24/25 Punt Blocks (ESPN)

The Punt Blocks Strategy

The punt blocks build is a strategy we all need to start paying more attention to. It’s a championship-winning strategy when implemented properly, but it’s usually not the first choice of many fantasy managers. Expect that to change over the next decade. The reason for that is Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs’ center has the potential to break fantasy leagues, especially those of the eight-category variety. Those starting their drafts with Nikola Jokic won’t be at a disadvantage this year, but it’s unlikely Big Honey’s fantasy value will keep pace with Wembanyama’s for much longer. We are almost certainly about to enter a period where the Frenchman’s dominance will define category leagues. To take down the Wemby squad in our leagues, we are going to have to get creative, and that is where punting blocks comes in. When we punt blocks, we won’t completely neutralize the future bane of fantasy leagues, but we can make Wembanyama much less scary to go up against. To give you an idea of how effective punting blocks is at taking the 2023 first-overall pick down a notch, let’s take a look at Wembanyama’s 2023-2024 final per-game rankings with and without blocks.

Nine-category: 7

Eight-category: 6

Nine-category without blocks: 53

Eight-category without blocks: 31

Wembanyama will improve on all of those rankings in his second year in the association, but the impact of punting blocks is clear. If you punt blocks, Wembanyama goes from being arguably the scariest player in fantasy to just another early-round player. The center having so much value tied up in one category is a weakness we can exploit with smart team building.

Punting blocks is not just about neutralizing Wembanyama. This is a classic build that has become even more effective as the NBA has transitioned to a more perimeter-oriented league. With very few teams running double-big lineups these days, finding quality sources of swats has become more difficult than ever. The numbers bear that out. In 2014-2015, 20 players averaged 1.5 blocks or more. These days, that number usually ends up in the 10-12 range. If you are working with a different build that is aiming to win blocks consistently, you will be competing with every other team in your league for a very small group of players that usually don’t produce a ton of value outside of swats. Not only will you often have to reach for these rare strong sources of blocks, you will usually be weakening yourself in a handful of categories while doing so.

Punt blocks can be especially lethal in eight-category leagues. Turnovers not counting means that five of the eight remaining categories are categories that guards and wings tend to excel in. That unbalanced setup strengthens all small-ball builds. While punt FG% tends to be the go-to of most fantasy players looking to build a small-ball team in eight-category leagues, you shouldn’t commit to that strategy without first sitting down and figuring out whether a punt blocks setup would be a better approach. There are strong arguments on both sides of that debate. Punt FG% has a higher ceiling because it increases the value of guards more than the punt blocks strategy does. However, it is also a harder strategy to pull off and comes with a lower floor. That lower floor is due to the popularity of punt FG% and the lack of obvious big man targets for the build. In most competitive 12-team leagues, there will be three or four punt FG% teams competing for the same small group of bigs. All it will take is one unfortunately-timed big man run to put you in a very tough spot. When you punt blocks, missing out on bigs is less of a worry. It’s rare for a draft to contain more than one or two punt blocks teams, so you should be able to get your top big man targets around their ADP.

Even if you don’t plan to utilize this strategy, you should familiarize yourself with it. It is a strategy that works very nicely as a mid-draft pivot. The early rounds don’t always go your way, so it’s important to have a backup strategy (or six) going into your draft. Punt blocks tends to be one of the easier builds to switch to after the first few rounds because there are not a lot of early-round options that make a switch to the strategy inadvisable. It pairs nicely with most of the first-round guards and is only a no-go zone if you come away from the first two rounds with one or more of Victor Wembanyama, Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Chet Holmgren, or Giannis Antetokounmpo on your squad.

Correlation Analysis And The Build’s Natural Strengths And Weaknesses

The correlation coefficients show us why punt blocks can be such an effective strategy when properly implemented. Blocks has a negative relationship with FT%, points, threes, assists, and steals. That means that when we pass on swats, we will be strengthening ourselves in those five categories. That makes sense since outside of a small handful of elite bigs, most of the shot blockers we will be passing on struggle in some, if not all, of those categories. The opposite is true for FG% and rebounds. Blocks has a positive relationship with both (in this case positive is bad). When we pass on the league’s dominant rim protectors, we will be making it more difficult to win FG% and rebounds consistently since those shot blockers usually do good work in all of the big man categories. Because of this, in order to find enough FG% impact and rebounds, we will need to draft some bigs who average 1.0+ BPG. And that’s fine. We have to do something similar when we punt FG% in order to find enough rebounds and blocks. As is the case with punt FG%, we just need to make sure the bigs we are targeting are the right bigs.

While the relationship between blocks and turnovers is weak, we will need to keep an eye on our turnovers when punting blocks in a nine-category league, especially if we begin this build with a first-round pick with an ugly turnover rate. Since most guards gain a significant amount of value in this build, we will be targeting plenty of them, and that usually leads to issues with the category. I would aim to be around average or just below average in turnovers by the time the final pick is made. This isn’t a build like punt assists or punt points where dominating the category is possible.

Where The Build’s Key Categories Are In The Draft

Any punt blocks team that wants to win a ring needs to make sure it finishes the draft in an excellent position in as many guard categories as possible, or at least in a position where it is only a strong pickup or two away from being where it needs to be. To end up in a great spot in points, FT%, and assists, you need to target all three categories early and often. Points dry up the quickest. The best sources of points are found inside the first two rounds, and almost all of the best sources of points will be off the board by the end of round four. By the end of round six, difference-makers in the category will be very hard to find. In the later rounds, almost all of the decent sources of points come with some serious issues elsewhere. Assists dry up almost as quickly. You’ll want to grab at least two strong contributors in the category during the first three rounds. Three strong dimes options by the end of round five is ideal. We have to be super aggressive with assists because by the end of round six, almost all of the quality starting point guards will be off the board. The late-round assist sources are mostly low-upside options. FT% follows a similar pattern. You will want to grab at least two very strong sources of FT% during the first three rounds. FT% is not a category you can find late in the draft. Very few late-round players get to the line enough to make a difference in the category.

Usually, steals is not as much of a priority as points, assists, and FT%. However, this year, that’s not the case. Steals are heavily concentrated in the early rounds and become difficult to find after round four. There are not many strong steals sources available between rounds five and eight this year. There are some potential difference-makers in the category like Amen Thompson, Ausar Thompson, and Gary Trent available late, but you can’t base your draft strategy around them being available. A good chunk of your opponents will be looking for steals in that same portion of the draft. You will likely have plenty of competition for a very small group of players. Try to come out of round four in an above-average position in the category and try to take at least one plus-contributor in the category between rounds five and eight.

Threes is the one guard category that can be found throughout the draft. If you fall behind in triples early, don’t worry. There are plenty of high-3PM options available late. It’s also the easiest category to find on the wire. In a standard league, there will always be players available on the wire who average close to 2.5 3PG.

Due to this build’s natural weakness in the two remaining big man categories, you will need to keep a close eye on both FG% and rebounds throughout the draft, with rebounds being the more difficult category to manage. Strong sources of boards are not easy to find during the final handful of rounds this year, especially when we are ignoring players who have a lot of value tied up in swats. In addition to making sure you grab a couple of quality bigs early, you’ll want to prioritize guards and wings who provide above-average boards for their position. You’ll find many such players highlighted in the round-by-round pick recommendation portion of this guide. FG% can be managed not only by picking up bigs who excel in the category and guards and wings who are efficient for their position but also by avoiding major hits. That second bit is going to be very important during the second half of the draft when most of the guard options are notable drags on the FG% category. By avoiding major drags late, you will make up ground in the category when your opponents take those major drags.

Last Season’s Final Punt Blocks Rankings

2023-2024 Punt Blocks Rankings (9-Cat)

2023-2024 Punt Blocks Rankings (8-Cat)

First-round Building Blocks

The punt blocks build works well with almost all of the first-round perimeter options, but Nikola Jokic remains—by far—the best starting point for the strategy. Punt blocks squads built around Big Honey are unlikely to struggle with either FG% or rebounds and should finish the draft in a strong position in all of the categories a punt swats team with championship hopes needs to win consistently. During his latest MVP campaign, Jokic averaged a nearly flawless 26.4 PPG, 1.1 3PG, 12.4 RPG, 9.0 APG, and 1.4 SPG while shooting 58.3 percent from the field on massive volume (17.9 FGA). While the Nugget is a dream centerpiece for this strategy, punt threes tends to be a better spot for him. That build is usually a stronger option than punt blocks because the boost that low-3PM players receive in punt threes is larger than the boost that low-BPG players receive in punt blocks. When punting threes, it will be easier to find players who can outplay their draft position by multiple rounds.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished atop the nine-category punt blocks rankings in 2023-2024 thanks to a line that came with just one notable issue. In 2023-2024, SGA produced a ridiculous 30.1 PPG on 53.5 FG%, 5.5 RPG, 6.2 APG, 2.0 SPG, and 2.2 TOPG while having the third largest positive impact on the FT% category (87.4 FT% on 8.7 FTA). All of those numbers are repeatable, although we will likely see his steal rate regress slightly. Last year’s performance in the category was the best of Gilgeous-Alexander’s career by a fair amount. SGA’s mediocre three-ball (1.3 3PG) is the lone weakness in his line. It’s also a weakness we don’t need to pay too much attention to. This build rarely struggles with the category since it will be targeting plenty of high-3PM guards who receive notable bumps in value when blocks are ignored. It’s also not the end of the world if you finish your draft in a less-than-stellar position in the category since threes is the easiest category to find on the wire. Even in deep leagues, there will always be above-average sources of triples available.

The punt FT% build is the best spot for Luka Doncic, but this strategy works well as a pivot for Doncic-led teams that miss out on their early-round punt FT% targets. That’s going to be the case occasionally with the Giannis Antetokounmpo team in your league a lock to deploy the strategy. Luka is a reasonable first-round option in build because he helps lock down points, threes, assists, and steals while making this strategy’s natural weakness in boards much less of an issue. In 2023-2024, the Maverick averaged a goofy 33.9 PPG on 48.7 FG%, 4.1 3PG, 9.2 RPG, 9.8 APG, and 1.4 SPG. Those numbers were strong enough to get him inside the top four in both the eight- and nine-category versions of the strategy. His FT% and turnovers prevent the Slovenian from being a perfect fit for this build. Luka was just a minor drag on FT% last season when he shot a career-best 78.6 percent from the line. If he stays in that range, the hit that accompanies him will be very easy to offset. However, if he regresses towards his career mark of 74.7 percent, Doncic-led teams will struggle to finish the draft in an above-average position in the category. Luka won’t lock you into a punt turnovers setup, but he will make it very difficult to be even average in the category. In many cases, it will more sense to lean into the double-punt than try to bring the category back. It’s difficult to offset his 4.0 TOPG in a big-heavy build like punt FT%. In a guard-heavy build like punt blocks that will be targeting plenty of high-usage perimeter options, it is almost impossible. Luka needs to be paired with early-round options with strong Week 20 schedules due to the Mavericks only having two games that week. If your second and third-round picks both play three games that week instead of four, it will be very difficult for your punt blocks squad to win its playoff matchup. Quantity often trumps quality during the fantasy playoffs.

The punt blocks build is one of the better options for Tyrese Haliburton because the strategy’s natural strength in points will make it easier to offset the point guard’s relatively low-scoring output. The Pacer will likely be this year’s lowest-scoring first-round pick. In 2023-2024, he managed just 20.1 PPG, although he was averaging 24.2 PPG before injuring his hamstring for the first time. You’ll still have to target the category extremely aggressively early on, but since you will be avoiding some of the low-scoring bigs in the middle and late rounds, coming back in the category won’t be as difficult here as it will be in other builds. The point guard could lead the league in assists (10.9 APG) again while averaging close to 3.0 3PG. He should also be a plus-contributor in steals (1.2 SPG) while providing low-end FT% impact (85.5 FT% on 3.3 FTA). Building your team around Haliburton will also make it much easier to chase high-TOPG players who can put up big numbers in the scoring categories later in the draft. The two-time All-Star averaged just 2.2 TOPG last season.

Jayson Tatum’s improved efficiency and top-end out-of-position boards make him a strong first-round option for risk-averse fantasy managers looking to roll with this strategy. During the Celtics’ championship run, the forward shot a respectable 47.1 percent from the field while averaging 8.1 RPG. That FG% doesn’t jump off the page, but it is a very good one for a player who averaged 3.1 3PG. Tatum will also score in the high 20s (26.9 PPG) and will come with a low turnover (2.5 TOPG) rate for a first-round pick. If Tatum is your top pick, make assists, steals, and FT% a priority when deciding on your other early-round selections. The Celtic is a mediocre contributor for his draft position in all three categories (4.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 83.3 FT% on 6.7 FTA).

Stephen Curry is no longer a threat to finish atop the punt blocks rankings like he often did during his prime, but he’s still a nice starting point for this build for managers who get stuck with a pick around the turn. Punt blocks teams will be hoping to points, threes, and FT% consistently, and Curry can still help them do that. Despite having a down-year in 2023-2024, the Warrior managed 26.4 PPG and 4.8 3PG while connecting on 92.3 percent of his 4.4 FTA. Teams built around Curry will need find a way to grab multiple difference-makers in the steals category during the first half of the draft. Father Time has come for Curry’s previously-elite swipes. Last season, the four-time NBA champion produced just 0.7 SPG.

Categories the Punt Blocks build will be aiming to win consistently: FT%, Points, Threes, Assists, Steals

Categories the Punt Blocks build will need to pay extra attention to: FG%, Rebounds

First-round targets: Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyrese Haliburton, Jayson Tatum, Stephen Curry

Note: The below list is not meant to be a complete list of all of the players that fit into this build. The round I recommend taking each player in is based on ESPN Fantasy Basketball’s rankings and where I think each player will, or could be, available in a standard 12-team, nine-category draft. If you don’t see a player you think fits the build well, it may be because I think that player is badly overpriced on ESPN. All numbers and rankings are from the 2023-2024 season unless otherwise stated.

R2) Devin Booker – Booker is coming off a first-round finish in the nine-category version of punt blocks and is an excellent pick from a category scarcity standpoint. The three categories that come off the board the quickest are points, assists, and FT% impact. Booker excels in all three. In his first season playing beside both Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, the guard produced an impressive 27.1 PPG and 6.9 APG while connecting on 88.6 percent of his 6.7 FTA. The punt blocks build needs to win all three categories consistently and grabbing Brooker in round two will make that a fairly straightforward process. He’s also a very strong source of out-of-position FG% impact (49.2 FG% on 19.2 FGA) which is what sets him apart from most of the guards in this range. The lone issue with the Sun’s line is his steal rate. Booker managed just 0.9 SPG last season and has hit the 1.0 SPG mark only twice in his career. He should be paired with early-round options who produce above-average numbers in the category. This year, you can’t wait until the middle rounds to start making a comeback in steals.

R2) Domantas Sabonis – Outside of starting your draft with Nikola Jokic, the easiest way to get around this build’s weakness in rebounds and blocks is to grab Sabonis in round two. The King led the league in rebounding (13.7 RPG) in 2023-2024 while being a top-seven source of FG% impact (59.4 FG% on 13.0 FGA). The center doesn’t put either category to bed, but his presence does make it likely that you will finish the draft in at least a respectable position in both categories. Sabonis also provides his managers with a Jokic-esque number in assists (8.2 APG) and will be one of the stronger contributors in points (19.4 PPG) at the center position. The big man’s weak numbers in threes (0.4 3PG) and steals (0.9 SPG) are not major issues given his position, but the FT% (70.4 FT% on 5.1 FTA) and turnovers (3.3 TOPG) hits that accompany him are. Both numbers will be difficult to offset. If you plan on grabbing Sabonis in round two, make sure your other early-round picks are difference-makers in FT% and come with a lower-than-average turnover rate for their draft position. FT% should be prioritized over getting your turnovers in check due to how difficult it is to find difference-makers in the category during the second half of the draft.

R2) All round 2 point guards – You can’t go wrong with any of the round 2 point guards. They all receive a boost in value when blocks are thrown out and contribute quality numbers in many, if not all, of the categories that come off the board the quickest. Kyrie Irving will be the best per-game option of the bunch but is a long shot to play even 65 games. The Maverick hasn’t hit that mark since his final season in Boston. He also has a two-game Week 20 schedule that will limit his usefulness during the fantasy playoffs. LaMelo Ball is the best option from a category scarcity standpoint thanks to his dominance of assists (8.0 APG) and steals (1.8 SPG) and strong scoring (23.9 PPG) and FT% numbers (86.5 FT% on 4.7 FTA). However, he’s an even larger injury risk than Irving and will make winning FG% and turnovers consistently difficult. James Harden works similarly to Ball, just with fewer steals (1.1 SPG) and more FT% impact (87.8 FT% on 4.8 FTA). Damian Lillard offers league-leading FT% impact (92.0 FT% on 7.0 FTA) while being a very strong source of points (24.3 PPG) and assists (7.0 APG). He doesn’t help you win steals consistently (0.9 SPG), but unlike Ball and Harden, he won’t push you toward a double-punt with turnovers (2.6 TOPG). Brunson is the safest option of the guards potentially available at the end of the second. He doesn’t come with as high of a ceiling, but he’s not a significant injury risk and doesn’t hurt you in either FG% (47.9 FG%) or turnovers (2.4 TOPG).

R2) Karl-Anthony Towns – The move to New York turns Towns back into one of the top big man targets for the punt blocks build. Now that he’ll be playing the five again, the big man’s rebounds should spike and his FG% should increase slightly. Those bumps will increase his value in all builds but are especially valuable here given the punt blocks strategy’s natural weakness in the categories. He could lose a touch of usage with the Knicks having more offensive weapons than last season’s Wolves, but the drop in production should not be drastic. He should be able to at least approach last season’s 21.8 PPG on 50.4 FG%, 2.2 3PG, 3.0 APG, and 87.3 FT%. Towns should be paired with durable options. The Knicks’ new starting center has topped the 62-game mark just once over his last five seasons.

Other Round 2 Options: Donovan Mitchell, Anthony Edwards

R3) LeBron James – LeBron will likely be a featured player in the punt blocks build until the day he retires. His line remains an outstanding fit for this strategy and his per-game averages continue to be immune to Father Time. It’s very likely that Bron is going to give his fantasy managers a line in the 25/7/7 range while producing an elite number for his position in FG% (54.0 FG% on 17.9 FTA)…just like he has for the last two decades. James should also be an average source of triples (2.1 3PG) and steals (1.3 SPG). He’ll come with a FT% hit (75.0 FT% on 5.7 FTA) like he always does. That needs to be addressed with your other early-round picks, but it’s not as big of an issue in this build as it is in other builds. Small-ball builds like punt blocks that will be targeting plenty of guards can usually easily absorb a couple of moderate FT% hits. The one number in LeBron’s 2023-2024 line that is unlikely to stick is his games played. Before appearing in 71 games last year, James hadn’t played in more than 53 games in a season since the Lakers’ 2020 championship run. If you plan on grabbing the legend at the end of the second or the beginning of the third, play it very safe with the rest of your early-round picks.

R3) Lauri Markkanen – What to do with Markkanen comes down to your risk appetite and when your playoffs end. When healthy, the All-Star is going to be a dream fit for the punt blocks build. He could finish as a first-round asset in the strategy for the second season in a row and will produce a flashy number in boards (8.2 RPG) while contributing monstrous numbers for his position in some of the categories that dry up the quickest. In 2023-2024, Markkanen finished 11th in the nine-category punt blocks rankings thanks to averages of 23.2 PPG on 48.0 FG%, 3.2 3PG, 8.2 RPG, and 0.9 SPG and his unbelievable out-of-position FT% impact (89.9 FT% on 5.0 FTA). On a playoff-bound team, he’d be a no-brainer pick in the second round. However, on the Jazz, he is a very risky early-round selection. Markkanen is unlikely to make it through all of March with the team’s primary goal this season being accumulating as many ping pong balls as possible. He’s fine to gamble on if your playoffs end in the middle of March, but if your playoffs go until the end of the month, or into April, pass on Markkanen in round three for a safer option.

R3) Jalen Johnson – Johnson has the potential to develop into a mainstay of the punt blocks build. He’s coming off a borderline top-40 finish in the strategy in his first season as a big-minute player and should once again be one of the top contributors at the power forward spot in boards (8.7 RPG) and FG% (51.1 FG%). With Dejounte Murray now in a Pelicans jersey, Johnson should also see his responsibilities on the offensive end rise. He should easily top last season’s 16.0 PPG while being an even stronger source of out-of-position dimes (3.6 APG). As the Hawks’ likely second option, Johnson could flirt with 20 PPG while averaging close to 4.5 APG. He’ll also provide his managers with more steals (1.2 SPG) than most players who put up a big number in rebounds while averaging about 1.5 3PG.

Other Round 3 Options: De’Aaron Fox, Fred VanVleet

R4) Bam Adebayo – Adebayo doesn’t have as much upside as some of the other players in his range, but he is worth considering early for his high floor and strong fit for the punt blocks strategy (0.9 BPG). When we draft Adebayo, we know exactly what we are going to get from him. He’s going to give us about 20 points, 10 boards, four dimes, and one steal while producing above-average numbers for his position in both of the percentages. We know this because he’s produced a line in that range in each of his last four seasons. With the Heat making minimal upgrades this summer, it should be business as usual for Bam in 2024-2025. The one part of his line that could look a little different this year is his threes. Adebayo averaged 0.5 3PG over the final two months of the 2023-2024 season and averaged close to 2.0 3PA during his stint with Team USA this summer. The big man isn’t going to be an average contributor in the category, but it looks like he won’t be a zero from deep like he has been in the past.

R4) Jimmy Butler – Grabbing Butler in the fourth will lead to plenty of headaches this season. His General Soreness nickname is a very apt one. Butler misses a lot of games and will sometimes sit with what were assumed to be minor issues. The six-time All-Star has not topped the 65-game mark since he was in a Bulls jersey. However, grabbing Butler this late will also likely lead to stretches where your punt blocks team looks like a juggernaut. He’s still capable of extended stretches where he plays like a top-15 player and produces a line that is a good fit for this strategy. He’s much more efficient from the field than most perimeter options (49.9 FG% on 13.2 FGA), is a strong rebounder for his position (5.3 RPG), and puts up big numbers in all of the categories that come off the board early. In 2023-2024, Buckets averaged 20.8 PPG, 5.0 APG, and 1.3 SPG while being an elite source of FT% impact (85.8 FT% on 7.7 FTA). Butler is an especially strong target for teams built around Luka Doncic. Jimmy is capable of offsetting the FT% hit that accompanies Doncic by himself and his low turnover rate (1.7 TOPG) will make it much easier for Luka-led teams to finish the draft in a competitive position in the category. He also comes with a four-game Week 20 schedule. That’s key given that the Mavericks play only two games that week.

R4) Jalen Williams – With Williams now entering his third year in the association, he’s a good bet to improve on last year’s top-35 nine-category punt blocks finish. He’s not going to break out in a major way with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren around, but at least some minor improvement is likely. That makes him good value in the fourth. He’s a strong pick in that range for his all-around contributions and excellent out-of-position FG% impact (54.0 FG% on 14.0 FGA). However, if his price ends up being in the third round, which is going to be the case in many drafts, we’ll want to look elsewhere. Williams’ overall value could be worthy of a pick in that range, but we shouldn’t take him there because that move could lead to issues with category scarcity. Points, assists, steals, and FT% impact all come off the board early, and Williams isn’t a particularly noteworthy contributor for his draft position in any of the four (19.1 PPG, 4.5 APG, 1.1 SPG, 81.4 FT%). In the fourth, there are not too many players who are outstanding picks from a category scarcity standpoint, but there are quite a few in the third round. Targeting players in the third who help more in the categories that can’t be found late will give you more flexibility in the middle and late rounds.

Other Round 4 Options: Jaylen Brown, Jamal Murray, Immanuel Quickley, Paul George

R5) Jimmy Butler – Grabbing Butler just after the middle rounds will lead to plenty of headaches this season. His General Soreness nickname is a very apt one. Butler misses a lot of games and will sometimes sit with what were assumed to be minor issues. The six-time All-Star has not topped the 65-game mark since he was in a Bulls jersey. However, grabbing Butler this late will also likely lead to stretches where your punt blocks team looks like a juggernaut. He’s still capable of extended stretches where he plays like a top-15 player and produces a line that is a good fit for this strategy. He’s much more efficient from the field than most perimeter options (49.9 FG% on 13.2 FGA), is a strong rebounder for his position (5.3 RPG), and puts up big numbers in all of the categories that come off the board early. In 2023-2024, Buckets averaged 20.8 PPG, 5.0 APG, and 1.3 SPG while being an elite source of FT% impact (85.8 FT% on 7.7 FTA). Butler is an especially strong target for teams built around Luka Doncic. Jimmy is capable of offsetting the FT% hit that accompanies Doncic by himself and his low turnover rate (1.7 TOPG) will make it much easier for Luka-led teams to finish the draft in a competitive position in the category. He also comes with a four-game Week 20 schedule. That’s key given that the Mavericks play only two games that week.

R5) Nikola Vucevic – Vucevic doesn’t have many mid-round performances left in him, but he should be able to produce numbers in that range for at least one more season. The center is coming off a top-50 finish in punt blocks (0.8 BPG) and could improve on last season’s numbers with DeMar DeRozan now in Sacramento if his 3P% normalizes. Vucevic’s FG% and 3PM both came in low last season thanks to a very surprising 29.4 percent connection rate from deep. If he can shoot closer to his career average of 34.1 percent, he could outplay his current ADP. Regardless of how he shoots from deep, Vucevic is a solid option in this range for his elite boards and very useful out-of-position contributions in points, threes, assists, and FT%. In 2023-2024, the big man averaged 18.0 PPG 1.2 3PG, and 3.3 APG while shooting 82.2 percent from the line. There is some shutdown risk here if the Bulls decide to go all-in on the tank, but it is very unlikely that Vucevic finishes his season in a different uniform. Very few teams are going to be interested in playing Vucevic the $41 million he’s owed over the next two seasons.

R5) Pascal Siakam – Bigs who can score and create are a great fit for the punt blocks build. This strategy will need to win points and assists consistently to have a shot at a ring, and drafting a center-eligible player like Siakam, who has the ability to post strong numbers for his position in both, is a great way to do that. After the move to Indiana, the power forward averaged a well-rounded 21.3 PPG on 54.9 FG%, 1.0 3PG, 7.8 RPG, 3.7 APG, and 0.8 SPG while shooting 54.9 percent from the floor. Those are solid numbers, but they do not represent Siakam’s ceiling. Those numbers were achieved in just 31.8 MPG. The former Raptor should play more this year now that he’s more accustomed to the Pacers’ system and that could lead to across-the-board improvement. Siakam should be less of a drag on FT% this season than he was in 2023-2024. His FT% is a good bet to improve for two reasons. The first is that last season’s 73.2 percent connection rate is well below his career norm. Since becoming a full-time starter in 2018-2019, Siakam has shot 77.3 percent from the line. The second reason is the nature of FT%. The only category with more year-to-year variance at the player level is steals. Unlike categories like points and rebounds, FT% can vary quite a bit from year to year, even if a player’s role does not change. Big dips (and jumps) at the line are common and often don’t stick.

Other Round 5 Options: DeMar DeRozan, Miles Bridges, Franz Wagner, Mikal Bridges

R6) Jarrett Allen – Allen is one of this build’s top big man targets in the middle rounds. The Cavalier won’t lose too much value when blocks are ignored (1.1 BPG) and will bring the heat in both rebounds and FG%. In 2023-2024, Allen finished just outside the top 50 in punt swats thanks to averages of 16.5 PPG on 63.4 FG%, 10.5 RPG, and 2.7 APG and some slightly improved free throw shooting (74.2 FT% on 4.1 FTA). His FG% impact is especially valuable and makes him a great fit for teams that opted for guards like Fred VanVleet or LaMelo Ball in the early rounds. Last season, only Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic had a larger positive impact on FG%. Allen is not a high-upside option with Evan Mobley around, but he does come with a high floor. The center has produced very similar lines in each of his last three seasons.

R6) Zach LaVine – LaVine is a high-ceiling/low-floor option in the middle rounds. When healthy and fully motivated, the two-time All-Star has third-round upside in friendly builds like punt blocks. That’s where he finished in both the eight- and nine-category versions of this strategy in 2022-2023 when he averaged a nasty 24.6 PPG on 48.5 FG% and 84.8 FT%, 2.6 3PG, 4.5 RPG, 4.2 APG, and 0.9 SPG. Unfortunately, he’s also a candidate to be a major headache now that the Bulls are trying to get off the treadmill. LaVine’s name will pop up in plenty of trade rumors this season and it’s possible his role isn’t as significant as it would be if the Bulls were more focused on winning games. The shooting guard is a strong fit for teams that played it safe in the early rounds and need to increase their ceiling.

R6) Tobias Harris – Harris should return strong value at his mid-round price in most builds. As the Pistons’ new second option, he has a great shot at cracking the top 50 in any build that isn’t ignoring one of his stronger categories. Despite all the ups and downs, Harris did land in that range in his final season in Philadelphia. All of last season’s numbers are achievable and Harris’ points and assists should increase on a Pistons squad starved for offense. In 2023-2024, the forward averaged 17.2 PPG, 1.3 3PG, 6.5 RPG, 3.1 APG, and 1.0 SPG while shooting 48.7 percent from the floor and 87.8 percent from the line. Like all veterans on tanking teams, Harris will be a stronger pick in leagues that finish in the middle of March than in leagues that play into April.

Other Round 6 Options: Julius Randle, Darius Garland, C.J. McCollum, Jalen Duren, D’Angelo Russell, Brandon Miller

R7) Deandre Ayton – When active, Ayton is a close to perfect fit for the punt blocks build. Very few players who produce as much as he does in FG% and rebounds have no value tied up in blocks. In 2023-2024, Ayton shot 57.0 FG% from the field on moderate volume (13.6 FGA) while averaging 11.1 RPG and just 0.8 BPG. He’ll also score more than most bigs taken after the first handful of rounds (16.7 PPG) while helping his managers win FT% (82.3 FT%). The problem here is he’s on of the most shameless tanking teams in the league. The Blazers have shut down their veterans early in each of the last two seasons. Ayton somehow avoided those shutdowns last year, but his managers likely won’t be as lucky this season. With the 2025 draft looking much stronger than the 2024 version, Portland will likely be less willing to let him play into April. The Blazers will also want to give 2024 lottery pick Donovan Clingan an extended look at some point this season, and when they do, it will come at the expense of Ayton. Grab the big man in the middle rounds, enjoy two or three months of quality numbers, and then try to move him for a player who produces similar per-game value. Don’t wait until the trade deadline to put Ayton on the block. At that point in the season, fantasy managers will be placing much more value on late-season availability which will make Ayton tougher to move.

R7) Bradley Beal – It’s hard to get excited about Beal given how much he’s struggled to stay on the court as of late, but it’s also hard to ignore how strong of a fit he is for the punt blocks strategy. As long as Beal continues to be a 20 PPG threat who shoots around 50 percent from the field, he’ll be worth consideration in this build. In his first year in Phoenix, Beal averaged 18.2 PPG on 51.3 percent shooting from the floor. Those numbers made him one of the best sources of FG% impact from the perimeter in the association. He also added 1.9 3PG, 5.0 APG, and 1.0 SPG in 33.3 MPG. Pairing Beal with durable early-round picks is essential because Beal is a long shot to hit even 65 games played this year. The former Wizard hasn’t reached that mark since the 2018-2019 season.

R7) Michael Porter Jr. – Grabbing Porter in the middle rounds is a great way to put your squad in a strong position in threes without jeopardizing your chances in FG%. In 2023-2024, MPJ was a borderline elite source of triples (2.7 3PG) who shot a very respectable 48.4 percent from deep. That is a combination that is usually difficult to find after the early rounds. The Nugget is also an outstanding rebounder for his position (7.0 RPG) who should see a small bump in usage (16.7 PPG) with the Nuggets very thin behind their top four. While most perimeter options in this range struggle in steals, few will hurt you as much as MPJ. Porter averaged just 0.5 SPG last season and 0.6 SPG in 2022-2023. Any draft plan that includes MPJ must make steals a priority in the early rounds.

Other Round 7 Options: Terry Rozier, O.G. Anunoby, Tyler Herro, Kawhi Leonard

R8) Jonas Valanciunas – Valanciunas is an obvious target for this build now that he’s in Washington and is likely stepping into a featured role. Big V’s 2023-2024 season was a disappointing one, but it shouldn’t be held against him. He didn’t slip last year. His per-minute production was as strong as ever. The dip in value was all about his fit beside Zion Williamson. Zion needs the paint to be cleared to do his best work, and a traditional center like JV makes that difficult. Because of the awkward fit, the center played just 23.5 MPG in 2023-2024. In his first season in Washington, Valanciunas’ minutes should get back into the mid-to-upper 20s where he’ll be a great bet to average a double-double while producing elite FG% impact (55.9 FG%). The big man should also be a plus-contributor for his position at the line (78.5 FT%). Valanciunas should be paired with safe options because there is a fair amount of trade risk here. Big Science will make just $10 million this year. That is much less than a lot of centers of his caliber. It would not be surprising at all if playoff teams started inquiring about his service around the deadline. On a different team, Valanciunas could get stuck in a backup role and end up as just a borderline 12-team option.

R8) Austin Reaves – Reaves is solid value at his current price and is a smart pick from a category scarcity standpoint. At this point in the draft, assists and FT% impact are difficult to find. Reaves should be a reliable source of both while posting respectable numbers in points, threes, and FG%. In 2023-2024, the Laker averaged 15.9 PPG on 48.6 FG%, 1.9 3PG, 4.3 RPG, and 5.5 APG while shooting 85.3 percent on his 3.3 FTA. Those numbers should not be considered his ceiling. Both Anthony Davis and LeBron James are long shots to play 70+ games for the second season in a row. There should be more nights this year where Reaves is one of the Lakers’ top options. The shooting guard does come with a material steals hit (0.8 SPG), but that is not something to lose sleep over since almost all of the guards in his range come with a similar issue. There are not a lot of swipes available in the middle rounds this year, so when you take a player like Reaves, you won’t lose as much ground in the category as you would have in years past.

R8) Josh Giddey – If Giddey can solidify himself as the Bulls’ point guard of the future, he will end up as a top target for this build going forward. While almost all point guards are a good fit for this build, Giddey is an especially strong option due to his elite out-of-position boards and above-average FG%. In his final season with the Thunder, the Australian averaged 6.4 RPG in just 25.1 MPG while shooting 47.5 percent from the field. As Chicago’s lead guard, the former sixth-overall pick has the potential to produce a line in the 17/8/6.5 range. It would take minimal per-minute improvement for Giddey to land in that range if he plays 32+ MPG. As is the case with most of the guards in the middle rounds, Giddey will come with a sizable steals hit. In 2023-2023, the point guard produced just 0.9 SP36.

Other Round 8 Options: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Keegan Murray

R9) Ivica Zubac – Zubac should put up a decent number in blocks this year and will likely lose multiple rounds of value when swats are thrown out. That’s not ideal, but at this point in the draft, we’re not going to have a ton of obvious big man targets when we punt blocks. Bigs like Zubac, who hurt us in some areas, but who can bring the FG% impact and the boards this build needs, will have to do. We don’t want to target too many bigs like the Clipper, but rostering one or two is fine, and often necessary. With Paul George leaving for Philadelphia and the Clippers losing Mason Plumlee and Daniel Theis as well, Zubac looks primed for a career year. He should play more than he has in the past and should see his usage rate increase. It would not be surprising at all if he averaged around 14 and 10 while being a top-10 contributor in FG% (64.9 FG% on 7.6 FGA). If you plan on targeting Zubac, make sure to pick up plenty of steals earlier in the draft. The center will come with one of the largest steals hits in the association (0.3 SPG).

R9) Amen Thompson – Amen will have league-winning potential if he eventually finds himself in a 30+ MPG role. That’s unlikely to be the case early in the season with the Rockets boasting some impressive depth at every position, but he could eventually end up in that range if/when the injuries start to hit or if he develops to the point where limiting him no longer makes sense. In the meantime, minutes in the mid-20s should be enough to make the second-year man a borderline top-100 option who produces quality numbers in this build’s key categories. Over the final three months of Amen’s rookie season, in just 25.5 MPG, the Rocket averaged a very useful 11.3 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, and 1.4 SPG while shooting 56.1 percent from the field. Don’t let Thompson’s weak three-ball scare you away. If you end the draft a little light in triples, it’s not a big deal since threes is the easiest category to find on the wire.

R9) Collin Sexton – Sexton is more interesting than most guards in this range due to his ability to post numbers in the points and assists categories that usually can’t be found after the first six rounds of the draft. After joining the Jazz’s starting lineup in the middle of December, the combo guard averaged 21.1 PPG, 1.9 3PG, 5.6 APG, and 0.9 SPG while helping his managers win both FG% (49.8 FG% on 14.9 FGA) and FT% (85.4 FT% on 5.2 FTA). Those numbers were strong enough to land Sexton inside the top 50 over that stretch in both the eight- and nine-category versions of this build. The former Cavalier is a solid selection at his price, but he needs to be paired with players who are locks to playing their usual minutes in the middle of March. Sexton was allowed to play into April last season despite the Jazz’s record. However, that was with Zaccharie Risacher at the top of draft boards. With Cooper Flagg being the top prospect in next year’s draft, the Jazz are likely to place a greater focus on ping pong balls down the stretch of the season.

Other Round 9 Options: Draymond Green, Mike Conley, Jabari Smith Jr., Mark Williams, Donte DiVincenzo, Devin Vassell

R10) Onyeka Okongwu – When we punt blocks, we will usually have to take at least one big who produces clearly above-average numbers in the category. If we don’t, our FG% and rebounds are likely to end up weaker than we’d like. Okongwu will lose value when blocks are ignored (1.1 BPG), but he still has enough upside to justify a pick in this range. Even if the Hawk remains stuck behind Clint Capela, he should be a quality contributor in both rebounds (6.8 RPG) and FG% (61.1 FG%) who doesn’t hurt us at the line (79.3 FT%) like most bigs found in the final rounds do. Grabbing Okongwu in this range also makes sense because if this does prove to be the year he finally takes over as the Hawks’ starting center, he’ll have quite a bit of trade value. As a starter, he’d likely be at least a top-50 player in nine-category leagues. If Okongwu breaks out, you should have no issue moving the big man for a mid-round player who is a better fit for this strategy.

R10) Klay Thompson – Klay’s price is going to make him a get-out-of-jail-free card for a lot of squads who go into the final rounds in a below-average position in threes. While the shooting guard’s on-court impact has slipped quite a bit, he still has the ability to turn a weak threes team into an average threes team, and an average threes team into a great threes team. In his first year with the Mavericks, Thompson should flirt with the 3.5 3PG mark while scoring in the high teens. He won’t do much else, but when he comes this cheap, he doesn’t have to. Pass on him if you are struggling in FG% (43.2 FG%) or are already in a good position in triples. In his final season with the Warriors, Thompson’s scoring numbers were strong enough to get him inside the top 90 in punt blocks.

R10) Jonathan Kuminga – If Kuminga can emerge as the Warriors’ new second option, he’ll be a very nice fit for this build due to his efficient scoring and solid boards. As a starter last season, the forward produced an intriguing 17.2 PPG on 53.1 FG% and 5.2 RPG in just 29.0 MPG. If he receives a minor bump in usage and minutes, he could end up as one of the strongest sources of points available in this range. Kuminga needs to be watched very closely during preseason because a move up the Warriors’ pecking order is not guaranteed. Golden State has quite a bit of depth on the wing now and the only player on the roster who is a lock to play 30+ MPG is Stephen Curry. If Kuminga’s on-court impact doesn’t improve, his minutes could come in lower than expected. Ignore the fourth-year man if you are already set in points. Even in an expanded role, Kuminga will do very little in threes, assists, and steals while hurting you at the line. As a starter, he managed just 0.6 3PG, 2.8 APG, and 0.8 SPG while shooting 77.2 percent from the charity stripe.

Other Round 10 Options: Jalen Suggs, Chris Paul, Jrue Holiday, Trey Murphy

R11) Brandin Podziemski – Podziemski is a smart target towards the end of the draft for punt blocks teams for his ability to post a well-rounded line while putting up a bigger number on the boards than most players at his position. While we won’t know the exact size of his role until the games start, he does have a good shot at playing around 30 MPG in his second season in the association. In a role of that size, he should be able to improve on all of his rookie-year numbers. Over his 28 rookie-season starts, the Warrior averaged 9.5 PPG, 1.3 3PG, 6.3 RPG, 4.0 APG, and 1.0 SPG in 29.8 MPG. Podziemski will be a drag on both percentages (45.4 FG%, 63.3 FT%), but won’t shoot enough for either hit to be significant.

R11) John Collins – Collins is an iffy target this year because of his bench role and the high likelihood of a late-season shutdown. However, given his extremely cheap price on ESPN, he’s still worth gambling on. When he’s on the court, the power forward provides this build with the FG% impact and boards it needs to place extra value on while contributing more in points, threes, and FT% than most center-eligible players found toward the end of the draft. Over the final three months of the 2023-2024 season, in just 28.0 MPG, Collins averaged 16.8 PPG on 56.8 FG%, 1.1 3PG, and 9.4 RPG while shooting 81.3 percent from the line. Those are mid-round numbers which is a range most bigs selected during the second half of the draft are going to struggle to reach when blocks don’t count.

R11) Aaron Gordon – Gordon’s FT% is what prevents him from being a no-brainer grab in this range for teams punting blocks. The Nugget brings the FG% impact (55.6 FG% on 9.8 FGA) and boards (6.5 RPG) this build needs, but his issues at the line make him an awkward pick for any team that isn’t in a dominant position in FT%. Gordon has come with a minor FT% hit in the past, but over the last two seasons, he has regressed at charity stripe and has come with a hit that is very hard to offset. In 2023-2024, he shot 65.8 percent from the line, and in 2022-2023, he connected on just 60.8 percent of his attempts. Despite the FT% woes, Gordon is still tempting towards the end of the draft for his FG% and boards and what should be some improved scoring and assist numbers. With the Nuggets losing KCP to the Magic, Gordon and the rest of the team’s top four should see their roles increase this year. The forward should score in the mid-teens this season while averaging close to 4.0 APG.

Other Round 11 Options: De’Anthony Melton, Naz Reid

R12) Josh Hart – Hart is an excellent late-round target for the punt blocks build because he’s one of the few strong sources of boards available towards the end of the draft that doesn’t have any value tied up in swats. With both Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo out of the picture, Hart should see minutes in at least the low 30s. With that much run, he should average about 8.0 RPG while also providing his managers with close to 10.0 PPG, 1.0 3PG, 4.0 APG, and 1.0 SPG. While those are very useful numbers, they do not represent his ceiling. Hart should have multiple stretches this season where he’s playing close to 40 MPG and posting mid-round numbers. He will get in that range anytime the Knicks are down a starter. That could be a fairly regular occurance with both O.G. Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns good bets to miss 20+ games.

R12) Bobby Portis – Portis is an incredibly boring pick. No one goes into their draft excited for a shot at drafting the Buck. However, boring doesn’t mean bad. In fact, in friendly builds like punt blocks, he’s a smart pick towards the end of the draft. Portis is one of the few center-eligible players who gains a significant amount of value when blocks are ignored (0.4 BPG) and will, once again, do a solid job of producing useful numbers in both rebounds and FG%. The big man’s role expanded after the mid-season coaching change. After Doc Rivers took over, Portis was a borderline top-55 punt blocks asset with averages of 15.5 PPG on 50.9 FG% on 81.3 FT%, 1.4 3PG, 8.3 RPG, and 1.0 SPG. He achieved those numbers in 26.0 MPG which was about three minutes more than he was playing under Adrian Griffin. If Portis continues to be a Doc favorite, he could end up as one of the stronger late-round big man options for the punt blocks build.

R12) Jeremy Sochan – Sochan should be a fairly useful piece this year now that the Spurs have given up on turning him into a jumbo point guard. After moving back to the wing last season, the forward was a top-130 option with averages of 12.2 PPG, 1.0 3PG, 7.2 RPG, 2.9 APG, and 1.0 SPG. His FG% wasn’t pretty (43.9 FG%), but that’s not a major issue due to his relatively low volume (10.5 FGA). You’ll notice that when you throw him into the Team Building Tool, your FG% barely budges. He’s a very nice late-round option for any team that goes into the final rounds of the draft in need of a rebounds boost but can’t afford to take on a 0.0 3PG option.

Other Round 12 Options: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Malik Monk, Cam Johnson, Taylor Hendricks

R13) Gary Trent Jr. – Trent has the potential to badly outplay his very modest ADP. The shooting guard was a top-50 nine-category punt blocks asset in two of his three full seasons in Toronto and is joining a Bucks squad that should have 30+ MPG available for him. In a low-30s role, he should score in the mid-teens while averaging 2.5+ 3PG. Trent’s steal rate will determine whether or not he ends up as a steal towards the end of the draft. He was a disappointment in the category last year when he averaged just 1.1 SPG, but in his two previous seasons, he ended up in the 1.6+ SPG range. A bounceback in the category feels likely. Steal rate is tied to a team’s defensive system and Doc Rivers’ squads have usually come with strong steal rates. During his three-year stay in Philadelphia, Doc’s Sixers led the league in steals once and finished inside the top 10 in SPG three times.

R13) Andrew Wiggins – The final rounds are all about chasing upside, and Wiggins has plenty of it. He is just a year removed from a top-75 finish in punt blocks. The Warrior is not a safe pick due to the disaster that was his 2023-2024 season, but at this point in the draft, we shouldn’t worry about a player’s floor. If last season’s Wiggins shows up again, you haven’t lost anything of value and will have gained an open roster spot you can use on one of the many quality free agents that will pop up on the wire over the first month of the season. If Wiggins can rediscover his 2022-2023 form, he’ll be a nice punt blocks piece for his ability to produce solid numbers in the scoring categories and boards without taking a bite out of your FG%. Two years ago, the Canadian averaged 17.1 PPG on 47.3 FG%, 2.4 3PG, 5.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, and 1.2 SPG.

R13) Tari Eason – Eason is unlikely to break out this year. The reason for that pessimistic prediction is the Rockets’ depth. Houston suddenly has a lot of players who are worthy of playing minutes in the high 20s. Eason is one of those, but he’s unlikely to get into range with Ime Udoka needing to find minutes for Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, Dillon Brooks, and Cam Whitmore. Even though the forward is likely to see his minutes get stuck in the low 20s, we should still target him towards the end of the draft just in case the Rockets’ rotation includes some surprises. At what should be a final-round price, there is no downside to that move and quite a bit of upside. During his injury-plagued sophomore season, Eason needed just 21.8 MPG to average 9.8 PPG on 46.6 FG%, 7.0 RPG, and 1.4 SPG. If the third-year man ever finds himself in a consistent 30 MPG role, he will be a top-50 player.

R13) Rui Hachimura – If Hachimura can lock down the Lakers’ fifth starting spot, he’ll be a solid end-of-the-bench option in any build that is punting one of his weak categories. After being moved into the Lakers’ starting lineup on February 3rd, the forward was a top-100 option in punt blocks who produced a type of line that usually can’t be found towards the end of drafts. Most late-round points boosters come with at least a moderate FG% hit. That’s not the case with Hachimura. After the promotion, the Laker averaged 15.9 PPG on an elite 57.6 FG%, 1.7 3PG, and 5.1 RPG. That excellent FG% impact is helpful in any build but especially here given the punt blocks build’s natural weakness in the category. Hachimura will also be a great short-term add for any team that went in a different direction in the final round due to the Lakers being one of just four teams with a game on opening night.

Other Round 13 Options: Kelly Oubre, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Wendell Carter Jr., Norman Powell, Dyson Daniels, Gradey Dick, Keon Ellis, Noah Clowney, Zaccharie Risacher

Deep League Options: Keldon Johnson, Max Strus, T.J. McConnell, Jalen Smith, Christian Braun, Brandon Clarke, Andre Drummond, Harrison Barnes, Bilal Coulibaly, Kyle Anderson, Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Stewart

Successful Punt Blocks Examples

Below are five punt blocks teams I created using this guide and the ESPN rankings. The teams are not meant to be thought of as a best-case scenario for the build. They are meant to give you an idea of what a strong punt blocks team will look like.