It’s the final weekend before the NBA regular season begins, which means you’re coming here for your fantasy basketball drafts.
Should you draft D’Angelo Russell this season? Here’s the latest outlook, projections, and rankings for the Dallas Mavericks Point Guard.
Should You Draft D’Angelo Russell in Fantasy Basketball?
D’Angelo Russell heads into 2025 looking to reset his career after a disappointing 2024 campaign split between the Lakers and Nets. He averaged 12.6 points, 5.1 assists, and 1.9 threes in 58 appearances but struggled with efficiency. Now with Dallas, Russell will open the season as the Mavericks’ starting guard while Kyrie Irving recovers from a knee injury expected to sideline him until early 2026.
Russell should have short-term fantasy value in that span, benefiting from a defined role alongside Anthony Davis, Cooper Flagg, and Klay Thompson. Dallas plans to run much of its offense through its frontcourt, which should give Russell plenty of catch-and-shoot and secondary playmaking opportunities rather than forcing him into a pure floor general role. That setup could improve his efficiency and boost his scoring.
Once Irving returns, Russell’s usage and minutes will likely decline sharply, making him more of a waiver streaming option than a season-long hold. His shaky shooting consistency and defensive limitations limit his appeal in category leagues, though he remains viable in points formats early in the year.
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What Are Russell’s Fantasy Basketball Projections This Season?
Based on our proprietary metrics here at PFSN, we project Russell to score 2,098.8 fantasy points this season, with him averaging 15.1 points per game.
This includes 5.2 field goals per game, 2.2 three-pointers per game, 2.5 free throws per game, 2.7 rebounds per game, 6.4 assists per game, 0.9 steals per game, and 0.4 blocks per game.
Where Does D’Angelo Russell Rank in the Upcoming Fantasy Basketball Season?
Russell is ranked 87th overall and 20th at his position. The five players ranked ahead of him overall include Mark Williams, Jrue Holiday, Stephon Castle, Nicolas Claxton, and Bilal Coulibaly.
The five players ranked behind him overall include Naz Reid, Aaron Gordon, Kel’el Ware, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Jaden Ivey.
The five players ranked ahead of him at his position include Dyson Daniels, CJ McCollum, Payton Pritchard, Immanuel Quickley, and Holiday.
The five players ranked behind him at his position include Bub Carrington, Scoot Henderson, Collin Sexton, Davion Mitchell, and Dylan Harper.
