Fantasy Basketball Guards Rankings for 2026-27

Guards rule fantasy basketball. They set the tempo, tilt categories, and in Yahoo’s High Score format, they can decide a week with one outrageous night. The 2026-27 class is loaded, from MVPs at the top to rookies and role players who can swing late rounds.

This is how the position stacks up.

Tier 1 – The Franchise Pillars

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
• Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is no longer a breakout story. He’s the standard. One of only two active guards with an MVP, and he’s done it in back-to-back seasons. He just finished 2025-26 with 31.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game, clearing 31 points per night in three of his last four campaigns. That’s not a hot streak. That’s a baseline.

In any format, he belongs in the top three alongside Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokić. In nine-category leagues, he’s the anchor you build everything around.

Luka Dončić walks into Los Angeles as the new face of the Lakers after LeBron James’ move to Philadelphia. The fit is obvious: a ball-dominant genius dropped into the league’s biggest spotlight. For High Score managers, his profile is almost unfair. Triple-double upside, monster usage, and a format where only his best game each week counts. A 65-to-70-game season hurts in standard leagues; here, it barely moves the needle.

Tier 2 – The Next Wave of Superstars

• Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
• Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons

Anthony Edwards has climbed the ladder every season. Six years in, his scoring average keeps rising. Last season: 28.8 points, 5 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.4 steals. Thirty a night is within reach now, not a dream. Pairing him with LaMelo Ball gives Minnesota one of the league’s most explosive backcourts and gives fantasy managers a first-round lock with room to grow.

Cade Cunningham turned Detroit’s offense into his personal stage and finished fifth in MVP voting. He averaged 23.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 9.9 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.8 blocks on 46.1% shooting across 64 games. The scoring is solid. The playmaking is elite. In High Score, where every assist is worth two points, a 15-dime night isn’t just nice—it can decide your matchup by itself.

Tier 3 – High-End Engines and Comeback Stories

• Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
• Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
• Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
• Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
• Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
• Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers
• Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers
• Trae Young, Washington Wizards

This is the second and third round sweet spot. Guards who drive offenses, carry scoring loads and flirt with elite value.

Tyrese Maxey and Jalen Brunson sit closest to the tier above. Both shoulder major scoring responsibilities and could easily punch through into true superstar fantasy territory if their usage nudges any higher.

Donovan Mitchell now shares playmaking with James Harden in Cleveland, Jamal Murray continues to operate alongside Jokić in Denver, and Austin Reaves slots in next to Dončić in Los Angeles. None of them monopolize the ball, but each has a clearly defined role and the numbers to match.

Then come the wild cards with sky-high ceilings.

Tyrese Haliburton returns from the Achilles injury that wiped out his 2025-26 season. His assist rate is among the league’s best, and if the health cooperates, he can regain value quickly. Trae Young is in a similar boat after appearing in just 15 games last year, averaging 17.9 points and 8 assists on 45.8% shooting. Both are especially appealing in High Score, where one explosive night per week is all that matters and field-goal percentage doesn’t drag them down.

Tier 4 – Volume, Versatility and Veteran Craft

• LaMelo Ball, Minnesota Timberwolves
• Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
• James Harden, Cleveland Cavaliers
• Josh Giddey, Chicago Bulls
• Brandon Miller, Charlotte Hornets
• Derrick White, Boston Celtics
• Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs
• Darius Garland, LA Clippers
• Tyler Herro, Milwaukee Bucks
• Keyonte George, Utah Jazz
• Jalen Green, Phoenix Suns

Most of this tier lives above 30 minutes a night. That’s where fantasy value breathes.

Stephen Curry, at 38, still bends defenses and box scores. Last season he put up 26.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.1 steals in just 30.9 minutes over 43 games. Limited games, same devastating impact when he plays.

James Harden has shifted from heliocentric star to high-level complement in Cleveland, but the assists and crafty scoring remain valuable.

Brandon Miller, Darius Garland, Tyler Herro, Josh Giddey and Jalen Green all carry prominent roles with a path to around 20 points per game plus useful secondary stats. These are early-to-middle round targets that round out your core.

Derrick White and rookie Stephon Castle deserve extra attention in High Score. Their defensive playmaking—steals and blocks—pays three points apiece, turning an active night in the passing lanes into a weekly difference-maker.

Tier 5 – Risk, Reward and Returning Names

• Dyson Daniels, Atlanta Hawks
• De’Aaron Fox, San Antonio Spurs
• Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
• Dejounte Murray, New Orleans Pelicans
• Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Atlanta Hawks
• Payton Pritchard, Boston Celtics
• Dylan Harper, San Antonio Spurs
• Ryan Rollins, Milwaukee Bucks
• Fred VanVleet, Houston Rockets

Dyson Daniels headlines this group in category formats. His steals upside is real, and he can flirt with triple-doubles often enough to matter in High Score as well. Nickeil Alexander-Walker brings a similar defensive profile in the same Atlanta backcourt, with more scoring juice.

The pressure shifts to the veterans coming off injuries. Damian Lillard returns from an Achilles issue in Portland, Fred VanVleet from a knee problem in Houston, and Dejounte Murray from back-to-back shortened seasons in New Orleans. In High Score, they don’t need 75 games to pay off. They just need to give you one strong outing a week.

De’Aaron Fox has the inside track as a lead guard in San Antonio alongside Dylan Harper. Payton Pritchard, the 2024-25 Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year, moved into a regular starting role last season and should see heavy minutes whether he opens games or leads the second unit. Ryan Rollins enters a revamped Milwaukee backcourt with opportunity in front of him.

Tier 6 – Solid Starters and Rising Names

• Mikal Bridges, New York Knicks
• Coby White, Charlotte Hornets
• Ja Morant, Portland Trail Blazers
• Cedric Coward, Memphis Grizzlies
• Ty Jerome, Memphis Grizzlies
• Darius Acuff, Sacramento Kings
• CJ McCollum, Atlanta Hawks
• Ayo Dosunmu, Minnesota Timberwolves
• Immanuel Quickley, Toronto Raptors

This is a mixed bag that fantasy managers love: rookies, second-year climbers, and steady veterans, all projected for consistent minutes and worth holding all season in a standard 12-team league. They’re ideal middle-round complements once your stars are in place.

Ja Morant stands out in High Score. His single-game ceiling—points, assists, highlights stacked together—fits the format perfectly. Darius Acuff is the rookie to monitor in this range, stepping into a Sacramento backcourt still figuring out its long-term shape.

Tier 7 – Late-Round Lottery Tickets

• Brandin Podziemski, Golden State Warriors
• Ajay Mitchell, Oklahoma City Thunder
• DeMar DeRozan, Denver Nuggets
• Jalen Suggs, Orlando Magic
• Jeremiah Fears, New Orleans Pelicans
• Davion Mitchell, Miami Heat

From the eighth or ninth round on, this is where you hunt value.

DeMar DeRozan brings proven scoring to Denver and will immediately push Christian Braun and Cameron Johnson for starter minutes. If he carves out a significant role, he becomes one of the steals of the late rounds.

Jalen Suggs and Davion Mitchell offer defense-first profiles, running offenses more as floor generals than volume scorers. They won’t always light up the points column, but their minutes, steals and stability can quietly glue a roster together.

The stars at the top will dominate headlines. The managers who win their leagues, though, will be the ones who read these tiers right and grab the guard who explodes just when the season starts to turn.