Adam Boustani listed Giannis Antetokounmpo as talent with great value in NBA Fantasy: Salary Cap Edition last season.
The NBA was largely unknown to Adam Boustani when he decided to dive into fantasy basketball just a few years ago.
He knew someone who loved the sport, but didn’t initially have much interest in it himself.
“I was not a basketball fan before I started playing fantasy,” Boustani said. “My friend, who I took on an Indiana trip last season, he’s a big basketball fan and I played fantasy football before then. We thought fantasy basketball was a great way to get us both into it.”
He joined NBA Fantasy: Salary Cap Edition and built his first team.
Now, he can’t get enough of the game.
Boustani, who works as a software developer in the United Kingdom, wound up as the global No. 1 for the 2025-26 season. He earned 32,611 total fantasy points to place first among 63,940 general managers around the world.
The reigning champion spoke with NBA.com regarding his past success, approach to the game and thoughts on this upcoming season.
His biggest piece of advice for returners and first-timers alike in NBA Fantasy: Salary Cap Edition is to stay patient — not to be reactionary.
“You might see your players do (poorly in) one game, but it’s hard to tell a lot from a small sample size,” Boustani said. “In general, you should try to give players time to see how they develop in your team.”
All general managers, including Boustani, start from the same place and all have a shot at success. You’ll select 10 NBA players within the $100 million budget.
Now is the time to build your team before the first Gameday arrives Oct. 20 when the season begins. The preseason, which began Oct. 3 and will end Oct. 16, can be used to your advantage.
“There will be a lot of information to get from preseason,” Boustani said. “You’ll know which bench players will be getting good minutes early on. Look at that to help with initial team selection.”
In 2025-26, Nikola Jokić was a season-long constant on his team and in his lineup. Jokić was the most expensive player in fantasy but averaged a league-high 68.6 fantasy points per game.
Jokić was also who Boustani typically chose to use his Gameday Captain chip on. The chip, which can be used on one Gameday per Gameweek, doubles a player’s score.
This season, Jokić’s initial salary is set at $23.0M, again making him the most expensive player in fantasy. Boustani still recommends him because of the value he brings to the table.
The three-time NBA MVP wasn’t the only player he relied on for points, though.
“There were some players like (Tyrese) Maxey and VJ Edgecombe who, especially after (Joel) Embiid got injured, were just great value all season,” Boustani said. “A lot of great fantasy picks become great fantasy picks because of injuries to key players on the team.”
Chips, he said, are particularly valuable. Try to use them when you need to instead of when you want to. In addition to the Gameday Captain, there’s also the Wildcard and All-Star chips.
The All-Star chip, which allows you to make unlimited free transactions with an unlimited budget for one Gameday, can be used once this season. The Wildcard chip, which makes all your transactions free for the next Gameday, can be used three times.
Each Gameweek, Boustani received two free transactions, but decided to save those moves. Every additional transaction made, after all, deducts 100 points from your score.
Avoiding those 100-point deductions can help you climb leaderboards faster and/or ultimately help you win your league(s).
“I didn’t want to make a transfer early on, and then one of my players gets injured and then have to deal with that,” Boustani said. “I had a reserved approach.”
As for the season ahead, he sees Giannis Antetokounmpo as a high-value premium pick. Boustani noticed that, after Antetokounmpo played 36 games in 2025-26 due to injury, his salary did not increase in NBA Fantasy: Salary Cap Edition for 2026-27.
The 10-time All-Star is now with the Miami Heat after playing his entire career with the Milwaukee Bucks. His salary is set at $18.5M, but could fluctuate during the season.
Boustani’s sleeper pick is Darius Acuff Jr., who was selected by the Sacramento Kings with pick No. 7 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft. The rookie guard has an $8.0M salary.
“He looks amazing offensively. (He) was really good in college — great scorer, great playmaker,” Boustani said. “(I’m) not sure about his role early on, but I feel like at some point in the season, he’ll be great value.”
If you’re not sure who to pick, though, he also said picking your favorite players is a perfectly fine approach. It can give you another reason to root for them in real life.
You can’t select more than two players from your favorite team, but you can assemble a team of 10 of your favorite players from around the league.
Click here to build your team and take the first step!
FAQs
What are chips?
Chips can be used to potentially enhance your team’s score. Only one chip can be played on a single Gameday. You have the Gameday Captain (one per week), Wildcard (three per season) and All-Star chips (one per season) at your disposal.
When can I make transactions?
You have two free transactions per Gameweek during the season. Each additional transaction will deduct 100 points from your score, and unused free transactions do not carry over to the next Gameweek. Unlimited free transactions can be made until 2:30 p.m. ET on Oct. 20, which is the deadline for this season’s first Gameday.
When is the deadline for Gamedays?
You must choose your five-player lineup 30 minutes before tip-off of the first game on a given Gameday. If you do not choose your lineup, it will be automatically chosen for you, so that your team still earns points.
Can I earn points during the preseason?
No points are awarded from NBA preseason games. When the regular season begins Oct. 20, scoring will begin for NBA Fantasy: Salary Cap Edition.
