The pre-season player rankings are updated! Want to customize your own rankings? Head to My Team -> Draft to set your own order. Whether you use the default rankings or your own, they determine two things: 1) the order players appear in during your draft, and 2) which player gets auto-drafted onto your team if you miss your pick in a timed draft.
This also means private league drafts can now begin at any time. It’s entirely up to your commissioner to decide when to start the draft manually. Public league drafts kick off October 24.
Good luck, and happy drafting!
Before drafting, though, let’s take a brief look at the top 100 players. For a standard ten-team league with default starting lineup positions (1 PIC, 1 ACTR, 1 ACTRS, 1 DIR/SCRN, 1 ANI/INT/DOC, 1 CIN/EDIT/CAST, 1 PD/CD/MUAH, 1 SCORE/SONG/SOUND/VFX, 2 FLEX), these 100 players are worthy of regular starting lineup slots throughout the season.
As with all fantasy sports, though, every single player comes with boom or bust potential. Here are my early takes on the boom and bust potential of the top 30, which may help give you an edge in your fantasy draft. Let’s get to it!
- Christopher Nolan (DIR-SCRN-SONG) – The Odyssey
- BOOM: Should be taken #1 overall in all leagues because he can camp out in your SCORE/SONG/SOUND/VFX slot, which increases his overall value immensely.
- BUST: He could be slow out of the gate in the indie- and doc-centric Matchup #1, and the director and screenplay fields are crowded, so he might not score as many wins as a typical #1.
- La bola negra (INT)
- BOOM: True double-threat at every ceremony to get both Best Picture and Best International points, even for win points.
- BUST: The Odyssey could take wins away from it, and Netflix faces a notable bias at a few industry ceremonies, including the Oscars.
- Martin McDonagh (DIR-SCRN) – Wild Horse Nine
- BOOM: Dual-threat, and might corner the Original Screenplay points because Original is way less crowded than Adapted.
- BUST: Directing wins might be harder to come by with Nolan and Los Javis lurking.
- The Odyssey (PIC)
- BOOM: The current favorite to win the Oscar for Best Picture, and no mainstream awards body is going to snub it for a nomination.
- BUST: Just how many wins can it get in the regular season when critics orgs might want to share the love with La bola negra and Wild Horse Nine?
- Javier Ambrossi (DIR-SCRN) – La bola negra
- BOOM: Dual-threat to get nominations everywhere, and will get a nice win total too.
- BUST: Won’t corner either the directing or adapted screenplay markets, and one other player (the other half of Los Javis) is guaranteed to get equal points.
- Javier Calvo (DIR-SCRN) – La bola negra (See #5)
- NOTE: ANY of the top six here could make a justifiable case for going #1 overall.
- Julianne Moore (ACTRS) – The Debut
- BOOM: She is the clearest frontrunner in ANY acting category, and the current frontrunner for the Oscar. Should be the first ACTRS off the board.
- BUST: When there is a clear frontrunner, some critics orgs might spread the love more often than anticipated, capping her wins.
- Wild Horse Nine (PIC)
- BOOM: High floor, will easily get nominated everywhere.
- BUST: Can it win enough to justify a first-round draft price?
- John Malkovich (ACTR) – Wild Horse Nine
- BOOM: Oscar buzz WITH so-called “due” status means he’s a shoo-in for nominations and wins aplenty.
- BUST: The Best Actor race is a sneaky one, with Andrew Scott and Matt Damon taking away some wins, making him a possibility for a slow regular season.
- Paul Giamatti (ACTR) – The Debut
- BOOM: Current frontrunner for Best Supporting Actor in a somewhat thin field, and the last supporting actor in a Jesse Eisenberg vehicle (Kieran Culkin) got gobs of points and an Oscar win.
- BUST: Supporting acting categories are much harder to predict in the fantasy points world.
- Jesse Eisenberg (ACTR-DIR-SCRN-SONG) – The Debut (and technically Minions & Monsters)
- BOOM: He can occupy one of THREE starting lineup slots and could get reliable points for SONG too.
- BUST: His directing and screenwriting points could come up short on wins.
- Anne Hathaway (ACTRS-SONG) – The Odyssey, The Devil Wears Prada 2, The End of Oak Street, Mother Mary, Verity
- BOOM: Five movies! Most of her points will come from The Odyssey, but she can get bonus points for ANY of the other four movies. AND she has song eligibility for her co-songwriting credit in Mother Mary.
- BUST: Sure, she’s the frontrunner for an Oscar now, but that is the most unknown of the four acting categories right now.
- Andrew Scott (ACTR) – Elsinore, Pressure, A Place in Hell
- BOOM: It’s entirely possible that he could win enough at critics orgs to be the top-ranked actor by the end of the regular season, kinda like what Colin Farrell did for The Banshees of Inisherin.
- BUST: It’s a three-horse race for Best Actor (right now), and he could be on the outside looking in, given that he is the first-ranked player from something other than The Odyssey, La bola negra, Wild Horse Nine, or The Debut. Scott is probably the most boom-or-bust player in the top 20!
- Sam Rockwell (ACTR) – Wild Horse Nine; Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die; Ray Gunn
- BOOM: He’s always reliable for lots of points, plus he could get some bonus voiceover points to go along with a safe nomination everywhere for WH9.
- BUST: Sure, nominations are nice, but will there be enough wins?
- Sandra Hüller (ACTRS) – Fatherland, Rose, Digger, Project Hail Mary
- BOOM: She could get points for ALL four movies, and the difference between them isn’t that large…
- BUST: Is she a true quadruple-threat? Or is she more of a nominated-for-one-thing-at-each-ceremony-and-wins-nothing type?
- Hoyte van Hoytema (CIN) – The Odyssey
- BOOM: The first true below-the-line player off the board. Because The Odyssey is literally the first movie to be filmed entirely in IMAX, he will rack up enough points that by season’s end, he could have an Overall Rank in the top 10!
- BUST: Drafting any technical category early carries risk.
- Denis Villeneuve (DIR-SCRN) – Dune: Part Three
- BOOM: If Dune: Part Three is a masterpiece, all this talk about The Odyssey, La bola negra, and Wild Horse Nine could be premature because of festival buzz, and Villeneuve could steal some wins.
- BUST: He finished as the sixth- or seventh-ranked director for Dune: Part Two, and it’s a really crowded field for directing and screenplay points. He has the highest ceiling, but also the lowest floor of any player taken in the first two rounds.
- Penélope Cruz (ACTRS) – La bola negra, Bunker, The Invite, The Bride!
- BOOM: Could get points for THREE movies, making her a triple-threat.
- BUST: Will she split the vote with herself?
- Olivia Wilde (ACTRS-DIR) – The Invite, I Want Your Sex, Behemoth!
- BOOM: True dual-threat who seems safe for many directing nominations, plus some bonus acting points for any of the three movies she’s in.
- BUST: The strongest case for points for The Invite is the screenplay, which is NOT written by her.
- Dune: Part Three (PIC)
- BOOM: C’mon, this will get an Oscar Best Picture nomination and probably everywhere else too.
- BUST: Nominations might be the only points this gets.
- Curry Barker (DIR-EDIT-SCRN) – Obsession
- BOOM: The first debut director off the board, which counts for quite a bit at RCR, and he can take up a below-the-line lineup slot.
- BUST: Are debut points the only points available here, and are they enough to justify such a high draft price?
- Ludwig Göransson (SCORE-SONG) – The Odyssey, The Mandalorian and Grogu
- BOOM: Could end up the #2 ranked player in that position with some bonus SONG points.
- BUST: Will any critics groups get tired of ALWAYS handing a win to him every time he has a score out?
- Jordan Firstman (ACTR-DIR-SCRN) – Club Kid
- BOOM: Will corner the debut market along with Curry Barker, and has cross-position eligibility.
- BUST: See #21.
- Matt Damon (ACTR) – The Odyssey
- BOOM: Could easily be a top 2 for Lead Acting points if Andrew Scott or John Malkovich stumble.
- BUST: Three lead actors have a finite amount of points. His floor is high enough to be a starter, but low enough that you might look elsewhere in the third round.
- Project Hail Mary (PIC)
- BOOM: Ultimate crowd-pleaser with plenty of nominations to boot.
- BUST: Will voters at ceremonies forget about this movie from early in the year?
- Rashida Jones (ACTRS-SCRN) – The Invite, In the Blink of an Eye, Hexed
- BOOM: Cross-eligibility, and The Invite is strongest with its script.
- BUST: She won’t get any significant points for her acting roles, and only getting screenplay points caps her ceiling.
- Will McCormack (SCRN) – The Invite
- BOOM: Again, The Invite is strongest with its script.
- BUST: Even though he’ll score pretty much exactly the same as Rashida Jones, he could end up ranked lower because of Jones’s cross-eligibility.
- Inde Navarrette (ACTRS) – Obsession
- BOOM: She’ll get some bonus points for breakthrough acting and could turn into a critics’ darling with enough wins to be a top 2 actress by the end of the regular season.
- BUST: If anyone has critics’-darling-turned-Oscar-snub potential, it’s Navarrette, given The Academy’s strong bias against horror.
- Alberto Conejero (SCRN) – La bola negra
- BOOM: Oh yeah, La bola negra has a third co-writer alongside Los Javis.
- BUST: SCRN-only players will always have a lower ceiling than their DIR-SCRN counterparts, so if screenplay points in a crowded Adapted Screenplay field are hard to come by, Conejero suffers the most.
- Wildwood (ANI)
- BOOM: A leading animated movie is very underrated in starting lineups, and not being part of a franchise could help or hurt.
- BUST: There’s another animated movie that can steal wins, which IS part of a franchise.
- The Debut (PIC): Will get plenty of comedy/musical bonus points and plenty of nominations otherwise, but how many wins are there?
- Guitarricadelafuente (ACTR-SONG) – La bola negra: Breakthrough, Song, and Supporting Acting make him a fringe triple-threat.
- You Can See Everything (DOC): Documentaries get special treatment in that all points in ANY category go to the documentary. This could end up being a juggernaut, or it could end up too fictional to be a documentary and too non-fictional to be a picture.
- Toy Story 5 (ANI): Pixar and a loved franchise equate to points, but how many wins?
- Robert Pattinson (ACTR) – The Odyssey, Primetime, Dune: Part Three, The Drama, Here Comes the Flood: So many movies with point potential.
- Once Upon a Time in Harlem (DOC): The first “true” doc off the board, but documentaries are THE hardest thing to predict.
- NAZA (DOC): Broke the record for standing ovation at Venice, plus Oscar pedigree.
- The Invite (PIC): Smart script, focused scale, masterclasses in acting.
- John Leguizamo (ACTR) – The Odyssey: Crowd-pleaser for supporting actor. Could very well get the most wins in the regular season.
- Cristian Mungiu (DIR-SCRN) – Fjord: Somewhat divisive film in a crowded field, but should get plenty of Original Screenplay noms.
- Samantha Morton (ACTRS) – The Odyssey: See #39 for the same reasons. Is there enough screen time, though?
- Drew Goddard (SCRN) – Project Hail Mary: Faithful adaptation of a universally liked movie will certainly appeal to critics, if not more.
- Gris Jordana (CIN) – La bola negra: Having a top-tier cinematographer will help you out, and she’ll get nominated everywhere.
- Raül Refree (SCORE-SONG) – La bola negra: Dual-threat with the song credit.
- Fjord (INT): Sure, it’s a little divisive, but it’ll rack up nom points.
- Greig Fraser (CIN) – Project Hail Mary: Fraser is a popular CIN every year for a reason.
- Jennifer Lame (EDIT) – The Odyssey: The first non-CIN in the CIN/EDIT/CAST slot, as she will methodically gather points anywhere that honors editors.
- Hans Zimmer (SCORE) – Dune: Part Three, The Last Photograph: Decent floor with Oscar nomination potential.
- Obsession (PIC): Will get bonus points for genre, but how often does it get Best Picture?
- Alberto Gutiérrez (EDIT) – La bola negra: Any editor for a picture getting Oscar Best Picture buzz is a safe bet.
- Mike Leigh (DIR-SCRN) – Tender Loving Care: Will Leigh’s supposed last movie get him more recognition this year?
- Renate Reinsve (ACTRS) – Fjord, Backrooms: Not quite a true dual-threat, but should get plenty of noms for Fjord.
- All of a Sudden (INT): Japan’s official submission from Drive My Car helmer Ryusuke Hamaguchi.
- Phil Lord (DIR) – Project Hail Mary: Ceiling is capped with only directing, but Project Hail Mary is a crowd-pleaser.
- Christopher Miller (DIR) – Project Hail Mary: See #54.
- John Turturro (ACTR) – The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, The Statement: Trendy pick to get an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
- Dune: Part Three (VFX): Frontrunner for an Oscar win, and will get nominated everywhere there’s a VFX honor for mainstream films.
- Ray Gunn (ANI): Brad Bird’s buzzy animated film should be contending for at least a nomination.
- Ruth De Jong (PD) – The Odyssey: C’mon, it’s The Odyssey.
- Ellen Mirojnick (CD) – The Odyssey: See #59.
- Ryan Gosling (ACTR) – Project Hail Mary: He should be nominated everywhere, but Best Actor is plenty crowded.
- I Play Rocky (PIC): Got second place at TIFF.
- Lukas Frank (SCORE-SONG) – Behemoth!: Part of “The Behemoth! Collective,” nine composers ranked here (#63-71). However, Frank is the one to own because he wrote the original song, upping his point potential.
- Michael Giacchino (SCORE) – Behemoth!, The End of Oak Street, Klara and the Sun, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Ray Gunn: The sheer volume of credits should add a few bonus points to his total score.
- Alan Silvestri (SCORE) – Behemoth!, Avengers: Doomsday: Maybe gets a couple of bonus points for Avengers.
- James Newton Howard (SCORE) – Behemoth!, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping: See #65, but for Hunger Games.
- Michael Abels (SCORE) – Behemoth!, Hope
- Henry Jackman (SCORE) – Behemoth!, Jumanji: Open World
- Nami Melumad (SCORE) – Behemoth!, Ali G: Who Iz I?
- Brandon Roberts (SCORE) – Behemoth!, Ice Cream Man
- Emily Bear (SCORE) – Behemoth!
- American Doctor (DOC): Fairly safe floor for nominations.
- Ryusuke Hamaguchi (DIR-SCRN) – All of a Sudden: The international race is stacked, but he is a familiar name in the awards space.
- Patrice Vermette (PD) – Dune: Part Three: He won the Oscar for Dune and was Oscar-nominated for Dune: Part Two; why wouldn’t he be nominated again for Dune: Part Three?
- Iron Boy (ANI-INT): There’s usually room for at least one international animated feature, and it could be this one.
- Mikkel E.G. Nielsen (EDIT) – Wild Horse Nine: See #50.
- Virginie Efira (ACTRS) – All of a Sudden, A Private Life, Parallel Tales: Even though there are three films, all her points will come from All of a Sudden.
- The Odyssey (MUAH): The Academy loves special effects makeup.
- Linus Sandgren (CIN) – Dune: Part Three, Wuthering Heights: The good news is that Dune and Dune: Part Two were both nominated for a Cinematography Oscar. The bad news is that it wasn’t Sandgren. Even so, he’ll be perfectly fine.
- Minotaur (INT): Winner at Cannes and France’s submission for Best International Feature, from Russian exile Andrey Zvyagintsev.
- Daniel Pemberton (SCORE-SONG) – The Drama, Ink, Masters of the Universe, Project Hail Mary, Musk: His SONG credit is for co-writing “Let Me Sell You a Dream” with David Byrne, which will get him bonus points to complement his Project Hail Mary points.
- The Odyssey (SOUND): The first SOUND off the board for a reason.
- Brian K. Vaughan (SCRN) – Dune: Part Three: This installment is arguably the most difficult Dune adaptation, but Adapted Screenplay is stacked.
- Łukasz Żal (CIN) – Fatherland: He is always a threat to get points, but is Fatherland big enough to matter?
- Charles Wood (PD) – Project Hail Mary: Should be a safe source of nomination points.
- Behemoth! (PIC): Could sneak into the Oscar Best Picture and AFI lineups.
- Elsinore (PIC): If Andrew Scott does really well, Elsinore will also do well.
- Joe Walker (EDIT) – Dune: Part Three: Missed the nomination for Dune: Part Two, but this go-around might be different.
- Roger Bellés (PD) – La bola negra: It really seems like La bola negra is going to get its fair share of technical points too.
- Mariana di Girolamo (ACTRS) – Wild Horse Nine: Could end up being the steal of the draft if Best Supporting Actress is as wide open as I think it is.
- Ana López Cobos (CD) – La bola negra: Can’t go wrong with period pieces, and La bola negra has several.
- Project Hail Mary (VFX): Don’t forget that this one is a safer VFX pick than The Odyssey.
- Jacqueline West (CD) – Dune: Part Three, Digger: Familiar name in the costume world and could end up being a dual-threat.
- Edward Norton (ACTR) – The Invite: He checks off a lot of boxes to be a steady source of points.
- Léa Le Dimna (SCRN) – All of a Sudden: Newcomer sharing co-writing credits with Hamaguchi.
- Dune: Part Three (SOUND): Will get an Oscar nomination, at least, and will have a good showing at the Golden Reels and Cinema Audio Society.
- Werwulf (MUAH): Special effects makeup does well.
- Musk (DOC): Sure, it’s long and maybe even controversial, but it should have a safe floor.
- Jack Antonoff (SONG) – Toy Story 5, Mother Mary, Primetime: Most of his points should come from his collab with Taylor Swift on “I Knew It, I Knew You,” but he’ll absolutely score points for also collaborating with Charli XCX (Mother Mary) and Phoebe Bridgers (Primetime).
- Taylor Swift (SONG) – Toy Story 5: The Oscar nomination has proved elusive for Taylor Swift, but maybe this is what will get her over the hump.
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