Top-tier pillars anchor the 2025-26 PF/SF fantasy tiers, led by Giannis and Davis, with LeBron still pushing elite point production. Paolo Banchero cars ahead as a LeBron-like multi-cat asset, and Durant remains a steady scorer despite a new home. Jalen Johnson, Barnes, Brown and Mobley offer versatile upside in Tier 2, while Zion, Bam and Jaren Jackson Jr. populate the All-Star caliber core in Tier 3. The tiers emphasize depth, floor, and upside for strong points-league builds into the draft.

Beyond the core, Tier 4–6 highlights reliable vets, upside swings, and guarded risk, including Siakam, Ingram and Kawhi when healthy, with MPJ, Ausar and the Thompson duo in rising positions. Tier 9–10 provides late-round depth and streaming options like Aldama, Gordon, Murray, Kuminga, and Hauser, guiding late-draft risk with high-upside targets and safe holds for points formats.

Draft strategy centers on securing one or two Tier 1–2 anchors while weaving in multi-cat contributors from Tier 3 and 4 to balance scoring, rebounds and assists. In season, monitor health, role clarity, and the shifting pecking order as teams adjust to new rotations and coaching staffs, then ride the hot hand for streaming spots and value trades.

Fantasy basketball success hinges on the season’s schedule as much as on talent. Yahoo playoffs run Weeks 21–23 (Mar 16–Apr 5), with an extended Week 17 for the All-Star break, creating distinct rest windows and streaming opportunities. The NBA Cup adds weekly scoring quirks, with Group Play and Quarterfinals typically counting toward fantasy, while Semifinals and Championship do not. Back-to-back (B2B) risk distributes unevenly—some teams endure 16 B2Bs, others as few as 13—shaping rostering decisions in late-season windows.

While a few teams offer heavy game volume in the fantasy playoffs (notably 12-game weeks for Rockets, Grizzlies, Magic, Wizards), others deliver thin weeks (9–10 games for Nuggets and Knicks) that can sink head-to-heads if your stars sit. The nuggets of strategy: map B2B stress to injury history, leverage depth on high-volume weeks, and watch for shifts as the schedule evolves toward the final sprint.