Draft Assistant

Year-3 Wemby (SAS, 64 GP) put up 25/11.5/3.1 with 3.1 BLK and 1.9 3PM — historic for a center. AST is the only weak spot (3.1/g), and the cleanest build leans into it: Punt AST. Stack low-AST scorers who reinforce REB, PTS, FG%, and FT% without wasting creators on a roster that's already conceded the category. At pick 24, KAT is the natural target: 11.9 REB stacks with Wemby for ~23 combined boards, .501 FG and .858 FT both positive, 1.5 3PM as a bonus. The upside swing is Lauri Markkanen — 26.7 PPG, 2.7 3PM, .896 FT%, and a 1.5 TO that turns into a real category win. The catch is Lauri's durability (42-GP 25-26) & uncertainty with new non-tanking Utah Jazz. Take KAT for the floor; reach for Lauri if you can absorb the risk.

Still the most complete player in fantasy — 27.7/12.9/10.7 from Denver with 1.4 STL keeping him relevant defensively. BLK is the only real weak cat (0.8/g), so commit to Punt BLK and pair with a guard who deepens Jokic's strengths rather than tries to fix the unfixable. If Steph drops to R2 thanks to his 42-GP injury cloud last season, grab him — 4.45 3PM and .920 FT% turn Jokic's thin cats into weekly sweeps, and the low-BLK profile aligns with the punt. The safer alt is Jamal Murray (DEN, 75 GP, 25.4/4.4/7.1 with 3.27 3PM, .887 FT%, 2.28 low TO) — same cat coverage at full availability, less ceiling.

The best guard in fantasy, back-to-back MVP — 31/4.3/6.6 with 1.4 STL, .883 FT%, and .555 FG on ridiculous volume from OKC. His 1.7 3PM is mid-tier for a guard and the rest of his profile thins toward bigs' cats (REB 4.3, BLK 0.75), so the cleanest build is Punt 3PM: stack a low-3PM big who fixes REB and BLK while keeping FG% stacked. Chet Holmgren is the natural pair: 1.9 BLK + 8.9 REB plugs both holes, .555 FG matches SGA's, full 68 GP availability — the cleanest possible R2 fit. Anthony Davis is the higher-ceiling alt — 11.1 REB + 1.7 BLK + .506 FG would make this build uncontestable in 3 cats simultaneously — but his 20-GP 25-26 is the variance you'd be buying.

Year-2 in LA: 33/7.7/8.3 with elite 4.0 3PM and 1.6 STL. The .781 FT% and league-leading 4.0 TO are the unavoidable taxes on his usage — commit to Punt FT% and TO, freeing the roster to chase production without worrying about cats Luka can't win. At pick 21, Anthony Davis is the natural target: 1.7 BLK fixes Luka's biggest non-punt hole (0.5/g), 11.1 REB stacks for combined 18.8 elite, .506 FG keeps efficiency strong. His .728 FT% and 2.1 TO don't matter — both cats are already conceded. The catch is AD's 20-GP 25-26. The safer alt is Kevin Durant (HOU, 77 GP, 26/5.4/4.8 with 2.42 3PM, 0.92 BLK, .520 FG) — smaller BLK fix but full availability and (almost) zero injury question. If Giannis somehow falls to you, that could be interesting!

Cade's All-NBA leap is complete — 23.9/5.6/9.9 with 1.4 STL and 3.7 TO from a Detroit offense that runs through him. His .461 FG on volume and high TO are the punt direction — commit to a backcourt nuke, conceding both cats to dominate PTS/AST/STL/3PM/FT% on the other side. At pick 20, James Harden would be a lucky pair: 23.6/4.8/8.0 with 3.1 3PM, .884 FT, and his own .434 FG + 3.5 TO that align with the punt direction. Combined AST nears 18/g, FT% becomes a weapon. The safer alt is Kevin Durant (77 GP, 26 PPG, 2.4 3PM, .874 FT%) — less AST overlap, full availability, doesn't push the same all-guard ceiling but adds reliable scoring. LaMelo would also be a great pair, but it's a bit too high for R2.

Maxey's profile keeps tightening — 28.3 PPG with 3.1 3PM, 1.9 STL, and .892 FT% from a PHI offense he now anchors. His .462 FG and mid-tier 2.4 TO push toward a guard build that punts both cats and doubles down on what guards win (similar to Cade). At pick 19, Stephen Curry is the natural pair: 4.5 3PM pushes combined 3PM past 7.6/g (uncontestable), .920 FT% locks the cat as a weekly win, and his .469 FG aligns with the punt. The catch is Curry's 42-GP 25-26. The alt is LaMelo Ball (CHA, 72 GP, 20.1/4.8/7.1 with 3.8 3PM, .899 FT%) — same 3PM/FT% stack from a more risky player, plus 7.1 AST creator depth. Both pairs commit to the same build: backcourt firepower, no apologies.

Full breakout at age 24 — 22.5/10.3/7.9 with 1.2 STL from a 72-GP Atlanta forward doing point-forward work. The committed punts are TO (3.4/g) and FT% — though .788 is a soft punt, not a Giannis-tier concession; you can sit mid-pack here on a good week. Scottie Barnes is the textbook fit (TOR, 80 GP, 18.1/7.5/5.9 with 1.5 BLK + 1.4 STL) — fixes the BLK hole decisively and adds STL — but he may not fall to pick 18 in drafts. The realistic (and a bit of a reach) R2 target is Alperen Sengun (HOU, 71 GP, 20.1/8.9/6.2 with .520 FG, 1.1 BLK, .685 FT%, 3.1 punt-aligned TO) — current ADP slips toward R3, so you can grab him at pick 18 or hold for R3 if you have other priorities. Anthony Davis would be a good fit too — 1.7 BLK + 11.1 REB + .506 FG on a punt-aligned .728 FT% — but he's a constant injury risk.

28.8 PPG with 3.4 3PM and 1.4 STL — Ant scored more in 25-26 than ever, fully owning the MIN offense. His 3.7 AST is structurally low for a top-15 guard, so committing to Punt AST is the cleanest path: stack low-AST scorers who reinforce PTS/3PM/FT% without wasting playmaking on a roster that loses AST anyway. At pick 17, Lauri Markkanen is the 'reachy' target: 26.7 PPG with 2.7 3PM, .896 FT%, and a 1.5 TO that turns into a category win from a forward who doesn't compete for usage. The catch is Utah's uncertainty. The alt is Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK, 75 GP, 20/11.9 with .501 FG + .858 FT%) — full availability, REB-dominance angle instead of pure scoring stack.

Tatum's 25-26 was a 16-game post-Achilles return — 21.75/10/5.3 with .411 FG and .823 FT%. His FG% has sat in the mid-40s for two seasons (.452 on 20.3 FGA/g in 24-25, .411 in the small 25-26 sample) and BLK has been thin both years (0.5 / 0.2). Commit to Punt FG% and/or Punt BLK, freeing the roster to dominate PTS, REB, AST, 3PM, FT%, and STL where Tatum already wins. At pick 16, James Harden is the cleanest fit (CLE, 70 GP, 23.6/4.8/8 with 3.1 3PM, .884 FT%, .434 FG and 0.4 BLK both punt-aligned). Another great alt is Stephen Curry (GSW, 42 GP, 26.6 PPG with league-best 4.5 3PM and .920 FT%) — pushes shooting cats to uncontestable, .469 FG and 0.4 BLK both punt-aligned; the 42-GP injury cloud is the price. Kawhi Leonard's also in play, if you're feeling risky — 27.9 PPG and 1.9 STL elite, though his .505 FG is partly wasted in the punt.

27.9 PPG with 3.2 3PM, .865 FT%, and 1.5 STL from a 70-GP Cleveland season. His 2.8 TO is a slight drag in an otherwise clean profile — manageable, not a hard punt. The real structural weakness is BLK (0.3/g — lowest among the top 12; when Wemby is around, it's not a bad strategy to punt it). At pick 15, Chet Holmgren is the natural pair (if you're determined to beat Wemby): 1.9 BLK + 8.9 REB + .555 FG fixes both of Mitchell's thin cats simultaneously and keeps the build balanced. The alt is Trey Murphy III (NOP, 66 GP, 21.5/5.7 with 3.2 3PM + 1.5 STL + 1.8 low TO) — pivots toward a guard/wing build that doubles down on 3PM/STL instead of fixing BLK; accepts losing BLK in exchange for category dominance elsewhere.

Punting FT% has rarely been more obvious — 27.6/9.8/5.4 with elite .624 FG and .650 FT% across just 36 GP in 25-26. Add his 3.2 TO and the committed punts are clear: FT% (severe) and TO. Conceding both frees up to fill the cats Giannis genuinely needs help in (3PM 0.4). At pick 14, Kevin Durant is the natural pair (77 GP, 26/5.4/4.8 with 2.4 3PM, 0.9 BLK, .520 FG) — directly addresses Giannis's broken 3PM, adds positive FG% stack, full availability balances Giannis's health risk. The alt is Chet Holmgren (OKC, 68 GP, 17/8.9 with 1.9 BLK + 8.9 REB) — stacks REB for combined 18.7 boards and add meaningful BLK numbers.

25-26 ROY was for real — 21/6.7/4.5 with 1.2 STL and 0.9 BLK from a 70-GP Dallas debut. His 1.0 3PM is the only structurally weak cat, so the build is Punt 3PM: stack a non-shooting big who adds REB/BLK/AST. Slot 12 is a tough draw and your R1 ceiling sits below the top tier. The flip side: pick 13 is the best R2 on the board, so use it to swing for upside, not safety. Scottie Barnes is the balanced floor (80 GP, 18.1/7.5/5.9 with 1.5 BLK + 1.4 STL) — fills the build cleanly but caps the ceiling. Anthony Davis is the do-or-die swing (20.4/11.1 with 1.7 BLK + .506 FG) — injury is always a risk with AD, but combined 18+ REB and stacked FG% turns this from a solid mid-pack roster into a top-tier contender if AD plays 60+.