Get ready for your fantasy basketball drafts with Dan Titus’ division previews for the 2024-2025 NBA season. On today’s list: the Central.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Evan Mobley’s usage and performance have been consistent through his first three seasons in the league – nothing crazy, but just enough to see the potential. Well, the 23-year-old is about to go out.
Atkinson says he will use Mobley more as a playmaker, and he has worked all season to expand his range. A breakout is coming and Mobley’s services will be well worth the price of admission as an early fourth-rounder.
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The main question mark here is Darius Garland. Injuries limited Garland to just 57 games last season and his production dipped in almost every category. Assuming last year was an outlier, his ADP in the sixth round has reached a low enough point where I would buy again.
Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo comes with warts in category formats, but he’s a top-four option for points competitions. Damian Lillard just finished outside the top 24 for the first time in a decade, so expect him to bounce back after an entire season outside the top 24 to train, rest and recover without external distractions.
Brook Lopez’s age is catching up with him, so he’s an easy fade for me at his current ADP. One player to watch in the later rounds is Bobby Portis Jr.. Portis’ usage rate eclipsed 25% under Doc Rivers and he ranked 79th in value per game over the final three months of the season.
Indiana Pacers
As one of the fastest and most efficient basketball units last season, the Pacers turned heads as a solid hub for fantasy production. Tyrese Haliburton played in 69 games despite injuries and averaged at least 20 points with 10 assists for the second year in a row. He’s an easy first-rounder in fantasy drafts.
Myles Turner is still an effective shot blocker to grab in the fourth round, while Pascal Siakam has a safe 20-7-4 floor. I prefer Turner over Siakam in category competitions because Siakam’s defensive numbers are dropping along with his free throw percentage. In points competitions you choose Siakam.
Two late-round guys I like are Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard. Both are efficient from the field, sloppy defensively and their services are reasonably priced. Bennedict Mathurin is a microwave bucket, but he has yet to prove himself as a viable fantasy asset outside of scoring.
Chicago Bulls
Zach LaVine spoke about his approach to the season and I remained confident he would restore his basketball value in real life and fantasy. You have to feel like the Bulls will use him more often in hopes of terminating his contract. That said, 23-5-4 is a safe floor for LaVine after DeRozan’s departure. Nikola Vučević is declining, but he remains an asset for points, boards and assists from the center spot.
Josh Giddey plays a bigger role for the Bulls and can produce fantasy in a variety of ways. Career year is coming.
I assume Coby White will play more off the ball if he shares the court with Giddey and Lonzo Ball, so his usage may decrease. Still, it’s worth taking a goalscorer of his caliber in the eighth round. You can leave Patrick Williams off your draft list, while Matas Buzelis and Jalen Smith are players to keep an eye on.
And shout out to Lonzo, man. If he can stay healthy and continue to do so in limited minutes, he may be able to find his way back onto some fantasy basketball rosters this season.
Detroit Pistons
Cade Cunningham is one of my favorite third-round picks this season. If his preseason is any indication of what to expect, fantasy managers are in for a productive season from the fourth-year guard. Cunningham is averaging 14.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 7.5 assists with just two turnovers in 24 minutes this preseason. The stocks and 3’s will come, but it’s time to board the motorCade.
Jalen Duren is a big man to target in the fifth round of drafts. Duren is one of four players in NBA history to average at least 13 points and 11 rebounds per game before turning 21. He will finish among the leaders in double-doubles and a rise in shares will push him into the top 50 in fantasy this year.
Harris remains a boring pick, but remains consistent in fantasy. He finished in the top 65 in ten straight seasons, but his ADP is 67 – underrated as usual.
Ausar Thompson (illness) has not yet been cleared for contact, while Jaden Ivey has put together one of the best pre-seasons in the league. That efficiency won’t hold up, but it’s certainly worth a late-round flier with a modest ADP of 133.
