Anthony Davis and Giannis are highlighted as significant misses in preseason fantasy basketball rankings. The analysis reviews player performances against expectations set in October.
Key points
Anthony Davis and Giannis are identified as preseason ranking misses
The analysis reviews player performances against preseason expectations
Preseason rankings influence player perception for the next season
The Top-200 rankings were released in October
Anthony DavisGiannis
Fantasy Basketball: Anthony Davis, Giannis among preseason rankings 'misses'
A fun exercise in the aftermath of a fantasy basketball season is to look back on the preseason rankings and figure out which players lived up to the expectations and which ones did not. While some of the "misses" may not affect how a player is viewed for the next season, that isn't the case across the board. Below are some of our misses based on the preseason Top-200 rankings that we released in October.
Even with Davis coming off a 2024-25 season in which he appeared in 51 games, the belief that he could flourish in Dallas led to him being placed within the top-10 of our preseason rankings. To say that things didn't go to plan would be a severe understatement. Injuries limited Davis to 20 games, all of which were played before the Mavericks traded him to the Wizards.
And it would not be until the final week of the regular season that Washington dropped the charade and announced that Davis would not play. Between the injury history and not knowing how he'll fit into a rotation that includes Trae Young, Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George, there's no way that Davis can be ranked this high in the 2026-27 preseason rankings.
After appearing in 61 games or more in each of his first 12 seasons, Antetokounmpo played 36 for the Bucks this season. Thanks to two separate calf strains and a knee injury that was the source of much controversy late in the season, he was unable to make good on the first-round expectations. Also, when Giannis was on the floor, his production took a noticeable hit. While averages of 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.7 blocks certainly aren't bad, Antetokounmpo's numbers decreased in four of those categories compared to the 2024-25 season.
Also, the trade rumors never subsided, and that will be one of the NBA's major offseason storylines. He and the Bucks can't agree to an extension until October 1; does Milwaukee look to move Giannis before then? Or do they hold out hope that something can be done? How the front office approaches this situation will undoubtedly affect how Antetokounmpo is valued in fantasy basketball.
With no Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles), we expected Siakam's usage to see a significant boost, leading to increased production. Siakam's scoring average did increase by nearly four points per game, but his other averages remained about the same compared to his 2024-25 production. And that was with a career-high usage percentage of 30.1. Add in Siakam being limited to 62 games, and the result was the veteran forward finishing outside of the top-100. However, this may set up Spicy P to be undervalued in drafts for the 2026-27 season, especially with Haliburton expected to be back in the fold.
Even though his usage was expected to decrease with the move from Brooklyn to Denver, there was an expectation that Johnson's category league value would remain fine due to the opportunity to play alongside better talent. Unfortunately, he struggled with his shot early on and saw significant declines in points (12.2 ppg, down from 18.8 in 2024-25) and three-point attempts (4.7 per game, down from 7.2 in 2024-25).
Johnson missing over a month with a hyperextended right knee didn't help either, even though he had some productive nights in the final month of the regular season. While the per-game value wasn't terrible, Johnson's points league value took a significant hit with the move to Denver, even though he was able to join a championship contender.
With Thomas heading into a contract year, the feeling was that he would be able to put up big numbers for the rebuilding Nets. That didn't happen. Another hamstring injury sidelined him for over six weeks, and the Nets managed his minutes closely upon the guard's return. The fit was poor, ultimately leading to Thomas being waived right after the trade deadline.
Milwaukee decided to kick the proverbial tires, and while there were a few positive performances early on, the Bucks would eventually waive Thomas in late March. By this point, many fantasy managers had already moved on, but the top-100 preseason ranking not materializing stung. And at this point, it's unknown what kind of deal or role Thomas will be able to find in free agency this summer.
Regarding Knueppel's preseason ranking, we may have put too much in his Summer League performance. The rookie wing struggled some in Las Vegas, but had no such issues once the games truly counted. A finalist for Rookie of the Year, Knueppel averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.7 steals and 3.4 three-pointers per game, providing top-100 value in points and category leagues. Those who were able to wait until the later rounds to draft Knueppel wound up with an absolute steal, and he has the skill set to offer excellent fantasy value for years to come.
At the time of his signing with the Hawks, Alexander-Walker appeared poised to fill a bench role slightly bigger than the one he held in Minnesota. He would move into the starting lineup within the first week of the regular season, and Trae Young's knee injury before his move to Washington opened the door for Alexander-Walker to remain there. In 78 games, NAW averaged 20.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 3.2 three-pointers while shooting 45.9 percent from the field and 90.2 percent from the foul line. Not ranking Alexander-Walker may have been the biggest "miss," especially considering his production.
Rollins was another player who did not make the cut for the preseason top-200, even with the Bucks needing perimeter production in the aftermath of Damian Lillard's exit. Appearing in 74 games, he recorded career-high averages in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and three-pointers. Rollins made 67 starts and had the look of a player who can be valuable to fantasy managers in 2026-27, regardless of what happens with Antetokounmpo. He won't be unranked when the preseason rankings for next season drop, that's for sure.
