Fantasy basketball season is here, and managers can decide whether to play in a Points league or a Category League. In Points leagues, all stats are totaled, and a player’s final score is his combination of points, assists, rebounds, steals, and blocks, less his number of turnovers. In Category leagues, a player’s performance is measured against the rest of the players in the Association, and his relative value in each category (including FG%, FT%, and three-pointers made) is combined into a final overall value.
Some players excel in both formats, but some are noticeably better in one or the other. In Points leagues, you’ll often find inefficient scorers who can rack up points because percentages aren’t considered in this format. In Category leagues, some of the most notable outliers from Points leagues are defensive specialists and high-FG% options. Here are some players who are better in Points Leagues and some who are better in Category Leagues to help you determine who to draft depending on your league settings.
Better in Points Leagues
De’Aaron Fox
Points: 13
Category: 24
Ja Morant
Points: 14
Category: 56
Both Fox and Morant are elite scorers and strong facilitators. Both are competent rebounders, and Fox led the league in steals last season. Where both players are lacking, however, is in their shooting percentages. Neither are terribly efficient from the floor, nor from the charity stripe, and in Category leagues, their high shot volume and low conversion rate on those attempts drag their value down. Fox’s steals give him the edge over Morant if you’re considering either of them in Category leagues, but both are better in a Points league.
Julius Randle
Points: 28
Category: 129
Randle’s 2023-24 season was cut short due to injuries, but he still piled up 24.0 points, 9.2 boards, and 5.0 dimes per contest across 46 appearances. Those numbers were good enough to land him inside the top 30 in per-game Points league value despite committing 3.5 turnovers per game and posting relatively low defensive contributions. Randle’s deficiencies in turnovers, steals, and blocks, combined with his sub-80% free-throw shooting, held him outside the top 125 in Category leagues.
Paolo Banchero
Points: 31
Category: 159
Banchero was phenomenal in his second season, posting averages of 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.6 assists. Thanks to those substantial counting stat contributions, he cracked the third round in points leagues. Still, he fell a bit flat in Category leagues thanks to inefficient shooting from the charity stripe and a lack of consistent three-pointers and defensive stats.
Jalen Green
Points: 77
Category: 146
Green is the most infamous “points guy” in fantasy hoops. He’s consistently lauded for his hyper-athleticism and electric scoring, but those elite traits haven’t translated for fantasy managers playing in Category leagues. Green’s FG% is typically awful, and he’s not a strong contributor on defense. He’s a far better option in Points leagues where efficiency isn’t counted, and he’s a borderline, 12-team option in Category leagues.
Aaron Gordon
Points: 89
Category: 149
Gordon has proven to be a consistent source of easy points as a lob threat in Mile High, and he’s typically good for valuable rebounds and assists. He’s not a strong contributor on defense, and his FT% is consistently dreadful. For those reasons, AG is a no-brainer, top-100 Points league guy, but he’s not on the radar in 12-team Category leagues.
Better in Category Leagues
Lauri Markkanen
Category: 13
Points: 35
Markkanen has been a top-20 player in Category leagues in each of the last two seasons, taking on a monster role in Utah and delivering huge production. Three of Markkanen’s biggest Category league boosts come from his elite FT%, low turnovers, and high number of three-pointers made. Only two of those categories are accounted for in Points leagues, making “The Finnisher” a player better suited for Category leagues than Points leagues.
Kristaps Porzingis
Category: 14
Points: 44
Chet Holmgren
Category: 20
Points: 54
Porzingis and Holmgren fall into the unicorn category of players who block shots and hit three-pointers at a high level. KP is perennially a top-30 option in Category leagues on a per-game basis, and Holmgren looks to be on the same trajectory. Both players’ shot-blocking ability gives them significant boosts in Category leagues. Both commit few turnovers and are efficient shooters from the floor and the foul line. They’re valuable in both formats, but Porzingis and Holmgren are better in Category leagues.
Walker Kessler
Category: 84
Points: 126
Kessler couldn’t live up to the hype he enjoyed coming out of his rookie season, but he still finished as a top-85 guy in Category leagues. He’s not a potent scorer, but he’s an elite shot-blocker, and his contributions in that one scarce category boost his fantasy value tremendously in Category leagues. He’s an adequate rebounder who shoots efficiently from the floor and doesn’t commit many turnovers. His lack of all-around production drives down his value in Points leagues.
Herb Jones
Category: 64
Points: 141
The Alabama product averaged just 11.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists last season, accounting for his low Points league ranking. However, Jones was a defensive monster and finished in the top 70 in Category leagues. He posted 1.4 steals and 0.8 blocks while shooting 49.8% from the floor and 86.7% from the charity stripe. Jones committed just 1.2 turnovers per game, and despite his low counting-stat contributions, his combination of strong defense, high efficiency, and low turnovers resulted in a tremendous Category league campaign.
