The 2025 NBA lottery will likely go down in history as the “Cooper Flagg Sweepstakes.” The Dallas Mavericks, with 1.8% odds, won the lottery. If the Mavs intend to keep the first overall pick and select Flagg, how will this landing spot affect the fantasy basketball landscape in 2025-26?
Fantasy Basketball Impact of Mavs Winning NBA Lottery
Considering their odds of winning the lottery, the Mavs got very lucky. Mavs GM Nico Harrison now has “all the cards,” so to speak. The first overall pick should fetch a king’s ransom on the open market if he chooses to trade it away. If Harrison decides to keep it, it’s almost a sure thing for Dallas to select Duke freshman Cooper Flagg.
The Mavs will be without Kyrie Irving to start the season as he recovers from a torn Achilles. This leaves their backcourt paper-thin. They do have one of the league’s deepest frontcourts with Anthony Davis leading the charge. They have a couple of serviceable role-players at center in Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford. Last but not least, there’s P.J. Washington, who is a combo forward, but has best been played at the four. At 6-foot-9, 205 lbs, Flagg played forward for the Blue Devils all season. Does he add to a potentially already-crowded frontcourt rotation?
Does Cooper Flagg Address The Mavs’ Needs?
Yes and no. While the Mavs do need a guard at this point, Flagg is just too good to pass up on.
Flagg has been the longtime consensus first name on everyone’s draft big board. He has a great mix of physical gifts and natural talent. The forward averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 triples, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks in his 37 games at Duke in his freshman year. The kid can do everything. Period. But wait, there’s more. Not only was Flagg able to work the ball on both ends of the court, but he also showed refinement in his scoring ability, shooting 48.1% from the field and 84.0% shooting from the foul line.
The Mavs should choose to build their franchise around Flagg moving forward. The Magic have two skilled forwards in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, and they’ve parlayed that combination into two consecutive playoff seasons so far. There’s merit to a team that decides to place its future in the hands of a forward such as Flagg.
At the end of the day, the Mavs can ship either Lively or Gafford (likely Gafford) to another team and trade for a guard, addressing their needs. Despite the positive impact Washington’s addition has achieved, he’s now become a fifth wheel, especially when he’s juxtaposed to the more-promising Flagg.
What is Cooper Flagg’s Fantasy Outlook?
Flagg’s outlook is bright, very bright. He’s a multi-category contributor and shoots the rock with fantasy-friendly percentages. That combination makes him gold in rotisserie formats. Given his ability to hit threes, drop dimes and deliver steals and blocks on the other end of the floor, Flagg will be a force in category scoring leagues from Day 1.
Flagg playing alongside Davis should only serve to improve his long-term outlook. If anything, AD can serve as an impactful influence when it comes to Flagg’s abilities and proclivities on defense. Davis should also help take away pressure from Flagg early on, allowing the rookie to get comfortable in finding his game at the pro level.
Irving is out at least until around January as he recovers from surgery to repair a torn Achilles. Flagg will get a chance to showcase some of his underrated playmaking skills.
In dynasty formats, Flagg’s potential landing with the Mavs should improve his stock from the get-go. He should be viewed as a potential top 20 asset. He’s not a generational talent like, say, LeBron James, Luka Doncic, or even Victor Wembanyama, but Flagg has enough positives surrounding him that it’s hard to bet against him having a long career in the league as a perennial All-Star. He should be drafted first overall in the upcoming rookie fantasy basketball drafts.
In redraft leagues come 2025-26, Flagg will likely be targeted in the middle rounds of drafts in standard leagues. He’s ripe to be an instant-impact player on the box scores from the moment he sets foot on the hardwood. He should see a top-75 floor with top-50 upside. Possibly better.
Impact on Other Players
Gafford moving to another team would only serve to improve his fantasy outlook. The timeshare situation he had going on with Lively was eating into both their upsides. The same can be said about Lively, if he’s the one who is traded away.
Washington will be a serviceable stretch four on a win-now contender, but he won’t likely be better utilized than during his time with the Mavs.
Davis is on another level, and his value should not be affected one way or another by the addition of Flagg. At best, it’s a net positive for him as defenses will have someone else to put their attention on aside from him.
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