Fantasy Basketball Rankings (Points Leagues): Early Birds and Losers in the 2026-27 NBA Season

Each week I will update my point or 9 cat rankings with a running list of ups and downs. Since this is the first, there is no previous ranking to compare with. Instead, here are the players whose production through Wednesday, Oct. 28 stood out the most, for better or worse, with my full Yahoo Standard Points rankings at the bottom of the article. Fantasy points per game (FP/G) are from Yahoo as of Thursday, October 29.

Keep in mind that this is only about 4-6 datasets. My rankings project the remainder of the season, so a few players on the fallers list are currently ranked higher than their numbers. I expect them to improve. And naturally, a player who is on fire right now will probably slide over time.

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📈 The Risers: breakthrough until week 1

Ty Jerome – PG/SG, Memphis Grizzlies: 20th overall

After earning Western Conference Player of the Week honors, it’s only fitting that Jerome tops the list of fantasy basketball players. He’s averaging 29.8 points and 6.3 assists (45.3 fantasy points per game) through four games and is among the league leaders in scoring a week and a half into the season.

Monday gave him a reality check, where he scored 15 points on 4-of-15 shooting. Given Jerome’s injury history, I’d be open to offers for the eighth-year vet. His volume and usage are elite, but you could extract serious value from him on the trade market given how well he’s currently playing. I ranked him 20th in my latest rankings because he will continue to put up big numbers for a Memphis team that has played well above expectations.

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Yaxel Lendeborg – PF/SF, Golden State Warriors: 49th overall

This year’s rookie class is coming out strong, starting with Yaxel. He plays like a veteran, fitting seamlessly into the Warriors’ system and providing a much-needed offensive spark as a scorer and playmaker. The rookie is averaging 22.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.6 shares over five games, or 40.8 fantasy points per game. He had 31 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in Monday’s win at Denver, then followed that up with 26 points on 11-of-20 shooting and nine rebounds in 34 minutes in Wednesday’s 119-114 win at Minnesota. I wouldn’t sell stocks; on the contrary, I would seek to acquire more because it is the real deal.

Caleb Wilson – PF, Chicago Bulls: 51st overall

The No. 4 overall pick is averaging 20.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.4 blocks (38.9 fantasy points per game) through five games. Wilson is already establishing himself as one of the Bulls’ main offensive weapons despite shooting just 40 percent from the field. Imagine what his numbers will look like when his shot falls. He had 30 points and 14 rebounds in Saturday’s loss to Washington, then 20 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 actions in 38 minutes in Wednesday’s 133-127 loss to the Knicks – the third time he has scored at least 20 points in his young career. Turnovers are the only thing holding him back, but he’s firmly in the Rookie of the Year conversation.

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Ajay Mitchell – PG/SG, Oklahoma City Thunder: 81st overall

Jalen Williams (leg) and Cason Wallace (torn labrum) are expected to miss most, if not all, of the season, opening up a starting spot for Mitchell, who is averaging 15.8 points, 3.3 assists and 2.5 steals (34.1 fantasy points per game) through four games. He dropped 30 points on 10-of-16 shooting in 25 minutes Monday, then played through a sprained ankle Wednesday and had 29 points on 12-of-20 shooting with 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 plays in 27 minutes of a 120-96 loss at Dallas.

He could be a league-winning type of player if he stays healthy. In his first two seasons, he only played 57% of the games.

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Paul Reed – PF/C, Detroit Pistons: 90th overall

Reed is the Pistons’ starting center with Jalen Duren out, averaging 15.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks (30.3 fantasy points per game) over four games. I haven’t been too aggressive with his ranking because Duren’s injury is short-lived; he will likely miss a few more weeks with a hamstring ailment. Still, it’s worth recognizing Reed’s play over the past few games, including 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in 26 minutes in Tuesday’s loss to the Knicks and 16 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals and a block in 38 minutes in Wednesday’s 97-89 win over Charlotte.

Reed has been a solid replacement and done enough for fantasy managers to hold on after Duren returns. Hamstring injuries can be tricky.

📉 The Fallers: players hit a first wall

LaMelo Ball – PG, Minnesota Timberwolves: 36th overall

I remain optimistic about LaMelo even though he struggles out of the gate. Before Anthony Edwards went down with a knee injury, Ball still wasn’t putting up the numbers I had projected. As of Thursday, Ball was averaging 13.4 points, 6.6 assists and 1.6 steals (26.9 fantasy points per game) over five games, and turnovers are a big part of that. I dropped him around the third round of my rankings because it’s a long season. He will have no choice but to increase his scoring to keep the Wolves competitive without Edwards. It’s only a few games and adjustments will be made. This is a low buy for me.

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Josh Giddey – PG/SG, Chicago Bulls: 77th overall

Whether it’s a wrist injury or just being passive, I don’t like what I’ve seen from Giddey so far. The point guard is averaging 7.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 8.0 assists (26.7 fantasy points per game) over five games. While he still does a good job rebounding and playmaking, his minutes (27) and shooting volume (8 per game) are well below his career marks since joining the Bulls. His assist level keeps him in points leagues, but I’d sell him after a big scoring night. There is reason to be concerned and the wrist injury is clearly impacting his confidence and ability to shoot the basketball.

Desmond Bane – SG/SF, Orlando Magic: 55th overall

The Orlando Magic can’t seem to avoid the injury bug. First, Paolo Banchero (ankle) will be out for 6-8 weeks, then Jalen Suggs is out with a knee injury for at least two weeks. This should be good news for Bane, since he would absorb a lot of this use and opportunity, but it hasn’t translated yet. Bane started slowly last year and only really took off when Paolo or Franz Wagner got injured.

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So far, Bane is averaging 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 actions (26.9 fantasy points per game) through four games. He’s been inconsistent, but it’s much more likely that he’ll experience a positive regression and hit his 18-20 points per game mark soon. I would continue to hold on.

Rudy Gobert – C, Minnesota Timberwolves: 123rd overall

I wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about Gobert at the start of the season, but he’s playing worse than expected. In five games, he is averaging 6.6 points and 12.2 rebounds (23.5 fantasy points per game). Rebounding provides a safe playing field, but the lack of points, steals and blocks keeps the total low. With Edwards out for up to two months, Minnesota’s offense will look different, but Gobert’s hands in the pan and lack of spatial awareness on offense are issues. I would watch Joan Beringer closely, because with Gobert in the final year of his contract, the Wolves may need to compensate for some of Gobert’s poor offense with a more capable rim runner and lob threat to pair with Ball.

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Zach Edey – C, Memphis Grizzlies: 76th overall

As good as the Grizzlies have been, Edey has been very disappointing. He is averaging 6.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks (23.2 fantasy points per game) through three games. He’s playing 21 minutes per game to deal with an ankle injury, so we should expect more average production until he’s ready for a heavier workload. Given his previous ankle injuries, Memphis should be careful with his big man. However, Fantasy managers’ patience will be limited if it is a platoon type player.

Complete Yahoo Points Rankings through Week 1