Every draft pick matters. I promise, I’m not here to spout some clichés just to get you interested in my latest article. It’s real, and there’s some real importance here. Regardless of how good your strategy is and how refined your preparation is, there’s going to be some draft picks that simply don’t work. That’s especially true of early-round draft picks. Whether it’s injuries, poor performances, role changes, or something else we don’t see coming, it happens. To counteract that, we need production to arrive from unexpected sources. This fantasy basketball season, let that be your last pick. Here are some players to take with your last pick in your 2026-27 NBA fantasy drafts.
For the purposes of this exercise, we are going to look at four players with a Fantrax ADP of greater than 144. That means our player population is anyone selected after the first 12 rounds of a 12-team draft.
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Players to Take with Your Last Pick
Devin Vassell, SG/SF, San Antonio Spurs, ADP of 158
Anytime I can take a starting player with my last pick, it’s going to be an easy choice. When that player starts for one of the best teams in the NBA, it’s more attractive. I will add an initial caveat, though. After Vassell averaged over 30 minutes for the fourth straight season last year, I’m not sure that he’s going to make it to five. That’s where you get into the downside of the Spurs being so good, as Carter Bryant, Keldon Johnson, Dylan Harper, and Julian Champagnie will all press for playing time off the bench. Yes, San Antonio really is that deep.
Last season, Vassell averaged 13.9 points per game, but it’s notable that over the past four seasons, we’ve seen a decrease in that mark. Vassell has gone from 18.5 points per game in 2022-23 to 19.5, and then 16.3 points per game before another dip last year. That’s likely the mark to which we should address our thinking, but again, we are talking about a last-round pick. We can count on about 2.5 three-pointers per game from Vassell, and that brings value on its own. He also averaged four rebounds and 2.5 assists per game last season, and he should be good for a steal a game.
Yaxel Lendeborg, SF, Golden State Warriors, ADP of 173
Praise from your head coach is always a great thing. When it comes as a rookie and from Steve Kerr, it’s even better. While Stephen Curry still runs the Warriors on the court, Golden State is still a team in transition. The expectation is that Lendeborg will play big role for the Warriors, and their depth chart certainly agrees with that.
We have to acknowledge that there’s a large difference between college basketball, the NBA summer league, and the regular season NBA action. After averaging a double-double in his first two years of college, Lendeborg dipped to 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game last year at Michigan. He was good for a block and a steal per game. He consistently shot over 50% from the field and shot 82.4% from the free-throw line last year.
Lendeborg then captured Kerr’s attention by averaging 14.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and four assists per game this summer. Let’s give the rookie a chance at the end of drafts as opposed to rushing to the waiver wire to claim him after a big week.
Pelle Larsson, SG/SF, Miami Heat, ADP of 174
When the Heat traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo, they acquired one of the best players in basketball. However, they also gave up some depth. That opens up a real opportunity for players such as Larsson.
Yes, Klay Thompson likely has the edge to start ahead of Larsson, but that doesn’t mean he won’t receive meaningful minutes. You don’t need to look any further than his recent contract extension to understand how Miami feels about him either. Heading into the season, Larsson just signed a four-year, $60 million contract extension that’s fully guaranteed.
In his second NBA season last year, Larsson took a big step forward. He averaged 11.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. He’s generally good for a steal and a three-pointer per game after shooting 49.6% from the field in 2025-26.
If we exclude the last game of the season, Larsson truly closed out last year on a high note. In 14 games, he averaged 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game in 31 minutes. He was also consistent, as he scored in double figures in 12 of 14 games. Overall, Larsson had a 60.5% true shooting rate and 55.1% effective field goal rate. Both should allow him to make an impact this season.
Davion Mitchell, PG, Miami Heat, ADP of 151
We stay in Miami as the trade for Antetokounmpo meant Tyler Herro is now in Milwaukee. That means Mitchell steps into the starting point guard role for the Heat. Yes, we know that Antetokounmpo will have the ball in his hands a lot and the offense will run through him, but that doesn’t mean Mitchell won’t have a role. As the starting point guard, he’ll still be in charge of getting Miami’s offense started from the backcourt.
Last year, he averaged 9.3 points and 6.5 assists per game in 29 minutes per game. He was in more of a supporting role, and this season his minutes should tick up slightly, as will his role from a backcourt perspective. It might be bold, but maybe Mitchell gets closer to averaging a double-double this season?
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