Fantasy Basketball Mock Draft 2020-21: Who's going No. 1 overall in fantasy drafts?

The 2020-21 NBA season is almost here and it's set to tip-off on Dec. 23. With preseason games beginning on Friday, Dec. 12, we're even closer to NBA action than you may think!

That means fantasy basketball season is nearly upon us and the best part of the season – the fantasy draft – is coming up quickly.

Feeling behind on your fantasy basketball research? Don't worry, we have you covered. You can find our rankings of the top 200 players for the upcoming season here with a fantasy basketball mock draft below. 

13 members of our NBA.com Global Staff came together to supply you with an outline of how your fantasy draft may turn out. This mock draft is to provide you with an idea of where players might get selected so you know the exact range of when to take all of your favourite players.

See the full list of 130 players drafted below, along with a round-by-round breakdown of notable selections.

Note: We drafted in "snake draft" order, meaning the last person to pick in the first round gets the first pick of the second round, so on and so forth. Roster format was point guard, shooting guard, guard, small forward, power forward, forward, centre, utility and two bench players.

2020-21 Fantasy Basketball Mock Draft Board

ROUND 1

No. 1 – Luka Doncic

This is the right move, no matter what style league you play in – points, head-to-head or roto. Doncic was undervalued heading into fantasy drafts last year and that won't happen again this year with the young superstar expected to lead MVP conversations for the coming season. If you have the No. 1 pick, although it may be hard to pass on the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo or James Harden, Luka is your guy.

No. 5 – Giannis Antetokounmpo

After a disappointing playoff run, you might see Antetokounmpo slide in the first round of some fantasy drafts like he did in this one but I want to make one thing clear: don't pass on Giannis unless it's for Doncic (as mentioned above) or James Harden (which we'll get to next). And even with Harden, you could easily make the case of selecting Antetokounmpo instead, depending on personal preference.

No. 6 – James Harden

Even with all the uncertainty surrounding Harden and his future with the Houston Rockets, he should not fall to No. 6 in any fantasy draft. The reigning scoring champ of three years running could provide your team with enough offence to pursue other statistics throughout the draft.

No. 10 – Kevin Durant

What to do with Durant? That's going to be a question many fantasy owners will have to ask themselves ahead of the draft. Coming off of missing an entire season due to an Achilles injury, there's obviously a ton of risk in drafting KD. Does the risk outweigh the potential reward? If you have a late first-round pick and Durant is still on the board, you have to take that swing for the fences.

ROUND 2

No. 14 – Bam Adebayo

Adebayo is a perennial second-round selection in fantasy leagues, no matter what second-round pick you have. He went with the first pick in the second round of this draft and that's more than justifiable as a player that's going to check every box aside from 3-point shooting.

No. 18 – Trae Young

Young finished in the top-10 of any fantasy format last season and with more talent around him, life will only get easier for the 22-year-old star. Where he hurts you in turnovers and (sometimes) field goal percentage, he'll more than make up for in scoring and assists. While there are a ton of superstars staring you down in the first two rounds of fantasy drafts, you could take Young at any point in the mid-first round and it would still be a reasonable pick.

No. 19 – Zion Williamson

Another question fantasy owners will have to weigh is when is the right time to take Zion? Plenty of people got burnt on selecting Williamson too early last season, only to find out he was going to miss the majority of the season with a knee injury and then resume play on a heavy minutes restriction. This year, Williamson should be a full go from the first game of the season which means he should be a valuable fantasy asset, but the Pelicans are always going to err on the side of caution with every bump and bruise. I'd say second round if you're feeling risky, third round if he's still available.

ROUND 3

No. 29 – Seth Curry

Curry is a phenomenal shooter that will certainly boost your 3-point numbers in head-to-head or roto but he's not a third-round pick under any circumstances.

No. 31 – Jamal Murray

The 2020 NBA Playoffs version of Murray is a sure-fire second-round pick. If you believe he's going to carry that performance into the 2020-21 season – which, it seems like he's finally made that consistent leap to stardom – then don't feel like you're reaching for Murray in the second round. If he's still available in the third round and you need a guard, take him without thinking twice.

No. 32 – Pascal Siakam

Unless you're in a league dominated by Raptors fans, Siakam is going to fall way past his real value in every fantasy league. Yes, he had a poor performance in the 2020 NBA Playoffs, but he was still an All-Star starter and All-NBA Second Team member last season. With Toronto losing some firepower this offseason, even more responsibility is going to fall on Siakam's shoulders. Don't let him slide past the third round.

ROUND 4

No. 44 – Hassan Whiteside

If you're new to fantasy basketball, you're probably looking at the mock draft board going "why did Whiteside go in the fourth round?"

To answer your question, Whiteside finished as a top-five fantasy player last season, averaging a double-double while leading the league in blocks per game. We're yet to see what his new role will be with the Sacramento Kings but he's sure to have a fantasy impact regardless because of his field goal percentage, rebounds and blocks.

No. 47 – Kyrie Irving

Irving is another player that burnt fantasy owners last season, only playing in 20 games before missing the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury. The combination of coming off of an injury and playing alongside a premier scorer like Durant will likely have Irving's draft stock take a hit but he'll still be the No. 1 orchestrator and No. 2 scoring option on one of the top teams in the NBA. I'm not sure he'll fall to the fourth round in most drafts, but if he's still there, take that swing.

ROUND 5

No. 53 – LaMelo Ball

Ball was the first rookie off the draft board in our mock draft and you won't see any argument from me there. He'll have the keys to the offence in Charlotte and should rack up assists in Year 1, although you have to be wary of things like shooting inefficiency and turnovers. His potential alone makes him worthy of a fifth-round selection at the least, but if you're particularly high on Ball, I think you could justify a fourth-round pick.

No. 55 – Nikola Vucevic

Vucevic isn't the most flashy name on draft boards and because of that, he'll probably be passed over several times. If it comes to the late-fourth, early-fifth round and Vooch is still on the board, take him. He's averaged a double-double in consecutive seasons and will maintain his exact same role in Orlando as a go-to guy. He slightly regressed last season from his first-ever All-Star appearance in 2018-19 but still posted promising numbers well-worth a fifth-rounder.

ROUND 6

No. 67 – Jrue Holiday

There's no reason Holiday should fall to the sixth round in any fantasy draft. In a new uniform playing alongside the likes of Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, his draft stock should only improve. Yes, scoring opportunities may regress in the slightest, but he'll still be an efficient scorer, his assist numbers will improve and he's always going to bring it on the defensive end. If Holiday is still there in the fourth round, that's when you should start giving him consideration.

No. 74 – Christian Wood

Wood was one of the most intriguing names entering free agency this offseason, showing a ton of promise in his final stretch of games with the Detroit Pistons last season. Now likely to become the starting centre for the Rockets, Wood should see consistent opportunities to make an impact for your fantasy roster. If you're in a league that doesn't religiously follow the NBA, your opponents may not even know of Wood and you could get him later than the sixth round. Otherwise, I think this is about the right time to start looking at a player that checks every box in fantasy basketball.

ROUND 7

No. 80 – Clint Capela

Capela is a double-double machine, averaging the feat for three consecutive seasons and should be selected much earlier than the seventh round. We never got to see him take the floor alongside Young last season but that pick-and-roll duo should look Chris Paul-DeAndre Jordan Lob City-esque in Atlanta. He's also a solid shot-blocker, further proving he should be valued higher than he was in our mock draft.

No. 86 – Collin Sexton

Sexton needs to be on your radar as a sleeper in this year's fantasy basketball season. Averaging 30.0 points over the last five games of the season prior to the league's hiatus, things were finally starting to click for the former No. 8 overall pick. He should still be available in the seventh round of most leagues and that'll be a fantastic value pick and a steal for your roster to select him around this range.

ROUND 8

No. 93 – Montrezl Harrell

Harrell is going to be a tough player to place before seeing what role he'll really take on with the Lakers. I would not advise reaching for Harrell in the early rounds of your draft but if he's still there in the seventh or eighth round, that's when you should take a roll of the dice on the reigning Sixth Man of the Year.

ROUND 9

No. 107 – Norman Powell

If you're looking for a burst of offence late in your fantasy drafts, make a play for Powell. He's going to play a vital role in how successful the Raptors will be this season and proved time and time again last season that he can be one of the best bench scorers in the NBA. He's an efficient 3-point shooter, helps out with steals and any time there's an opportunity to fill a starting spot with the team, Powell will be the first man up to take on that bigger role.

ROUND 10

No. 121 – James Wiseman

Do not let Wiseman go undrafted in your fantasy league. Whether or not he'll be the Opening Night starter for the Warriors is to be determined, but he'll have plenty of opportunities to prove he's worthy of that starting spot throughout the season. If he sees enough playing time he'll be a double-double machine and will give you a boost with blocks. If he goes undrafted, it'll be a race to the waiver wire after his first big game. Get ahead of that race and take a flier on him in the later rounds.

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