2024 Draft Guide Home
Go To NBA FantasyPass
Go To NFL FantasyPass
Go To MLB FantasyPass
Go To WagerPass
Go To DFS Pass
Bruski 150SportsEthos 2026 Fantasy Basketball Draft Guide
Fantasy Basketball Draft Guide 2026: Face-off, Nikola Jokic vs. Victor Wembanyama
Last Updated on October 9, 2026 3:12 pm by Mike Passador | Published: October 9, 2026
Our Fantasy Face-Off series will feature two SportsEthos staffers making their arguments in a head-to-head battle of comparable fantasy players.
The series starts off with the first decision on draft boards, Nikola Jokic vs. Victor Wembanyama. Bru is repping for Jokic, while Doc is throwing his money in Wemby’s corner.
Last Season
| Season | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FGM | FGA | FG% | FTM | FTA | FT% | 3PTM | 3PTA | 3PT% | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25-26 | SA | 64 | 55 | 29.2 | 8.6 | 16.9 | 51.2 | 5.8 | 7.0 | 82.7 | 1.9 | 5.5 | 34.9 | 25.0 | 11.5 | 3.1 | 1.0 | 3.1 | 2.4 |
| 24-25 | SA | 46 | 46 | 33.2 | 8.9 | 18.6 | 47.6 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 83.6 | 3.1 | 8.8 | 35.2 | 24.3 | 11.0 | 3.7 | 1.1 | 3.8 | 3.2 |
| Season | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FGM | FGA | FG% | FTM | FTA | FT% | 3PTM | 3PTA | 3PT% | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25-26 | DEN | 65 | 65 | 34.8 | 9.9 | 17.4 | 56.9 | 6.1 | 7.4 | 83.1 | 1.7 | 4.5 | 38.0 | 27.7 | 12.9 | 10.7 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 3.7 |
| 24-25 | DEN | 70 | 70 | 36.7 | 11.2 | 19.5 | 57.6 | 5.2 | 6.4 | 80.0 | 2.0 | 4.7 | 41.7 | 29.6 | 12.7 | 10.2 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 3.3 |
Victor Wembanyama has been the “new kid on the block” who has been knocking on the door to the fantasy throne room. Some may argue that he has been prematurely crowned already, but you can certainly see the sharp outlines of a potentially game-breaking stat profile. He walks into league-leading blocks while also collecting steals with an on-court impact that made him the first-ever unanimous Defensive Player of the Year. He cleans the glass with the best of them, is willing to sling threes and is continuing to grow as both a scorer and perhaps even as a playmaker. Wemby was No. 2 per game for both 8-cat and 9-cat last season in only 29.2 MPG across 64 games (the NBA Cup Final counted as his 65th game for the awards). The run to the NBA Finals displayed the full scope of his impact on the floor and it should continue feeding a seemingly voracious appetite to stand above everyone else as the best in the game.
Nikola Jokic has been the fantasy king for years now and every time someone has tried to surpass him, he methodically retakes the lead and holds them off. The argument is simple here, you look at the history and you expect the same consistent dominance. The Joker doesn’t have any major weaknesses across his stat profile unless you want to nitpick the turnovers and below-par blocks for a center, but he became the first player in NBA history to lead the league in both rebounds and assists last season, while providing superbly efficient scoring from the field, positive FT%, threes and steals. Even with a freak injury last season that caused a knee hyperextension, he appeared in 65 games while playing 34.5 MPG on his way to becoming the No. 1 fantasy producer per game for both 8-cat and 9-cat formats.
The Case for Victor Wembanyama
I’ll gladly take Wembanyama with the No. 1 pick over Nikola Jokic. They’re both incredible and while Jokic is the safer pick, I’d rather take the untapped upside in Wemby.
It’s like going to the car rental agency and they offer you a Honda Accord or a Porsche for your cross-country road trip. The Honda will surely get you there with no issues, but it would be a heck of a lot more fun driving the Porsche across the country, even though there’s some reliability risk involved.
The bottom line for me is that Wemby gives me a chance to roster a guy who could put up one of the greatest stat lines of all time. I’m probably locked into a deep playoff run and a possible championship with Jokic, but the same can be said about Wemby. And my guess is the season-long run to the postseason will be even more fun with Wemby and his upside playing for your team. If you’re a gambler, take Wemby. If you like slow, steady and great, go Jokic.
— Doc
The Case for Nikola Jokic
Of course Doc is going to take Wemby because he loves himself a good sports car. And I, for one, look forward to our new alien overlords but where I do battle, certainty means everything. Nikola Jokic has a two-thirds or three-quarters chance to finish with more value than Wemby in an 8-cat league and all he has to do is stay healthy.
The No. 1 pick is a clash of titans! Victor Wembanyama (Doc’s corner) vs. Nikola Jokic (Bru’s corner). Want to finish reading this Face-Off and future battles too? You’ll need to have an Ethos 360, All-Sport or NBA FantasyPass membership. Click here to learn more and sign up! Premium Access Required
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
