While the NBA Playoffs are in full swing, now is a good time to recap the fantasy basketball season for all 30 teams.
In the following weeks, we will provide a recap for each team, starting with the team with the worst record and concluding with the NBA champion in June.
Advertisement
Today, we’re looking at the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference with a roster packed full of fantasy studs.
Cleveland Cavaliers 2024-2025 Season Recap
Record: 64-18 (1st, East)
Offensive Rating: 121.0 (1st)
Defensive Rating: 111.8 (8th)
Net Rating: 9.2 (3rd)
Pace: 100.31 (10th)
2025 NBA Draft Picks: 49th pick, 58th pick
The Cavs’ 2024-25 season was wildly successful from a real-life perspective, but it was tremendous from a fantasy perspective, too. Four players finished inside the top 55 in per-game value, and six finished inside the top 130.
Cleveland chose to reduce minutes across the board and go deeper into the rotation. This strategy proved beneficial to a number of players who enjoyed unprecedented efficiency and durability despite taking a hit in playing time.
Advertisement
Let’s recap last season’s fantasy performances and look ahead to 2025-26.
Fantasy Standout: Evan Mobley
Mobley set the tone for Cleveland on both ends of the court, and his stellar, two-way play was a huge reason for the Cavaliers’ success in 2024-25.
The fourth-year man had a career season, becoming the fifth-youngest player (and first Cavalier) to win Defensive Player of the Year. Cleveland sported the eighth-best defensive rating overall and second best when Mobley was on the court.
Mobley averaged 18.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.6 blocks and 1.2 triples. He knocked down 55.7% of his shots from the field, 72.5% from the foul line and 37% from beyond the arc.
Advertisement
It was a phenomenal season for Mobley on defense, but he was tremendous on offense, posting career highs in points, assists, three-pointers and FT%.
Mobley scored a career-high 41 points on December 7 at Charlotte while sinking a career-best six three-pointers. He provided a career-best 37 double-doubles, easily clearing his previous best of 24.
The addition of a three-point game was a boon to Mobley’s fantasy value and to Cleveland’s offense. He finished with at least one made three-pointer in 45 games this season. He knocked down multiple treys in 21 games after doing so just 15 times across his first three seasons combined.
Mobley finished the season ranked 23rd in per-game fantasy value, reaching that mark in 30.5 minutes across 71 games. Still just 23 years old, Mobley can become a consistent 20/10 guy in Year 5 if he continues to ascend. His ability to facilitate and hit shots from long range only adds to his appeal.
Advertisement
Consider him in the early rounds of 2025-26 fantasy drafts for his versatility and high ceiling.
Fantasy Revelation: Ty Jerome
Jerome finished 130th in per-game fantasy value, but to look solely at that finish would be doing a disservice to how impactful he was to Cleveland this season.
He provided electric scoring off the bench, averaging a career-high 12.5 points to go with 2.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.6 triples. He pushed for a 50/40/90 season, just missing it with 51.6/43.9/87.2 splits.
After appearing in just two games in 2023-24 due to injury, Jerome roared back with 70 appearances in 2024-25. He did all of his damage in just 19.9 minutes per game, primarily off the bench. In three starts, Jerome posted 25.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 5.0 triples.
Advertisement
Jerome’s previous career-high in scoring was 24 points across his first five seasons. After reaching that mark only once in his career prior to this season, he scored that many points nine times this season. Jerome dropped a career-high 33 points with eight triples on January 24 against the Sixers.
Jerome is set for unrestricted free agency this summer, and his career year couldn’t have come at a better time. He’s likely due for a payday, and if he lands on a team that can give him more playing time, he can be a meaningful contributor.
Keep an eye on Jerome this offseason and target him at the end of 2025-26 fantasy drafts if he signs with a team that could offer a more prominent role in the rotation.
Fantasy Disappointment: Donovan Mitchell
Mitchell finished his third season in Cleveland with averages of 24.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 3.3 triples with 44.3/36.8/82.3 shooting splits.
Advertisement
The production was stellar for most, but by Mitchell’s lofty standards, it was a disappointing season statistically. The points were his fewest since the 2019-20 campaign, the steals were his fewest since 2020-21, and the rebounds and assists were his fewest since arriving in Cleveland.
Mitchell’s efficiency suffered as well. His FG% was the lowest since 2020-21, and his FT% was his lowest since 2018-19. Mitchell’s 31.4 minutes per game marked a career low, but he appeared in 71 games – his most since 2018-19.
Minutes were down across the board for most of Cleveland’s players, as the team utilized a deeper rotation on the way to 64 wins. The reduction in minutes for Mitchell and his teammates obviously paid off, as Cleveland earned the No. 1 seed and Mitchell enjoyed a high level of durability.
After per-game fantasy finishes of 24, 15, and 8 across his last three seasons, Mitchell finished 30th in 2024-25. It was a solid outing, but fantasy managers likely spent a top-15 pick to draft him.
Fantasy Recaps/Look-Aheads
Jarrett Allen:
Like Mitchell, Allen’s playing time took a hit, and the 28 minutes per game were his lowest since 2019-20. The big man finished with 13.5 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.9 blocks while shooting 70.6% from the field and 71.8% from the charity stripe.
Advertisement
The points, rebounds and blocked shots were Allen’s fewest since 2019-20, his final full season with Brooklyn. The playing time proved beneficial for Allen though as his FG% was a new career high, and he appeared in 82 games for the first time in his career.
The dip in counting stats wasn’t harmful to Allen, as he finished 46th in per-game fantasy value after finishing 45th a season ago. Allen signed a three-year extension with the Cavs last summer, and he should play a similar role for the team for as long as he’s on the roster.
Even with the ascension of Evan Mobley, Allen should push for top-50 production each season thanks to his high field goal percentage, low turnovers and ability to rack up boards and blocks.
Darius Garland:
After a down season in 2023-24, Garland bounced back nicely last season. He finished with averages of 20.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.8 triples. Improved efficiency was a hallmark of Garland’s 2024-25 campaign as he shot a career-high 47.2% from the field. His 87.8% mark from the foul line and 40.1% mark from beyond the arc marked the second-best marks of his career.
Advertisement
Garland’s playing time and games played followed a similar pattern to Mitchell’s and Allen’s. He logged a career-low 30.7 minutes per game across a career-high 75 games.
Allen finished with seven double-doubles, and the highlight of his season came on January 9 when he went off for 40 points to go with two boards, nine dimes, two steals and four triples.
Garland finished 52nd in per-game fantasy value, and a finish in this range is a reasonable expectation for him moving forward. Fantasy managers in need of a point guard can target him in the middle rounds of 2025-26 drafts.
De’Andre Hunter:
Hunter started the season with Atlanta, but he was dealt to Cleveland at the trade deadline. In 27 appearances with the Cavaliers, he averaged 14.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.7 steals and 2.2 triples across 25 minutes per game.
Advertisement
He started just four games for his new team and posted numbers similar to those he posted off the bench. He tied a career-high with 35 points on January 27 while still with Atlanta, and he dropped 32 points, seven boards and five triples on March 2 against the Trail Blazers after landing in Cleveland.
Hunter saw his role drastically reduced during Cleveland’s playoff run, due in part to injury. He’s got two more years left on his current deal, and he figures to be a regular part of Cleveland’s rotation for the foreseeable future. Hunter finished 122nd in per-game fantasy value, and he’ll be worth a look in the final rounds of 2025-26 drafts.
Max Strus:
Strus injured his right ankle just before the start of the 2024-25 season, and he didn’t debut until December 20. In his second season with Cleveland, the sharpshooter averaged 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.3 triples with 44.2/38.6/82.4 shooting splits and 1.1 turnovers.
Advertisement
In 50 appearances, Strus logged 25.5 minutes per game, down significantly from the 32 minutes per game he saw in 2023-24. Strus finished 161st in per-game fantasy value after a career-best 118 finish in 2023-24. A finish around 120 likely represents Strus’ ceiling. His services are best reserved for deeper league fantasy managers in 2025-26.
Isaac Okoro:
The dip in playing time wasn’t a boon for Okoro, as he finished with just 6.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.3 blocks and 1.0 triples across 19.1 minutes. The points, boards and minutes were all career lows for Okoro, who appeared in a career-low 55 games due to injuries.
The fifth-year man saw his role greatly reduced, starting only 22 of 55 games after starting 42 of 69 last season. Okoro has proven to be a better on-court player thanks to his defense, but his contributions don’t tend to show up in the box score, which is where fantasy managers are looking.
Restricted Free Agents: Emoni Bates
Unrestricted Free Agents: Tristan Thompson, Javonte Green, Ty Jerome
Club Option: Chuma Okeke
Player Option: None
Read the full article here
