Fantasy Basketball Depth Chart Predictions: Five Unsettled Situations for 2026-27

After a busy offseason across the NBA, several teams will look much different heading into the 2026-27 season. Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the Miami Heat, LeBron James joined the Philadelphia 76ers and LaMelo Ball is now a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves. As the dust has settled, there are still some teams with unsettled situations at certain positions. Let's dive into five of them and project how things could play out for fantasy basketball.

Milwaukee Bucks: Backcourt

The Bucks took the franchise in a different direction by trading Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Heat. They received a haul from Miami, including promising young players like Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kel'el Ware. They also acquired veteran guard Tyler Herro, who should lead the team in usage rate this season and start at shooting guard. The likely starting point guard will be Ryan Rollins, who was a pleasant surprise last season with his averages of 17.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.5 three-pointers. Rollins is also just 24 years old, fitting in with the Bucks' rebuilding timeline.

The situation at guard behind Herro and Rollins is a bit murky. Kevin Porter Jr., who had a 24.3% usage rate last season, is used to having the ball in his hands a lot. The Bucks also selected Brayden Burries with the 10th pick in the draft, hoping that he will be a big part of their future plans. Kasparas Jakucionis, who also came over in the Heat trade, has upside after being taken 20th in the draft last season. Herro and Rollins should be solidified in their roles, making them excellent fantasy options. If picking one of the backup guards to target in the later rounds, consider Burries over Porter. On a rebuilding team that has little hope of making the playoffs, expect Burries' development to be prioritized over minutes for Porter, who could even be traded at some point in the season.

Boston Celtics: Center

The Celtics shook up their roster heading into last season with Jayson Tatum out because of a torn Achilles. They had the look of a middling team in the Eastern Conference with Tatum potentially out the entire campaign, so they didn't do much to address the center position. Neemias Queta emerged as their starter at the position, and he played well in the role. With the team exceeding expectations and producing one of the best records in the conference, they acquired Nikola Vucevic at the trade deadline from the Bulls. Given his extensive track record, he had the potential to displace Queta as the starter. However, he ended up being such a disappointment that he was almost unplayable.

Vucevic is no longer in the picture, but Queta will have a new player to battle for minutes. The Celtics signed Mitchell Robinson away from the Knicks, providing them with more rebounding and defense in the middle. In theory, Robinson is a superior player to Queta. He also has a more proven track record. However, in his track record is a history of injuries. He played 60 or fewer games in each of the last four seasons. Knowing his limitations, the Knicks held him to under 20 minutes a game in each of the last two campaigns. To keep their new big man healthy, the Celtics might bring him off the bench. Still, he could play closer to 25 minutes a game, rather than the 20 that he averaged with the Knicks last season. That would make him a valuable source for rebounds and blocks for fantasy managers.

Charlotte Hornets: Center

The Hornets were a pleasant surprise last season, making the Play-In Tournament behind their talented young core of Ball, Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel. Instead of trying to improve around the edges of that core, they took the team in another direction when they traded Ball to the Timberwolves and Miles Bridges to the Suns.

Moussa Diabate was a fun story last season, providing energy and rebounding at center. However, if the Hornets were going to become a serious playoff contender, they needed to upgrade their frontcourt. They did just that by landing Naz Reid in the trade with Minnesota. He can play both power forward and center, helping to stretch the floor with his three-point shooting. They also drafted center Hannes Steinbach with the 14th selection in the draft. Last season, he averaged 18.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in college. There is also holdover Ryan Kalkbrenner in the picture, who was taken in the second round in the 2025 Draft.

Make no mistake about it, Reid is going to play a lot. He will likely start at power forward, but he should also play center in small lineups. Even if Diabate starts, he could see his playing time take a hit. That's not good news for a player who already doesn't have much of a scoring impact. Steinbach has much more upside and is the player to consider targeting later in drafts. If he plays more than 20 minutes a night, he can provide value in 12-team and deeper leagues.

Memphis Grizzlies: Backcourt

Ja Morant once looked like one of the future faces of the NBA. Between injuries and off-the-court drama, his career has taken a dramatic turn for the worse. The Grizzlies moved on from him this summer, sending him to the Trail Blazers for an underwhelming package of Jerami Grant and Kris Murray. The future of the franchise now rests on the shoulders of Cameron Boozer, who was selected with the third pick in the 2026 Draft.

The Grizzlies have building blocks up front in Boozer and Zach Edey, but the backcourt is more unsettled. Vying for minutes at point guard will be Scotty Pippen Jr. and Ty Jerome. Jerome should also be in the mix for minutes with Cedric Coward and Walter Clayton Jr. at shooting guard. Cam Spencer can also be a factor at point guard after averaging 11.1 points and 5.6 assists over 24 minutes per game last season.

The Grizzlies selected Coward with the 11th pick in the 2025 Draft, so expect him to be afforded every opportunity to start at shooting guard. Spencer played well at point guard last season, but he was likely only provided that opportunity because injuries limited Pippen to just 10 games. Look for Pippen to start at point guard, with Jerome serving as the primary guard backup who plays both the point and shooting guard. Still, with all five of these players in the fold, they can prevent each other from playing 30 minutes a night. That makes none of them more than late-round targets in fantasy leagues.

New Orleans Pelicans: Center

The Pelicans had an interesting offseason. Despite their disastrous 2025-26 campaign, they didn't make any significant improvements to the team. They brought in Bennedict Mathurin, and they hope to get a full season out of Dejounte Murray. Other than that, we are looking at mostly the same group from last season. That includes the return of DeAndre Jordan, who surprisingly signed a two-year, $7.9 million contract at 38 years old.

The Pelicans have no shortage of center options. Derik Queen showed flashes of promise when given extended run last season, but his playing time actually dwindled during the second half of the season. Yves Missi is still in the picture, and Herbert Jones even served as the starting center down the stretch last year. Although he isn't much of a scoring threat, he is a difference maker on defense.

For the future of the franchise, the Pelicans would be wise to start Queen alongside Zion Williamson to see if the duo fits well together and can bring them back into the playoff picture. However, given the odd decisions that the franchise has made, it would not be surprising to see Jones starting again at center. Expect Missi to also factor into the center rotation. Queen has the most upside of the trio, so he is the one to target for fantasy. However, they should all eat into each other's playing time, making them late-round options only.