is a final-pick injury-slot option, not a healthy solution to missing rebounds.
How to use the board and draft targets
The Top 150 estimates overall draft value; this guide focuses on the categories you intend to win. A player's best fit and sensible buying range can differ from his overall rank.
The table and example-team totals use 2025-26 per-game results with the punted category excluded from value; they do not forecast games played. Players with a known multi-week absence stay on the table, but their Value is scaled down by the share of a healthy season we expect them to deliver (marked INJ), and the GP column shows each player's 2025-26 sample, so weigh low totals before trusting a high rank. The written round targets are where 2026-27 roles, injuries and known absences are priced in. Rookies without an NBA season row are excluded from the historical radar, not assigned zero projected production. Example rosters illustrate category trade-offs rather than guaranteed draft paths.
Round-by-round draft targets
Round 1
Nikola Jokić. Starting with Jokić keeps the decision open. His 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists give you enough production to consider almost any direction, including a free-throw punt if the next picks make it worthwhile. You are giving up useful value at the line, so I would want the later discounts to be substantial: Mobley or Gobert becomes a much more comfortable selection, while their blocks fill a category Jokić does not dominate. His 56.9% FG also gives you room for a volume shooter later. The limit is turnovers. At 3.7 a game, he makes the low-turnover passing of Murray or Pritchard more attractive than simply adding the next available lead guard.
Luka Dončić. Luka gives this build its perimeter offense before you draft a center. His 33.4 points, four threes and 8.2 assists are especially valuable when the following rounds might include Gobert, Mobley or another big who adds very little outside shooting. The 78.0% FT on ten attempts becomes irrelevant once you commit. What remains is 47.6% FG on 22.7 shots and four turnovers: neither is fixed by removing free throws. You need substantial efficient volume from the frontcourt, and you should be selective about adding another high-turnover creator. A Luka-Sengun opening can work, but the next guard should probably look more like White or Bane than Castle. In eight-category leagues, that turnover concern disappears and the pairing becomes easier.
Giannis Antetokounmpo. The clearest reason to commit to this build in the first round. Giannis shot 65.0% on 9.9 free throws a game, enough volume to make winning the category difficult even with good shooters around him. Remove that problem and you get 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists on 62.4% FG. The important correction is on defense: he blocked only 0.7 shots, so you still need a proper source of rim protection. Miami's pairing with Bam changes how the offense will be shared, and last season's 36 games make availability a serious part of the price. At our No. 5 valuation, I would build for a big FG% advantage, then look for a shooter and a shot blocker at the next two turns.
Other relevant targets: Scottie Barnes, Jalen Johnson, Anthony Edwards, Cade Cunningham.
Round 2
Cooper Flagg. Flagg can supply guard-like passing from a forward without needing to dominate the ball. His 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks give an early Giannis team several ways to develop beyond interior scoring. The issue is shooting: neither selection lets you postpone threes indefinitely. I would consider Flagg early in round two, then look for perimeter volume rather than a third non-shooter. Kyrie's return makes efficiency growth more defensible than assuming a large increase in touches.
Jamal Murray. Murray is the second-round guard I would look for after Giannis. His 3.3 threes and 7.1 assists cover two categories that become harder to find when you keep selecting bigs, and 25.4 points help you avoid turning into a team of defensive specialists. He did that with 2.3 turnovers and 48.3% FG, a relatively comfortable combination for this build. Denver has added DeRozan, so projecting the same scoring workload would be optimistic; the shooting and passing remain the reasons to draft him. You give up the value of his 88.7% FT, but that is a reasonable cost when the rest of the line fits this well. His 75-game season also makes him a reassuring partner for Giannis after an injury-shortened year.
Amen Thompson. Amen can give a guard slot the rebounding and efficiency of a forward. His 7.8 boards and 53.4% FG came with 5.3 assists and 1.5 steals, a helpful way to keep the frontcourt advantages growing without filling every roster spot with centers. His free throws were a manageable 77.9%, so the strongest argument here is the overall fit rather than an enormous FT% discount. The 0.3 threes are much harder to accommodate after a Giannis start. VanVleet's return may also take away some of the ballhandling that produced those assists. I like Amen more beside Luka, who has already supplied four threes a game, than as the second member of an opening that still has almost no shooting.
Alperen Sengun. Sengun lets you buy assists without using another guard slot, which matters when the available guards mostly hurt FG%. He averaged 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists, with 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks giving the line more breadth than a simple points-and-rebounds center. His 69.1% FT on 5.2 attempts is a meaningful penalty you can remove. He is not, however, another Giannis-level FG% anchor: 51.9% is useful but will not erase several inefficient shooters. The 3.2 turnovers and 0.6 threes make Murray a very different second-round choice at a similar price. I prefer Sengun when the first pick supplies shooting; after Giannis, I would be more inclined to secure a perimeter creator unless the market gives a clear discount.
Other relevant targets: Bam Adebayo, Jayson Tatum, LaMelo Ball.
Round 3
Trey Murphy III. Murphy is the kind of player a punt-FT% team can miss by concentrating too hard on bad free-throw shooters. He made 3.2 threes, scored 21.5 points and added 1.5 steals with only 1.8 turnovers. That is a lot of the perimeter production a Giannis-Mobley opening still needs. His 47.0% FG is also easier to absorb than White's, although you lose White's blocks and some passing. You are discarding his excellent free throws, but the alternative may be another big who makes your existing strengths larger while leaving several categories uncompetitive. Around pick 40, I would be happy to make that trade if assists are already covered. The 66-game season is a reason to keep some dependable options in the later rounds.
Chet Holmgren. Holmgren gives you a little more freedom than most centers in this build. His 1.3 threes and 1.6 turnovers make it easier to retain shooting and ball security while adding 8.9 boards, 1.9 blocks and 55.7% FG. Mobley gains more directly from removing FT%, but that does not automatically make him the better fit beside a non-shooting first pick. Holmgren is already productive in 28.9 minutes; Oklahoma City's depth makes a major workload increase uncertain. At an ADP near 28, he usually requires a pick early in the third rather than a hope that he survives to its end. Passing remains the tradeoff, so the next selection needs to account for his modest 1.7 assists.
Derrick White. White is a useful way to buy shooting and blocks at the same time. His 2.7 threes, 5.4 assists and 1.3 blocks let you use a guard slot for work that might otherwise require another center. The cost is substantial: 39.5% FG on 14.4 attempts can undo the efficiency you spent the first rounds building. Giannis gives you enough volume to make that pairing plausible; their historical makes and attempts combine to about 51.8% with equal games. Boston's changed offense could alter White's creation, but the defense and outside shooting remain valuable. I would take him when blocks are still a need. If the frontcourt already dominates that category, Murphy offers more points and threes without the same FG% damage.
Evan Mobley. Mobley's free throws are a much bigger problem than some managers still assume. He made 60.6% on 4.6 attempts, which can pull a balanced team in the wrong direction. Here you can concentrate on nine rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 54.6% FG, with 3.6 assists adding useful passing from the frontcourt. He makes particular sense beside Giannis because the blocks cover an actual need. Compared with Duren, you get considerably more rim protection and passing but less scoring and FG% impact. The one three per game is a contribution, not enough to solve a shooting shortage. After this pick, I would normally spend on a guard or wing rather than keep increasing a rebounding advantage that may already be large enough.
Dyson Daniels. Daniels can cover the guard rebounding and passing that a roster of finishers leaves short. His 6.8 boards and 5.9 assists came with two steals and only 1.8 turnovers, so he adds creation without the possession cost of Castle or Sengun. Shooting 51.7% from the field is another advantage. His 61.5% FT disappears from the calculation, although the low 1.6-attempt volume means that was never the only reason to draft him. The real decision is whether you can accommodate 0.3 threes. After Murray and Murphy, that is much easier than after Amen and a non-shooting center. His ADP near 63 is attractive against our rank of 44, but the much earlier Yahoo default order means you should not count on that price in every room.
Jalen Duren. Duren is the strongest FG% option in this range. He made 65.0% of 11.5 shots a game while supplying 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds, so the efficiency comes with enough volume to move your team percentage. Removing his 74.7% FT on 6.1 attempts makes that package much easier to use. The distinction from Mobley is important: Duren blocked only 0.8 shots and made no threes. If your first pick was Giannis, the pair still needs real shot blocking as well as shooting. Stewart's departure leaves less competition in Detroit's frontcourt, but I would value the production Duren has already shown before paying for another jump. He is particularly appealing after an early guard whose shot volume needs efficient support.
Other relevant targets: Anthony Davis, Josh Giddey, Jaylen Brown, Brandon Miller.
Round 4
Donovan Clingan. Clingan is a rebounding pick first. His 11.5 boards and 1.7 blocks came with only 1.2 turnovers, making him a comfortable follow-up to a guard who already handles most of the offense. The 69.2% FT no longer complicates the choice, and 1.1 threes give you something back in a category traditional centers often leave empty. What he will not provide is Duren's scoring or efficiency advantage: 12.1 points and 52.1% FG are more modest contributions. He played 77 games, a useful recent availability record at a position full of injury risks. I would choose him after a shooting-heavy opening, especially if another high-usage player would make turnovers difficult to recover.
Onyeka Okongwu. Okongwu is a useful change of direction after two traditional bigs. His 1.9 threes and 3.1 assists let the center position contribute to categories you might otherwise have to chase with the remaining guards. You still get 7.6 rebounds and 1.1 each in steals and blocks. The 75.7% FT is easier to ignore here, but 48.0% FG explains why he should complement an efficient finisher rather than be mistaken for one himself. Clingan supplies a much bigger rebounding advantage; Okongwu spreads the help around. Our rank of 48 against Yahoo ADP near 55 leaves a useful buying range, particularly when you want a center without making the team even more dependent on perimeter shooting later.
Desmond Bane. Bane remains useful even after you throw away his best percentage. He gave Orlando 20.1 points, 4.1 assists and two threes while shooting 48.3% FG and playing all 82 games. After a risky first pick or two non-shooting bigs, that is a practical combination of offense and availability. His 90.8% FT does not help this team, so I would generally prefer Murphy when threes and steals are the main shortages, or White when blocks are still a problem. Bane makes more sense when you need points and passing without another difficult FG% line. He is also a cleaner follow-up to Luka or Sengun than another three-turnover creator. The fourth-round price is reasonable for that role without requiring an offensive leap.
Walker Kessler. Kessler's return to full practice reduced the concern behind his earlier discount. With FT% removed, the Lakers role offers a direct route to rebounds, blocks and efficient finishes. Last season's 10.8 boards and 1.8 blocks came in only five games, so the tiny sample should not become an uninterrupted-season forecast. Round four is a more defensible target than insisting on round five, provided his game readiness checks out. If you already have two interior anchors, a shooter may still do more for the finished roster.
Other relevant targets: Alex Sarr, LeBron James, Jaren Jackson Jr., Michael Porter Jr..
Round 5
VJ Edgecombe. Edgecombe gives you several useful guard contributions without needing to lead an offense. His first season brought 16.0 points, two threes, 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.4 steals across 75 games. Philadelphia now has Brown and LeBron alongside Maxey and Embiid, so repeating the same touches is less certain than repeating his effort on defense and the boards. The 43.8% FG also needs support from your bigs. I would choose Pritchard first if assists and threes are the urgent needs; Edgecombe is more interesting when guard rebounds and steals would round out the team. His much earlier Yahoo default rank can make him expensive in some rooms, and I would not chase that price on the assumption of a larger scoring role.
Pascal Siakam. Siakam is worth considering when an efficient frontcourt still needs more scoring. He averaged 24.0 points and 6.6 rebounds, and removing 69.3% FT on 6.1 attempts takes away a substantial part of his nine-category penalty. The danger is assuming that a forward with those numbers also strengthens the traditional center categories. He shot 48.4% and blocked only 0.4 shots, so he does much less for FG% and blocks than Mobley or Duren. Haliburton's return could reduce some of the creation Siakam had to supply last season. Our Top 150 places him 72 against a Yahoo price near 49; the punt makes that price easier to discuss, but I would pay it only when scoring is a clear need and the defense is already in place.
Stephon Castle. Castle can rescue assists from a guard slot: 7.4 per game is unusually strong at this stage of the draft, and 5.3 rebounds add something most comparable passers do not. Removing his 73.4% FT helps, but it leaves 3.2 turnovers and just 1.2 threes. That is why a Giannis-Sengun-Castle opening can become uncomfortable even though all three look attractive with free throws removed. Fox offers fewer assists but more shooting and fewer turnovers at a later Yahoo price. I would choose Castle when the existing roster has clean possessions and enough outside shooting to support him. Sharing San Antonio's creation with Fox and Wembanyama also makes it unwise to assume another large assist increase.
Payton Pritchard. Pritchard is a good way to keep the punt from spreading to threes or turnovers. He supplied 2.7 triples and 5.2 assists with just 1.4 turnovers, enough shooting and passing to make a roster of frontcourt finishers work. His 46.3% FG is a cost an efficient early core can usually accommodate. Boston's return to a Tatum-led offense could change his creation, so I would draft him for a supporting role rather than assume another jump in usage. You lose the value of his good free throws, but you are still getting the two guard categories this build often lacks. With blocks already covered, he can be a better use of a fifth-round pick than another center.
Other relevant targets: Mikal Bridges, Ryan Rollins, Immanuel Quickley, Naz Reid.
Round 6
OG Anunoby. Anunoby is a good sixth-round choice when the frontcourt is strong and the guards are running out of help. His 2.3 threes come with 1.6 steals and 0.7 blocks, so you can improve shooting without weakening the defense. The 48.4% FG is also a more comfortable fit than another low-efficiency volume shooter. He supplies little creation, which is why Daniels may be the better choice if assists are the missing category. After a Murray or Luka opening, however, Anunoby often covers more of what remains. Our Top 150 ranks him 53 against an ADP around 67. The appeal is getting useful shooting and defense at that price, with no need for him to become a featured scorer.
Jaden McDaniels. McDaniels lets you add a block a game from the wing while keeping FG% strong. His 51.5% shooting came with 1.1 steals and 1.4 threes, giving him a much easier offensive fit than Ausar after a few non-shooting bigs. Ausar has the stronger steals case; McDaniels spreads the contribution across shooting and rim protection. Minnesota's new Ball-Edwards backcourt could change the shot distribution, but defense should remain his route to minutes. He will not fix a shortage of rebounds or assists, so I would treat him as the wing who finishes a well-built frontcourt rather than a substitute for a missing center. Around pick 90, that can be a useful distinction.
Zion Williamson. Zion is a way to add scoring while protecting FG%, which most late guards cannot do. His 21.0 points came on 60.0% shooting, and punting 71.6% FT on 7.5 attempts removes a meaningful burden. The rest of the line explains why he still needs the right team: 5.7 rebounds and 0.5 blocks are modest for a frontcourt player, and he gives you no threes. He played 62 games, so a roster already carrying Giannis has another availability concern to weigh. Our overall rank of 83 is later than his ADP near 70. I would take him for a specific scoring-and-FG% shortage, not simply because a second weak free-throw shooter seems to confirm the strategy.
Other relevant targets: Paul George, Ty Jerome, Tyler Herro, Julius Randle.
Round 7
Kel'el Ware. Ware's rebounding was already useful in a limited workload: nine boards in about 22 minutes, alongside 1.1 blocks and 1.2 threes. Milwaukee acquired him in the Giannis deal, and the chance of a bigger role is the attraction. Turner is still part of the frontcourt, though, so more minutes cannot simply be added to last season's line. Ware's 0.8 turnovers are helpful, while 11.1 points and 0.7 assists leave most of the offense to your other picks. I prefer Gobert when I need established rebounds and blocks at this price. Ware is the more speculative choice when a little center shooting matters and you can tolerate uncertainty about the rotation.
De'Aaron Fox. Fox is a useful answer when the early draft has left you short of assists. He averaged 6.2 with 1.8 threes and 48.6% FG, allowing you to improve the backcourt without the shooting penalty of several other guards in this range. His 76.0% FT is no obstacle here. Castle gave you more assists and rebounds, but Fox kept turnovers to 2.3 rather than 3.2 and costs less in Yahoo drafts. That makes him the more comfortable companion for Giannis or Sengun when both passing and ball security need attention. Sharing the offense with Castle and Wembanyama limits the case for a return to his old scoring totals. I would be satisfied with useful secondary creation around his price near 80.
Rudy Gobert. Gobert should be one of the first names you consider once free throws are off the table. His 52.6% at the line is the major obstacle to using 11.5 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 68.2% FG in a balanced team. He also kept turnovers to 1.4 and played 76 games. The percentage is excellent, but it comes on 6.5 shots a game, so Duren still has more influence over a team's FG% through volume. Gobert gives you no threes and only 10.9 points; he makes far more sense after an opening that already has shooting and scoring than after several similar centers. Around the sixth/seventh-round turn, this is a substantial rebounding and defensive addition without needing a larger offensive role.
Other relevant targets: Jabari Smith Jr., Zach Edey, Jarrett Allen, Ivica Zubac.
Round 8
Ausar Thompson. Ausar is one of the clearest defensive beneficiaries of this punt. Remove his 57.1% FT and you can use two steals, 0.9 blocks and 52.5% FG from a wing, with 5.7 rebounds adding more frontcourt help. The price is paid elsewhere: 9.9 points and 0.1 threes still count, and enough players with that profile can leave you conceding offense as well as free throws. He is an excellent fit after a start with Murray and Murphy; he is much harder to add after Amen and Daniels. Wallace offers similar steals with more shooting at a later price, while Ausar gives you much more rebounding and better FG%. Let those differences determine whether the eighth-round pick belongs to him.
Jalen Suggs. Suggs is a later route to assists and steals if the earlier guards went too quickly. His 5.5 assists and 1.8 steals came with 2.1 threes, so he leaves much less shooting work for the rest of the roster than Daniels does. The compromise is 43.5% FG and 2.7 turnovers, plus a 57-game season. Those costs matter after a Luka-Sengun start, even if you have stopped worrying about free throws. I would prefer Wallace when steals are the main shortage and the passing is already strong. Suggs earns the earlier selection when you need both creation and defense, with enough efficient frontcourt volume to support his shooting.
Other relevant targets: Kevin Porter Jr., Andrew Wiggins, Keegan Murray, Josh Hart.
Round 9
Reed Sheppard. Sheppard is the late shooting bet I would make when the frontcourt already protects FG%. His 2.8 threes came with 1.5 steals and 0.7 blocks, so he adds enough defense to remain useful even when the shots are not falling. The 43.0% FG is a real cost on 11.5 attempts. Houston also has VanVleet returning, making a repeat of Sheppard's 26.2-minute workload uncertain. Wallace is the cleaner steals-and-turnovers choice; Sheppard supplies more than twice the threes. Around round nine, that difference can matter more than which player gains most directly from the free-throw punt.
Myles Turner. Turner is worth a look when the team needs blocks and threes from the same remaining slot. He supplied 1.6 and 2.1 respectively, and removing his 74.0% FT eliminates one of the costs. The others remain: 44.0% FG, 5.3 rebounds and 11.9 points are modest returns from a center. A Giannis or Duren foundation can make the shooting percentage easier to carry, but Turner is not the big to draft if FG% itself is the problem. Milwaukee's addition of Ware also puts another player in the frontcourt rotation. I would use the ninth-round price to buy this particular combination after the efficient rebounding is covered, rather than expect the fuller line associated with his earlier seasons.
Darryn Peterson. Peterson is a scoring-upside alternative to adding another center at the end of a big-heavy draft. His rookie role is still developing; a productive preseason outing is not evidence of established NBA percentages or defensive rates. Removing FT% gives you one less shooting category to manage, but FG% and turnovers still count. I would leave this bet until the later rounds unless the workload becomes clearer. He has no prior NBA season line, so the historical team radar cannot tell you what this selection contributes.
Neemias Queta. Queta offers useful rebounds and rim protection without asking for touches. His 8.4 boards, 1.3 blocks and 65.3% shooting are particularly easy to use when the 70.3% free throws no longer matter. That established production makes him useful when your later picks need to contribute immediately. Round ten is a reasonable place to consider him, provided the roster already has enough scoring, threes and assists. He still competes for center minutes, so buy the existing category contribution rather than an assumed offensive expansion.
Collin Murray-Boyles. Murray-Boyles offers a late frontcourt development bet without needing to become a featured scorer. His rookie five rebounds and 1.9 assists provide a modest baseline, while the preseason work showed a route to boards and defensive contributions off the bench. This build can tolerate a weak foul-line result more readily, but it cannot ignore missing threes and uncertain minutes. Take him after the perimeter offense is established, not as a substitute for the guard categories an early big-heavy draft failed to buy.
P.J. Washington. Washington can be useful when your open forward slot still needs rebounds and blocks. He supplied seven boards, a steal and 1.1 blocks, with 1.4 threes preventing the line from being entirely dependent on interior play. His 68.7% FT stops hurting, but the 45.0% FG still puts pressure on a category this build usually wants to win. That is a manageable trade after Giannis or Duren and a less comfortable one after several stretch bigs. Dallas' changing shot distribution may reduce his scoring opportunities; the defensive contributions are the stronger reason to draft him. With only 56 games last season, I would keep the price late and avoid treating him as the dependable frontcourt piece an injury-heavy roster needs.
Nic Claxton. Claxton's 57.1% shooting, 3.7 assists and 1.1 blocks fit a punt-FT% team better than his 61.6% free throws allow on a balanced roster. Chicago's role is still interesting, but the hamstring report makes an immediate full workload uncertain. I would move the buying range toward rounds nine or ten rather than pay for a healthy breakout in round eight. A re-evaluation is not a return date. If you need usable games immediately, consider Sharpe's role instead and use the next perimeter pick to protect threes.
Other relevant targets: Anthony Black, Toumani Camara, CJ McCollum, Devin Vassell.
Round 11
Saddiq Bey. Bey gives a big-heavy team something it can run out of late: scoring that does not bring a large turnover total. His 17.7 points, 2.1 threes and 5.6 rebounds came with only 0.9 turnovers across 72 games. The percentages and defensive stats are less exciting, so he is a better choice when the early picks already supply blocks and steals. Compared with another low-scoring center, Bey can improve the actual shape of the team even if that center rises further on the punt board. I would look for him near the tenth/eleventh-round turn when points and threes have fallen behind, without needing to predict a much larger role in New Orleans.
Cason Wallace. Wallace is the late guard for a team that has enough offense and wants to win steals without losing turnovers. He averaged two steals with just 0.9 turnovers, and 1.3 threes provide more shooting than Ausar or Daniels. The 8.6 points and 2.6 assists explain why he should be one of the final pieces rather than the guard expected to rescue an unfinished offense. His 43.2% FG also needs to be weighed, though 7.6 attempts give it less influence than White's shooting. A Giannis-Murray start can make good use of this line. After several low-scoring centers, Bey or Sheppard may do more for the categories still within reach.
Isaiah Hartenstein. Hartenstein becomes more useful once his 61.0% free throws stop counting. The combination of 9.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 62.2% shooting can repair passing without giving back the efficiency advantage of an early Giannis or Duren pick. His center passing and rebounding are useful late, provided his ankle allows him to play. Around rounds ten or eleven, I would prefer this category mix to a speculative backup if he is ready to contribute. He is not a blocks specialist, and taking him after several non-shooters leaves the perimeter work unfinished.
Tre Jones. Jones is useful when the team needs assists without more turnovers or a FG% problem. His 5.4 assists came with 1.4 turnovers and 55.3% shooting on 9.5 attempts, a noticeably different package from Suggs. You give up the value of his good free throws, but the remaining line still has a purpose here. His 0.6 threes are the limitation: he fits beside established shooters and becomes harder to use after Amen or Daniels. Giddey remains an important creator in Chicago, so Jones should be valued for the supporting role he has shown rather than a projected takeover of the offense. At a price around 116, he is worth considering slightly before this round if passing is the last major gap. His hip absence also needs an availability check before you use him as an immediate passing fix.
Other relevant targets: Nikola Vučević, Jrue Holiday, RJ Barrett, Ayo Dosunmu.
Round 12
Tari Eason. Eason is a final-round option when a big-heavy core still needs activity from a forward. His 6.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals offer a clear use without projecting a starting role. Houston's crowded rotation limits the minutes you can buy in advance, and 41.6% shooting means he is not automatically an FG% helper. Choose him after the threes and assists are covered, with a willingness to stream the slot if the role is too small.
Jusuf Nurkić. Nurkić's 10.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists would be valuable in a punt-FT% lineup, but the toe injury makes him a conditional stash rather than an active center solution. The October re-evaluation window is not a promised return date. I would only consider a final pick with genuinely spare injury space, leaving the earlier rounds for available contributors. Removing his 54.9% free throws helps the eventual fit; it does not recover the games lost while waiting.
Other relevant targets: Kelly Oubre Jr., Julian Champagnie, Herbert Jones, Aaron Gordon.
First-round building blocks
Efficient scoring and rebounding. Giannis and Duren supply enough accurate shot volume to support weaker-shooting guards. Gobert adds more blocks, while Sengun brings passing. Choose the kind of frontcourt help you actually need.
Guards who keep the offense competitive. Murray and Fox supply creation; Murphy and Anunoby add shooting and steals. Buy those combinations before filling every flexible slot with a center.
Room to win turnovers. Pritchard, Daniels and the late low-turnover guards can support a high-usage first pick. Removing free throws does not make a fourth turnover-heavy creator harmless.
Example teams
Giannis with enough perimeter offense
Murray and Murphy give this team the shooting a Giannis-Mobley start needs, while Daniels adds passing and steals without another large turnover total. Okongwu keeps some threes in the center slot, and Pritchard fills out the backcourt. The eight historical lines combine for 151.5 points, 51.5 rebounds, 36.9 assists and 14.2 threes at 51.4% FG, with 5.8 blocks and 15.8 turnovers. Blocks are still worth strengthening later; the team should not assume that a big-heavy opening has already won them. Giannis' 36-game season remains the major availability risk. Daniels, White and Murphy can be expensive in a competitive room. Preserve the perimeter-category balance rather than chasing these exact eight names.
Luka supplies the early shooting, Sengun adds frontcourt passing, and Holmgren and Gobert do most of the rim protection. White, Bane and Anunoby keep the supporting cast from becoming all non-shooters. With equal games, these eight historical lines total 149.9 points, 55.0 rebounds, 32.1 assists, 14.3 threes and 8.6 blocks at 49.8% FG. The 17.5 turnovers are the clear cost, so the later picks should favor shooting and ball security over another lead creator. Daniels, White and Murphy can be expensive in a competitive room. Preserve the perimeter-category balance rather than chasing these exact eight names.
Luka Dončić, Alperen Sengun, Chet Holmgren, Derrick White, Desmond Bane, OG Anunoby, Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I decide to punt FT% before the draft?
Have the plan ready, but let the opening picks justify it. Giannis is a clear reason to commit because his attempt volume makes repairing FT% expensive. Jokić leaves more options open, and there is no need to give away his positive free-throw impact unless the later discounts make the trade worthwhile. Your draft position determines which of those openings is realistic.
Do good free-throw shooters become bad picks?
They lose the value of that category, but the rest of their line can still be exactly what you need. Murray brings threes and assists; Murphy adds shooting and steals; White supplies unusual blocks from guard. Passing on all of them because their FT% is strong can leave you with a roster that wins rebounds and struggles to find four other wins.
How do I avoid accidentally punting threes too?
Count the shooting after each pair of picks. Giannis, Amen, Daniels and a finishing center together leave a lot of work for the remaining slots. Spend on a player who makes several threes before taking another non-shooter, and use shooting centers or forwards when the available guards do not fit. A weak-three player can still be a good pick; several of them require a deliberate response.
What should I stream during the season?
Stream toward the closest category you can realistically win. Once rebounds and blocks are comfortably ahead, another center may contribute less than a wing who can add threes or steals. FG% depends on attempts, and turnovers can worsen with extra games, so check the matchup before filling every available slot. The best addition is the one that changes a likely category result.
Does this work in eight-category leagues?
Yes. Removing turnovers makes Giannis, Sengun, Luka and Castle easier to combine because their biggest remaining shared cost disappears. Shooting and steals still need deliberate sources, and centers still differ in how much FG% help they provide. Reorder the board for the actual league settings before using the nine-category round targets.