The most recent Locked On episode from the last 30 days that directly mentions Malik Monk.
Locked OnLocked On Fantasy Basketball
Oct 9, 2026The Players To NOT DRAFT This Fantasy Basketball Season
OVERVIEW Today I walk through my “do not draft” list for fantasy basketball based on the current rankings on Yahoo and ESPN, highlighting which players are overvalued at their listed prices and why you should avoid them where they're ranked. I give context for each do-not-draft recommendation—including category and points league-specific analysis—so you can make sharper decisions on draft day instead of blindly following pre-rankings. KEY TAKEAWAYS ESPN rankings are so careless and inconsistent that I recommend moving your leagues off ESPN entirely if possible. Deni Avdija, Bam Adebayo, Devin Booker, Josh Giddey, and Ty Jerome are all ranked as first-round options on ESPN’s category settings, which is indefensible based on actual performance and role. Tyrese Haliburton is being overvalued at pick 10 on Yahoo, especially in points leagues; current context and likely early restrictions mean he’s not worth that price. Trae Young’s Yahoo category league rank (18) is too aggressive given his limitations and role uncertainty; he’s not a top-24 fantasy player for me. Donovan Mitchell is unlikely to repeat last season’s peak; don’t pay a round 2 premium for him this year. Walker Kessler’s Yahoo rank (38) doesn’t account for risk in his steals, assists, and three-point jumps last year, which may not sustain. Okongwu is being hyped (Yahoo 49) on a role change narrative, but his opportunity and usage are less assured than many presume. Brandon Ingram at pick 83 (Yahoo and points) is a trap given his health, role decline, and history of slow recovery—you need to avoid him in the top 120. Players like AJ Dybantsa (Yahoo 93), Malik Monk (Yahoo 94), and several others in rounds 8–10 are being assigned unrealistic breakout or stability expectations—pick them only as late flyers, not as rotation locks. RESOURCES Basketball Monster (for projections and rankings) NEXT STEP Check your draft platform’s rankings, challenge outlier pre-rankings, and avoid overpaying for players whose role, team context, or scoring format doesn't support their draft slot. CHAPTERS 0:00 Introduction 1:05 ESPN rankings rant & platform critique 5:11 Do Not Draft: ESPN Round 1 offenders 8:04 Yahoo & ESPN Round 1–2 "Do Not Draft" picks 13:33 Round 3–5 Do Not Drafts (Yahoo & ESPN) 21:01 Round 6 and 7: Overvalued picks 28:32 Rounds 8–10: Late-round traps and flyers 34:08 Rookies, veterans, and platform default pitfalls 41:39 Final thoughts & sign-off Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast . Betterhelp This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Sign up and get 10% off at https://BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDONNBA . KALSHI Today's episode is brought to you by Kalshi. For a limited time, Download Kalshi and use code Locked On to get $25 when you trade $25. Kalshi. Trade what’s next. PrizePicks Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONNBA and use code LOCKEDONNBA and get $150 if you win your first $5 lineup! Gametime Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply. FanDuel This season, FanDuel is making the excitement go beyond what happens on the field with the all-new FanDuel Rewards Club , featuring exclusive offers, surprises, and more. Every week, check the FanDuel app to see what’s waiting for you or visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER : 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Visit Josh Lloyd Fantasy for more Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.