The Complete 2022 Dynasty Fantasy Basketball Draft Guide

A comprehensive List of everyone worth taking in your Dynasty League draft, ranked in order for your ease and satisfaction!

Tier 1: Guys Worthy of the Number #1 Pick: This group is composed of the best of the best – guys that no one can blame you for taking with the #1 pick. You can argue which one is better all you want, but at the end of the day, these are the best guys in the draft.

1. Paolo Banchero (PF, Orlando Magic) Even before the draft, I had Paolo as my #1 player. I don’t love the fit fantasy-wise on the Magic admittedly. It’s a packed front court: At Power Forward they have Jonathan Isaac coming back from injury as well as Chuma Okeke; at Small Forward Franz Wagner has been a revelation, and Terrence Ross provides more of a traditional wing-option off the bench. There were questions as to whether Paolo can play Center early on, but it doesn’t seem like that will really happen: Wendell Carter Jr. has been productive, and they just brought Mo Bamba back too. It’s a logjam of young talent, to be sure.

But Paolo is Paolo. His minutes will be priority #1 for the Magic. Banchero really sets himself apart from the pack with his passing, which is truly elite He has that Blake Griffin vision we saw earlier in his career – look for him to be a menace in short roll situations. He’s the best player in the draft, and he’s the best fantasy option too.

2. Chet Holmgren (C, OKC Thunder) Unlike the Magic, the Thunder have very few playable big men. Outside of Chet, their frontcourt depth chart looks like this: Darius Bazley, Derrick Favors, Aleksej Pokusevski…? Unless you’re abnormally high on Bazley or Poku (which I pray to God you’re not), you’ll probably notice that Chet is set to receive a ton of minutes. Whether that’s good for him or not, we’ll see – but the opportunity is there.

Chet is a really good player though, and his size will get him easy fantasy points. Seeing that Josh Giddey was the Thunder’s leading rebounder last year, expect Chet to eat up anywhere from eight to ten rebounds a game. He will get open shots because of Giddey, and his own passing isn’t bad either. He’s a longer-term play than Paolo, but worth taking #1 if you so choose.

Tier 2: Top End First Rounders: This group is the “next best guys”. People might look at you funny if you took them before the first tier, but if we’re being honest with ourselves, they could still conceivably become the best fantasy player in the class.

3. Jaden Ivey (PG/SG, Detroit Pistons)

Jaden Ivey went #5 in the actual NBA Draft, and he crawls up to #3 here because of the perfect talent/fit combination. Barring something unforeseen, Ivey will pretty easily slip into a starting backcourt role with Cade Cunningham in Detroit, where he’ll be able to play off ball a little bit and play off of Cade’s playmaking (I can already see the lobs from Cade). He may even get PG/SG designation – that positional versatility is so damn valuable in fantasy hoops.

When Jaden is able to take over ballhandling duties, he can show off his explosive first step, which usually ends in either a bucket or a wide-open teammate. Imagine the Ivey to Duren pick and roll! Cory Joseph is his primary competition for minutes… need I say more? It’s close, but I’d take him over Jabari Smith right now.

4. Jabari Smith Jr. (PF, Houston Rockets)

Smith really is the only other acceptable choice if you pass on Ivey at #3. I see the two of them almost indistinguishable as far as value – the only difference is how they figure to get their fantasy points. While Ivey will thrive in a more complimentary role, Jabari Smith will be handed a lot of responsibility from the get-go. That’s exactly what former Auburn Tiger wants.

In fantasy basketball, you want guys with confidence, and Smith has a lot of it. Sometimes his shot selection gets erratic – but unless you play in a league where efficiency matters, then he’s a fantasy GM’s dream come true.

On top of his scoring potential, the Rockets aren’t exactly stacked with great rebounders, meaning he might snag over 7 a game next year as a rookie. If Smith is even 75% of the prospect that we thought he was before the draft, it would be a dream to get him at #4 in your draft.

Tier 3: First Round Picks: These players are worth a first-round pick. Either because of their situation, their talent, or their upside, they’re absolutely worth taking in the middle-to-end of the first round.

5. Keegan Murray (PF/SF, Sacramento Kings)

Without Summer League we may not have Keegan Murray this high, but alas, the Kings’ controversial pick balled out in July. Not only did Murray score in bunches, but the way he got his points was so translatable to a crowded team such as the Kings. The fit alongside Harrison Barnes and Domantas Sabonis is not ideal, but when you see him spotting up, putting back offensive rebounds, and slicing in transition, it doesn’t really seem like Murray will cut into his teammates’ production all that much. He scores best as a complimentary player right now anyway.

But that doesn’t mean he can’t become a real option down the line. Harrison Barnes can only do so much for the Kings. DeAaron Fox has already been dangled in trades, and Davion Mitchell is limited on offense as it is. Even Sabonis isn’t exactly a scoring savant. The door to increased production as a secondary or even primary option isn’t as far away as we might think.

6. Bennedict Mathurin (SG/SF, Indiana Pacers)

To be honest, I am a bit shocked I have Mathurin this low. I have been clanging symbols for the former Arizona wing for a long time now, and he went to the Pacers – one of the best situations as far as opportunity in the league. With no true scorers on that team, they will be leaning on the rookie early for points.

But even though he had a solid summer league outing, I didn’t love the way he handled contact against bigger defenders. He’ll be a sniper off of Tyrese Haliburton’s feeds to be sure, but it might take him a year or two before he can actually score in the way Indiana fans might expect him to. All of that being said, he doesn’t have many gaps in his offensive game.

Once Mathurin puts on some pounds, I expect him to take off in Indiana. Consider Mathurin a great combination of talent, potential, and situation.

7. Jeremy Sochan (PF, San Antonio Spurs)

Maybe I’m a Spurs/Baylor homer, but I love Sochan as a long-term fantasy asset. His defense will net him minutes really early on, especially with the Spurs lack of frontcourt depth. From there, look for Coach Pop to find creative ways to get Sochan involved on offense. He has shown impressive passing during limited minutes in college, and while his shot is not very good, it’s not particularly dreadful, either. He’s a ball of pure potential going to San Antonio, and if there’s a place for guys like that to thrive, that’s where it is. They’ll be patient with his development as they begin a rebuild down south.

Sochan is going to produce early on, at least enough to warrant being a solid first rounder. But his ceiling is what really pushes him up my board.

8. Dyson Daniels (PG, New Orleans Pelicans)

I think that this could be another example of a right place, right time sort of player. Some people see Daniels as a high upside guy, but as far as how he gets his points, I see him as having a pretty high floor too. He doesn’t need to score – he can do everything else.

Daniels is a good defender, meaning he’ll probably get you a steal and a block or so a game. He’s a tall guard, so he’ll get easy rebounds. As for his assist numbers, think about the personnel in New Orleans: CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram, and Herb Jones space the floor for three point looks, while Zion Williamson and Jonas Valanciunas open up tons of lob and dump down opportunities. It’s kind of the best-case scenario for Daniels as he figures out how to score effectively.

As a cherry on top, Dyson won’t have tons of competition for minutes. Devonte Graham, Kira Lewis, and Jose Alvaredo aren’t exactly the same caliber of player. He’s a dynamic pass-first guard on a team that needs just that. I think he could surprise some people with his production this year, and even more as he figures out the NBA game.

Tier 4: Fringe Guys : These guys aren’t good enough to be called First Round talents, but I wouldn’t be surprised if one or two of them end up being better than few guys in the tier above. They’re perfect in the second round, or worth a first-round reach if you find yourself in the unfortunate position of picking toward the back end.

9. Jalen Duren (C, Detroit Pistons)

Duren was picked 13th in the draft, but his value soars beyond that in fantasy. The former Memphis Center is another guy that finds himself in a perfect situation; All he’s really going to do at this point is rim run for the rebuilding Pistons. He’ll be blocking shots, grabbing boards, throwing down dunks… and not much else.

But those opportunities won’t really take away from any of his teammates’ production – Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey will only benefit from his interior presence. He’ll immediately be thrust into a significant role on the Pistons with very little frontcourt depth, and it’s up to him to step up to the challenge.

10. Johnny Davis (SG, Washington Wizards)

Johnny Davis and the player at #11 are interchangeable to me as far as value, but they could not be further from each other as prospects. I am skeptical about Johnny Davis’ long-term upside, but there’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll play right away in Washington. As Bradley Beal puts up shots, Johnny Davis will dig in on the defensive end and rip rebounds out of Kristaps Porzingis’ hands.

Davis can get points too – he scored almost twenty at Wisconsin, taking about sixteen shots a game. One of his biggest knocks as a prospect was that he shot too much. That’s a legitimate concern for an NBA team, but it’s music to my ears as a fantasy owner. Is he a great player? I have my doubts. But even so, I think he’s worth taking around pick 10.

11. Shaedon Sharpe (SG, Portland Trailblazers)

Sharpe was one of the biggest question marks of the NBA draft, and he remains that in the fantasy draft. I’m not even going to try to evaluate him as a player – there’s plenty of people trying to do that. Here I’ll talk about how his opportunities.

Sharpe could be fighting for minutes all year. The Blazers forked out a hefty check to Anfernee Simons this year, locking him into the starting shooting guard role alongside Damian Lillard. He could play as an undersized small forward (his body isn’t ready for that yet, but just for arguments’ sake let’s say it is), except that Josh Hart, Jerami Grant, Nassir Little will be vying for minutes there too. If you’re a patient fantasy owner, he might be worth swinging on for returns down the road, but those returns are far from a sure thing.

Tier 5: Second Round Picks: These guys are solid second round picks. They’re imperfect, but something about them makes them worth taking anyway. They might not be able to contribute right away, but down the road they could really turn into something. Or maybe they’re ready to play now, but don’t have tons of room to grow. Either way, they may not warrant your first, but absolutely warrant a second round pick.

12. Mark Williams (C, Charlotte Hornets) I could regret putting him this low. Williams was a perfect complimentary big to Paolo Banchero at Duke, and his role will likely look pretty similar in the NBA. Think of Williams as a toned down, lower ceiling version of Duren on the Pistons. He’ll be running the rim to get dunks, rebounds and blocks.

With Montrezl Harrell and Miles Bridges both in legal trouble, the Hornets’ depth chart is looking thin down low. As far as fantasy production goes, Williams’ best-case scenario is a guy like Rudy Gobert. A more realistic comp may be somewhere between Hassan Whiteside and Clint Capela, which is not bad value at this point in the draft.

13. Walker Kessler (C, Utah Jazz) Walker Kessler is a tough evaluation as far as fantasy basketball goes. He was drafted by the Timberwolves and immediately shipped out to Utah in the Rudy Gobert blockbuster. On paper, it seems like Kessler could step right in and at least sort of fill the Gobert role in Utah. He’ll pull down boards, block shots, and dunk.

(Per @Joshdub_ on Twitter)

But there’s a difference – not just in talent, but in the actual amount of time he can play. Rudy Gobert played over 32 minutes a game for the Jazz, whereas Kessler only logged about 25 for the Auburn Tigers. Part of that was due to conditioning, but for the most part it’s because Kessler fouled a ton. He picked up 88 fouls in only 34 games – that’s over 2.5 a game in only 25 minutes. Gobert stays on the floor because he doesn’t foul, Kessler is forced off because he does.

Regardless, the rookie will get a lot of early chances to prove himself. With a little refining, Kessler can be a valuable fantasy contributor, especially in leagues that weigh defense heavier.

14. Malaki Branham (SG/SF, San Antonio Spurs) Branham walks into a really great position with the Spurs. Basically everyone admitted that the former Buckeye was one of the draft’s biggest heists, which makes him immediately stepping into a large role even with San Antonio more enticing.

After the draft, the Spurs decided to deal All Star guard Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks, fully committing to a team rebuild. That rockets Branham’s fantasy value; it means minutes open up in the team’s rotation. He may even start at some point soon – the team’s backcourt options are becoming thin after Lonnie Walker signed with the Lakers. As a capable scorer, passer, and defender, Branham should have no problem cracking the rotation early.

15. Tari Eason (PF/SF, Houston Rockets) Tari Eason’s fantasy value has more to do with his immediate impact than anything else. It’s not that Eason does not have potential – he made massive strides from Freshman to Sophomore year. But his play is a little erratic and, if I were to bet, the Rockets will want him to do more as a complimentary player than as some featured option.

The Rockets are young, though, and Eason can push the pace. I expect him to get minutes at either Forward spot next season, and once he’s out there he will rack up easy dunks, rebounds, and even the occasional three. He’s a sort of perfect compliment to Jalen Green and Jabari Smith. Eason is worth a second-round pick because of that opportunity, but his value rises even more if you think he could grow into a real option for the Rockets.

16. Jalen Williams (PG/SG, OKC Thunder) I may have Williams too high, but I simply can’t get over him as a player. He has no real flaws to his game, which is probably why the Thunder reached on him. Sure, he’s a little older as a player, but a late growth spurt means he’s still figuring out how to hoop in a new body. If Williams can play with SGA and Josh Giddey on the floor, he’ll prove to be an immediate contributor early on. I’m a bit worried about how much those two will have the ball in their hands, but if he’s as good as I think he is, it won’t be much of a problem in the long term. He can do whatever the team needs him to, and he might be able to do some things better than his teammates can.

Tier 6: Problematic, but Pickable: This group is composed of guys we might traditionally call “projects”. Odds are, you really like at least one guy in this group, and you also probably really hate another. They might all be fringe second rounders/solid third rounders for that exact reason; No one wants to commit entirely to these prospects, but they sure as hell want to tell you that “I called it” if any of them ever do hit down the road.

17. Ousmane Dieng (SF/PF, OKC Thunder) Here’s another Thunder player that might be a bit riskier. Dieng flew up boards because of his versatility at 6’10, despite a rather small sample size of production. He’ll likely get the Poku treatment in Oklahoma City, bringing his development along slowly in hopes that he puts it all together a few years from now.

Honestly, I don’t really see it with him. To me, his best-case scenario is Nicolas Batum… and I feel quite certain he won’t reach that either. Regardless, NBA teams liked him. He’s certainly worth a pick, but I’d be scared if it was my own, even at 17.

18. Blake Wesley (PG/SG, San Antonio Spurs) I swear this is the last Spur on this list, but with all the holes on that roster, can you blame me? Wesley is a twitchy athlete with a good frame. He’s got some passing chops, and he’s more than capable of hitting the occasional circus shot. The issue is everything else.

He’s erratic, gets tunnel vision, and takes some of the most obscene shots you’ll ever see. He’s not a winning basketball player yet… but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a valuable fantasy basketball asset. With Murray leaving San Antonio, there’s a gap at point guard that (as much as I like Tre Jones) is very much up for grabs. He could score substantial minutes early on, and while he may go 2/10 from the field, Wesley could conceivably still produce fine fantasy numbers.

I’m not saying he’ll hit on that potential, but there are a lot of things working in his favor. And hell, if the Spurs develop him well, we could be talking about a real force in the league. Stranger things have happened in San Antonio!

19. Dalen Terry (SF/SG, Chicago Bulls) Dalen Terry is all upside. I like him as a prospect (even if he’s a year or two away from even really being a key player), and it doesn’t take a prophet to see how he could earn minutes down the road: Lonzo Ball’s injuries have been a concern as of late; Zach Lavine flirted with jumping ship last offseason; DeMar DeRozan will be 34 by the time his own contract is up and Dalen Terry (theoretically) hits his stride.

It’s not for certain that those three guys won’t be there in a couple years, but it seems really likely that at least one will be gone. At that point, it’s Terry’s job to lose. He can defend at a high level, rebound, and pass for a 6’7 wing – a basketball Swiss army knife. Whether he puts it together in the box score is another thing, but I like betting on him for now.

Tier 7: True Sleepers: This category is for those guys that will drop past the first few rounds, but they’re worth reaching on. Maybe they’re a really good talent that we’re betting on winning minutes, or perhaps there’s an easy pathway to high usage. Either way, I like these guys… I just wouldn’t advise you to take any of them with a top tier pick. That being said, if you find the sleeper that hits gold, you immortalize yourself forever, so hey, why not take some swings?

20. TyTy Washington (PG, Houston Rockets) My God I love this guy. TyTy Washington was #12 on my personal board as far as talent goes, and I’m probably way too high on him relative to how high he actually got picked – 29th overall. But him slipping to the end of the first round seems like another example of overthinking a Kentucky prospect to me. He can shoot it really well. He can pass it really well. He has a 6’9 wingspan to go with 6’3 height – more than enough to hold up defensively. He plays with pace and poise, off ball and on ball… what’s not to like?

He played noticeably worse after suffering an ankle injury in February, but that’s something that should have plenty of time to heal in between now and the regular season. Unless there’s internal damage, I don’t see what’s wrong.

And then we look at the Rockets’ roster. Kevin Porter has shown flashes, but it seems like even now it hasn’t been enough to convince the Rockets of his long-term services. In the meantime, Washington is lurking on the depth chart, playing efficient basketball and winning ballgames. He’s my favorite sleeper in the draft.

21. Jaylin Williams (PF, OKC Thunder) Another Thunder entry, partially because they have so many damn picks, and partially because they have so much uncertainty in their lineup. Williams could weasel his way into early minutes because of OKC’s aforementioned shallow depth chart (see Chet Holmgren for details).

But once he gets out there, Williams might actually put together some productive games. He’s a fantastic passer and defender – two things that will score you court-time in the NBA. Those passes may well end up in assists, as OKC spreads the floor with Chet, SGA, and (other) Jalen Williams. He’s also a relentless rebounder on a team with no real rebounding specialists. I’m not saying he’ll hit, but I think he’s worth thinking about.

22. Kendall Brown (SF/PF, Indiana Pacers) I am a graduate of Baylor University, and an avid fan of the team. I watched almost every game last year, and to say Kendall Brown was disappointing is, well, an understatement. There were points last year where Brown, a top recruit in 2021, was unplayable for the Bears. He just looked lost at points, like he didn’t know where he belonged on the court.

But he did do some things quite well. He was a great defender, for one, which is something the Pacers don’t figure to have much of next year. He is also a solid rebounder for a tweener forward, and an especially electric offensive rebounder. Those points are so valuable in fantasy because they don’t cut into any other players’ production (which is why guys like Andre Drummond dominated fantasy basketball at points). As a cherry on top, Kendall Brown could become a rather viable lob threat for Tyrese Haliburton. So if you believe in the upside more than a disgruntled Baylor fan does, then he might be worth swinging on. If you trust me, I’d still probably steer clear.

23. Andrew Nembhard (PG/SG, Indiana Pacers) By now you’re probably noticing that all of the teams in contention for the #1 pick next year are great teams to look at for value in fantasy basketball drafts. The Pacers will be losing plenty of games next season, and Andrew Nembhard figures to play a role in that. That’s no knock, it’s reality.

Yes, the Pacers are loaded with guards at the top of their roster. But Nembhard provides a bit of a different skillset than most of them; aside from Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers have almost no playmakers. Sure TJ McConnell is serviceable, and I’m confident Bennedict Mathurin could play on ball in a pinch. But outside of them, no one is really going to occupy that backup ball handler slot on the Pacers. Why not Nembhard?

24. Jaden Hardy (SG, Dallas Mavericks) Jaden Hardy fell all the way to the 38th pick in the draft for reasons that should make fantasy owners perk up. Hardy lit up the G-League last year, averaging about 18 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3 assists. The problem with Hardy was never his talent… it’s his mindset.

More than maybe any player in the draft, Hardy is his own worst enemy. He becomes obsessed with his initial decision for the possession: If that was to pass, he will force an assist; if it’s to score, he’ll huck up the worst shot you’ve seen in years. It’s honestly remarkable at times.

However, as I’ve said throughout this list, that confidence is not necessarily a bad thing in fantasy basketball. If we just want pure statistical output, Jaden Hardy figures to have it. He is even stepping onto a Mavericks roster where Jalen Brunson just left for New York, opening up a secondary scorer slot.

Do I think Hardy will fill that slot effectively for the Mavericks? No. But will he shoot twenty times when he’s asked to? Absolutely.

Tier 8: You’ll be Tempted to take these Guys earlier, but I Promise You’ll Regret it: This final group is hard to place. Maybe some of these guys are better bets than Tier 7, but they’ll go way before they should in your fantasy draft. DO NOT BE THE ONE TO OVERDRAFT THEM. I know how this goes – you’ve probably been looking for these guys’ names this entire time, so I have to talk about them. For whatever reason, I don’t think these players are really worth your pick in fantasy basketball… but you won’t take my advice unless I give reasons. That’s this section is for.

AJ Griffin (SF, Atlanta Hawks) AJ Griffin was one of my least favorite prospects in the draft, which is likely a huge reason why I have him falling here. But it’s not without good reason, either: Where do you honestly see him fitting in the Hawks’ lineup? He’s a great spot up shooter, but his footspeed as a defender is a legitimate concern. He doesn’t seem to have the athletic burst that he possessed before getting injured in high school – so where exactly is his upside? I don’t see it.

On top of that, The Hawks are surprisingly crowded in the wing. Bogdan Bogdanovic is holding down the 2/3 position as a shooter, whereas Deandre Hunter projects to be a more versatile defender with upside at the 3. Onyeka Okongwu and Jalen Johnson will both likely have to play the 4 (they’re both only 6’8) which pushes Hunter up to the 3 permanently – and I haven’t even gotten into the John Collins and Dejounte Murray minutes. The Hawks are loaded with young talent, and while I don’t think Griffin will be a bad player per se, I don’t necessarily see a pathway for him to put up any fantasy numbers any time soon.

Ochai Agbaji (SF, Cleveland Cavaliers) Agbaji is a good basketball player – let’s get that out there right away. He’s an excellent defender who showed a lot of growth as a shooter at Kansas, and there’s no doubt that he will be help the Cavs win games at some point.

But Agbaji is simply not going to produce in fantasy basketball, not now, and probably not ever. It’s just how he plays – nothing he’s good at really scales to the box score that well. Even if he gets on the floor (passing up Caris LeVert, Cedi Osman, and Isaac Okoro), Agbaji can really only score, and he can probably only do it spotting up at the NBA level. In all likelihood he won’t even get many on-ball reps with so many young mouths to feed in Cleveland.

Okay, so maybe he can be productive in other ways? I’m skeptical at best. He is a shockingly poor passer (8.7 AST% for a guard with his usage is unheard of) and not a prolific rebounder, either. He may get you a steal or two, but not much more. It’s a similar situation to Griffin, but with even less upside – in that way he reminds me of Cory Kispert’s fantasy profile entering last season. I just don’t see him as a good pick.

Jake LaRavia (SF/SG, Memphis Grizzlies) LaRavia is here for no reason other than fit. I liked LaRavia a lot coming out of Wake Forrest for his versatility – if he was on a tanking team, he’s probably way higher on this list. He shoots well, rebounds well, passes well… he’s just a winning player.

The problem here is that LaRavia is on one of the most crowded young teams in the NBA. He may be able to play three positions (still not sure about that), but the Grizzlies are loaded with young talent at those positions for the foreseeable future. Not to mention four picks later, the Grizzlies traded up to draft David Roddy – further crowding the team’s rotation with another rookie. LaRavia is a good player, but unless the Grizzlies blow up their young core, I don’t see much potential for him to log many minutes soon.