This year’s ESPN Busts list isn’t quite as long as this season’s ESPN Sleepers list, but it is still much lengthier than it should be. I shouldn’t have to waste time explaining why it’s a bad idea to take the Clippers’ backup center inside the 55, but ESPN has forced me to. Many of the names on this list will be obvious bust picks to experienced fantasy players. However, there are quite a few players on this list who we should be targeting this year, just not as early as ESPN suggests.
This list will be updated as draft season moves along.
*Comments and rankings are for nine-category H2H leagues unless otherwise noted.
Paolo Banchero (ESPN – 34) – Let’s start this list off with a quick player comparison.
Player A: 25.9 PPG, 1.9 3PG, 7.5 RPG, 4.8 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 45.2 FG% on 19.8 FGA, 72.7 FT% on 8.4 FTA, 3.0 TOPG
Player B: 25.1 PPG, 2.8 3PG, 10.0 RPG, 4.1 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 45.9 FG% on 18.6 FGA, 75.7 FT% on 6.9 FTA, 2.8 TOPG
Those are fairly similar numbers, although player B has a pretty clear advantage due to his superior numbers in threes, rebounds, and the efficiency categories. Player A is Paolo. Player B is Julius Randle in 2022-2023. The year after Randle posted those numbers, he had an ADP of 54. If Banchero was ranked in the middle rounds like he should be, he’d be a strong target for punt FT%. In that build, he can be a mid-round player. In other setups, he wouldn’t be worth that price. In nine-category leagues, the All-Star is coming off a top-130 finish, and in eight-category leagues, he was just a top-90 player in 2024-2025. For the second straight year, Banchero is a DND in category leagues due to his inflated price. Even if he takes another leap, he’s not going to come close to returning value at his ADP. In points leagues, where his weak defensive contributions and rough efficiency numbers don’t matter as much, Paolo is a solid pick in the second.
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