My Pair Lady: 1st and 2nd Round Tandems to Target in Fantasy Hoops Drafts

Bridges' ADP soars ahead of year two with Nets

Vaughn Dalzell says fantasy managers should consider Mikal Bridges' second-round price tag in drafts, explaining why expectations for the ascending stud should be tempered after his strong 2022.

What’s better than one of a good thing? How about a pair? Peanut butter is great, but it’s even better with jelly. What are eggs without bacon? Who would Magic have been without Kareem, or MJ without Pippen? You get the point. The right pairing can enhance something that’s already phenomenal, and that’s certainly true in the world of fantasy hoops.

Managers typically don’t have trouble making their first-round pick, but they often sweat their second-round pick, wondering if they’re crafting the pair best suited for season-long success.

The Rotoworld crew (Raphielle Johnson, Noah Rubin, Zak Hanshew) did a quick two-round mock, alternating picks to go through some potential first and second-round pairings that you might see when you hit the draft room. Here are the terrific tandems they turned out.

1. Nikola Jokic and 24. Lauri Markkanen

I'm not big into pairing first and second-round picks, as I prefer to look to address deficiencies deeper into a draft. And with the first overall pick, I don't think there's a need to target a particular player, as Jokic can give you production in all categories. Maybe you target a player who can offer more in the defensive categories, like Myles Turner, but it isn't a must-do. I went with Markkanen in this exercise; while he only averaged 0.6 steals and 0.6 blocks per game last season, the production in the other categories was too good to pass up. -Raph

2. Joel Embiid and 23. Jaren Jackson Jr.

Embiid doesn’t have many weaknesses in his fantasy game (aside from turnovers), so try pairing him with the best shot blocker in the league and punt assists. JJJ should have a larger offensive role to start the season with Ja Morant suspended, but that shouldn’t result in his turnovers going up, which can help balance out Embiid’s high turnover numbers. JJJ has also talked about putting an emphasis on improving his rebounding this season, which could result in a really good season for him. Punting assists after starting your draft with Embiid seems like the smartest choice, and JJJ fits that build perfectly. -Noah

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3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and 22. Kawhi Leonard

SGA was one of fantasy's (and the NBA's) biggest and best surprises in 2022-23, finishing as one of the Association's top scorers, nearly leading his team to a playoff berth and finishing as a top-3 per-game fantasy option. Leonard appeared in 52 games and finished just outside the top 12. Both players get a boost when punting rebounds or three-pointers, but a Punt Rebounds build is a bit more versatile given how prevalent the three-ball is in the NBA. If SGA is available at Pick 3, I'll draft him confidently, while occasionally mixing in for my man, Tyrese Haliburton. Leonard can be a top-12 option in 2023-24, and I'm fine taking him at 22. He's been climbing up draft boards, but you can still likely get him cheaper than this given the major red flag of missing games. -Zak

4. Tyrese Haliburton and 21. Karl-Anthony Towns

If you want to pair Haliburton with another player, rebounds and blocked shots are the two categories that stick out for me. While Towns only averaged 0.6 blocks per game last season, he averaged 8.1 rebounds alongside Rudy Gobert. That kind of production feels like KAT's floor in the rebounding category, especially if he can remain healthy. The 4.8 assists per game are welcome, even with Haliburton being a near-lock to get you ten per night while also taking care of the basketball (2.5 turnovers per game). -Raph

5. Luka Doncic and 20. Mikal Bridges

Luka usually goes in the top three of drafts, but he slipped to me at pick five in our mini-mock. This pairing will still work no matter where you draft Luka, since Mikal should still be there a few picks later. Luka is one of the best players in points leagues, but his high turnover numbers and low free throw percentage limit his value slightly in 9-cat leagues. Insert Bridges, who shot 89.4% from the line on 6.6 attempts per game after the trade to Brooklyn and only turned it over 1.8 times per game during that stretch. Bridges compliments Luka really well and helps negate some of Luka’s struggles while also just being a really good fantasy player. If you wanted to start with a free throw punt surrounding Luka, you could hope that Domantas Sabonis slips or you could reach a few picks and get LeBron James, who shot 76.8% from the line last year. That’s not so atrocious that you have to punt free throws, but it’s a decent option. -Noah

6. Jayson Tatum and 19. Jimmy Butler

Getting Tatum at Pick 6 feels good, especially when it's our turn again at the end of the second round. Tatum's weakest category is blocks, and so is Emo Jimmy's, so we can utilize a Punt Blocks build with this tasty tandem. Tatum is one of the league's best scorers, and Butler is no slouch either. Both offer solid assist numbers, Tatum is a phenomenal rebounder, and both can rack up steals at a high level. Butler will likely sit out his share of games, but Tatum has proven to be a durable guy over the years, helping to reduce the impact of missed games from Butler. Mikal Bridges was also in consideration here, given his strong finish to last season and his slight boost in a Punt Blocks build. -Zak

7. Stephen Curry and 18. Devin Booker 

Curry gives you high-level scoring, 3-pointers, and percentages while providing solid rebounding and assist numbers. However, the arrival of Chris Paul could negatively impact Curry's assist average. Going with a guard who can pick up the slack in that category would work, but I didn't select a true point guard at pick number 21. Instead, I went with Booker, whose opportunities to serve as a primary playmaker will increase due to Phoenix's lack of point guard depth. He averaged 5.5 assists per game last season and racking up six or more per night for the first time since 2019-20 (6.5 per game) isn't out of the realm of possibility. This move adds another high-scorer to the squad, which would give a fantasy manager the flexibility to target other categories in the later rounds. -Raph

8. Giannis Antetokounmpo and 17. Kevin Durant

Assuming KD will be there at pick 17 isn’t exactly the best strategy. If he doesn’t go in the first round, he’ll likely be one of the first few picks of the second round. However, in our mini mock draft, that’s where I grabbed him. Starting off your draft with two players who are arguably top-five talents in the league is a great way to open up. KD’s elite shooting should help make up for Giannis’ lack of 3-pointers and poor free-throw percentage. That gives you a lot of flexibility to start off your draft. Another solid option here is Domantas Sabonis, who went 16th in our draft. He’s not a great free throw shooter but makes up for it with elite production elsewhere. Starting off with a free throw/3-pointer punt of Giannis and Sabonis gives you a clear team direction and two elite players. -Noah

9. Anthony Davis and 16. Domantas Sabonis

There's no doubt about it, this may be my favorite pairing to open a draft! AD was the top player in fantasy for large stretches of the 2022-23 season, and he finished the year as a top-5 per-game option. Yes, he only appeared in 56 games, but that's more than enough for us to confidently draft him inside the top-10. The Lakers gave him a massive extension in the offseason, and as LeBron James heads into Year 21, it's clear that the team is best when Davis is the best player on the court. AD enjoyed a renaissance last season, and he's the perfect partner for a big man who enjoyed the best season of his career in Domantas Sabonis. Sabonis and Davis kick off a strong Punt FT% build, but there's an added bonus: both are strong passers - particularly Sabonis. Assists are typically a weak category when drafting for this build, but by taking AD and Sabonis, you gain a competitive edge. -Zak

10. Damian Lillard and 15. Anthony Edwards

Lillard being traded likely locked him into first-round value for the upcoming season, as there's no chance of him being shut down in Milwaukee as he had been in Portland. He finished last season ranked just outside the top-5 in 8-cat per-game value, providing everything other than blocked shots. That would mean targeting a big with their second-round pick for some managers, but I'm extremely high on Edwards this season. He finished last year ranked 25th in 8-cat per-game value, but the improved familiarity with Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert and a healthy (knock on wood) Karl-Anthony Towns should help boost Ant-Man's value. I don't see his scoring decreasing, and he averaged 1.6 steals and 0.7 blocks per game. Add in the potential for the assist average (4.4) to increase, and Edwards could make for a good "draft partner" for Lillard. -Raph

11. LaMelo Ball and 14. Trae Young

This might be my favorite way to start a draft this year. Punt field goal percentage and turnovers and have a lot of fun. You can get really solid bigs later in the draft, but you’re starting off with two elite playmakers who will score a lot and hit a ton of threes. You also have two guys that are among the most entertaining players in the league, if that’s a factor for you. Use the few rounds after this to get some defensive stats and rebounds. Combining two of LaMelo, Trae and Damian Lillard is probably the best strategy you can have if you have one of the last few picks in your draft this year. -Noah

12. Kyrie Irving and 13. Donovan Mitchell

Irving is a perennial first-rounder on a per-game basis, even if he may have fantasy managers scared that he’ll sit out his fair share of games for one reason or another. Spida broke out in his first season with the Cavs, delivering career highs in points (28.3) and triples (3.6), while posting strong numbers in a number of other categories. He was a top-15 option in 2022-23, and both he and Irving were even better in a Punt Rebound build. Both are strong in traditional guard stats like points, three-pointers, steals, assists and FT%, but you can fill out your roster with bigs in a number of different ways. Guys like Myles Turner and Jaren Jackson Jr. will provide big-time blocks while also fitting this build, or you can look to target later-round bigs like John Collins, Christian Wood or PJ Washington to round out your roster and get the most out of your punt. -Zak