How to win a 9-cat draft
Head-to-head 9-cat is won by taking five of nine categories every week, not by drafting the biggest names. Pick the categories you’ll win, then draft every player for them.
Updated 2026-10-14
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Choose what you’ll give up
Tap a category to punt it and see who climbs the board for that build.
Every category counts the same
Nine categories, each worth one win. You need five a week, so you can give one up entirely and spend every pick on the other eight. That’s punting, and it’s how most 9-cat titles are won.
Select a category on the wheel.
Draft week: where 9-cat value and ADP disagree
ADP is where players are actually going in drafts. Where it disagrees with 9-cat value, there’s a pick to be gained. These are the biggest gaps right now, on ADP from 28 October.
Value going late
| Player | 9-cat rank | ADP |
|---|---|---|
| Collin GillespiePHX · PG | #100season #86 | 140.6 |
| Reed SheppardHOU · SG/PG | #83season #62 | 118.9 |
| Kel'el WareMIL · C | #39season #31 | 79.8 |
| Damian LillardPOR · PG | #28season #38 | 71.7 |
| Lauri MarkkanenUTA · PF/SF | #14season #15 | 44.3 |
| Andrew WigginsMIA · SF/PF | #78season #69 | 109.1 |
Going earlier than their 9-cat value
| Player | 9-cat rank | ADP |
|---|---|---|
| Stephon CastleSAS · PG/SG | #139season #134 | 57.4 |
| Paolo BancheroORL · PF/SF | #126season #113 | 42.7 |
| Jalen GreenPHX · SG/SF | #162season #153 | 106.3 |
| Zion WilliamsonNOP · PF/C | #113season #118 | 71.6 |
| Deni AvdijaPOR · SF/PF | #85season #76 | 38.4 |
| Coby WhiteCHA · PG/SG | #137season #131 | 96.9 |
ADP is the average draft position across the big fantasy sites. 9-cat rank is per game, with the season rank (which counts games missed) under it, on 9cat.app Projections. Both have to beat or trail ADP by 20+ places. The longer lists: sleepers, fades and ADP risers and fallers.
What 9-cat rewards
Nine categories means a centre who wins blocks, boards and FG% can be worth as much as a 30-point scorer. Points-league rankings get 9-cat badly wrong: efficient bigs and low-usage defenders rank far higher here, and high-turnover volume scorers rank lower.
How a player’s value adds up
We measure each player in every category against a typical draftable player and add the nine together. Statisticians call it a z-score. You just need to know that a bar to the right helps your team and a bar to the left hurts it.
Two details matter. Percentages count by volume, so a 60% shooter on 15 attempts moves your FG% far more than one on four. And turnovers count against you, so ball-dominant creators give a little back.
When to commit to a punt
Usually after two or three picks. Take the best value early, then look at what your roster leans toward. If your first pick is a centre who shoots poorly at the line, punt FT% has already started, so lean in. Committing in round one locks you in before you know who falls to you.
Pairing punts works: punt FT% often goes with punt 3PM, punt TO with punt FG%. Don’t punt more than two. You need five categories every week, and injuries will cost you one some weeks anyway.
Adjust as your roster fills
Static rankings are a starting point. By round five you’re strong in some categories and thin in others, and the best pick is the one that fills a gap without hurting what you’ve already locked up. The 9cat board does this live: it reads your roster after every pick and reranks the whole pool for your needs and punts.
Draft-day checklist
- Know your settings: 9-cat or 8-cat, roster size, IR slots and keeper rules.
- Run a mock or two from the same draft slot to see who realistically falls to you.
- Pick a main punt and a backup before you start.
- Watch positions: centres who block shots run out fast.
- Late, take minutes: role players on rebuilding teams often beat their ADP.