2026-27 Fantasy Basketball: Best Players to Target for 9-Cat, Points & High Score Leagues

Fantasy basketball draft strategy for the 2026-27 NBA season starts with one question: How does your league score? A player who dominates 9-category (9-cat) leagues with steals, blocks and efficient shooting may lose value in standard points formats, while high-usage stars with turnover and field-goal percentage concerns can climb draft boards.

Yahoo's High Score format adds another twist by rewarding a starter's single best game each week. Nikola Jokić, Victor Wembanyama and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are elite in any format, but the middle rounds are where leagues are won. Here are the best fantasy basketball draft targets for every scoring format.

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Best players for 9-category leagues

Nine-category leagues reward efficiency, versatility and contributions in areas that don't necessarily stand out in traditional box scores. Shooting percentages, steals, blocks and turnovers can significantly influence a player's value, making certain specialists more attractive than their scoring averages might suggest. The better all-around contributions the player delivers, the more valuable he can be in category-based formats.

Derrick White, Boston Celtics

White is an excellent example of a player whose fantasy value extends well beyond his scoring average. The Celtics guard averaged 16.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.3 blocks per game in the 2025-26 season, and it wouldn't be surprising if he has an even bigger role offensively in 2026-27 now that Jaylen Brown is in Philadelphia. A scenario in which White performs as the Celtics' No. 2 option ahead of Paul George can't be ruled out. At the end of the day, White contributes across multiple categories, particularly 3-pointers, assists, steals and blocks, giving him an excellent floor almost every game.

Jaren Jackson Jr., Utah Jazz

Jackson's appeal in category leagues begins with his shot-blocking ability, but his offensive production makes him considerably more than a defensive specialist. He needs to stay healthy to be productive, as he was limited to just 48 regular-season appearances in 2025-26 and has played more than 70 regular-season games just twice in his eight seasons in the league. But when healthy, he's one of the most versatile, productive bigs in the league from a fantasy perspective. Yes, his rebounding numbers have traditionally been modest for a player of his size, but that weakness is easier to accommodate in category leagues through roster construction. He averaged 19.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.8 3-pointers and a combined 2.5 steals-plus-blocks in 2025-26. That's above-average production for category-based leagues, especially for a big man.

Dyson Daniels, Atlanta Hawks

Daniels represents another player whose defensive production can carry exceptional weight in category leagues. His ability to generate steals at an elite rate provides a significant advantage in one of fantasy basketball's most difficult categories to address consistently. Daniels also contributes rebounds and assists from the guard position, giving managers additional flexibility when constructing their rosters. His offensive role is limited, but he's not a liability on that end of the floor, either. If he takes a step forward as a scorer and 3-point shooter, Daniels could provide even more value in category formats because he can stuff the stat sheet with ease. He averaged 11.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 2.0 steals per game in 76 regular-season appearances in 2025-26.

Other players to consider: Paul George (Boston Celtics), Tari Eason (Houston Rockets), Ausar Thompson (Detroit Pistons), Trey Murphy (New Orleans Pelicans), Jalen Suggs (Orlando Magic)

Best players for standard points leagues

Standard points leagues reward cumulative production, making high-usage players who contribute across several statistical categories particularly attractive. Shooting percentages don't directly affect Yahoo's default fantasy-point totals, while turnovers carry a relatively modest penalty compared to the damage they can cause in 9-category leagues. With that in mind, here are players you should consider in standard point-based formats once the elite options are off the table.

Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic

Banchero's offensive workload makes him an excellent fit for standard points leagues, where his ability to accumulate points, rebounds and assists outweighs some of his efficiency concerns. The Magic forward is fully entrenched as the team's go-to scoring option, and it's common to see him lead the team in assists and/or rebounds as well. He averaged 22.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game across 72 regular-season appearances in 2025-26, and this format limits his efficiency issues — he's never shot above 46% from the floor or 34% from 3 in his career. His combination of scoring volume and secondary contributions provides a strong fantasy foundation even when his shooting percentages fluctuate.

Josh Giddey, Chicago Bulls

On the surface, Giddey could've been included in the above tier because he can fill the stat sheet and is a triple-double threat every time he steps on the court. However, he also has issues defensively, as he doesn't rack up many stats on that end of the floor, and his shooting percentages are a bit subpar, so he's a better fit for points-based leagues, where those limitations don't matter as much. At his best, the Australian guard offers an unusual mix of rebounding and backcourt playmaking, regularly contributing in categories that translate directly into fantasy points.

Managers looking for consistent all-around production should consider Giddey more aggressively in standard points leagues than in traditional category drafts. He's coming off a 2025-26 season in which he averaged career-best marks in points (17.0), rebounds (8.3) and assists (9.1) per game, and he should have a high usage rate in Chicago's rebuilding year in 2026-27 as well.

Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings

Domantas Sabonis is another player to keep close tabs on in points-based formats, because he thrives as a scorer, rebounder and playmaker — the three areas this format rewards. He can fill the stat sheet without adding many 3-pointers or steals, and his shooting percentages don't stand out, meaning the areas where he isn't above-average or downright elite don't really affect his upside in this format. If Sabonis is able to stay healthy in 2026-27, and that's a big if considering he was limited to just 19 regular-season appearances in 2025-26, he should be one of the first big men off the board in point-based leagues. During his last healthy season in 2024-25, Sabonis averaged 19.1 points, 13.9 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game.

Other players to consider: Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves), Jalen Duren (Detroit Pistons), Darius Acuff (Sacramento Kings), CJ McCollum (Atlanta Hawks), Davion Mitchell (Miami Heat)

Best players for Yahoo High Score leagues

High Score changes the traditional fantasy basketball equation by counting only each starter's highest-scoring performance of the week. That places greater emphasis on explosive individual games rather than consistency across multiple appearances.

Yahoo's scoring system also awards 2.0 points per assist without penalizing turnovers. High-usage playmakers, versatile stars and players capable of occasional monster performances can therefore carry considerably more value than they would in conventional formats.

Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons

Cunningham is almost tailor-made for High Score because of his combination of scoring, playmaking and the ability to dominate individual games. The Pistons guard averaged 23.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 9.9 assists during the 2025-26 season, giving him an outstanding statistical foundation. His assist production becomes especially valuable under High Score's scoring system, while the absence of turnover penalties lets managers embrace his aggressive offensive approach.

Cunningham's ability to produce 30-point double-doubles gives him the type of weekly ceiling that can swing matchups almost single-handedly. He's already an excellent fantasy option in standard points leagues, but High Score further enhances his value by rewarding his best performances without counting the occasional inefficient outing.

Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Curry's scoring volatility becomes less concerning in High Score, where fantasy managers only need one explosive performance to generate a strong weekly contribution. And the Warriors superstar remains capable of delivering enormous scoring nights through his three-point shooting from time to time. He averaged 26.6 points per game in the 2025-26 campaign despite being hampered by knee issues, and he had some explosive games — he scored over 35 or more points 10 times, and he surpassed the 40-point mark in four contests. His value in 9-category leagues remains closely tied to his shooting percentages, 3-point production and scoring efficiency. However, High Score allows managers to focus more directly on Curry's offensive ceiling. A 40-point performance with several assists can outweigh the occasional difficult shooting night, making him particularly appealing when drafting for upside rather than consistency.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Miami Heat

Antetokounmpo is one of the clearest examples of how High Score can change the evaluation of an injury-prone superstar. The former MVP was limited to just 36 regular-season games with the Bucks in the 2025-26 regular season, but he still averaged 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists per contest. Despite the limited playing time, he had six games in which he scored at least 37 points, and he probably would've had many more had he stayed healthy throughout the season.

Still, that limited availability significantly reduced his value in traditional formats, where missed games directly affect cumulative production. However, High Score offers a different perspective, as Antetokounmpo's explosive performances were good enough to consider him a viable option in most weeks. His ability to deliver elite production in a single appearance makes him more attractive in High Score than in formats that depend heavily on playing multiple games.

Which players are elite regardless of format?

While identifying format-specific targets can provide a draft-day advantage, some players are simply too productive to be significantly impacted by scoring differences.

Nikola Jokić remains the gold standard because of his exceptional combination of scoring, rebounding, assists and efficiency. His ability to produce triple-doubles makes him a dominant option in standard points and High Score leagues, while his balanced statistical profile provides tremendous value in 9-category formats.

Victor Wembanyama offers a similarly unique advantage through his elite shot-blocking, scoring, rebounding and expanding offensive repertoire. His defensive production is particularly valuable in category leagues, but his ability to deliver enormous single-game performances also makes him an outstanding High Score selection.

Luka Dončić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander belong in the same conversation thanks to their efficient scoring, defensive contributions, high usage rates and consistent offensive production. Their ability to combine high scoring totals with steals and strong shooting percentages gives them a reliable fantasy foundation regardless of the scoring system.

These players should remain among the earliest selections in virtually every draft. The more significant differences between formats emerge in the middle rounds, where understanding a player's strengths and weaknesses can help managers identify which player to target in the middle rounds. Those decisions can often make or break your roster at the end of the day.