The more often a player gets to the free-throw line, the better it is. It means they are driving to the hoop, trying to create, and putting themselves in a strong position to score. A result of that is often a foul, which means they get to head to the free throw line and add more points to their stat line. That’s a great thing, but only if they actually can make said free throws. A failure to convert isn’t just a missed scoring opportunity, though, as it also means your free throw percentage can take a hit. We generally look to centers and power forwards to target for rebounds and blocked shots. However, they are often the biggest culprits here. That requires a balancing act when building your team. Let’s take a look at some players who can help with free throw percentage when building your 2026-27 fantasy basketball team.
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Best Players to Target in Fantasy Basketball for Free Throw Percentage
Deni Avdija, F, Portland Trail Blazers
Talk about taking advantage of your opportunity. Last season, Avdija essentially took control of the Portland offense and ran with it. Other options were limited at best, but we shouldn’t let that detract from what the forward did.
In his first year with Portland, Avdija’s scoring jumped from 14.7 to 16.9 points per game. And then in last season, things just went wild. As the focal point of the Trail Blazers’ offense, he averaged 24.2 points per game while staying consistent with 6.9 rebounds. Given the increase to his usage and the overall situation, it shouldn’t have been surprising that Avdija’s assists jumped from 3.9 to 6.7 per game.
That was his age-24 season, so the future was bright. I’m not going to entirely throw cold water on that idea, but Ja Morant and Damien Lillard are now both in the fold. Regardless of best intentions or what happens, it’s only natural that Avdija’s usage and assist totals decrease. Early indications are that the chemistry between him and Lillard is strong, so that’s a good thing. We know the assists will go down. But maybe the points don’t necessarily have to, as he’ll be in a better position to score and won’t have as much attention from opposing defenses. That won’t generate all bad news, though. If he’s handling the ball less and doing less creating, his 3.8 turnovers per game have to decrease, right?
Last season, Avdija was one of the best at getting to the line. He took just over nine free throws per game and made 7.4 of them. That meant he not only shot a solid 80.2% from the free-throw line, but he made a strong impact on your overall team mark. Even if that comes down slightly, as expected, Avdija can still be an asset. Just make sure he’s selected at the right ADP and valued correctly for this year’s role, not last year’s.
Jalen Duren, C, Detroit Pistons
Duren has his contract extension, and it’s clear that the Pistons are committed to him. Throughout his career, Duren hasn’t had a problem hitting the boards. In his last three seasons, Duren has averaged double-digit rebounds, but last year, Duren took the next step offensively.
His scoring jumped from 11.8 to 19.5 points per game in his age-22 season, and that was the biggest driver of his contract extension. If we want to find a knock on Duren, it’s that he only blocks around one shot per game. He shot 65% from the field last season while putting up about 20 points per game, and there’s real value in that.
Last season, Duren also attempted 6.1 free throws per game. More importantly, especially for a big man, Duren made 4.6 of them. That was good for a 74.7% free-throw percentage, which deserves our attention.
Stephon Castle, G, San Antonio Spurs
The guard has already adjusted quite well to life in the NBA. After being drafted fourth overall in 2024, it shouldn’t be surprising that Castle didn’t need much time to find his groove.
Last season, his production jumped across the board to 16.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game. He played about 30 minutes per game and found a lot more efficiency, shooting 47.1% from the field. That also means he’s doing a good job of penetrating and getting to the free-throw line.
To be clear, there are a lot of guards who are better at the foul line from an efficiency standpoint, but Castle also has the quantity. He attempted an average of 5.6 free throws last season while shooting 73.3% from the free-throw line. Based on the number of attempts, plus a slight potential to improve in year 3, Castle is a very intriguing player for this season.
When you get done here, make sure to check out our full 2026 Fantasy Basketball Draft Kit!
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