Wizards Legend John Wall Reveals Bet For No. 1 Draft Pick

John Wall

Nine games are on the NBA schedule for Monday night, giving FanDuel participants a host of options to consider when putting together their rosters. One quality matchup to keep an eye on is Washington's trip south to take on Southeast Division rival Charlotte, with the game boasting two of the NBA's top point guards. Washington's John Wall ($9,700) is averaging 45 FanDuel points per game on the season, a number he's surpassed in two of the last three games. While Wall's 58.5 FanDuel point outing against the Knicks Thursday night was the better of the two 45-plus point performances, he tallied 48.9 FanDuel points against a Memphis team that's far better defensively than the Knicks.
He'll run into another solid defensive team in the Hornets on Monday, and Charlotte point guard Kemba Walker can make Wall work defensively as well. Walker ($7,900) is averaging 36.7 FanDuel points per game, but he's failed to reach that mark in three of the last five games. Walker was solid in the first meeting with the Wizards, tallying 17 points, nine assists and six rebounds, but Wall was even better with 25 points, ten assists, seven steals and six rebounds as Washington won by three. Both players are capable of taking over a game when needed, and that could very well be the case for both Monday night.
Here are our FanDuel picks for Monday, using a $60,000 salary cap for a nine-player roster. Stats used are courtesy of Basketball Reference. (Getty)

The Washington Wizards will have the privilege to take the first pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. However, the stacked 2026 rookie class has made their decision a hard one to make. 

Former Wizards star John Wall, who was the team’s representative during the Draft Lottery, endorsed one player amid the debate over who should be the No. 1 pick in the draft. 

Wall said the Wizards should take Darryn Peterson, instead of top pick favorite AJ Dybantsa, whom Wall thinks should go No. 2 for the Utah Jazz

“For me, I’m taking Darryn Peterson No. 1,” Wall said. “But I’ve got AJ Dybantsa second.”

Wall’s announcement came a few hours before Wizards star Trae Young opted out of his $48.97 million player option for the 2026-27 season to become an unrestricted free agent. The Wizards are still expected to re-sign him for the next season. 


How Darryn Peterson Would Fit With The Wizards

St. John's v Kansas

GettySAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 22: Darryn Peterson #22 of the Kansas Jayhawks drives to the basket defended by Ian Jackson #11 of the St. John’s Red Storm during the first half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Viejas Arena at San Diego State University on March 22, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Peterson would give his NBA team good size at the guard position. In his lone year with Kansas, Peterson averaged 20.2 points per game, but he struggled with numerous injuries, including cramps, which his representatives said were induced by creatine. 

Peterson would also give the Wizards a solid two-way player as Young’s backcourt partner, if the former All-Star inks a new deal with Washington. 

Meanwhile, Dybantsa is a versatile 6-foot-9 forward with superstar-level ceiling, according to draft experts. Dybantsa led BYU with averages of 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game to earn All-American First Team honors.

However, Peterson has only met with the Wizards during the draft process, refusing to have workouts with the Jazz or the rest of the teams. The move indicated that Peterson desired to play for the Wizards and be the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft. 

NBA insider Jake Fischer revealed Peterson’s likely reason why he only met with the Wizards and not the Jazz. 

“For Peterson’s camp, though, sources say there’s as much motivation to avoid a positional overlap with incumbent ballhandler Keyonte George on the team that holds the No. 2 overall pick as there is a desire to go No. 1 ahead of Dybantsa and Boozer,” Fischer said.


Darryn Peterson Gets Compared To Kobe Bryant

NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament – Practice Day – San Diego

GettySAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 19: Darryn Peterson #22 of the Kansas Jayhawks works out during practice day ahead of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Viejas Arena at San Diego State University on March 19, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Former Wizards forward Markieff Morris compared Darryn Peterson to NBA great Kobe Bryant, urging the Wizards to draft him as the No. 1 pick. 

“If I’m the Wizards or anybody in this draft, Darryn Peterson is by far the best player,” Morris said in ESPN’s First Take. “He has flashes of Kobe [Bryant] all the time”

Peterson and Bryant both stand at 6-foot-6 and have superb offensive tools in their game. Both are also capable defenders. 

Adding a valuable rookie is expected to boost the Wizards’ championship aspirations. Over the past year, they added Trae Young and Anthony Davis to their roster on top of retaining their young core, such as Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly

All eyes will be on the Wizards’ decision at draft night on June 23, in Brooklyn, New York. 

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Wizards Legend John Wall Reveals Bet For No. 1 Draft Pick

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