Welcome to Erik's Elite 80, a collection of studs, breakouts, value picks, sleepers, and players who I have my eye on because they can pop in the second half of the season. These are players whom I personally see as winning plays, the players I find myself targeting
The Pistons offer a fascinating fantasy mix of elite production, defensive upside and young players still figuring out their offensive games. Cade Cunningham is already priced as a first-round cornerstone, while Ausar Thompson's defensive stats give him intriguing breakout potential. The bigger question for fantasy managers is
The Grizzlies are entering a new era, with No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer emerging as their potential centerpiece. With plenty of untapped fantasy depth behind him, the challenge is identifying which young players can turn opportunity into hidden fantasy value. Cameron Boozer, PF 📊 Trend: N/A (Rookie) 🗝️ Key Stats: PTS,
The Raptors get a massive boost this season with the return of Kawhi Leonard. While he’s a blue-chip fantasy asset who only needs to avoid injury, other Raptors are poised to deliver quality production and value as well. Scottie Barnes, SF/PF/C 📊 Trend: ⬆️ 🗝️ Key Stats: REB, AST,
The return of Damian Lillard (Achilles) and the arrival of Ja Morant (trade) will shake up the Blazers’ roster this season. Who will benefit and who will suffer in fantasy as a result of the new team dynamics? Donovan Clingan, C 📊 Trend: ⬆️ 🗝️ Key Stats: REB, BLK, 3PM, FG%, TO ⚠️ Risk:
The Mavericks are entering a new era with Cooper Flagg at the center of the franchise. After a disappointing 26-56 season, Dallas reshaped its roster around its young star, adding Zaccharie Risacher and Santi Aldama while hoping for healthy returns from Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II. With plenty
The Cavs scored in the offseason by landing Peyton Watson in a sign-and-trade deal with the Nuggets. Do they have enough to compete in a stacked Eastern Conference? How will their key players coexist moving forward? Donovan Mitchell, PG/SG 📊 Trend: ⬆️ 🗝️ Key Stats: PTS, AST, STL, 3PM, FG%
The Suns aren’t lacking in offensive weapons, but scoring punch doesn’t always translate into overall value in 9-cat H2H. They added interesting pieces in Miles Bridges and Luke Kennard, while an offseason injury to Mark Williams will shake up their frontcourt rotation. Amid all this fluidity, who
The Wolves made some bold moves this offseason, adding LaMelo Ball to their backcourt and Jonathan Kuminga to their frontcourt, while letting Naz Reid go to the Hornets. How will Anthony Edwards’ new supporting cast jell? Who will pop with fantasy value? Anthony Edwards, PG/SG 📊 Trend: ⬆️ 🗝️ Key Stats: PTS,
The Sixers may have one of the NBA’s most talented rosters, but talent can create its own fantasy problems. With Embiid, LeBron, Maxey and Brown commanding so much attention, figuring out who gets enough opportunity—and who can capitalize on the opportunities created by their teammates—could be the
Despite the arrival of a handful of veteran players, the Brooklyn Nets remain a very young team. They’re still in the early stages of a rebuild, so it will be interesting to find out who will emerge as strong fantasy contributors this season. Michael Porter Jr., SF/PF 📊 Trend:
The Clippers retooled their roster by trading the controversial Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors. After an NBA investigation into salary cap intervention, the team was stripped of five future first-round picks. How will the team navigate a difficult road ahead, and how will its moves shape its players’ fantasy
The Bucks got a sizable haul of players when they traded away Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Heat. With greater depth, but still no true star power, how will the Bucks navigate this rebuilding phase? Tyler Herro, PG/SG 📊 Trend: ⬇️ 🗝️ Key Stats: PTS, 3PM, FG%, FT% ⚠️ Risk: 🟠 Medium 🔓 Value Unlock: Score
The Lakers assembled a team that (on paper) best supports Luka Doncic in the post-LeBron-James era. How will the new-look Lakers fare in the fantasy basketball landscape this season? Luka Doncic, PG/SG 📊 Trend: ↔️ 🗝️ Key Stats: PTS, REB, AST, STL, 3PM, FG% ⚠️ Risk: 🟢 Low 🔓 Value Unlock: Maintain
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
On the surface, the Hawks looked like they were just running it back, keeping their starting five intact this offseason. The Hawks added depth, bolstering defense and 3-point shooting. That’s not a bad thing, as it produces stability in fantasy basketball. Jalen Johnson, SF/PF 📊 Trend: ⬆️ 🗝️ Key Stats:
The Heat pushed all their chips in the middle by sending a massive package of players and picks to acquire Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis. Which players will emerge with fantasy value as the Greek Freak reshapes the Miami franchise? Giannis Antetokonmpo, PF/C 📊 Trend: ↔️ 🗝️ Key Stats: PTS,
The Pelicans were one of the more quiet teams during the offseason and are looking like they’re stuck in a mediocre holding pattern. They’re at a crossroads and will need to decide how to move forward — hopefully, sooner than later. Trey Murphy, SG/SF/PF 📊 Trend: ⬆️ 🗝️ Key Stats:
The Warriors were unable to improve their roster in the off-season beyond drafting Yaxel Lendeborg. They missed out on their trade and free agent targets, leaving their team mostly intact from last season. They’re reportedly planning a “gap year” this season, focusing on internal player development, but what
The Jazz have been one of the NBA’s most frustrating teams in fantasy basketball due to their tanking strategy over the last several seasons. Their most productive players often could not be trusted. Case in point, their three best players played 55 or fewer games in 2025-26. Utah
The Knicks ended a 53-year championship drought in 2026, but the team cannot rest on its laurels. The Eastern Conference became far more competitive with recent off-season player movement and stars returning from injuries. What kind of fantasy production will the defending champions bring to the table in
The Spurs are still a young team, but they reached the NBA Finals last season. Will their expected improvement yield fantasy value outside of Victor Wembanyama's? Victor Wembanyama, PF/C 📊 Trend: ⬆️⬆️ 🗝️ Key Stats: PTS, REB, BLK, 3PM, FT% ⚠️ Risk: 🟢 Low 🔓 Value Unlock: Just do you, Wemby! 💡 Quick Hits:
The Magic are hoping better health can erase the disappointment of an injury-riddled 2025-26 campaign. But after a busy offseason around the Eastern Conference, simply getting healthy may not be enough. Which Magic players are poised to gain fantasy value, and which ones could disappoint? Franz Wagner, SF/
The Hornets enter the post-LaMelo era this season, with Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Coby White, and Naz Reid all positioned to absorb a significant share of the vacated production. Brandon Miller, SF/PF 📊 Trend: ⬆️ 🗝️ Key Stats: PTS, 3PM, FT% ⚠️ Risk: 🟢 Low 🔓 Value Unlock: Improved FG% and steals 💡 Quick Hits: