- Oct 16, 2026
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SportsMafia Wire graphic. Team logos and player headshots via ESPN.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić remained the highest-rated player in an annual oddsmaker exercise, finishing No. 1 for the third consecutive year. He was the only player valued above five points against the spread in each season of the survey.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama ranked second, narrowing the gap with Jokić. Three oddsmakers favored Jokić, while one backed Wembanyama and another called it even. "On the same exact team, we'd have Wemby a little higher," one oddsmaker said. Wembanyama became the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year and youngest winner at 22, leading the NBA with 197 blocks while averaging 11.5 rebounds.
Luka Dončić climbed to third, posting the highest value in the exercise's history at 4.58 as the Lakers built around him. SGA of the Thunder placed fourth with the least variance among oddsmakers. Giannis Antetokounmpo ranked fifth on a new team, though one oddsmaker expressed uncertainty about his fit with Bam Adebayo.
The Philadelphia 76ers led all teams with 10.82 points ATS, featuring five players valued at least one point. LeBron James, now with Philadelphia, tied for 32nd at 1.92, his lowest mark in three years. Duke product Cam Boozer, the No. 3 overall pick, emerged as the rookie most likely to carry ATS value.
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).