Fantasy Basketball: 2024-25 Punt Guide

Many managers willingly punt a particular statistical category while building their teams. With that in mind, we’ve put together a guide offering some advice on each of the nine major categories ahead of the 2024-25 season.

Last season’s data courtesy of Basketball Monster

2024-25 Punt Rankings courtesy of Rotoworld

Punt Assists

The decision to punt assists usually boosts the value of big men who aren’t generally among the elite fantasy targets. However, this does not mean fantasy managers should look to take these players off the board within the first three rounds. Maybe one jumps a little earlier than usual for one of these players, but not to an extreme. Last season, Daniel Gafford, Deandre Ayton, Brook Lopez, and Rudy Gobert were all top 25 players in formats where assists were punted, with Myles Turner just inside the top 30. However, when comparing the 9-cat top 25 with a punt assists top 25, there weren’t any significant shifts. Victor Wembanyama was ranked sixth in the latter and seventh in the former, while Donovan Mitchell offered first-round value in a punt assists model.

First-round Targets: Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid

Second-round Targets: Donovan Mitchell, Chet Holmgren, Lauri Markkanen, Karl-Anthony Towns

Third round and later: Evan Mobley, Rudy Gobert, Jarrett Allen, Jalen Johnson, Nic Claxton

2024-25 Top 12, Punting Assists

Nikola Jokic

Victor Wembanyama

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Anthony Davis

Chet Holmgren

Jayson Tatum

Luka Doncic

Joel Embiid

Myles Turner

Lauri Markkanen

Donovan Mitchell

Punt Rebounds

While punting assists tend to boost the fantasy values of big men, perimeter players are the primary beneficiaries of a punt rebound build. Of the players ranked in the top 12 of per-game fantasy value in a punt rebound build for last season, only four would be classified as bigs: Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, Anthony Davis, and Victor Wembanyama. Fred VanVleet provided first-round per-game value in punt rebound builds, while Tyrese Maxey was a few spots beneath that threshold. Also among the top 25 (at least 50 games played) were Jalen Brunson, Derrick White, and Trae Young.

First-round Targets: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyrese Haliburton

Second-round Targets: Trae Young, Donovan Mitchell, Chet Holmgren

Third round and later: Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Maxey, Derrick White, Dejounte Murray, Desmond Bane

2024-25 Top 12, Punting Rebounds

Nikola Jokic

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Victor Wembanyama

Luka Doncic

Tyrese Haliburton

Anthony Davis

Donovan Mitchell

Chet Holmgren

Trae Young

Tyrese Maxey

Jalen Brunson

Punt Blocks

A team build in which blocks are punted also tends to favor perimeter players, as they don’t tend to generate much production in that category. Last season, Tyrese Maxey and Jalen Brunson were top-20 players when blocks were removed, while Jamal Murray ranked 30th according to Basketball Monster. Lauri Markkanen is a worthwhile second-round target in this build, as he offers excellent offensive production with minimal defensive stats. Last season, he was one of the top 10 players with blocked shots removed from the equation. Also jumping in the rankings compared to his 9-cat value was LeBron James, sitting a few spots outside of 1st-round value.

First-round Targets: Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum

Second-round Targets: Donovan Mitchell, Devin Booker, Lauri Markkanen

Third round and later: Damian Lillard, Paul George, LeBron James, LaMelo Ball, Jimmy Butler, Jalen Williams

2024-25 Top 12, Punting Blocks

Nikola Jokic

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Luka Doncic

Jayson Tatum

Donovan Mitchell

Tyrese Haliburton

Trae Young

Jalen Brunson

Damian Lillard

Anthony Davis

Anthony Edwards

Punt Steals

Limiting the value of steals tends to shift the balance of power to the big men, at least at the top of the rankings. In our 2024-25 projections, the top four (Jokic, Wembanyama, Davis, and Holmgren) are all bigs, while Joel Embiid (9th) and Myles Turner (11th) also provide 1st-round value in 12-team formats. One player whose fantasy value, especially in a punt steals build, has been boosted recently is Karl-Anthony Towns. He was a top-30 player last season, but the move to New York likely makes him a second-round pick, especially with Mitchell Robinson unlikely to play before December (at the earliest).

First-round Targets: Jayson Tatum, Stephen Curry

Second-round Targets: Chet Holmgren, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Domantas Sabonis, Karl-Anthony Towns

Third round and later: Myles Turner, Jarrett Allen, Brook Lopez,

2024-25 Top 12, Punting Steals

Nikola Jokic

Victor Wembanyama

Anthony Davis

Chet Holmgren

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Luka Doncic

Jayson Tatum

Joel Embiid

Tyrese Haliburton

Myles Turner

Stephen Curry

Punt Field-Goal Percentage

High-volume shooters, especially perimeter players, receive the most significant boost to their fantasy value when field-goal percentage is punted. Trae Young would qualify, especially after the Dejounte Murray trade. As the lone point guard in the starting lineup, he won’t lack opportunities to shoot in Atlanta. Another target would be Anthony Edwards, whose value has increased with Minnesota trading Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks. Fred VanVleet has been an excellent option for fantasy managers punting field-goal percentage; shooting 41.6% from the field, he was a top-10 player in such builds last season. While there are some big men at the top of the list in this category, that’s due to their mastery of multiple categories, thus limiting the impact of a respectable field-goal percentage. But this list is loaded with perimeter players after moving past Wembanyama, Jokic, and Davis.

First-round Targets: Victor Wembanyama, Trae Young

Second-round Targets: Anthony Edwards, Fred VanVleet, James Harden

Third round and later: Damian Lillard, Cade Cunningham, Ja Morant, Mikal Bridges

2024-25 Top 12, Punting Field-Goal Percentage

Victor Wembanyama

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Nikola Jokic

Luka Doncic

Anthony Davis

Chet Holmgren

Jayson Tatum

Donovan Mitchell

Tyrese Haliburton

Damian Lillard

Trae Young

Punt Free-Throw Percentage

Taking the approach of punting on the free-throw percentage category favors the big men. At the top of the list is Giannis Antetokounmpo. Shooting 65.7% from the charity stripe, he was a top 5 player in FT%-punt builds last season. Also experiencing a boost to their respective fantasy values were LeBron James (75.0%) and De’Aaron Fox (73.8%), who provided 1st-round per-game value. Among those included in the top 25 in a free-throw percentage punt were big men Rudy Gobert, Daniel Gafford, and Alperen Sengun. While there are some questions regarding Gafford’s minutes with Dereck Lively II (another solid option for this strategy) set to start, Gobert’s value could be boosted by the Towns trade while Sengun will continue to serve as Houston’s starting center.

First-round Targets: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Second-round Targets: Domantas Sabonis, Scottie Barnes

Third round and later: Alperen Sengun, De’Aaron Fox, Evan Mobley, Jalen Johnson, Rudy Gobert, Jarrett Allen, Nic Claxton, Dereck Lively II

2024-25 Top 12, Punting Free-Throw Percentage

Nikola Jokic

Victor Wembanyama

Anthony Davis

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Luka Doncic

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Chet Holmgren

Domantas Sabonis

Tyrese Haliburton

Scottie Barnes

Jayson Tatum

Punt 3-Pointers

While there are some elite guards who manage to remain highly ranked in this build, punting 3-pointers tends to boost the values of the big men. Last season, Domantas Sabonis offered 1st-round per-game value (12-team), while Deandre Ayton was a few spots outside of that threshold. Also, Evan Mobley was a top 25 player when punting 3-pointers. Also more valuable in this build are elite wings who tend to disregard the 3-point shot. Jimmy Butler (1.0 3PM per game in 2023-24) and DeMar DeRozan (0.9) certainly qualify, and they finished last season as top 25 fantasy players when 3-pointers were punted. Among the expected first-round picks, Anthony Davis and Giannis Antetokounmpo are two players whose selection could prompt managers to shift to a punt-threes approach to their draft. However, new Lakers coach JJ Redick wants the former to attempt more 3-pointers this season, so look for the average of 0.4 made triples per game to increase.

First-round Targets: Anthony Davis, Gianns Antetokounmpo

Second-round Targets: Domantas Sabonis, Kevin Durant

Third round and later: Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Evan Mobley, DeMar DeRozan, Deandre Ayton,

2024-25 Top 12, Punting 3-Pointers

Nikola Jokic

Victor Wembanyama

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Anthony Davis

Chet Holmgren

Joel Embiid

Luka Doncic

Domantas Sabonis

Scottie Barnes

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Tyrese Haliburton

Punt Turnovers

Moving to turnovers, punting this category favors high-usage players. Selecting Trae Young with a late-first could prompt some managers to shift to a punt-turnover build immediately. Luka Doncic, who averaged 4.0 turnovers per game last season, is another player to be mindful of if executing this particular build. While the rankings tend to favor guards, big men can also benefit from a punt-turnover approach. Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic finished first and second in Basketball Monster’s rankings when punting turnovers, while Victor Wembanyama was sixth. If category league fantasy managers are going to punt any particular category while building their teams, turnovers tends to be the most common.

First-round Targets: Luka Doncic, Trae Young

Second-round Targets: Donovan Mitchell, Damian Lillard, Scottie Barnes, Domantas Sabonis, James Harden

Third round and later: Anthony Edwards, LeBron James, Cade Cunningham, Ja Morant, Paolo Banchero

2024-25 Top 12, Punting Turnovers

Nikola Jokic

Victor Wembanyama

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Luka Doncic

Anthony Davis

Trae Young

Chet Holmgren

Joel Embiid

Jayson Tatum

Donovan Mitchell

Tyrese Haliburton

Punt Points

The decision to punt on the points category is the one that managers may wait the longest to make, as most of the expected first-round options offer high production in this category. Wembanyama averaged 21.4 points per game last season as a rookie, and the expectation is that this number will rise, especially with San Antonio adding Chris Paul to the roster. He and Tyrese Haliburton are the players in the first round who could trigger a “punt points” build, but this is generally a category in which it’s wiser to wait to see how the draft unfolds before making a decision. This approach could churn out solid mid-to-late round value, especially for managers seeking guard depth. Derrick White certainly isn’t a middle-round fantasy player, but his value increases in a “punt points” build. Tyus Jones, who will be the starting point guard in Phoenix, was a top 50 player in Washington last season with this approach.

First-round Targets: Victor Wembanyama, Tyrese Haliburton

Second-round Targets: Chet Holmgren, Fred VanVleet, Scottie Barnes

Third round and later: Paul George, Derrick White, Jalen Williams, Jrue Holiday, Keegan Murray, Tyus Jones

2024-25 Top 12, Punting Points

Victor Wembanyama

Nikola Jokic

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Anthony Davis

Chet Holmgren

Luka Doncic

Tyrese Haliburton

Scottie Barnes

Jayson Tatum

Donovan Mitchell

Joel Embiid

– When should I consider punting a category?

While a fantasy manager’s first-round pick could trigger immediate thoughts of punting on a category, it’s usually wise to wait and see how the first few rounds of a draft play out before making that decision. Drafting Giannis in the first round does not mean you’re obligated to punt free-throw percentage, even if his track record suggests that there will be a significant amount of ground to make up in that category.

– Can I punt multiple categories?

Absolutely. It’s your world and your fantasy team. However, be careful with this approach, as it places even more stress on the categories that you’re counting on for consistent victories. Also, injuries could have a more significant impact on a roster when the manager is essentially conceding two (or three) categories in a weekly matchup. Punting is best left to weekly head-to-head leagues; it isn’t a factor in points leagues, and roto league managers should only consider the approach for one category. And that would be under extreme circumstances.

– Which categories tend to be most popular to punt?

Turnovers may be at the top of this list, given how many high-usage players average at least three per game. From there, the attention shifts to field goal and free-throw percentages, as punting either of those categories can benefit high-usage players (FG%) or big men (FT%). Also, these categories provide a little more flexibility if a fantasy manager has to shift their strategy in-season due to injury or suspension.