Fantasy Basketball All-Fade Team: 6 players to avoid ahead of the NBA 2026-27 season

Draft season always stirs up reckless optimism. ADPs climb for the wrong guys, driven by media day hype or training camp buzz. That doesn't apply to everyone. I've got six players I'm fading — and it's not about hating the players. Some of these guys might still be decent, but their draft-price tags don't match what you may actually get.

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Maybe it's injury risk. Maybe it's a crowded rotation. Either way, I doubt they outplay their ADP. I'll break down exactly why these picks aren't worth it, so you know who to avoid when you're on the clock.

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G- Ja Morant, Trail Blazers (Yahoo ADP 90.2)

Morant is still going to give you points and assists, but his 9-cat profile has become increasingly difficult to build around. The efficiency has slipped, the 3-point shooting remains a weakness and the turnovers that come with his high-usage style only add to the problem. Factor in his injury history and a new situation with several other guards who need touches, and I'd much rather draft Morant in points formats than pay the premium in a balanced category build.

G - VJ Edgecombe, 76ers (74.4)

Edgecombe's scoring and steals still make him draftable, but I'm concerned about paying for a Year 2 leap that might not come with a corresponding increase in usage. Philadelphia has too many established offensive options for me to assume his touches automatically rise just because he's another year older. I like the player; I don't love the draft price. If he's going in the sixth or seventh-round range, I'd rather target a guard with a cleaner path to expanded volume.

F - Demar DeRozan, Nuggets (108.1)

DeRozan's trending down and I'm not sure he'll recover as a top-100 player when he's likely to come off the bench. He can still score, but he's never been a big source of 3s or defensive stats, so he needs points, assists and strong free-throw production to carry the profile in 9-cat. At this stage of his career, I'm not drafting him expecting the same volume he's had in the past.

F - Michael Porter Jr., Nets (60.3)

Porter is coming off averaging 24.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game with a 30% usage rate, but Brooklyn brought in Julius Randle and rookie Mikel Brown Jr., so he's not walking into the same offensive setup. That's more competition for shots and touches after MPJ benefited from being the clear focal point last season.

C - Myles Turner, Bucks (100.5)

Turner is a fade for me because I'm looking forward, not backward. Kel'el Ware is younger, has already shown how productive he can be with an extended run and looks like an important piece of Milwaukee's future. And by the looks of its roster, it's going to be rebuilding for some time. Turner can still block shots and stretch the floor, but I'm not interested in paying for a role that could look very different by the fantasy playoffs. Ware's presence puts pressure on his ceiling now, and the possibility of Turner eventually being moved adds another variable I'd rather avoid at his draft price.

UTIL - Zion Williamson, Pelicans (68.0)

I'm letting history dictate this one. Zion played 62 games last season, but durability has been a recurring issue throughout his career. One year he's on fire; the next he's spending most of the year in street clothes. There's plenty of fantasy talent around him that I trust more, and where Zion is going in drafts, I can find an alternative without taking on nearly as much risk. If you're going to roll the dice, I prefer him in points leagues, where his efficient scoring and counting stats carry more weight.