While we reap the benefits of big men playing further and further away from the basket, it does make things interesting from a category perspective. Yes, centers are now hanging out at the three-point line, but that also doesn’t mean players aren’t penetrating and heading towards the hoop. It just means we need to get a little more creative and thoughtful when searching for blocked shots. As we head into the 2026-27 fantasy basketball season, let’s take a look at some options to target.
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Best Players to Target for Blocks
Walker Kessler, C, Los Angeles Lakers
A torn labrum ended Kessler’s season after five games last year, so we can’t draw many conclusions about his production. The good news, though, is that Kessler showed us what he was capable of the year prior. Unfortunately for him, though, with 14.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per game, he was seemingly on the way towards building on that.
This offseason, Kessler was a large part of the Lakers’ agenda, and he’s now the proud owner of a lucrative contract. Along with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, Kessler is now part of the newly constituted core in Los Angeles. This is a critical season for the Lakers as they now enter the post-LeBron James era. Entering his age 25 season, Kessler is well positioned to be a large part of that.
We know he’s good for a double-double, and we’ve also seen a positive progression in his scoring. Based on the composition of the Lakers, there’s some available upside. What we are after, though, are the blocked shots. In each of his previous three seasons, Kessler averaged either 2.3 or 2.4 blocks per game. He’s likely going to also shoot around 60% to 65% from the field, which means we aren’t going to empty blocks.
Matas Buzelis, F, Chicago Bears
Last season represented exactly why the Bulls drafted Buzelis with the 11th overall pick in 2024. Following an inconsistent start to his NBA career, the forward took a large step forward as he played about 29 minutes per game.
Buzelis averaged 16.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while taking advantage of a larger role within Chicago’s offense. That included 2.2 three-pointers per game while he shot 46.3% from the field. His true shooting percentage was at the top of the league at 58.6% to go along with his 22.8% usage rate. That paints the picture of an ascending player who the Bulls will likely rely on even more this season.
We also buried the lead here, as this is a focus on how to maximize your blocked shots. Balance is key, and even if he didn’t block any shots, the forward should be targeted in what’s his age-21 season. However, Buzelis had a 4.4% block rate last season, which ranked at the top of the league. He blocked 1.5 shots per game; as he gets more comfortable and likely plays a few more minutes per game, it wouldn’t surprise me to see that number rise slightly.
Dereck Lively, C, Dallas Mavericks
The key here for Lively is that he stays healthy. His talent and upside are huge, and the same can be said for his opportunity as Dallas’ starting center. However, Lively averaged only 16 minutes last season in the seven games he played. A foot injury that led to surgery ended Lively’s season.
As of October 9th, Lively hasn’t been cleared for preseason or training camp action. It makes sense for the Mavericks to take things slowly with the 22-year-old, but the future should be bright once he takes the court. With respect to this season, though, there could be some hidden value in Lively, especially with blocked shots. Overlooking an injured player during drafts happens often, and Lively is still far from being considered elite.
Two seasons ago, he averaged 8.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game. As we hope that his playing time increases and his health allows him more time on the court, there’s hope for him to play more than 23 minutes per game. A look at his per-36 stats show a double-double option with at least two blocks per game. Now, let’s hope that he can get there.
When you get done here, make sure to check out our full 2026 Fantasy Basketball Draft Kit!
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