SportsEthos 2026 Fantasy Basketball Draft Guide

Fantasy Basketball Draft Guide 2026: Dr. A’s ‘My Guys’

By Steve Dr. A Alexander Published September 28, 2026 Updated September 27, 2026 3 min read

I’m not sure how or when I started writing a ‘My Guys’ column, but it’s been at least 10 years if not 15 or 20, and it’s my favorite column to write every year. My draft strategy has morphed over the years from having a huge list of every player available to tailoring it down to a list of 30ish guys of all skill types who generally have one thing in common. And that’s the ability to be a fantasy stud.

The list always includes stars and scrubs with the idea being that I could theoretically have a chance to get most of these guys in a draft. Obviously, I could only get both Victor Wembanyama and Luka Doncic in an auction draft, but generally speaking, I should have a shot at most of these guys. It’s naturally built in that they have a solid fantasy skillset and upside, and mostly includes players I have good vibes about coming into the new season. So without further ado, here is the 2026-27 My Guys Column, exclusive to SportsEthos NBA Draft Guide subscribers. Enjoy!

Victor Wembanyama

If I get a Top 4 pick and Wemby is available when it’s my turn, I’m taking him. The youth, the unicorn factor, the blocks, the threes and everything else he does is nothing short of exciting and it’s fun to think about what might happen if the Spurs give him 32 minutes a game as opposed to the 29.2 minutes he got last year. He’s healthy, entering his fourth season and should be ready to try to win a championship for the talented, young Spurs. In fact, our partners at FanDuel have the Spurs at +280, just behind the Thunder at +240 to win it all. Sign me up for the Spurs and Wemby this season. And yes, I’d draft him before Nikola Jokic again this year, even though Jokic may be a little bit of a safer pick.

Luka Doncic

If I’m picking Top 5 and don’t get Wemby, Luka is my next target. Yes, I am concerned about his ability to stay healthy, but I also love the fact that LeBron James is no longer his teammate and the Lakers are now squarely Luka’s team. Add in the fact he doesn’t have a ton of talent around him, and this could end up being Luka’s best season yet. He’s going to do all the heavy lifting for the Lakers, and still has multiple MVP awards and championships to win in his future, at least in my mind. He averaged 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.5 blocks and 4.0 3-pointers last season, and has hit at least 78% of his free throws over the last two campaigns. Add in the facts that LeBron is gone and Luka finally has a potentially elite center to throw lobs to in Walker Kessler, and the world is his oyster. I’m all in. In fact, I even took Luka over Wemby in a points-league draft I did recently.

Jalen Johnson

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