The 2026 NBA Draft is absolutely loaded, particularly among the top, where the consensus top three are BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Kansas’ Darryn Peterson and Duke’s Cameron Boozer. 

Of those three names, Boozer should be the final one selected, but that’s not necessarily an indictment of his skills and playing style.

So, why shouldn’t he be in play for the top pick? Let’s explore and try to gauge Boozer from a nuanced point of view. 

The superstar angle

For all of his strengths, and he has many, Boozer is slightly trapped in his own game. Despite being in the 94th percentile in the country in scoring efficiency, and in the 100th percentile in PER and WARP, Boozer stands in front of two major issues his 22.7 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists can’t yet overcome:

He’s not an elite creator in the open floor, and he’s a one-position player. 

In today’s NBA, for any one-position player to become a genuine star, he needs to be as multifaceted as possible. Boozer is 6-foot-9, 250 pounds and basically tailored for the power forward position, much like his father, Carlos. 

Boozer is very much stuck within the Paolo Banchero conundrum. He is superbly talented and a fine playmaker for his position, but not otherworldly in that department, nor does he project as a particularly strong rim protector (17 blocks on the season in 1,012 minutes), which means his primary influence will lie on offense. 

That’s not a bad thing, as long as expectations align with who he is. 

The path to success 

Boozer is one heck of a scorer near the rim and a strong, physical presence whose body should draw comparisons to Banchero, as well as Julius Randle. There is value in such a player, especially when you consider Boozer chooses his shots far more wisely than the aforementioned players. 

The pathway for Boozer to become a player who excels in his role is for him to become a team’s primary play-finisher and a second-to-tertiary playmaker. Said differently: Boozer will need to play alongside an elite playmaker who is a clear-cut star and play off that guy. A name like Tyrese Haliburton comes to mind. 

Boozer shouldn’t be viewed as a franchise savior, nor someone who can lead a team to a championship as the primary player. If anything, Boozer in a role where he isn’t forced to make constant decisions should aid him at the NBA level. 

He is smart in the short roll and can make quality decisions from that spot, be that making a quick pass over the top of the defense or attacking on his own. That should be his bread and butter. It’s a two-read system, where he only occasionally ventures outside to take 3-pointers (oh yes, he can do that too, at a 40.7% clip, no less) and make plays from further away. 

This isn’t to say Boozer can’t occasionally take the ball off the backboard and go the length of the floor. He can, and he will, but he’s not likely to look like Jalen Johnson anytime soon. He isn’t as athletic or nimble, so his freedom to create should be under a set of rules to optimize his abilities. 

No. 1 every other year 

If it hadn’t been for Dybantsa and Peterson, Boozer would have been the top pick, and that would have been fine. 

You can’t always get a franchise-altering superstar at No. 1 every single season, and picking Boozer — who has genuine All-Star upside — would have been perfectly reasonable had there not been two guys on the board who actually could turn into superstars. 

For Boozer, getting picked at No. 3 just makes sense, and it’s a fitting slot for him, all things considered. He’s going to become a high-level NBA player, and it wouldn’t even shock me if he’s walking away with the Rookie Of the Year trophy next season. 

Boozer could be an instant 20/10 guy, but the context of how he gets those numbers will be crucial, and it’s those layers teams have to understand as they evaluate him accordingly. 

With five weeks to go in the NBA’s regular season, the Eastern Conference playoff race is heating up. Jayson Tatum’s return to the Celtics after a 10-month absence from an Achilles injury is a game-changer in the title picture.

The East-leading Pistons, meanwhile, are currently on a four-game losing streak. Plus, several teams on the bottom of the bracket are beginning to look like playoff threats. Let’s take a look.

What’s your biggest (early) takeaway from Tatum’s return?

Dan Devine: That it offered both a great reminder of just how much stuff Tatum does well, and of the degree to which these Celtics don’t need him to be able to do all of it all the time. At least, not yet.

Tatum missed his first six shots against Dallas and nine of his last 11 shots against Cleveland; he’s just 8-for-26 outside the restricted area. That hasn’t tanked his minutes, though, because he’s still hitting the glass and using his size on defense; still drawing defensive attention, reading the coverage quickly and moving the ball. The shot-making will come and go, but the rest of his game looks shockingly sharp. When he doesn’t have it going, Jaylen Brown, Payton Pritchard and Derrick White can handle the scoring load. And when he does get it going … well, look out.

Morten Stig Jensen: Very, very impressed. I’ve said for a while that even if Boston got the 70% version of him, it’s a major upgrade, and honestly, that number was aiming high. Yet, here we are, and he looks like the all-around star he is. Let’s ignore the shooting percentages for now, and instead focus on how he’s giving the Celtics exactly what they need. 

Kelly Iko: The Celtics have essentially been a top-five defense all season, but is it possible that, because of his offensive greatness and his extended absence, we actually forgot just how impactful Tatum can be on that end? 

Let’s throw out Friday’s game vs. Dallas, his first game back in nearly a year against a tanking unit. Tatum spent a good chunk of his 27 minutes on Sunday guarding Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, holding them to a combined 1-for-7 from the field. When healthy, Tatum has been a positive defensive presence for Boston, a combination of his elite timing, length and underrated physicality. The offensive consistency will come with more games under his belt, but Tatum’s ability to fit in without causing much disruption should signal danger for the rest of the East.

On a scale of 1-10, how concerned should the Pistons be about their 4-game skid?

Iko: I’d give it a 5. We can’t just throw out months of great basketball and focus on a four-game skid, but we’re approaching mid-March, the time where the true contenders begin to separate from the pack. (Hello, San Antonio!) Detroit hasn’t exactly been eye-catching since the break, either, with the NBA’s No. 16 offense and No. 13 defense in that span. 

I’d give more time for the likes of Kevin Huerter to find a rhythm and role, and some easier upcoming opponents (Washington, Golden State, Memphis) should provide a palate cleanse. And what we’ve already come to learn about this Pistons team is well-established at this point.

Jensen: 2. Generally speaking, I’m not nervous about Detroit when looking at them through a regular-season lens. The playoffs, however, are a different story, as the Pistons’ spacing issues are still very, very real. They shouldn’t be concerned about a four-game slide now, but should fight tooth and nail to avoid it in mid-April, because make no mistake: They’re not as infallible as their record suggests. 

Devine: I’ll say 4, in honor of the length of the losing streak. Detroit fell to three of the NBA’s hottest teams — the post-James Harden trade Cavaliers, the 60-win-pace Spurs and a Heat squad that’s won eight of 10 and owns the league’s second-best point differential since the trade deadline — all on the road. Even the most galling loss — blowing a 23-point second-half lead at home to the 15-47 Nets — came with All-NBA orchestrator Cade Cunningham and All-Defensive menace Ausar Thompson both out of the lineup. (Still not great, though!)

The Pistons’ No. 2-ranked defense will travel, which should keep them rock-steady into the playoffs, and they have a significantly more favorable stretch-run schedule than the second-seeded Celtics; the publicprojectionmodels still have them as the overwhelmingfavorite to finish with the East’s No. 1 seed. One bad week doesn’t scuttle four and a half great months; that Detroit has ranked 22nd in half-court scoring efficiency over the last two weeks, though — and is now down to 18th for the season — definitely bears watching. 

Who is the most dangerous team in the East outside of the top-4?

Devine: Miami. I want to say the Hornets, on the strength of what’s been the NBA’s second-best offense since the start of December, but I fear we may have entered the “Don’t Sleep on Miami” portion of the calendar. The Heat are 8-2 in their last 10 games, with wins over the Rockets, Hornets and Pistons; rank fourth in defensive efficiency for the full season; and are up to fifth in offensive efficiency since the middle of January, and secondsince Tyler Herro came back after the All-Star break. They’ve still got questions to answer, but they’re just a game out of fifth in the East; if they can avoid the play-in, Bam Adebayo, Erik Spoelstra and just enough offense can be a pretty dangerous combination.

Jensen: Toronto. A plethora of playmaking wings is a recipe for surprise, and with leveling up recently (19.3 points, 6.2 assists, 45.0 3FG% over his last 19 games), the Dinos are looking spry for having been extinct for 66 million years. I still think they need a bit more size to be a real threat, but the return of Collin Murray-Boyles should help. 

Iko: Atlanta. Apologies to Luke Kornet, but I’d like to give the Hawks some love here. It’s a shame we’ve seen Jonathan Kuminga suit up only three times for Atlanta since the trade, but consider this: San Antonio has been the best team in the league since the All-Star break, with a whopping +16.5 point differential. Guess who’s No. 2?  The Hawks, who sit right behind at an impressive +15.1 points per 100 possessions.

They’re playing at breakneck speed, top-10 in 3s attempted and made, and CJ McCollum has been a revelation with poise, veteran savvy and scoring. The final weeks of the season will be fascinating — Atlanta has a relatively light remaining schedule, but so do Miami, Orlando and Philadelphia, the teams directly above the Hawks in the standings. Regardless, this has the makings of a pesky playoff out; athleticism in spades, efficient offensive spread and a sneaky, physical defense. All flats, please.

What’s one matchup you’d like to see in the East playoffs?

Jensen: Pistons-Cavs. I want to believe in the Pistons, but I fear they just don’t have enough firepower offensively to make a Finals push. Going through Cleveland would require a hefty dose of offensive execution, so I’m curious to see if they can manufacture that, while maintaining their defensive intensity against Cleveland’s offensive punch.

Devine: Pistons-Hornets in Round 1. Last season, Detroit was the plucky upstart ending a postseason drought and giving a favored opponent everything it could handle in the first round. It’d be fun to see the roles reversed, with a Pistons team now shouldering the weight of real expectations having to play Whac-a-Mole against an effervescent and overwhelming Charlotte offense — one that, in this framework, would’ve had to slug its way out of the play-in tournament for the right to take aim at the No. 1 seed.

Iko: I need to be in attendance for Cavs-Pistons, hopefully in the second round. The off-court dramatics alone make this a compelling bout, but there’s some serious dark-horse energy to Cleveland — assuming the Harden honeymoon is extended by a few more weeks — to warrant a real threat in the Eastern Conference. Detroit’s brute force against Cleveland’s finesse is a match made in heaven.

Every week, we will update fantasy baseball managers with all the MLB news they may have missed as we make our way through spring training and get closer to Opening Day.

Shohei Ohtani’s WBC performance making case for being fantasy’s no. 1 pick

Currently, Shohei Ohtani (the hitter) is the No. 2 overall pick based on ADP in Yahoo leagues. Yankees slugger Aaron Judge has very narrowly edged him out for the title of 1.01, but you can imagine that they’re a lot closer than those numbers indicate.

But if the do-everything-superstar’s first game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic is any indication, some folks might be rethinking taking Judge over Ohtani.

The reigning NL MVP was the fuel in the Samurai’s 13-0 mercy rule victory over Chinese Taipei, going 3-for-4 with 5 RBI and 1 run scored, including a huge grand slam that began the rout for Japan (it scored 10 runs in the second inning alone). He followed that up with another home run in Japan’s next game. The unicorn has been integral to Japan’s undefeated start.

The quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic are closing in, but it seems Ohtani is already ready for the season, both in fantasy and reality. And speaking of WBC performances …

Junior doesn’t look like a junior

Like the Japanese, the Dominican WBC team is also undefeated, buzzsawing through their first two opponents in opening pool play. A large part of that offensive explosion to start things off has been Junior Caminero; you could make the argument that the 22-year-old has been DR’s MVP through two games. Caminero is 4-for-7 with two home runs and 6 RBI, batting a ferocious .571/.625/1.429.

In his first full season of MLB play, Caminero was a revelation last year, hitting 45 homers and driving in 110 runs — and there’s still room for him to grow.

The main thing keeping Caminero’s ADP from ballooning is that the Rays will be returning to their offense-suppressing park this season, after playing out 2025 at Steinbrenner Field. Some regression is to be expected, but it behooves fantasy managers to continue to watch Caminero’s performance during the WBC; he might be growing and maturing before our eyes.

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2026 MLB season]

Astros lose starting shortstop to finger injury

Continuing with the WBC, Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña will be unable to play for his country, as the Dominican suffered a fracture in the top of his right ring finger. The injury occurred during the historic exhibition game in the Dominican Republic between the DR’s WBC unit and the Detroit Tigers. He’s expected to miss at least two weeks, but there’s also a chance he won’t be ready to join the Astros’ starting lineup on Opening Day.

Peña is coming off a career year, and before the injury was our consensus 67th-ranked player. He’s currently coming off the board at pick 84, according to Yahoo ADP. It remains to be seen if the injury pushes him down further, making him a potential bargain in the later rounds.

Reds’ young starter dealing with elbow stiffness

We’re holding our collective breaths over Hunter Greene, who will be held out of throwing until March 10 after reporting elbow stiffness in his throwing arm. He was set to receive an MRI on Friday, March 6.

Most of us recall that Greene had Tommy John surgery in 2019, and he’s dealt with injuries in his young MLB career. That said, Greene has all the stuff to be an elite starter in MLB as one of the hardest throwers in baseball. He only pitched 107 and 2/3 innings in 2025, but when he was out there, he was GOOD.

Green is currently being drafted as the 10th starter in Yahoo leagues, so we’ll have to monitor his MRI results and subsequent treatment closely. For what it’s worth, Andrew Abbott (180 ADP) has been named the Reds’ Opening Day starter.

Jac Caglianone flexes muscle in spring

Caglianone has been making waves during spring training thus far, as he hit a double against the D-backs that was a whopping 120.2 mph off the bat.

Read that again — that’s ONE-HUNDRED-AND-TWENTY MILES PER HOUR. That’s the kind of feat that opens your eyes, especially when it’s a 23-year-old rookie doing it. In fact, only seven hitters in the Statcast era have hit a ball that hard: Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Ronald Acuña Jr., Giancarlo Stanton, Oneil Cruz and Gary Sánchez.

That’s some powerful company. In fact, Caglianone is off to a raucous start to the spring, slashing .400/.550/.733 with a 1.283 OPS and a home run in 15 at-bats.

Caglianone was overmatched in his first taste of MLB action in 2025, but there wasn’t enough of a sample size to truly make a verdict. There’s also no guarantee he makes the Royals’ Opening Day roster, much less their starting lineup. But Caglianone comes with pedigree, having once been a part of the Royals’ impressive set of hitting prospects who have debuted in the past few seasons. He also had a pair of 30-homer seasons in college, back in 2023 and 2024. If he keeps smoking the ball as he has thus far in exhibition action, he just might be a shrewd stash late in fantasy drafts.