You’ve got your “Greatest Of All Time” debates, right? Jordan vs. LeBron. Bill Russell vs. Wilt. It’s usually about rings, MVPs and who hit that clutch shot. But what if we told you there’s a different, perhaps more pure, way to measure greatness? What if the real question is: Who actually won you your fantasy league?
That’s precisely what happened when two of the sharpest fantasy basketball minds, the legendary Rick Kamla and the Hall of Famer Dr. A, put their heads together on the Fantasy NBA Today Podcast. These aren’t your typical legacy rankings. This is a cold, hard, stats-first look at the players who warped matchups, posted first-round value for years, and delivered that sweet, sweet “Fantasy Gold.” We’re talking about a cross-era, cross-style list that spans from Wilt Chamberlain all the way to Victor Wembanyama.
Kamla and Dr. A each brought their personal Top 25 fantasy lists to the table and what emerged from that fusion is nothing short of definitive. This isn’t about style points; it’s about sheer statistical dominance. It’s where winning your fantasy league matters more than winning the NBA Finals.
You can argue legacy all day. You can debate rings until the cows come home. But fantasy basketball? That, my friends, is a different beast entirely. We’re talking efficiency, volume, defensive stats—the metrics that truly separate the all-time fantasy legends from your everyday box-score stuffers.
So, when Rick Kamla and Dr. A linked up on the show to unveil their 25 greatest fantasy players ever, the overlap was just too good. It gave us a composite rank that cuts across eras and screams stat-sheet dominance.
These are subjective rankings—a mix of career statlines, peak dominance, longevity, and impact on fantasy leagues—combined with the experience of two legends of fantasy hoops. Let’s dive into how they stacked up:
The All-Time Fantasy Elite: The Rick Kamla & Dr. A Top 30
Here’s the breakdown of how the votes landed, with a scoring system of Rick Rank + Dr. A Rank (NR = 26). Lower total means higher placement and ties were broken by the higher individual rank (if the player was ranked by both, otherwise the player with two ranks got the tiebreaker).
- Wilt Chamberlain
- Rick: 1 | Doc: 1
- The original fantasy cheat code. Wilt’s numbers? Absolutely insane—50-point seasons, double-digit blocks before they were even tracked and efficiency that could single-handedly win you categories. He’s the undisputed 1.01 in this realm. You could build your team around him and dominate big-man stats for an entire decade.
- Rick: The greatest stat guy in NBA history. Period. He had a PRA of 57, by far the highest ever.
- Michael Jordan
- Rick: 3 | Dr. A: 2
- Pure roto perfection. Elite scoring, steals, stellar FT%, and impressively low turnovers. MJ was a fantasy god long before fantasy leagues were a thing. He didn’t just collect rings; he won you weeks. From 1986–1993, he was virtually untouchable in 9-cat formats.
- Rick: I have LeBron ranked ahead of Jordan because of the four years missed due to retirement.
- LeBron James
- Rick: 2 | Dr. A: 4
- Unmatched longevity meets all-around production. LeBron’s two decades of top-tier value are simply unprecedented. Points, assists, rebounds, efficiency—he was the ultimate cornerstone for any championship build. Even in his late 30s, he was still returning high end value.
- Rick: LeBron is the goat of longevity. He has maintained a 27-7-7 stat line for 22 years…and counting!
- Hakeem Olajuwon
- Rick: 8 | Dr. A: 3
- A 9-cat dream. Elite blocks and steals, with solid scoring and low turnovers. Hakeem was that rare big who delivered defensive stats without crushing your percentages. Few centers have ever filled the stat sheet like he did in his prime.
- Rick: Hakeem had five seasons with at least two steals and two blocks per game – by far the most in NBA history.
- Nikola Jokic
- Rick: 7 | Dr. A: 5
- The modern fantasy apex. Jokic is essentially a triple-double guard in a center’s body—with elite FG%, solid FT%, low TOs, and off-the-charts IQ. He absolutely broke the roto model. His 2021 and 2023 seasons were among the most efficient fantasy years ever recorded.
- Rick: When he is through, Jokic will be the triple double king and might even become the first player in history to rank in the top 10 for points, rebounds and assists.
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- Rick: 4 | Dr. A: 8
- Two decades of dominance. Kareem was a lock for 20-10-2 with elite FG% and serious shot-blocking for almost twenty years. His floor was a second-rounder; his peak was 1.01 material. Combine that with near-zero missed games in his prime and you’ve got fantasy gold.
- Rick: It’s pretty cool when you rank second in points, third in boards and third in blocks all time.
- Victor Wembanyama
- Rick: 5 | Dr. A: 10
- A certified fantasy glitch from day one. Wemby’s rookie season gave us elite blocks, threes, boards, and steals. If he stays healthy, don’t be shocked if he climbs to #1 on this list within five years. He’s already producing video-game numbers that break fantasy league settings.
- Rick: We had never seen a player average 3+ blocks and 3+ threes per game for a season until Wemby did it last year.
- Luka Doncic
- Rick: 6 | Dr. A: 11
- The usage monster. Luka’s volume is just absurd. You might have to swallow the FT% and TOs, but he gives you everything else—and in points leagues, he’s probably your #1 guy. His nightly 30-10-10 lines with threes are rare air.
- Rick: Luka has the third best PRA of all time thanks to his 28-8-8 stat line.
- Stephen Curry
- Rick: 10 | Dr. A: 7
- Curry totally redefined fantasy guard value. His impact on percentages and volume triples made him a category-changer every single season. A rare guard who could carry you in FG%, 3PM, FT% and steals, all while keeping TOs reasonable.
- Rick: You gotta love the PRA with 25-5-6 to go with 1.5 steals and 4.0 threes per game.
- Larry Bird
- Rick: 16 | Dr. A: 6
- Efficiency and pure versatility. Bird stuffed every single stat column—rebounds, assists, steals—and barely made mistakes. His game would translate flawlessly to today’s fantasy landscape. Bonus: He played big minutes every night.
- Rick: Insane PRA of 24-10-6, but did you know that Larry averaged more blocks per game (0.8) than threes per game (0.7)?
- David Robinson
- Rick: 9 | Dr. A: 14
- A shot-blocking anchor with serious scoring pop. Robinson delivered the holy roto trinity: FG%, blocks and boards—plus bonus steals and consistent mid-20s scoring. And let’s not forget, he had a 70-point game in there.
- Rick: Career PRA of 21-10-2 with 3.0 blocks and 1.4 steals. Freak. Of. Nature.
- Kevin Durant
- Rick: 11 | Dr. A: 12
- Fantasy’s scoring surgeon. KD is that rare high-usage scorer who actually boosts your FG% and FT% and doesn’t turn the ball over much. Absolutely built for 9-cat formats. At his peak, you were getting top-3 value with minimal downside.
- Rick: KD is a six-cat machine with a PRA of 27-7-4 to go with one block, one steal and two threes. I don’t care about percentages, but those are spectacular as well.
- Magic Johnson
- Rick: 17 | Dr. A: 13
- A point guard with forward stats. Magic gave you elite assists and steals, but also added boards and incredible efficiency. If he’d only shot more threes, he’d easily be top-10. His versatility made him one of the few guards who could win you rebounding matchups.
- Rick: Magic is fourth all-time in triple doubles thanks to a career PRA of 19-7-11.
- Kobe Bryant
- Rick: 25 | Dr. A: 9
- High-volume everything. Kobe delivered scoring, steals, and massive usage—but those turnovers and FG% numbers often made him more of an 8-cat darling. In head-to-head leagues, his scoring explosions were weekly matchup winners.
- Tim Duncan
- Rick: 23 | Dr. A: 15
- The low-key roto giant. You might not have always noticed it, but Duncan consistently gave you elite FG%, blocks, and boards for years. Never flashy, always elite. His consistency was unmatched—no off weeks.
- Rick: If you do some rounding up and down, Duncan’s five-cat stat line was 19-11-3-2-1.
- Jerry West
- Rick: 12 | Dr. A: NR
- Clutch scoring, great percentages. Elite FT%, good steals, and scoring from the guard slot. Quietly roto-solid for years. If steals were tracked earlier, his ranking might be even higher.
- Rick: The Logo had a ridiculous PRA of 27-6-7, which is one rebound away from LeBron’s famous 27-7-7.
- Kevin Garnett
- Rick: 22 | Dr. A: 17
- Stuffed the box score like nobody’s business. Steals and assists from a power forward? Yep. Great percentages and defensive stats? Absolutely. KG was a walking roto boost. A true 9-cat beast in his Wolves prime.
- Rick: In KG’s heyday, he was good for 20-10-5 every night with at least four defensive stats. Amazing fantasy player.
- Bob Pettit
- Rick: 13 | Dr. A: NR
- Vintage double-double machine. Pettit was dropping 25-15 lines in his sleep, with excellent FT% for a big man in his era. He may be pre-modern, but his stat profile still holds up.
- Rick: Pettit has a PRA of 26-16-3, which is second only to Wilt in this category.
- Elgin Baylor
- Rick: 14 | Dr. A: NR
- Vintage volume. Scored and rebounded like a center, but from the wing. His shot volume was huge, even if the efficiency was a bit dated for modern standards. If he played today, he’d be a wing Jokic.
- Rick: Elgin is right behind Pettit in PRA at 27-13-4.
- Allen Iverson
- Rick: 20 | Dr. A: 21
- Steals, points and endless swagger. You drafted Iverson for the 30-point games and 2+ steals. You just had to live with the FG% and turnovers. Head-to-head managers still loved the ride.
- Rick: I loved the PRA of 27-4-6 and the 2.2 steals per game were game changing.
- Oscar Robertson
- Rick: 15 | Dr. A: NR
- The original triple-double trailblazer. Oscar’s numbers would be absolutely massive today, but early-era FG% and a lack of 3s keep him just outside the very top tier. Still, a per-game monster.
- Rick: Oscar was a fantasy monster, with a PRA of 26-7-9 over his 14 seasons.
- Chris Paul
- Rick: NR | Dr. A: 16
- The 9-cat maestro. CP3 might be the cleanest category guard ever—2+ steals, elite FT%, super few turnovers and great assists without hurting you anywhere else. A perennial elite finisher in 9-cat roto.
- James Harden
- Rick: NR | Dr. A: 18
- Free-throw merchant and usage king. Prime Harden was a walking 30-10-5 with 12 free throw attempts per game. A true roto nightmare for your opponents. If you punted TOs, he was a demigod.
- Russell Westbrook
- Rick: 18 | Dr. A: NR
- Triple-double legend, turnover nightmare. Westbrook carried you in points, assists, and boards from the guard slot—but his percentages and TOs made him a better fit for points leagues.
- Rick: The man averaged a triple double in four out of five seasons. One of the coolest stats of all time.
- Shaquille O’Neal
- Rick: 19 | Dr. A: NR
- Dominant big with huge scoring, rebounding and blocks—but the FT% sinkhole kept him from reaching true roto royalty. In punting builds, Shaq was a cheat code.
- Rick: You win fantasy titles through counting numbers, not percentages, so I did not care about Shaq’s free-throw percentage. I loved the 24 and 11 with 2.3 blocks.
- Dirk Nowitzki
- Rick: NR | Dr. A: 19
- The original modern stretch big. Dirk gave you elite FT%, threes and scoring from the 4—all without killing your TOs or FG%. Mr. Reliable. An early-round roto staple for a decade straight.
- Tracy McGrady
- Rick: NR | Dr. A: 20
- Fantasy ceiling through the roof. In his absolute prime, T-Mac could drop 30-7-6-2-1 with threes. Injuries, unfortunately, kept him from consistent top-15 status. Still, that peak? Elite.
- Rick Barry
- Rick: 21 | Dr. A: NR
- The do-it-all wing. Barry delivered points, FT%, boards, and steals before those were even widely valued. Efficient and incredibly competitive—definitely fantasy viable.
- Rick: Sorry to break this to you, but Barry had a better career stat line than Kobe, who went 25-5-5 with 1.4 steals. Impressive. But Rick went 25-7-5 with 2.0 steals. Just sayin.
- Eddie Jones
- Rick: NR | Dr. A: 22
- Steals specialist with surprising versatility. Jones brought threes, steals, low TOs and good FT%, making him a sneaky 9-cat gem during his peak years.
- Shawn Marion
- Rick: NR | Dr. A: 23
- The Matrix was a walking 1-1-1 club with elite FG% and rebounds. Marion’s versatility was unmatched—he helped in nearly every category without hurting you anywhere. Quietly one of the greatest fantasy wings ever.
Honorable Mentions: Still Fantasy Royalty
- Charles Barkley (Rick: 24)
- Points, boards, and elite FG% in his prime. Barkley was a force—especially before 3-point shooting became mandatory.
- Rick: Great broadcaster, great fantasy player. Career PRA of 22-12-4 with 2.3 defensive stats per game.
- Gerald Wallace (Dr. A: 24)
- The ultimate hustle stat hero. Blocks and steals from the wing, plus sneaky boards. “Crash” was a category specialist in his prime.
- Chris Webber (Dr. A: 25)
- Points, assists, boards from the 4, and nice FG%. Webber quietly filled the stat sheet when healthy.
What do you think of these rankings? Any surprises for you? Let us know in the comments of the video where Kamla and Dr. A break down their Top 25! And be sure to tune into Fantasy NBA Today to catch more deep dives into the world of fantasy hoops and dominate your season.
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