Yahoo’s top-10 for 9-cat fantasy basketball is out, led by Nikola Jokic at No. 1. Giannis Antetokounmpo sat at No. 2, with Victor Wembanyama at No. 3 and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at No. 4. Luka Dončić sits at No. 5, followed by Anthony Edwards, Cade Cunningham, Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Domantas Sabonis completing the top 10. The host argues Jokic’s multi-category supremacy makes him a safe, productivity-saturated anchor, while projecting upside and risk across the board for the rest. Giannis’ placement sparks debate due to severe free-throw penalties in nine-category formats, making him a mid-first-round pick in some builds. Wembanyama’s ceiling is enormous, but he’s not a foolproof path in every format, especially if you’re not punting certain categories. The discussion then pivots to building around the big names with eye-catching durability, with attention paid to how health, games played, and category emphasis shape value for Edwards, Cunningham, Davis, Towns, and Sabonis. The host also dives into scoring profiles, field-goal efficiency, and the tricky balance between punting and balancing categories in both nine-cat and roto setups, offering practical draft-landing zones and pairing strategies for a season that demands both steady floor and ceiling bets.

The Knicks enter a new era with a front-office-and-coach reshaping the lineup and rotation philosophy. The core around Brunson remains, but the addition of OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges would give New York elite two-way balance, spacing, and playoff-tested gravity. Mitchell Robinson returns as a defensive anchor, while Deuce McBride and Josh Hart offer versatile guard-forward depth. With talk of Ben Simmons, Malcolm Brogdon, or other veterans potentially joining, the team could pivot from a grind-it-out regular season to a more varied, matchup-driven approach. The depth questions loom, as current rostered players beyond the top six are thin, inviting speculative upgrades to unlock lineup diversity and sustain health through a deep playoff push. Fantasy forecasts hinge on minutes, health, and how aggressively the Knicks deploy multiple lineups that maximize spacing and ball movement.

Minute discipline becomes fantasy currency: Brunson carries heavy usage, but fringe pieces like Hart, Bridges, and Anunoby must carve out steady roles to retain value. Robison’s return shores up the defense, while Bridges and Anunoby demand enough usage to sustain scoring rarity across rotations. The potential splash additions—Simmons, Brogdon, or Payne-type vets—could dramatically shift ceiling and risk. In-season shifts, load-management considerations, and a more proactive bench construction will define fantasy upside, with the best path to upside tied to how the Knicks balance health with lineup variety across a demanding schedule.

Schedule leaks push Knicks-Cavaliers into the opening-week spotlight, with Cleveland’s defense and New York’s efficient attack shaping a winter of fantasy intrigue. KD’s banner-night return to OKC and a Rockets bid around him fuel early drama, while KD’s move and Harden’s fit in LAC color the broader narrative. Spurs and Orlando look like the season’s breakout sellers, guided by Wembanyama’s health and Paolo Banchero’s rising star power, as Edwards and Luka push MVP chatter alongside Jokic. The NBA’s calendar also teases a LeBron-Steph theater moment, with Christmas Day delivering a battleground of up-and-coming squads and veteran pedigrees. Portland’s sale signals a new-money era, and Porter Jr.’s gambling comments underscore the sport’s integrity stakes as live sports rights grow ever more valuable.

Landry Shamet’s potential return to the Knicks dominates the roster dialogue, with insiders weighing a path to bring him back while opening a guaranteed-money spot for a veteran minimum addition. The sense is that New York would trade away a player with a standard contract to clear space, preserving cap flexibility into training camp. Ben Simmons remains a referenced target, but any move hinges on offsetting salary and balance in a roster that needs both seasoned wings and meaningful depth behind Brunson, Barrett, and Grimes.

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s availability looms as the league’s ultimate variable, prompting speculative chatter about a bigger splash before the March/February window closes. The show cautions that second-apron constraints will shape how aggressively teams pursue a blockbuster, nudging the Knicks toward prudent depth-building rather than an all-in over-rotation of rookies. Towns, Anunoby, Bridges surface as hypotheticals, but the prevailing thread is patience: maintain a competitive core, avoid overreaching, and monitor the midseason market for a sustainable path to title contention while watching Mitchell Robinson’s status and potential extensions.