Dunkest NBA Fantasy Tips, R1: The Admin’s Team

Everything you need for Dunkest NBA Round 1. From position-by-position NBA fantasy basketball tips to injury updates and projected lineups, here’s a ready-to-use kit with all the tools you need to tackle the day like a pro.

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Dunkest NBA Fantasy Tips, Round 1

The guy posting on Instagram now has to actually score points.

Hi, I’m Domenico Borracci, your friendly neighborhood Admin, and throughout the 2026/27 NBA season I’ll take you inside my Dunkest team, walking you through signings, players I keep, last-minute doubts and, inevitably, a few choices I’ll end up regretting.

The idea is simple: the team is mine, the choices are mine too, and you already know where to find me. When things go well, I’ll try to act like I know what I’m doing. When they go badly, I’ll still have to show up and clock in.

No magic formulas or promises of astronomical scores: I’ll tell you how I build my lineup, why I’m targeting certain players and which risks I’m willing to take. Maybe there’ll even be a useful tip or two for your teams.

Let’s start with Gameweek 1. And hopefully we won’t regret it too quickly.

Starting Big: Kessler and Edey convince me, but…

To build my first team, I decided to start with two centers who, at least on paper, can provide a good balance between price and production: Walker Kessler (10.5 cr) and Zach Edey (9.5 cr).

The first has landed with the Lakers, and Doncic’s presence could become a gold mine for his fantasy averages.

Against Golden State, I’m expecting rebounds, blocks and plenty of presence around the rim. The only question is the Warriors’ small, mobile lineups, which could drag him away from the paint. On the other hand, finding someone capable of matching his physicality won’t be easy.

With Edey, meanwhile, the logic starts mainly with the matchup. Utah without Nurkic presents an interesting opportunity for the Memphis big man, who already showed in the few games he played last season that he can make a real impact.

Boozer’s presence will inevitably draw attention and possessions, but 9.5 credits is a great investment if Edey gets enough room to make them pay off.

Davis at forward and Hachimura are the gambles I want to take

Among the various forwards, I picked two players for very different reasons.

After an endless toss-up with Jalen Johnson (19.0 cr), I decided to save 3 credits and go with Anthony Davis (16.0 cr), a choice that will already get people talking, but the reason will become clear soon enough.

Against a Milwaukee team still rebuilding, I expect him to impose his talent, especially while playing power forward instead of center. On paper, that could make the Bucks’ matchups even more complicated, and even though sixteen credits is still a major investment, I’m spending them here for this opening Gameweek.

With Rui Hachimura (8.5 cr), meanwhile, I’m taking a little more risk: the Japanese forward switched sides in Los Angeles, joining the Clippers, and amid the team’s chaos he could find himself with far more offensive responsibility than he had in the past.

After years spent as the last offensive option, probably behind even the equipment staff, that wouldn’t exactly be bad news.

With Ingram out, against Sacramento and at a still-interesting price, I want to trust him. He also finished the last Playoffs and started the Preseason shooting the lights out, and if there’s ever a time to bet on his offensive talent, this could be it.

The other last-minute addition was Aaron Gordon (8.5 cr), instead of Brandon Miller, thanks to a T3 matchup that, even against OKC, could confirm him as the king of season openers.

Gordon has a habit of showing up on opening night with something to talk about, averaging 33.5 FPT in season debuts over the last six years. The matchup is still tough, but last season against the Thunder he posted a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds, a precedent that is fully capable of burning me but also gives me a concrete reason to try it.

At this price, I’ll take the risk and keep a useful T3 option, spreading my chances across multiple turns (which is always a good and righteous thing). Then, if he wants to show up again with more than 60 FPT like last year, I’m certainly not going to be the one to ruin the tradition, because spreadsheets and statistics, unfortunately, don’t defend anybody on their own.

Don’t worry, there are still several important choices left, including some cheap ones to make up ground with, straight from the depths of the bargain bin.

Reaves costs a lot, Haliburton does too, so why not both?

Austin Reaves (14.5 cr) will be tied as the second-most expensive player in my lineup and, as a result, I’m expecting a lot from him, especially because without LeBron and alongside Doncic he has already shown that he can increase his statistical production.

Against Golden State, he’ll have the chance to handle plenty of possessions and, at least in my plans, turn them into a nice haul of points. Hopefully more touches don’t also mean too many turnovers: unfortunately, insurance isn’t included in the price.

Here’s why I went back to the numbers: Tyrese Haliburton (14.5 cr). Don’t ask me to confess who would have been in his place; I’ll do that in a few minutes. Last season’s injury helps make his price attractive: I’m buying major upside at a number I like.

He faces New Orleans, and I’m expecting plenty of opportunities to score and get his teammates going, with that triple-double upside that makes him difficult to ignore. Upside, exactly: after such a long absence, consistency and game rhythm still have to be proven in games that aren’t Preseason. That uncertainty is included in the price too.

The Coach pick: better play it safe?

With coaches, I’d like to avoid getting too creative, at least at the beginning.

Rick Carlisle (8.5 cr) is the name that offers the most guarantees, with Indiana back at full strength, and I recommend him if you want to put the result in the bank. After all, coaches are no joke, the champion says so too.

But even if it’s only for a few credits, I have to pivot to the alternative. Brian Keefe (7.5 cr) costs slightly less and leads a Washington team that, at least on paper, can rely on a group with unquestioned talent. Young, Davis, Dybantsa and Sarr, all healthy for the moment, make for a very intriguing group of names.

On the other side is Milwaukee, in its first season without Giannis and still in the process of building its new project. Saving one credit may not change your life, but in Dunkest even the smallest details can come in handy.

Few credits, plenty of hope: the bargains I want to exploit

A team isn’t built only with the most expensive names. In fact, it’s often the low-cost players who make the difference between a good Gameweek and one to forget: the first name I circled is Egor Demin (6.0 cr).

In Brooklyn, he should have more responsibility with the ball in his hands, and the signs from Preseason have been encouraging. Against Charlotte, he may already have the chance to show how much he has grown.

Of course, what works in Preseason then has to be confirmed once the games really count. And maybe using him in his actual role instead of at forward could help avoid taking him out of his game. Right, Nets?

This, this was the spot where you would have read about him: Ben Simmons (6.0 cr) was destined to take it, but his injury right out of the gate forced me to rethink everything. The switch with Haliburton brings in the final addition: Dean Wade (5.0 cr), who mainly because of the schedule will earn the role of temporary captain for T1.

Even though this choice is also driven by Gameweek management, the upside to be useful and generate a value gain is always there, and I don’t need to ask anything more of him.

Dropping even further in price brings me to Jaylon Tyson (4.5 cr), who last year, between one scuffle and the next, showed enough to earn himself a spot on the bench.

His ability to play multiple roles and his rebounding instincts can help him contribute even without being one of the top offensive options, and then, unlike Wade, he plays in T3, which never hurts.

The question is still how much playing time he’ll really get, but at 4.5 credits it’s hard to find anything better, and waiting for the good performances would only make his price climb to less pleasant territory.

My Dunkest team for Round 1

After doubts, calculations and a few changes of plan, this is the lineup I’ve decided to use for the opening Gameweek.

The first change arrived before the first game. I’d say the format of this column is already pretty clear: make the picks, make the corrections, then show up here and explain how it went.

If Dean Wade gets the temporary captain’s armband, Haliburton and Davis could fight over it in T2, hopefully without forcing me to turn to Gordon. Among the other players left out after close calls, besides the names already mentioned, are Cam Whitmore (4cr) and Tyus Jones (4cr), straight from Denver’s T3. I passed on them; maybe you won’t.

Now it’s up to the court

I’ve done the thinking, spent the credits and made my choices public. Now all that’s left is to see how many of these players feel like proving me right.

We’ll meet again next Gameweek, when we’ll add everything up, figure out who earned another chance and who instead is heading straight to the transfer market.

Always shouting “Today’s value gain is tomorrow’s score”.

Then again, you do actually have to get that blessed value gain first.

Note: the lineup and evaluations in this article were prepared on the morning of publication, based on the information available at that time. Injuries, rotations, starting lineups and player availability may change before the games begin. Always check the latest updates and adjust your team accordingly.

NBA Fantasy Captain Picks

Are you unsure who to make captain for the Dunkest round? Here are our tips, one for each turn.

Average scores and teams not on the schedule

• Teams that are on the schedule but marked as resting will receive their average score (including all players on the roster, injured ones as well, plus the coach). This is designed to optimize the NBA calendar as much as possible. As in the regular season, players who receive an average score due to scheduling reasons will NOT get the 1.5x captain bonus if selected as captain.

• Teams NOT on the schedule (players, coaches, and unavailable players) will NOT be considered “resting teams” and will NOT receive an average score, but instead 0 points. These are teams that have been eliminated or have already qualified and are waiting for their next Playoff opponent.

Fantasy Basketball Dunkest NBA 2026/27 List

To make life easier for all draft mode enthusiasts, we’ve made the Dunkest NBA 2026/27 List available for download in Excel format below, allowing you to prepare for the auction in the coming days.

Remember, you’ll find the Dunkest List with all updated stats for each player in our Statistics section, including credits, Dunkest points (PDK), and capital gains.