The NBA fantasy basketball season is slowly approaching as the countdown to the start of the 2022-23 NBA season is heating up.

With just over a month till the opening NBA tip off, the fantasy basketball draft season is also starting to arrive as NBA fantasy owners begin to prepare for the upcoming season.

When it comes to the Top 10 Fantasy Basketball Player Rankings – Draft 2022 list many of these players, if not, are expected to come off the board during the first round of nearly every NBA fantasy basketball draft.

Whether you are drafting first, fourth, 10th or 12th top tier fantasy scoring options will be present during your pick. Only question is which of those players will warrant consideration and which of those players should be overlooked.

At the top of the list of top tier fantasy basketball options includes the trio of Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, and Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers. Here is a look at the Top 10 Fantasy Basketball Player Rankings – Draft 2022:

Honorable Mention

Damian Lillard

Team: Portland Trail Blazers

One of the most storied players in the history of the Portland Trail Blazers continues to be one of the best point guards in the NBA each season.

After missing most of the 2021-22 NBA schedule, NBA fantasy owners are expecting Damian Lillard to rebound during the upcoming season.

Lillard prior to going down last season ranked 5th in the NBA in scoring averaging 24 points per game while ranking 3rd in the NBA in assists per game while averaging 7.3 per game.

Cade Cunningham

Team: Detroit Pistons

One fantasy option that should take a huge step forward this season is the Detroit Pistons second year star Cade Cunningham. Cunningham finished his rookie season averaging 17.4 points per game to go along with 5.5 rebounds and 5.6 assists per contest.

However, Cunningham showed his potential down the stretch averaging over 21 points per game to go along with over five rebounds (5.7 rpg) and over six assists per game (6.5) after the NBA All-Star game.

Add in a few solid rookies and his own development Cunningham could be a Top 10 to Top 15 NBA Fantasy option during 2022-23. 

Top 10 Fantasy NBA Rankings

10. LaMelo Ball

Team: Charlotte Hornets

LaMelo Ball continues to develop into one of the NBA’s top point guards while becoming the face of the Charlotte Hornets franchise.

The Hornets guard delivers his fantasy basketball options dynamic threat who can stuff the fantasy stat sheet including averaging over 20 points per game while he posted career highs in rebounds (6.7 rpg) and assists (7.6 apg) as well as nearly two steals per game.

The addition of rookie Mark Williams at center and a healthy Gordon Hayward should help open the floor for Ball to increase his fantasy basketball performance. 

9. Kevin Durant

Team: Brooklyn Nets

When healthy and on the NBA hardwood, Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets is one of the best basketball players in the game and one of the best fantasy basketball options available.

However, Durant appeared in just 55 NBA games last season limiting his fantasy potential for his fantasy owners.

However, when on the floor last season his production outweighs the risks as the All-Star averaged 29.9 points per game to go along with 7.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game. It is hard not to consider Durant as one of the best fantasy basketball options in the NBA.

8. LeBron James

Team: Los Angeles Lakers

King James continues to be the focal point of the NBA as he looks to enter the 20th NBA season of his career.

Only thing holding James back from the top of the NBA is concerns over his ability to stay healthy for an entire NBA season and to show up down the stretch during the regular season as he looks to stay healthy for the playoffs.

That said James finished averaging the most points per game in his entire career last season finishing the season averaging 30.3 points per game.

In addition to scoring, James provides fantasy value by adding over seven assists per game, over seven rebounds per game, one blocked shot and one steal per game.

7. Jayson Tatum

Team: Boston Celtics

At only 24 years old, Jayson Tatum continues to develop into one of the game’s best overall players in the NBA after posting career highs in assists, points, and rebounds per game last season.

Tatum finished the season averaging 26.9 points per game to go along with eight rebounds per game, 4.4 assists per game, and one steal per game.

The Boston Celtics forward has averaged at least 23 points per game to go along with seven rebounds and three assists per game over the past three NBA seasons.

6. Trae Young

Team: Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young is as good as any point guard in the NBA and is as solid as any scoring threat around the game.

Selecting young players in the first round is a guarantee for any fantasy league, the big question is how high the former Oklahoma Sooners star will be drafted within your fantasy league.

Young, ranked 4th in the NBA in scoring during the 2021-22 NBA season while averaging 28.4 points per game while also ranking 3rd in the NBA averaging 9.7 assists per game. Outside of Stephen Curry, Young could be the best and top point guard fantasy basketball option in 2022.

5. Joel Embiid

Team: Philadelphia 76ers 

Coming in at number five on the Top 10 Fantasy Basketball Player Rankings – Draft 2022 list is the Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid.

Embiid who finished as the NBA MVP runner up put together his best season in the NBA averaging a career high 30.6 points per game while also adding 11.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.

While Embiid is coming off the best season of his career, the upcoming season will be a difficult one to repeat those numbers as many experts expect James Harden to improve his performance.

4. Luka Doncic

Team: Dallas Mavericks

When you look around at the top NBA fantasy basketball options each player fills up the statistics column night in and night out.

One of those players is the triple double machine Luka Doncic who is coming off his third straight season posting at least 10 triple doubles while ranking third in the NBA in fantasy points per game.

Doncic is one of only a few NBA players to rank in the top 20 in points per game, rebounds per game, assists per game, and Player Efficiency Rating (PER).

3. Stephen Curry

Team: Golden State Warriors

The future Hall of Famer Stephen Curry continues to be one of the best three-point threats in the NBA and one of the best overall players year in and year out.

Last season Curry added his 10th NBA season averaging at least 20 points per game while ranking 10th in the NBA in points per game averaging 25.5 points per game.

In addition to scoring Curry continues to be a strong player averaging over five rebounds and six assists per game last season. As long as Curry continues to be a threat behind the three-point line his value for his fantasy owners will be extremely high.

2. Nikola Jokic

Team: Denver Nuggets

When it comes to the top two options during your upcoming NBA Fantasy Draft, those two options Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks rank at the top.

Jokic is coming off his second straight NBA MVP award while ranking near the top of the NBA in multiple statistics.

The Nuggets star finished averaging 27.1 points per game to go along with 13.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game. In addition, Jokic trailed only the Greek Freak in overall fantasy points per game.

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Team: Milwaukee Bucks

The Greek Freak Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to be the best overall player in the NBA year in and year out while ranking near the top of the NBA in points per game and rebounds per game.

His ability to play on both ends of the floor, attack the glass while also being as dominant of a scorer as any player in the NBA makes Antetokounmpo the easy top pick during any NBA fantasy draft.

How would you rank these fantasy players going into your fantasy draft? Rank below to be added in the Power Rankings