Way Too Early 2026 NBA Draft Grades: Best Fantasy Basketball Prospects In First Round
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With the 2026 Las Vegas NBA Summer League about to start, here is an evaluation of teams' selections 1-14 in the 2026 NBA Draft, along with a few players who could have great seasons in fantasy basketball.
1. AJ Dybantsa, Washington Wizards, SF
Grade: A-
The Washington Wizards, although there was talk of them going many different directions with the #1 overall pick, opted to go the direction that the majority of people thought they would take in drafting AJ Dybantsa. The dynamic scorer from BYU has the potential to be Washington’s number-one scoring option down the road. However, with them signing Trae Young to a big contract and with there being many reports of them wanting to keep veteran forward Anthony Davis, Dybantsa will have a lesser fantasy ceiling than a lot of his peers in his rookie season despite being the first player off the board.
2. Darryn Peterson, Utah Jazz, SG
Grade: A+
Through all the injury concerns and drama in his lone year of basketball at Kansas, Darryn Peterson’s first impression in the NBA has been nothing but positive. Next to the talent already on the Utah Jazz, Keyonte George, Jaren Jackson Jr, Ace Bailey, Lauri Markkanen–Utah looks like they nailed this pick.
Peterson has played in two games at the Salt Lake City Summer League, and out of the four teams there–Memphis Grizzlies, Atlanta Hawks, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Jazz–he has looked like the best player. In those games, he averaged 26.5 PPG, 7.0 APG, and 3.5 RPG. One of his biggest knocks at Kansas was his playmaking ability. He averaged 1.6 APG with the Jayhawks. If Peterson can translate the playmaking ability he has shown in spades in the Summer thus far, his fantasy basketball potential hits another level.
3. Cameron Boozer, Memphis Grizzlies, PF
Grade: A
Cameron Boozer has the most versatile game in the draft. He showcased that recently in the two games he played with the Memphis Grizzlies at the Salt Lake City Summer League.
Boozer at the event averaged 16 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 4.0 APG. The main reason this is a great pick for the Grizzlies is Boozer’s playmaking. He can handle the ball well for a big and be the primary initiator on offense. With Memphis having no big star at the PG position, with Ja Morant being traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, Memphis could run most of its offensive sets through Boozer. Whether that happens in his rookie year is hard to tell, but down the line, the Grizzlies almost certainly will. This gives Boozer the potential to be the best fantasy basketball player in his rookie class.
4. Caleb Wilson, Chicago Bulls, PF
Grade: A-
The fit of Caleb Wilson with the Chicago Bulls is an elite one. The one thing holding his draft grade from being slightly higher is the rawness he still has in his game.
Wilson’s strength as a player is his inside game. He is a phenomenal cutter and has top-tier athleticism. Pairing that skill set next to one of the best passers in the NBA, Josh Giddey, will help him unlock his interior scoring ability to its fullest potential in his rookie season.
Wilson will need to work on his perimeter game. He was a non-shooting threat at North Carolina, and he did have the ability to create his own shot at times, but nowhere near the level of the three guys drafted above him.
5. Keaton Wagler, Los Angeles Clippers, PG
Grade: B-
Keaton Wagler is undoubtedly a top-eight talent in this draft class, but the fit for him on the Los Angeles Clippers is just slightly suboptimal. The Clippers having a true starting PG already on their roster, with Darius Garland, is the cause of this. Wagler can play off the ball some, with his ability to knock down 3-pointers reliably. In college, he shot 39.7% from distance. But although he can, he is better on the ball. With the pace he plays at–slow and methodical–he is better suited to be a PG.
While the fit is awkward for Wagler, he could still have a breakout fantasy season. He may get fewer opportunities to initiate Los Angeles' offense, but his ceiling in fantasy with the Clippers took a significant leap with them trading SF Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors. Leonard last season averaged a career-high 27.9 PPG.
6. Mikel Brown Jr., Brooklyn Nets, PG
Grade: B-
The Brooklyn Nets needed a guard, but they picked the wrong one. Mikel Brown Jr. is by no means a bad player; he just has big question marks in his game, the main one being his inefficiency at times. Also, with Darius Acuff Jr. being available, although Brown Jr. could turn out to be a great player, this draft pick could be one the Nets look at later on and regret.
Brown Jr. at Louisville last season showcased three-level scoring capability, but showed extreme inefficiencies in shooting the ball at times. In the five games he played against college teams that were ranked last season, he only shot 40% or higher one time. This includes a game against Duke where he shot 1-13.
Brown Jr. in fantasy basketball is a player to take a chance on, but be wary. With high-volume shot takers in Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr. as his teammates, his ceiling in year one in fantasy could be somewhat limited.
7. Darius Acuff Jr., Sacramento Kings, PG
Grade: A+
People are going to look back and wonder how Acuff Jr. fell all the way to the #7 overall pick. He has played with the Sacramento Kings in two games at the California Classic Summer League, and looks to have all the potential of being their franchise player.
In the two games, he averaged 23.5 PPG, 3.0 APG, and 2.5 RPG. At the event, he showed ultra-aggressiveness in his shot-taking. He averaged 24 shots a game.
With the Kings recently waiving DeMar DeRozan, the chances of this level of aggressiveness translating into the regular season rise. Pairing that with the efficiency Acuff Jr. had in his lone year with Arkansas–50.9 FG% and 44.5 3FG%-- like Boozer, he also has a chance to be the best fantasy player in his rookie class in the 2026-2027 season.
8. Kingston Flemings, Atlanta Hawks, PG
Grade: A
The Atlanta Hawks got the perfect PG to go alongside their slew of defensive wings with Kingston Flemings Jr. He raises their defensive potential as a group and also gives them another on-ball creator.
Flemings has played with the Hawks in the Salt Lake City Summer League. He averaged 13.0 PPG, 7.0 APG, and 1.5 RPG. Flemings is a player worth going after slightly above his average draft position in fantasy drafts with his above-average playmaking.
9. Morez Johnson Jr., Dallas Mavericks, PF/C
Grade: C+
This was the biggest reach a team made in the top-14 picks. The Dallas Mavericks opted to draft their new coach’s favorite player on the team he just coached to win a College Basketball National Championship, Morez Johnson Jr.
It is understandable why first-year coach Dusty May liked Johnson Jr. He is a culture setter and an elite defender. But at #9 overall, they were better suited to go with someone else. Dallas already has good interior players with C/PFs Daniel Gafford and Derrick Lively.
Johnson Jr. is not a player to go after. He should see the floor a good amount in his rookie season, but his impact on the floor should not be enough to warrant him being a relevant fantasy player in his rookie season.
10. Brayden Burries, Milwaukee Bucks, PG/SG
Grade: B
The Milwaukee Bucks may have found a staple in their backcourt for years to come with Brayden Burries. However, his fit on Milwaukee’s current roster certainly limits his fantasy basketball ceiling in year one of his NBA career.
With the trade the Bucks made when dealing Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat, they got more depth in their backcourt. The main depth piece in that deal was Tyler Herro. With the addition of Herro, Burries may come off the bench rather than start.
11. Yaxel Lendeborg, Golden State Warriors, PF
Grade: A-
The Warriors needed a player that could help their team right away, and with the #11 overall pick, there may not have been a better avaiable option than Yaxel Lendeborg.
Coming into the draft, Lendeborg was one of the oldest players in the draft. With his experience, he is one of the most NBA-ready players in his draft class. He further proved that at the California Classic Summer League.
Lendeborg at the event averaged 15.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 4.0 APG. His ability to impact the game in multiple areas, along with the opportunity he will get to likely play right away in Golden State, makes him a player to go after late in a fantasy draft.
12. Aday Mara, Oklahoma City Thunder, C
Grade: A
There were rumors that Aday Mara could go as high as inside the top-six of the NBA Draft. That, of course, was not the case. He ended up falling into the hands of one of the best teams in the NBA, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Mara has already flashed the potential of a top talent in his draft class in the Salt Lake City Summer League. He had some shaky stretches of play at the event, but the more he played, the better he got. Mara, in two outings, averaged 10.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 2.7 BPG. Even with the depth OKC has, Mara will still have a role next season. However, it should be a limited one. Because of that, he should not be a center to go after in fantasy basketball drafts.
13. Nate Ament, Milwaukee Bucks, SF
Grade: B+
With where the Milwaukee Bucks got Nate Ament, he should be considered one of the steals in the first round. He has the talent to be a top-five player in his draft class. If he does get to that point, it will take time. Although he is an extremely talented player, he has to find some consistency in using his skills effectively
In Milwaukee, Ament has the benefit of being on a team where there is no pressure to win right away. Because of that, he should get some run in his rookie season. In regard to fantasy basketball, for now, he is a forward not to go after in drafts.
14. Hannes Steinbach, Charlotte Hornets, PF/C
Grade: A-
The Charlotte Honets opted to add another big man to their front court rotation with, Hannes Steinbach. Steinbach may be the best rebounder this draft had to offer. At Washington last season he averaged 18.5 PPG and 11.8 RPG.
With the NBA leaning more back to big men being a crucial part of winning, having depth at the PF/C position is what a lot of teams have been prioritizing in the offseason. The Hornets have been one of these teams, with them drafting Steinbach. He has the potential to start for them in his rookie season, so he is worth going after in fantasy basketball with his rebounding upside. He will have to fight for minutes with Moussa Diabate and Ryan Kalkbrenner.
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Gray Deyo is a Nashville-based sportswriter who graduated with a sports management bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He has covered prep sports, college sports, the WNBA, and the NBA for the past four years. In addition to writing for SI, Gray also currently contributes to Prep Girls Hoops