Collin Murray-Boyles, Cason Wallace and Ty Jerome are our favorite late picks for category leagues. The centers below usually cost more, but can be worth it in the right build. The order reflects our favorite draft bets.
Average ADP is the mean of ESPN, Yahoo, Sleeper and Fantrax draft prices from October 10, 2026. Projections use StatDunk's October 8 release. Stats and ranks are per game unless labeled as totals. FPTS use ESPN's default NBA scoring; 9-cat includes turnovers. Points rank ranges compare the four platforms' default scoring.
01 / Toronto Raptors
Collin Murray-Boyles
More minutes would make his defense a draft bargain.
- Average ADP
- 124.3
- 113.1
- 139.4
- 139.3
- 105.3
Murray-Boyles faced the usual questions about an undersized big: where would he play, and could he score enough to stay on the floor? He spent his rookie season defending bigger players, then averaged 14.4 points and 6.4 rebounds against Cleveland in the playoffs. That playoff run gives Toronto a reason to find him more minutes. His average draft price still sits outside the top 120.
We project 29.6 minutes, with 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. Add 57.6% shooting, and he can become a starting fantasy forward without needing the offense built around him.
Punt free throws or threes. His projected 68.6% at the line on 2.8 attempts hurts in a balanced build. Punting free throws moves him from 62nd to 42nd per game; punting threes puts him 41st. Points formats rank him 82nd to 94th. We'd look around picks 100 to 120, provided that larger role holds.
02 / Oklahoma City Thunder
Cason Wallace
Two steals per game can carry a punt-points build.
- Average ADP
- 133.6
- 118.5
- 137.4
- 164.3
- 114.3
Oklahoma City moved Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins this offseason. Sam Presti linked the Dort trade to the team's belief in Wallace. For a young guard on a contender, that trust and the open rotation spots give him a chance at more minutes.
We project 31.2 minutes and 2.0 steals. His 9.7 points won't attract managers chasing scoring, but steals can win a category matchup. Low turnovers, plus some threes and assists, make the rest of his line useful.
Punt points. Wallace rises from 54th to 29th per game in that build. We'd target him in the ninth or tenth round of a 12-team category draft. Points managers can wait: he ranks 120th to 154th, depending on scoring. Fewer minutes or a lower steal rate would hurt his category value.
03 / Memphis Grizzlies
Ty Jerome
A lost season has pushed an efficient guard into the late rounds.
- Average ADP
- 117.8
- 112.5
- 91.7
- 176.5
- 90.6
Jerome played just 15 games in his first Memphis season. A high-grade right calf strain and a later ankle injury kept him out, but he averaged 19.7 points and 5.7 assists when he played. Ja Morant's move to Portland gives him a chance at a bigger role. He's playing this preseason, though the starting job is still unsettled.
Our projection drops his scoring to 16.5 points in 24.2 minutes and still ranks him 66th in standard 9-cat. Shooting 49.5% from the field and 86.3% at the line would make him a good fit for a roster heavy on guards.
Punt rebounds or blocks. Those builds lift him to 42nd and 45th respectively. We'd buy around pick 110 to 120. Health is the concern: our 60-game projection leaves him 93rd in category totals. His points ranks of 89th to 109th offer a smaller discount.
04 / Orlando Magic
Jalen Suggs
Missed games have lowered the price of a strong defensive guard.
- Average ADP
- 109.1
- 106.9
- 137.3
- 98.7
- 93.7
The former No. 5 pick averaged 1.8 steals and 0.7 blocks last season, the kind of defensive production managers hunt for on waivers. He has also played fewer than 60 games in three of the past four seasons. Illness has kept him out this preseason, and his status for Sunday's exhibition was uncertain on October 10.
We project 4.6 assists and 2.0 threes alongside those defensive contributions. That gives him several ways to help a category team even when his scoring is modest.
Punt field-goal percentage. His projected 44.1% shooting and 2.3 turnovers are the drawbacks. Punting field-goal percentage improves his rank to 50th. We'd consider him after pick 100 if we could cover missed games. Our 56.1-game projection puts him 109th in category totals and 127th to 142nd in points totals, so season-long points leagues need a later price.
05 / Detroit Pistons
John Collins
Detroit gives an efficient scorer another chance at a steady role.
- Average ADP
- 113.1
- 113.5
- 115.8
- 114.0
- 109.1
Collins once averaged 21.6 points and 10.1 rebounds in Atlanta. His reputation has faded since, but efficient finishing, rebounding and some outside shooting have stayed with him. Detroit's three-year deal this summer gives him another chance at a steady role. Cade Cunningham can create looks for him without Collins having to lead the offense.
We project 15.7 points on 53.8% shooting. At an average ADP of 113.1, that would be enough to beat his price. We'd be buying reliable production, with less room for a big jump if he stays near 29 minutes.
Punt assists. His 1.4 projected assists limit his balanced value; removing the category lifts him from 88th to 56th per game. We'd target picks 110 to 120. Points formats rank him 105th to 108th per game, but 70 projected appearances lift his totals ranks to 86th to 90th.
06 / Minnesota Timberwolves
Ayo Dosunmu
Efficient guard stats at a late-round price.
- Average ADP
- 117.4
- 112.8
- 115.3
- 131.8
- 109.8
Dosunmu gave Minnesota a strong reason to keep him: 43 points in a playoff win over Denver while the Wolves dealt with injuries. After his move from Chicago, Minnesota re-signed him this summer. Anthony Edwards and new arrival LaMelo Ball leave fewer touches for him.
His value doesn't depend on repeating that playoff night. Projected shooting of 51.2% and just 1.3 turnovers let him add guard stats without hurting a category team's efficiency.
Balanced categories or punt rebounds. Punting rebounds moves him from 98th to 70th per game. We'd consider him around pick 115 or later. Our 72-game projection lifts him to 72nd in category totals and 81st to 98th in points totals. The risk is a smaller role alongside Minnesota's other guards.
07 / Milwaukee Bucks
Kel’el Ware
A center for punt-assists teams, if the minutes hold.
- Average ADP
- 79.3
- 76.0
- 105.5
- 76.2
- 59.6
Ware produced in a changing role in Miami. Milwaukee offers another opportunity, but Myles Turner remains part of the frontcourt rotation. The Bucks have tried Ware both as a starter and off the bench this preseason, so his minutes are still the concern.
Even our 25.7-minute projection gives him 9.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. Efficient shooting, some threes and low turnovers make him especially useful in categories without requiring a large scoring role. More minutes would add upside.
Punt assists. His 1.0 projected assist is the weak spot; removing it moves him from 48th to 23rd per game. We'd like him in the 70s for categories. Points formats rank him 73rd to 96th, making ESPN's 105.5 ADP a better place to look for a discount.
08 / Los Angeles Lakers
Walker Kessler
A five-game season has left a discount on proven rebounding and blocks.
- Average ADP
- 54.2
- 41.7
- 79.9
- 58.5
- 36.6
A torn labrum in Kessler's left shoulder ended his last Utah season after five games and required surgery. He's now cleared for preseason and joining Luka Dončić in Los Angeles. His job is to finish possessions at both rims. The missed season hasn't erased his established rebounding and shot blocking.
At an average ADP of 54.2, projected averages of 11.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks give us a reason to buy. We're projecting 68 games. The bet depends on him playing 32.5 minutes a night.
Punt free throws. His projected 60.6% at the line on 3.1 attempts hurts his full ranking. Punting free throws lifts him to seventh per game. We'd shop around picks 50 to 60, or closer to ESPN's 79.9 ADP, where his 49th-place points rank offers a bigger discount. Yahoo's 41.7 price is harder to beat.