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.