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 retain the September 26 ADP snapshot and use Yahoo standard pre-ranks checked October 3.
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 DiVincenzo together can make FG% difficult despite the intended strength of the build.
The round-by-round draft targets, the building blocks and the example rosters for this build come with a Draft Pass.
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.