The 2025-26 season is approaching, and teams are distilled into one defining number that maps their ceiling and risk. Atlanta sits at the center of optimism: Dyson Daniels emerges as a potential breakout playmaker, and Jalen Johnson could push toward all-NBA territory if his health cooperates. That duo could unlock a top-tier ceiling in a conference that feels winnable with the right strides.

Boston faces a jarring disruption: Jayson Tatum out with an Achilles injury and a wholesale reshuffling of the frontcourt that leaves Neemias Queta, Luka Garza, Chris Boucher, and Xavier Tillman to carry heft in the middle. The rotation shift challenges fantasy managers to gauge who benefits most from an expanded role and steadier minutes without their star. Brooklyn leans into youth, balancing rookie-heavy lineups with Cam Thomas’ looming usage; Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball carries a 35.9% usage pace, but durability and efficiency loom as critical question marks.

Across the league, threads of opportunity thread through injuries and turnover. Golden State can still win with Curry, but the post-deadline surge around Butler–Curry minutes matters for fantasy leverage. Houston’s isolation prowess appears solved with Durant orchestrating late-game offense, opening nights for shooters and off-ball threats. Oklahoma City’s continuity and depth fuel expectations for a repeat run. The 2025-26 canvas favors players who can soak up expanded roles, handle heavy usage, and sustain efficiency through training camp.

Patrick Surtain II has become the NFL’s face of elite defense, winning Defensive Player of the Year in just four seasons and already earning Pro Bowls and First-Team honors. Opponents rarely attack his side, yet when they do, Surtain often makes them pay, showcasing why he’s one of the sport’s premier pass defenders and a cornerstone for a Broncos unit that could finally contend.

The Denver defense is aided by Barron and Moss, who’ve emerged as versatile covers and playmakers, while Bo Nix’s leadership and growing comfort with Sean Payton’s system have Broncos fans buzzing about the offense’s ceiling. A key moment last season—a deep ball to Marvin Mims Jr. against Cincinnati—suggests the pass game can complement Denver’s lockdown backbone. PS2 remains a popular nickname tie-in, reflecting Surtain’s rising star power alongside Jokic’s city-wide basketball momentum. Meanwhile, the broader Denver debate includes Elway’s legacy and Jokic’s era-defining trajectory, underscoring a city-wide renaissance across multiple pro franchises. Nutrition and discipline, like his Muscle Milk routine, round out a profile built on steady progress and relentless work.

Nine-figure athleticism meets a floor boss. Jokic shocked fans in Serbia warm-ups with a reverse dunk that defied his reputation for being less about bursts and more about base-level craft. The moment, captured ahead of Serbia vs Germany, highlighted a different gear he can access when he’s playing for his country.

In the friendly, Jokic was a facilitator first, posting 7 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists as Serbia edged Germany 91-81, while Nikola Jovic carried the scoring load with 22. The contrast between Jokic’s international energy and his NBA persona sparked a flurry of social chatter about conditioning, motivation, and what this could mean for the Nuggets this season.

Denver’s offseason moves have Nuggets fans feeling like a title run is within reach, and Jokic’s international spark adds a data point that suggests a refreshed, perhaps more dynamic approach could surface in the NBA. The piece contends Jokic’s energy abroad may reflect a renewed commitment to durability and pace when he returns to Denver.

For fantasy managers, the takeaway is nuanced: Jokic’s international surge hints at a higher gear when needed, but his core value remains a steady floor of points, rebounds, assists, and playmaking. If he carries that energy back to Denver, his season outlook could blend efficiency with durability, shaping the fantasy landscape in subtle, meaningful ways.

Denver reshapes its roster around Jokic, Murray and Gordon by trading Michael Porter Jr. to Brooklyn for Cameron Johnson, freeing cap space to sign Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. and adding Jonas Valanciunas from Sacramento. The goal is a deeper, more versatile bench that can sustain playoff runs without overburdening the core. Westbrook isn’t expected back, and Sacramento is viewed as the favorite to sign him as a potential late–season spark for a competing squad. The coaching shift from Malone to Adelman could further influence how minutes are distributed and which role players emerge as fantasy sleepers.

Cameron Johnson’s floor spacing, Brown’s guard versatility, Hardaway Jr.’s shooting, and Valanciunas’s inside presence give Jokic more options and lift the Nuggets’ depth. For fantasy, Jokic and Murray remain the anchors, while the new pieces shift value across the roster—especially Brown, Johnson, and Valanciunas—who could become steady fantasy contributors if minutes hold or increase. Westbrook’s departure opens a path for the Nuggets to lean more on their core and rotation pieces rather than streaming a heavy sixth man workload.