LeBron James Or Dontayvion Wicks ... Biggest Acquisition For Philadelphia?
In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by Draft Nation 2026.
LeBron James—a Fantasy Life investor, BTW—has agreed to join the Philadelphia 76ers for the 24th season of his incredible career.
It’s arguably the second biggest Philadelphia acquisition of the offseason* … after the Eagles acquired Dontayvion Wicks from the Packers in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round pick back in April.
I mean hear me out, it’s pretty comparable…
- James signed a respectable 2-year deal for $8M, while Wicks signed a one-year deal worth $12.5 million with $9M guaranteed.
- Wicks is positioned to be the WR2 alongside DeVonta Smith and mentor first-round pick Makai Lemon, while James will fill a similar role with Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown.
- And sure, James is a stone-cold lock for the NBA Hall of Fame, but let’s not overlook that Nick Sirianni recently compared Wicks to a borderline Hall of Famer in Keenan Allen.
- The Sixers are now +1000-ish to win the title, while the Eagles are +1400.
I mean it’s basically apples-to-apples as far as impact.
OK, I might be jester-maxxing for the lolz, but I have been drafting a ton of late-round Wicks in my current drafts. It wouldn’t be crazy if he held off Lemon as the WR2 for a good chunk of the season. And even if he gets eclipsed, Jahan Dotson had a 71% route participation as the team’s No. 3 WR last year. There’s plenty to go around.
So congrats Philly fans. LeBron and Wicks in the same offseason?! I guess it is always sunny there …
* LeBron, if you’re reading this, I’m kidding. Please don’t have me fired …
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Around the Watercooler
The latest fantasy and NFL gossip, news, memes and more from your favorite football nerds …
🤔 Worried about Kyren Williams’ utilization impacting his fantasy value? Trend to think about.
😎 Sell or hold this Year 2 RB in dynasty? Opportunity is there.
🗞️ What are you hearing as training camps open? Big WR worry may be OK Week 1.
📬 Williams-Williams. Kendall’s mailbag has the answer and more.
👁️🗨️ Keeping an eye on the value of Christian Watson in dynasty. Especially compared to another young WR.
⛓️💥 If you’re into handcuffs … don’t be weird, we’re talking RBs.
🥇 Top WRs are just as valuable as RBs in auction drafts. Alphas anyone?
🙌 I’ll take cheaper Love … classic offseason speak.
🏃 If you aren’t doing hill sprints … how bad do you actually want it?
💘 You don’t have to worry about Valentine’s Day overlap … for the 2028 Super Bowl.
👀 Matthew joins the Rich Eisen Show to offer up some fantasy advice. Enjoy!
⚡️ What to do at the 1.02? A lightning-quick mock draft.
Around the Watercooler
The latest fantasy and NFL gossip, news, memes and more from your favorite football nerds …
🤔 Worried about Kyren Williams’ utilization impacting his fantasy value? Trend to think about.
😎 Sell or hold this Year 2 RB in dynasty? Opportunity is there.
🥇 Top WRs are just as valuable as RBs in auction drafts. Alphas anyone?
🙌 I’ll take cheaper Love … classic offseason speak.
🏃 If you aren’t doing hill sprints … how bad do you actually want it?
💘 You don’t have to worry about Valentine’s Day overlap … for the 2028 Super Bowl.
Editors’ Picks
Doesn’t it feel good to see some real news coming out of NFL training camps? Even if it ends up being wrong, it’s something to react to. Football is back! Almost. Our Fantasy Life Draft Guide, rankings and projections will help get you draft ready. And ICYMI, enjoy these articles.
Matthew’s Rankings
Where does the Godfather of Fantasy Football stand on the Bijan-Gibbs discussion? Check out Matthew Berry’s free half-PPR rankings at Fantasy Life.
Superflex Mock Draft
Quarterback, running back or wide receiver? In superflex, that’s quite the question on who to draft in Round 1. Adam Pfeifer makes his top pick a runaway.
TE Tiers
Could Colston Loveland make it a Big 3 at the top of the TE Tiers? Dwain McFarland continues his offseason positional study with an in-depth look at tight ends.
No Pressure, It’s Just The 1.04
There’s no big decision like the 1.01. Even at the 1.03, there is a decision that needs to be made between as many as three WRs. The 1.04? As Chris Allen laid out in his continuation of his annual draft-position mock draft series, that pick is somewhat freeing from having to pick a particular position for the tasty recipe that is your roster.
The 1.04 draft spot is the first slot where there are no expectations about your first pick. There’s no pressure from the market to go with a specific RB or WR. The whole roster-building process just became more malleable. However, it’s still on you (or us, at least for now) to determine the right ingredients to come up with a viable roster.
Chris did shift things a little by making this a 10-team draft, so let’s see how that recipe turns out—hungry yet? Now get cooking at the 1.04! ⤵️
Mike Evans vs. Terry McLaurin?
Mike Evans has a string of 1,000-yard seasons that is surpassed by only the GOAT himself, Jerry Rice. He’s going to San Francisco into a Kyle Shanahan offense that’s led by Brock Purdy. Pretty cool setup, huh? On the other side, Terry McLaurin already has a connection with rising start Jayden Daniels, as they connected on 13 TDs just 2 seasons ago. They’re close by each other in ADP. Who would you pick?
Matt LaMarca takes both sides of the argument, even bringing in Matthew Berry’s rankings into the discussion to help him with the decision. ⤵️
Some ADPs Are About To Skyrocket
Is Rome Odunze about to see his ranking and ADP make a big jump? What about George Kittle, Michael Pittman Jr. and others? Kendall and Pete nominate their players who could become more valuable as training camp rolls along. Subscribe to the Fantasy Life Show YouTube channel and don’t miss an episode.
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