General managers, start your mock drafts. Fantasy basketball season is here!
The 2025-26 NBA season kicks off on Oct. 21, 2025 and you have until then to study the rankings, make sure you know how fantasy points work in your league and take a cursory look at some G league rosters and Summer League highlights to get a head start on the waiver wire.
If you’re new to the game, we have everything you need to know to master the fundamentals of fantasy basketball and pave your way to glory.
Don’t forget: You can watch NBA basketball right on DIRECTV!
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How Does Fantasy Basketball Work?
Like its fantasy football and fantasy baseball counterparts, fantasy basketball involves drafting and managing a virtual team of NBA players in a shared league with other managers. Your team earns points based on how NBA players perform during real-life games, with the goal of beating the opponent you’re matched up with each week.
In basketball, there are many ways players can be impactful. Points, assists, rebounds, steals, blocks, turnovers, field goals and free throws all yield fantasy points. For general managers, the challenge is building a roster that balances all of those categories.
That challenge is what makes fantasy basketball so exciting. On a 53-man football roster, you’re really only focused on maybe 10 players on any team for fantasy purposes. Most other players are non-viable for fantasy point generation. But on an NBA team, every player on a real-life roster has a chance to make an impact.
Sure, Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama will be elite in every category. But if you need some steals on a Wednesday, Gary Payton II might be the hero of the night.
If you’re new to the game, it’s important to know how fantasy basketball might be a bit more complex than fantasy football. Let’s cover some of the essential basics.
Types of Fantasy Basketball Leagues
Fantasy basketball offers a few different ways to play. There’s head-to-head scoring which most fantasy players are familiar with and then there are category leagues which present a more complex challenge.
Understanding what type of fantasy league you’re in is a part of is vital, since your league’s specific rules might change how you approach your draft entirely. No matter the league type, it’s always a good practice to run a mock draft or two to find your ideal strategy.
Categories: Head-to-Head
Category leagues don’t lump all the stats together into a final fantasy points total. Rather, they separate them out into individual games you can win.
In a head-to-head category league, you and your opponent are competing to win as many of those categories as you can. Your team may score the most points, but if it came at the expense of a low field goal percentage, it could be a wash.
In category fantasy basketball leagues, real life player values overlap with fantasy values, requiring you to operate more like a general manager and balance the risk-reward of efficiency and explosiveness.
Categories: Rotisserie Scoring
Like head-to-head categories, rotisserie scoring leagues require you to win as many statistical categories as possible. The difference is that rather than competing against a weekly opponent, you’re amassing point totals over the course of the season.
Head-to-Head Scoring
Head-to-head scoring will be most familiar to fantasy football players. Head-to-head scoring pits you against another opponent and whoever amasses the most fantasy points will take the win.
In head-to-head scoring, stats like points, rebounds and steals will earn you fantasy points, while missed field goals and turnovers will cost you fantasy points.
Daily Fantasy
Daily fantasy gives you a daily chance to build your dream roster. Using a salary cap drafting system similar to auction, you bid on players to build your one-night-only team and compete for cash prizes. Fantasy points are accumulated in much the same way.
Dynasty Fantasy League
Dynasty fantasy basketball extends the fun beyond a single season. Like a real-life general manager, the goal is to build sustained success. Rather than thinking mere weeks or months ahead, dynasty leagues might have you draft pick trading years into the future. There’s no way around it: Dynasty fantasy basketball leagues are for the true die-hards.
Types of Fantasy Basketball Drafts
Another important detail of your fantasy league to know is what type of draft you’re in for. Snake drafts and auction drafts offer their own advantages and challenges to building your dream team.
Snake draft
The most popular fantasy drafting strategy is the snake draft. With each round alternating first-to-last then last-to-first, all fantasy general managers end up with relatively balanced rosters in a snake draft. It also relieves you of needing to understand individual player values.
Auction draft
Maybe you want a little complexity and strategic depth. An auction draft gives you a $200 budget to spend on drafting your roster. It can be challenging to figure out to the dollar what every player is worth to you, but on the plus side, an auction draft gives you a shot at every player.
Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire
The waiver wire in fantasy basketball is one of the many facets that sets it apart. With games happening nearly every day, the waiver wire can be a place to pick up some quick points on any given weeknight.
Beyond obvious reasons to need replacement players like a major injury, how often you frequent the waiver wire can largely be determined by the roster size of your team. With smaller roster sizes, your bench becomes a turnstile of players to serve short-term needs while with larger rosters, you can get away with stashing players and playing the long game.
Like in fantasy baseball, minor league call ups could present league-winning potential. The NBA’s G League is a place where teams can develop future NBA players.
While they won’t start the year on the active roster, a slew of injuries or a team out of playoff contention might vault a G League player into the rotation and onto your team.
Watch NBA Basketball on DIRECTV
Don’t miss a single lay-up, dunk or steal of the 2025-26 NBA season. You can watch your NBA fantasy stars hit the court every night on DIRECTV!
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Frequently Asked Questions
How does fantasy basketball work?
Fantasy basketball involves actively managing a virtual team of NBA players drawn from across the league's teams to score more fantasy points than your opponent each week.
What is the most popular fantasy basketball format?
Category fantasy basketball leagues are extremely popular as they offer a complex twist on the standard points scoring model.
Where can I play fantasy basketball?
Some popular fantasy sports platforms for year-long fantasy basketball play include Yahoo! Fantasy Sports, ESPN Fantasy Sports, CBS Sports and Sleeper.
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