Ultimate tiers: The Top 121 players, from the MVPs to X-factors Jaden Ivey, Shaedon Sharpe and more (2024)

It’s time to bring back the ultimate fantasy basketball tiers. If you’re someone who simply wants the answers to the test, you’re probably going straight to the cheat-sheet rankings. But if you’re someone who likes to understand the pros and cons and the various nuances about what it is you’re trying to learn, this is where I suggest you start.

These tiers are designed to give you a proper understanding of the fantasy hoops landscape, and how you should be comparing players and constructing your teams. To do this, I’ve broken down my current Top 121 overall fantasy players into five tiers and 30 sub-groups.

As you’re reading along, I suggest trying to figure out which players are your favorites from each sub-group, and which players you don’t really care for. This way, when your picks are up on draft day, you’ll already have an idea of your player preferences when it comes to specific positions and category needs.

Let’s start at the top!

Tier 1A players: No. 1 – No. 17

Unless you’re playing in a league with 20 teams or more, Tier 1A should cover nearly every first round pick. Of course, your scoring system and league settings are going to impact who you choose to build around, and I’ve tried to point out some key differences for certain superstars. And remember, when you’re trying to figure out who your favorite first round picks are, it’s worth considering who you’ll try pairing them with in the second and third rounds.

Last year’s MVPs

• Nikola Jokic, DEN
• Joel Embiid, PHI

Not only are they the top two centers in the league, but they might possibly be the top two fantasy players overall. I’m not saying Embiid is a surefire No. 2 pick, but he certainly has the ability to be worthy of that in any scoring format, as long as he stays relatively healthy and plays close to 70 games.

Superstars for monster stat stuffing

• Luka Doncic, DAL
• Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL

From a Roto perspective, Luka and Giannis have been somewhat disappointing in recent years due to Luka’s average shooting percentages — he finally improved his FG% last season to a respectable mark — and Giannis’ terrible free throw shooting. But in points-based leagues, these two are obvious fantasy beasts. While I expect Antetokounmpo’s numbers to morph a bit alongside Damian Lillard, I don’t see his overall fantasy value taking much of a hit.

They can do it all, and they’re entering their primes

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC
• Jayson Tatum, BOS

Both SGA and Tatum scored over 30 points per game last season, each at the ripe age of 24 years old. But they’re more than just scorers, as they manage to get solid assists and post strong defensive numbers as well. Some of the older superstars are going to start slowly fading away, but SGA and Tatum are both the present and future.

Superstars for superb shooting percentages

• Stephen Curry, GSW
• Donovan Mitchell, CLE
• Kevin Durant, PHO
• Devin Booker, PHO

Nobody has ever complained about having sparkling shooting percentages, and these veterans are extremely efficient when it comes to scoring the rock. Last season, all four players shot over 48% from the field and over 85% from the foul line while scoring over 27 points per game. They’ll be strong foundational pieces to build around, and allow for some flexibility with your next few picks. I have Curry and Mitchell ahead of Durant and Booker, since the latter two will be sharing the rock for Phoenix.

Team USA’s World Cup leaders

• Tyrese Haliburton, IND
• Anthony Edwards, MIN

Their World Cup run ended in very disappointing fashion, but I wouldn’t place any blame on Team USA’s top two players. Haliburton did an excellent job of playmaking and forcing turnovers off the bench, while Edwards was a walking bucket. Both young stars are poised for bigger and better things in 2023-24.

More lead guards to consider in the first round and early second

• Damian Lillard, MIL
• LaMelo Ball, CHA
• Trae Young, ATL

Here we have three very different players at various stages of their career, so you’ll want to choose carefully when picking from this group. Young is probably the safest pick this season since Lillard will have to sacrifice some shot attempts now that he’s playing alongside the Greek Freak. And LaMelo is a major wild card this season, as he has Top 10 fantasy potential but has shot just 42% from the field over his past two seasons combined and is coming off a serious ankle injury. But I’ll still keep Dame at the top of this pack since he should have no problem posting a career-best FG%.

Badass big men with few weaknesses

• Anthony Davis, LAL
• Domantas Sabonis, SAC

If you’re drafting near the end of the first round and want to go big, you’ll want to choose between Davis or Sabonis, or possibly both. In comparison, Davis posts far superior defensive stats and is a career 79% foul shooter, but he has played 70+ games in a season just twice in his 11-year career. Meanwhile, Sabonis will give you nearly triple the assists of AD and missed just three games last year, but he’s a poor shot-blocker and has never shot over 75% from the charity stripe.

Tier 1B players: No. 18 – No. 30

Tier 1B players have the potential to return Top 15-20 fantasy value, but have lower floors and more question marks than the players listed in tier 1A. There’s a lot of young talent in these groups and, for some of them, we don’t quite know what their fantasy ceilings are just yet. When choosing them in the second and third rounds of normal-sized leagues, you’ll want to focus on how their strengths and weaknesses complement your top pick.

Star guards with 1A potential

• Kyrie Irving, DAL
• De’Aaron Fox, SAC
• Cade Cunningham, DET

Any one of these three guards could finish the season in the Top 15, but Irving has developed a reputation for not being reliable, while Fox and Cunningham don’t make enough 3-pointers compared to other star guards. Some might scoff at Cade being listed in this tier due to his inefficient shooting his first two seasons in the league, but a third-year breakout seems highly probable, and he won’t just fall into your lap in the late 30s.

Efficient scoring forwards

• Mikal Bridges, BKN
• Pascal Siakam, TOR
• Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN
• Jimmy Butler, MIA
• Lauri Markkanen, UTA

All five of these forwards averaged over 20 points per game last season, and Butler, Markkanen and Towns, in particular, were extremely efficient, posting 61% or better true shooting percentages. However, Bridges and Siakam are at the top of this group because they have the highest all-around upside. Some questions to ask: will Towns and Butler play in 70+ games this season, and can Bridges and Markkanen repeat last season’s success?

Paint dominators

• Bam Adebayo, MIA
• Jaren Jackson Jr., MEM
• Victor Wembanyama, SAS

You can make the case for Adebayo being a tier 1A player since he, Jokic and Embiid were the only players in the league last season to average 20+ points, 9+ rebounds and 3+ assists per game while shooting over 54% FG and 80% FT. But I have Bam in 1B instead because his limited shot-blocking has been very disappointing in recent years. Meanwhile, both JJJ and Wembanyama will likely be challenging each other for the shot-blocking title this season, and will chip in with plenty of other fantasy goodies as well. If you want any of these talented big men, you may need to aggressively target them.

Are they still top tier fantasy players?

• James Harden, PHI?
• LeBron James, LAL

While they’re surefire Hall of Famers, Harden and LeBron are clearly on the downsides of their career. I’ve slotted them in at the bottom of tier 1B, but I’m no longer certain that they should be viewed as top tier fantasy players. Many people are avoiding Harden this season due to the uncertainty surrounding his trade demands, but even if you exclude that, I don’t think Harden is a Top 20 player anymore. He’s a rather inefficient scorer, and he isn’t the same FT% booster that he used to be — just 6.2 FTA last season, compared to 11.8 FTA in 2019-20. And LeBron is sure to miss a dozen games or more, and he should be more than willing to have a reduced usage rate this season.

Tier 2 players: No. 31 – No. 59

Generally speaking, tier 2 players are going to be picked in the third, fourth and fifth rounds in 12-team leagues. Ideally, when you’re drafting players from this tier, you’ll be able to lock them into your starting lineup all season long. Of course, you want maximum upside, but you also want them to be as durable and reliable as possible.

Proven and reliable, but somewhat unexciting

• DeMar DeRozan, CHI
• Nikola Vucevic, CHI
• Jaylen Brown, BOS
• Julius Randle, NYK

DeRozan and Vucevic have been rock solid fantasy starters the past two years, and there’s no reason to think their games will start slipping this season. But they are who they are at this point in their careers, meaning DeRozan isn’t going to start making a bunch of threes and Vooch isn’t going to start blocking a bunch of shots. Meanwhile, there are several fantasy categories where Brown has the ability to improve upon, but it’s hard to envision the Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday additions helping his overall value. As for Randle, he’s one of those players who you don’t love when clicking the “draft” button next to his name, even though you know he should be solid and reliable.

Can they just stay healthy?

• Zion Williamson, NOR
• Paul George, LAC
• Kawhi Leonard, LAC

This group of often injured superstars is loaded with talent and ability, but it’d almost be shocking to see any of them play in 70+ games this season. But if that happens, you’ll be getting a serious return on your investment. So they’re surely worth considering around their ADPs, but you’ll want to compare them to more durable counterparts available as well.

When they’re hot, they can be the top fantasy guard on any given night

• Darius Garland, CLE
• Jalen Brunson, NYK
• Desmond Bane, MEM
• Dejounte Murray, ATL
• Jamal Murray, DEN
• Zach LaVine, CHI

Most people wouldn’t consider any of these guards to be elite superstars, but all of them are borderline All-Star talents, capable of producing monster games on any given night. With varying strengths and weaknesses, one thing to consider when choosing a guard from this group is how much you enjoy watching them play. For example, I wasn’t sure what kind of numbers Bane would put up his rookie season, but I drafted him a lot that year because I simply enjoyed his aggressive, attacking style of play. And now he’s one of the top young guards in the league. If you don’t enjoy watching one of these guards, then I don’t recommend drafting them.

How will the change of scenery affect them?

• Jordan Poole, WAS
• Bradley Beal, PHO
• Fred VanVleet, HOU

All three of these guards changed teams in the offseason, and there are things to like and dislike about each player. I’ve ordered them by my level of excitement for this season, with Poole leading the way because he genuinely has 25 point, 5 assist and 3 trey potential if he truly breaks out. Beal’s percentages should be excellent this season but he won’t get as many shot attempts, while FVV is great at forcing turnovers but will seriously hurt your team’s FG%.

Versatile forwards with upside

• Brandon Ingram, NOR
• Scottie Barnes, TOR
• OG Anunoby, TOR
• Paolo Banchero, ORL

Many fantasy managers want to lock up their starting point guards and reliable centers in the fourth and fifth rounds, but this crop of forwards carry plenty of intriguing fantasy potential in the same draft range. Ingram leads the charge, as he’s one of just a handful of players with 24+ point, 6+ rebound and 6+ assist potential to go along with excellent shooting percentages. It’s interesting to watch who gets picked first in drafts between the two Toronto teammates, as Barnes has stronger floor stats but Anunoby is more efficient. And Banchero is the reigning Rookie of the Year — he gets included in this group because a nice jump in his scoring efficiency should be a fairly safe bet in Year 2.

Trustworthy mobile big men

• Myles Turner, IND
• Kristaps Porzingis, BOS
• Evan Mobley, CLE
• Nic Claxton, BKN
• Deandre Ayton, POR

These dynamic big men have proven what they can do and are very solid starting fantasy centers. Turner and Porzingis are at the top of this group because they give you that juicy combination of 3-pointers plus blocks, whereas Mobley and Claxton are more traditional big men who will post superior FG% marks. And I’m including Ayton in this group as well now that he should have no problem receiving more minutes and touches on offense in a Blazers uniform. I don’t trust Ayton as much as the centers listed above him, but he should be drafted in the same range.

The new big kids on the block

• Alperen Sengun, HOU
• Walker Kessler, UTA
• Chet Holmgren, OKC

If you’re wondering who the next wave of top young centers is going to be beyond Wembanyama, look no further than this trio. At 22 years old for Kessler and 21 years old for Sengun and Holmgren, these uber-talented centers have long productive careers ahead of them. Sengun can be viewed as a Sabonis-lite type center, while Kessler and Holmgren can help you dominate with their shot-blocking. They aren’t as proven as the group of centers listed above, but that doesn’t mean they’re inferior options.

Hungry for a bigger role

• Tyrese Maxey, PHI

I’m giving Maxey his own sub-group here because his role for the upcoming season is highly dependent on what happens with Harden. Maxey has proven to be an elite scorer, and he would surely love the chance to be more of a playmaker as well. He might get that chance this season, but it’s tricky knowing where to draft him until something happens with Harden.

Tier 3 players: No. 60 – No. 84

Next we’re going to cover the players to consider drafting after the first five rounds in 12-team leagues, the first four rounds in 15-team leagues, or the first three rounds in 20-team leagues. There are some interesting groupings here, including lots of guards with tier 2 potential, and some up-and-coming players who are trying to round out their fantasy games.

Guards with tier 2 potential

• Jrue Holiday, BOS
• Josh Giddey, OKC
• Jalen Williams, OKC
• Tyler Herro, MIA
• Anfernee Simons, POR
• CJ McCollum, NOR
• Terry Rozier, CHA

This is the main crop of guards who you’ll be considering once the bigger stars are off the board. Holiday gets knocked down a tier due to his move to Boston, while the veterans McCollum and Rozier are coming off poor shooting seasons. All three still have tier 2 potential if they can improve their efficiency and stay healthy. The young Thunder duo of Giddey and Williams is very intriguing, and they should have similar fantasy value but very different skill sets. And there’s room for growth for both Herro and Simons, thanks to Kyle Lowry aging up and Lillard now out of town.

Where the hell do you take them?

• Ja Morant, MEM
• Scoot Henderson, POR
• Jabari Smith Jr., HOU

Speaking of talented guards, there’s going to be a wide draft range for both Morant and Henderson. The 25-game suspension is a big blow to Morant’s overall value, but if you can stay afloat while he’s sidelined, drafting him could pay dividends. As for Scoot, we know that he’s an elite talent, but being an NBA starting point guard at 19 years old is no easy feat. And if you drafted Smith last season, he was mostly a major headache, but if you’re willing to roll the dice again, he still has nice potential.

All-around producers

• Franz Wagner, ORL
• Kyle Kuzma, WAS
• Derrick White, BOS
• Khris Middleton, MIL
• Miles Bridges, CHA

In this sub-group we have four forwards and one guard who puts up small forward-like stats. The prototypical small forward should be able to do a bit of everything, and for fantasy that means chipping in across the board. These five players fit that mold, as all of them can knock down threes while also dishing out 3.5+ assists per game. Kuzma has the most scoring potential out of this group, but he’s also the biggest drag in terms of shooting efficiency. Despite being a guard, White will probably get the most blocks out of this group. And for those who believe Middleton should be in tier 2, I have concerns about the Lillard addition hurting his production.

Proven and reliable centers

• Brook Lopez, MIL
• Jarrett Allen, CLE
• Rudy Gobert, MIN
• Jakob Poeltl, TOR

Drafting centers can get tricky, especially when it comes to the more unproven younger big men. These veterans will be a safer bet, as we know what their fantasy floors look like and what their limitations are. Lopez was the most valuable last season, thanks to his excellent combo of 3-pointers and blocked shots. But at 35 years old, Lopez is also the oldest among this group. The other centers in this group will give you more traditional big man stats, meaning a strong FG% and reliable boards and blocks.

For boosting your scoring and shooting

• Jerami Grant, POR
• Devin Vassell, SAS
• Austin Reaves, LAL
• Klay Thompson, GSW
• Cameron Johnson, BKN
• Jalen Green, HOU

When you need to boost your scoring and 3-point shooting, here are some intriguing players to consider. All of these players have 20-point per game ability, with plenty of treys sprinkled in there. It might be slightly harder for Reaves and Johnson to score over 20 PPG, but they still belong in this sub-group thanks to their strong shooting percentages. Grant and Vassell are at the top of this group thanks to their defensive abilities, while Thompson and Green could stand to improve when it comes to forcing turnovers.

Tier 4 players: No. 85 – No. 121

And now we’re into tier 4 territory. For people playing in shallow leagues, you might consider this range to be near the end of your draft. However, if you play in deeper leagues, this is merely the middle of the draft, and if you ask me, this is where the real fun begins. If you nail your picks in this range, then the players you draft here will be reliable starters all season long. But if you make some poor decisions, their production will be unreliable, and you may end up cursing them out on most nights. So choose wisely!

The Jones brothers

• Tyus Jones, WAS
• Tre Jones, SAS

You’ve gotta give a shoutout to mom and pops for producing not one, but two starting point guards in the NBA. It makes me think of Mark Price and Brent Price, but Brent was never fantasy-worthy. In this case, both Jones brothers should provide reliable low-end guard starts, with some sneaky upside if they can make some more 3-pointers or grab some extra steals.

Forwards with upside

• Keegan Murray, SAC
• Michael Porter Jr., DEN
• Andrew Wiggins, GSW

I think this trio of forwards stands out above the other forwards listed below. As a rookie, Murray proved that the NBA 3-point line was no issue for him, and there’s a strong chance his stats improve across the board. Multiple back surgeries make MPJ hard to trust, but there’s a reason he was once a fantasy darling. And Wiggins struggled after returning from a long absence last year, but he was rock solid early on and hopefully he won’t shoot 61% from the foul line again.

Centers, old and new

• Daniel Gafford, WAS
• Jonas Valanciunas, NOR
• Mark Williams, CHA
• Jalen Duren, DET
• Wendell Carter Jr., ORL
• Onyeka Okongwu, ATL
• Clint Capela, ATL
• Mitchell Robinson, NYK
• Jusuf Nurkic, PHO
• Ivica Zubac, LAC
• Steven Adams, MEM
• Robert Williams, POR

Experienced snake drafters know that centers are prone to fly off the board in bunches, so sometimes you just need to draft whoever’s still available. In that sense, I consider all of these centers to be somewhat comparable. Players like Valanciunas and Carter are proven and dependable, but the youngsters Williams and Duren have the ability to outperform them.

A few of these centers are going to wreck your team’s free throw shooting, but they’ll help make up for that with rock solid field goal shooting. A couple things to ask yourself when choosing from this group are, A) How often will this player be on the floor in crunch time, and B) What is this player’s fantasy ceiling if everything goes according to plan?

Veteran guards

• Chris Paul, GSW
• Markelle Fultz, ORL
• Spencer Dinwiddie, BKN
• Marcus Smart, MEM
• Russell Westbrook, LAC
• D’Angelo Russell, LAL
• Buddy Hield, IND
• Jordan Clarkson, UTA
• Kevin Huerter, SAC

Every single guard in this sub-group has at least five years of NBA experience and, for the most part, we know what their fantasy games will look like. A couple of exceptions might be Paul and Smart since they switched teams over the summer. And there are question marks around Westbrook and Hield as well, as potential trades could affect their value.

One thing to remember here is that none of these guards are star players, so they aren’t assured to play 35 minutes every night, and they could be sitting in crunch time if one of their teammates is playing a bit better that night. So their team’s level of depth and competition is always worth considering. As supporting players, you also may want to ask yourself which of these offenses you think is going to be the most potent and efficient. Because when you’re a strong supporting player on an elite offense, it makes it easier to provide reliable fantasy value.

Solid forwards with limitations

• Tobias Harris, PHI
• Draymond Green, GSW
• Aaron Gordon, DEN
• John Collins, UTA
• Keldon Johnson, SAS
• Jaden McDaniels, MIN
• Bobby Portis, MIL
• Deni Avdija, WAS

Here are some forwards who you’ll likely be considering in the middle rounds of deeper drafts. Harris and Green have been the best fantasy players during their careers, but they’re past their primes and should be drafted accordingly. Gordon’s terrible free throw shooting really zaps his overall value, while Johnson struggled with his shooting from all areas last season. McDaniels and Avdija have nice floor games, but they simply aren’t high-level scorers. And Collins and Portis have talented frontcourt teammates who they’ll need to contend with for playing time, which limits their upside a bit. As long as you know what their limitations are, and you’re able to work around that, these forwards can help round out your fantasy squad.

Elite talents with unknown ceilings

• Jaden Ivey, DET
• Shaedon Sharpe, POR
• Brandon Miller, CHA

These three players are far from being polished products, but Miller was the second overall pick in the 2023 draft, while Ivey was the fifth pick and Sharpe the seventh overall pick from 2022. It’s pretty much a given that all of these players will be fantasy relevant at some point in the season, but what we don’t really know is just how good they can be, and how much we’ll be able to depend on them. I like all three players if they fall far enough, but I don’t think you should be aggressively targeting them. But who knows, perhaps in a few years they’ll all be tier 2 players.

(Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)