Fantasy Basketball Exit Interview: A second-round sweep pushes 76ers to confront future

The Philadelphia 76ers pulled off one of the more stunning upsets in the 2026 NBA playoffs, knocking off the Boston Celtics in seven games at TD Garden. In hindsight, that might as well have been their championship. The New York Knicks were waiting in the second round and made it a quick, ugly series. The celebration didn’t last long in Philly, as they were swept in four games, leaving a fanbase wondering where it goes from here.

With that in mind, here’s a recap of the Sixers season and what to expect from a fantasy perspective going forward.

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76ers’ backcourt: The present and the future

Tyrese Maxey is locked in as a first-round fantasy pick heading into next season. He is reliably the engine of everything Philadelphia does offensively and he proved it again this season. He finished sixth in High Score and fifth in 9-cat leagues, exceeding his 18th overall ADP. What sets him apart is his availability paired with top-end production — that’s why he was so integral for both Philly and fantasy managers. Maxey played in 70 games, averaging career highs in minutes, points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks per game, while shooting 37% on 3s and 89% from the line at a high volume. He’s an All-NBA talent and has become one of the best guards across fantasy basketball at just 25 years old.

VJ Edgecombe is on a star trajectory after an outstanding rookie campaign. The third pick in the 2025 NBA Draft ranked 74th in High Score and 57th in 9-cat leagues, far outpacing his 121st preseason ADP. What’s even more impressive is that he went undrafted in 57% of leagues. He was one of the top fantasy pickups of the season. I came away even more encouraged for what’s next after hearing his pledge to improve his shooting this offseason. I expect he’ll be off draft boards by the sixth or seventh rounds next season.

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Aging stars with expensive commitments

Joel Embiid made it through — well, sort of. Availability was a consistent issue during the regular season, with the former MVP playing in just 38 games, perpetuating his narrative as a fantasy headache. That’ll likely continue because…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy/article/fantasy-basketball-exit-interview-a-second-round-sweep-pushes-76ers-to-confront-future-002249543.html

Author : Dan Titus

Publish date : 2026-05-12 00:22:00

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