Stephen Defries
NBA Fantasy expert, Supercoach veteran
NBA Supercoach Final Word | Team Reveal edition
NBA Supercoach expert Stephen Defries gives his Final Word ahead of NBA Supercoach week 1, including his full team reveal
NBA
October 20, 2026
Squads are locked, preseason is in the bag, and SuperCoach NBA is back. The only number that matters right now is the zero next to every name in your team. Enjoy it. That clean slate won’t last long.
If you read my midrange piece, you know the plan. Two guns max, build team value as quickly as possible through midrange players with a role uptick, and own the relevant cheapies. Same blueprint as last season.
The off-season moved a lot of furniture. Luka has the Lakers to himself, Randle is the man in Brooklyn, Haliburton is back running Indiana, and one of the best rookie classes in years is sitting around the $5m mark. Prices are built on last season’s roles, and that’s exactly where this team is built.
New season, new name. The Closers are now South Florida Angler, a nod to Ben Simmons and his favourite off-season pastime. Then Ben tore his Achilles. Great timing.
Time to rip in.
South Florida Angler – Team Reveal
15 players, roughly $163m all up. Here’s who’s in and why.
Guns
Luka Doncic LAL – PG – $23,610,000 (Captain)
Led the league at 33.5 a game, and LeBron is gone for good. The ball is his, and Reaves is the only other mouth to feed.
Last season the revenge tour was in full swing. This season it’s his team outright. Week 1 captain.
Victor Wembanyama SAS – Flex – $23,600,000 (Vice Captain)
Reigning DPOY, 3.1 blocks a night, and if he gets to 32 minutes, the ceiling is frightening. Aliens do exist, and this one sits in my Flex.
Midrange
Alperen Sengun HOU – C – $17,910,000
Sits just above my midrange line, but I’m treating him as one. 20/9/6 with steals and blocks from the centre spot, and last season he was initiating the offence with Durant on 27% usage.
When Houston run it through him, the scores follow. My bridge between the guns and the value buys.
Austin Reaves LAL – SG – $16,360,000
The clear No.2 to Luka with LeBron gone. 28 points and 7 assists in 25 preseason minutes with Luka resting. The tweaked ankle is behind him. A lock.
Julius Randle BKN – PF – $15,290,000
Salary dumped to a 20-win team and now the focal point. Brooklyn are running him as a point forward, with 9 assists in 23 minutes against Washington. Played 79 games last season. Volume, volume, volume, and only 1.4% owned.
Tyrese Haliburton IND – PG – $13,610,000
Priced like a role player, but the whole Pacers system runs through him again. 24 points on 9 of 14 in just 18 minutes against OKC. At 42.7% owned, he’s not a point of difference. Not owning him is the risk.
Brandon Miller CHA – SF – $12,910,000
LaMelo and Miles Bridges are gone, so the 28.1% usage goes up. Shrugged off the shin contusion with 18 points and 4 threes in 22 minutes. With Coby White out, he and Schroder have the ball. Not moving off him.
Cheapies
Darryn Peterson UTA – SG – $5,200,000
No.2 pick. Dropped 23 in his debut, then led Utah again with 14 and 5 assists. Keyonte crowds the guard room, and Markkanen is carrying another niggle. The shots are there for a rookie who wants them.
Caleb Wilson CHI – SF – $5,100,000
No.4 pick with 21 and 17 in his last two preseason games. Giddey’s no-look passes are going to find him all season, and he’s projected for a steal and a block a night. Stocks at $5.1m. I like it!
Cameron Boozer MEM – PF – $5,150,000
No.3 pick and starting in Memphis. Projections have him around 16 and 8, and he’s already squeezing the Grizzlies’ frontcourt. Plays every night, makes cash.
Bench
Darius Acuff Jr. SAC – $4,950,000
No.7 pick. A shot creator who has looked really good in preseason. No Simmons helps his case.
Keaton Wagler LAC – $5,050,000
No.5 pick. Max Strus’s foot injury opens early minutes for a shooter. May need time, but the minutes are there.
Khaman Maluach PHX – $4,250,000
Mark Williams is out until around February with his shoulder, which hands the starting centre job to a 7-footer who blocks shots. Cheapest player in the squad. Only on the bench because Phoenix play 2 games in week 1.
Yaxel Lendeborg GSW – $4,750,000
No.11 pick, and Kerr has been starting him with Butler and Moody out. Blocks and steals projected. Solid cover with upside.
AJ Dybantsa WAS – $5,250,000
No.1 pick, playing 23 to 25 minutes a night next to Trae and AD. Rolled his ankle in the final preseason game and is day-to-day, so he starts on the bench. If he’s cleared, he comes straight back in. Monitor the injury report.
Guns
I’ve spoken enough about Luka and Wemby. If you’ve gone a different way, SGA and Joker are the obvious alternatives. Stick to your strategy. Luka has never had a cleaner run at the ball than this.
Midrange
My full top 10 is in the midrange article, but here are a few I was very close to grabbing.
Trae Young at $12.98m is the best value on the board. 11 assists on a 1-of-5 shooting night tells you everything. Tyler Herro is the No.1 option in post-Giannis Milwaukee at $13.93m. Walker Kessler is catching lobs from Luka with blocks and boards.
Two to circle for week 2. Jayson Tatum (23 in 27 minutes, no restrictions) and Deni Avdija (26/9/4 with Ja on the bench) both open with 2 game weeks. Wait them out, then pounce.
Cheapies
This rookie class is the story of the opening month. Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer, and Wilson are all starting or close to it. I’ve gone heavy here.
If you miss the boat on any of them, the cash will be made fast. Get them early or pay for them later.
PODs
Walker Kessler LAL – 4.4% owned
Blocks and boards with a Luka assist bump. 11 and 9 in the first half of his debut. An edge that won’t last.
Tyler Herro MIL – 3.0% owned
The first option every night in Milwaukee. Health is the only question.
Super PODs
Ty Jerome MEM – 0.4% owned
Starting point guard with 16 points in 14 minutes in preseason. Huge production per minute and barely anyone has him.
Kel’el Ware MIL – 2.1% owned
Start or not, he produces. 18 and 12 in 25 minutes when he got the nod. A POD with a floor.
Darius Garland LAC – 2.1% owned
Kawhi, Harden and Ingram all gone. Every Clippers pick-and-roll starts with him.
Schedule
Best (4 games this week)
PHI
Bad (2 games this week)
BOS, CLE, DEN, PHX, POR
Everyone else plays 3.
Trade & Skipper Plans
I’ll be watching Haliburton’s minutes and Dybantsa’s ankle closely.
Week 2 shortlist is Tatum and Deni once their 2-game weeks are out of the way.
VC Wemby, C Luka
Good luck all, and remember, stay patient.
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