When entering my fantasy basketball drafts, I’m making a list (and checking it twice) to find out who’s naughty (not drafting) or nice (YES, MORE). This is the “YES, MORE” article of players that I’m trying to leave my drafts with. It’s not possible to get every player on this list based on their ADPs clashing, but I’m trying to have at least two of them and, more often than not, three. Using Fantasy Alarm’s fantasy basketball ADP page, I’ve listed six players you must add to your queue and draft before kicking off the season. No, you won’t see Nikola Jokic or Giannis Antetokounmpo here. No, you won’t even see Jalen Brunson or LaMelo Ball either. We’re looking deeper into drafts, so let’s look together!
Dejounte Murray, New Orleans Pelicans: ADP - 61.9
The Pelicans only had Dejounte Murray for 31 games in 2024 and 14 games in ‘25 due to an Achilles tear, but make no mistake about Murray’s health; he’s good to go and is an elite fantasy contributor. He’s a six-category contributor because he racks up counting stats, and if he continues to shoot the ball at a high clip like he did last year – and every year other than ‘24 – he’s a great ratio helper. His last full season back in 2023, he was a 22.5 PPG, 6.4 APG, 5.3 RPG, and 1.4 SPG. He’s always available, too, as he played 65-plus games in five consecutive seasons leading up to the Achilles tear. Murray has top-40 overall upside, possibly even higher.
Naz Reid, Charlotte Hornets: ADP - 62.83
This is a fantastic situation that Naz Reid is stepping into, and for the first time in his career he’s going to be a full-time starter. If you look at Reid’s last three seasons in which he’s averaged 30-plus minutes, he’s been an elite fantasy contributor. It’s been a span of around 45 games, and he has been over 17 points, eight rebounds, and two assists per contest in that span. Over the course of his entire career, Naz Reid has played 57 games in which he’s topped 30 minutes and has averaged 18.5 PPG, 8.5 RPG, and 2.8 APG. That’s an elite fantasy contributor if that ends up anywhere near the minutes he plays per game. Reid’s a plus shooter, efficient scorer, and averaged a steal and a block last year, so he really fills up a stat sheet.
Cameron Boozer, Memphis Grizzlies: ADP - 63.3
Yeah, I’m all in on the Grizzlies first-round pick in Cameron Boozer. I think he wins rookie of the year (and put my money where my mouth is) and is going to dominate the rock in Memphis. He should lead the team in multiple categories, including points and usage, and float around the team league in rebounds and assists. He’s an elite play-maker for a big man and is a plus rebounder, but will be contending with Zach Edey in that category. Boozer’s an efficient scorer (56% FG) and a plus three-point shooter (39%), and it’s not as if he was a low-volume three-point shooter; he took 138 of them during his Freshman campaign. The Grizzlies are going to be bad and let their rookie shine.
Ausar Thompson, Detroit Pistons: ADP - 86.4
There have been multiple reasons this offseason to completely buy into the Ausar Thompson hype train, and two that stand out are the fact that he’s going to play with the ball a lot as the team’s point guard at times.
The other is that head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was quoted as saying he’s going to average above 26 minutes, and it’s not going to be 26.1 either.
Thompson stuffs the stat sheet, and if his minutes go up, so will his counting stats. Even in 26 MPG last year, he led the league at 2.0 SPG while pouring in 9.9 points, grabbing 5.7 rebounds, dishing out 3.1 assists, and blocking nearly one shot per game, all while shooting 53% from the floor.
If Thompson plays on the ball more, his usage will be up, and so will the likelihood of his assist and point numbers too. Thompson’s leap is incoming, and it’s easy to see happening if he has the ball in his hands more.
Day'Ron Sharpe, Brooklyn Nets: ADP - 102.7
If you’ve seen the sleepers article in our Fantasy Basketball Cheatsheet, then you know how much we love Day’Ron Sharpe, and I’m going to double down here because I cannot stop drafting this guy. He’s been an elite fantasy player in a limited role, and now that he’s expected to be the starter, he should blossom into a fantasy star on a pretty regular basis.
Sharpe is expected to play a MUCH bigger role:
Let’s not ignore how good of a passer Sharpe is and how Brooklyn used him and Nic Claxton last year as a playmaker from the top of the key. Let’s ALSO not ignore that Sharpe is stretching the floor this preseason and taking (and making) threes.
He’s an elite rebounder, is always around the rim as a dunk threat, and is adding plus passing and stretch-shooting at the center position. Give me ALL the Day’Ron Sharpe this season, please. Please, everyone, join me.
Ajay Mitchell, Oklahoma City Thunder: ADP - 125.9
The Thunder are going to be a force to be reckoned with this season, but they did have a lot of changes to their depth, and Ajay Mitchell, after leading their second unit a year ago, is going to have to step up even more than he did. They lost three guys in Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins, who all averaged north of 21 minutes per game. Mitchell himself averaged 25.8 MPG while putting up 13.6 PPG, 3.6 APG, 3.3 RPG, and 1.2 SPG. Those should only amplify with how much they’re going to rely on him during the regular season this season. I might’ve even dropped a nugget here at Fantasy Alarm on why YOU should be betting on him for sixth man of the year.