2026-27 Nuggets Fantasy Preview
The Nuggets were hamstrung by their cap situation after handing Christian Braun a hefty contract, forcing them to let go of Peyton Watson, who is now with the Cavaliers. With DeMar DeRozan their only major answer to last season’s roster concerns, how will Denver navigate another season with a top-heavy roster?
Nikola Jokic, C
📊 Trend: ↔️
🗝️ Key Stats: PTS, REB, AST, STL, FG%, FT%
⚠️ Risk: 🟢 Low
🔓 Value Unlock: Stay on the floor for 70+ games
💡 Quick Hits: Jokic remains rock-solid in 9-cat fantasy, producing elite numbers in multiple categories. His 65 games played last season were a three-season low.
❓ Big Question(s): Will Jokic finish as the top fantasy asset once again this season, or will Victor Wembanyama take that crown?
🎯 Draft Range: 1-2
⭐ Fantasy Take: Jokic remains a fantasy basketball lottery ticket thanks to his consistency and dominance in so many categories. If you have a No. 1 pick, or a No. 2 pick and Jokic is there, grab him and don’t look back. There’s nothing to overthink here.
Jamal Murray, PG
📊 Trend: ⬆️
🗝️ Key Stats: PTS, AST, 3PM, FG%, FT%
⚠️ Risk: 🟢 Low
🔓 Value Unlock: Make last season’s production the new normal
💡 Quick Hits: Murray broke through his fantasy ceiling last season with a career performance. He delivered the goods when Denver needed more offensive responsibility, proving he can carry a larger share of the offense.
❓ Big Question(s): Can Murray deliver close to what he put up last season while the Nuggets are healthy and with DeMar DeRozan now in the mix?
🎯 Draft Range: 18-25
⭐ Fantasy Take: Murray is in his prime, and last season’s performance is not a fluke. The only question here is whether it’s sustainable and whether it carries over into 2026-27. The approach here is simple. Split the difference. There’s no need or pressure to take him in the first round, but don’t be complacent and let him slide too far.
DeMar DeRozan, SF/PF
📊 Trend: ⬇️
🗝️ Key Stats: PTS, AST, FG%, FT%
⚠️ Risk: 🟠 Medium
🔓 Value Unlock: Embrace a new role with a new team without sacrificing scoring efficiency
💡 Quick Hits: DeRozan’s value drop last season was meaningful, and a change of scenery as he moves to the Nuggets may not necessarily slow that decline.
❓ Big Question(s): How does DeRozan fit with the Nuggets’ system?
🎯 Draft Range: 95-105
⭐ Fantasy Take: DeRozan’s days as a top-50 pillar are way behind him now. He can be a third scoring option for the Nuggets, but what will his stat line look like? If he falls far enough in drafts, take a flier, but don’t chase after him.
Cam Johnson, SF/PF
📊 Trend: ⬇️
🗝️ Key Stats: PTS, 3PM, TO, FG%, FT%
⚠️ Risk: 🟠 Medium
🔓 Value Unlock: Get his shot volume back
💡 Quick Hits: Johnson was one of the bigger disappointments in fantasy last season. He fell from grace with a reverberating thud. Was it just a change in team, an awkward adjustment period? The point is, he looked lost, and his production fell off a cliff. The culprit? It was a drastically reduced offensive role.
❓ Big Question(s): Can Johnson reclaim enough offensive responsibility to make a fantasy comeback?
🎯 Draft Range: 130-140
⭐ Fantasy Take: Considering Johnson’s production drop, it’s hard to be bullish on a redemption season from him. It’s better to draft him closer to his floor last season than reaching for him at an optimistic return-to-form zone.
Aaron Gordon, PF/C
📊 Trend: ⬇️
🗝️ Key Stats: REB, TO, FG%
⚠️ Risk: 🟠 Medium
🔓 Value Unlock: Stay healthy, flirt with a 1-1-1 stat line nightly
💡 Quick Hits: Gordon was hobbled in 2025-26 by recurring hamstring injuries, which caused him to miss more than half of the season.
❓ Big Question(s): Can Gordon stay healthy enough to be Denver’s reliable glue guy once again?
🎯 Draft Range: 140-150
⭐ Fantasy Take: Gordon doesn’t have a high fantasy ceiling, but when healthy, he does enough across the board to be an end-of-bench guy on most teams. His biggest plus is his center eligibility and his ability to hit 1.5 3PM while also chipping in rebounds.
👀 Players to Watch: Christian Braun, Marvin Bagley III, Tyus Jones
