2026-27 Fantasy Basketball Rankings: Damian Lillard, Ja Morant among hardest players to rank

Every fantasy basketball draft board looks different, and that's what makes draft day so fun, and so maddening. Some players simply refuse to fit neatly into 2026-27 fantasy basketball rankings, whether because of injury history, a crowded rotation or an unclear role.

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Below, we break down the ceiling and floor outlooks for five of the most polarizing names by ADP: Damian Lillard, Kel'el Ware, Derik Queen, Ja Morant and Kristaps Porziņģis. We also touch on why rookies like Cameron Boozer and AJ Dybantsa are tough to value, plus other risky picks who could be league-winning sleepers or costly draft busts.

2026-27 Rookie Class

• Cameron Boozer, MEM (ADP: 56)

• AJ Dybantsa, WAS (79.6)

• Caleb Wilson, CHI (79.6)

• Darryn Peterson, UTA (101.7)

• Darius Acuff Jr., SAC (107.8)

• Keaton Wagler, LAC (122.2)

• Mikel Brown Jr., BKN (125.4)

OK, I cheated a little bit and just threw rookies in here altogether. Rookies are always inherently more difficult to value because we've never seen what they can do on their new team. That will always be the case in fantasy, and it gets even worse because they tend to be overvalued in fantasy drafts. I actually have a strict rule to never draft rookies in any league or any sport I play fantasy in because the value never seems to match the production. Sure, I've been wrong, but I can guarantee you more rookies have been ADP busts than successful picks. 

Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers (ADP: 69)

Older players coming off injuries are always difficult to value, especially when it's one of the best players of this generation. Lillard hasn't played since April of 2025 and struggled in his two years with the Milwaukee Bucks. That made the move to Portland seem like an obvious choice, since Lillard was a first-round fantasy player in his time there. That alone makes Dame look like a decent value, averaging 25.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 0.9 steals and 3.2 3-pointers in his 11 seasons with the Trail Blazers. We don't expect him to return to that, but even 90% of that would make Lillard the steal of drafts in the middle rounds. What's also tricky about this situation is the packed backcourt in Portland. Guards like Ja Morant, Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson are all legitimate ball-handlers, and it's unclear how this kitchen full of cooks will dish out fantasy value. Nobody would be shocked if Lillard were a top-20 player, but a 36-year-old coming off an Achilles tear could be out of the league by next season, too. 

Kel'el Ware, Milwaukee Bucks (ADP: 75.6)

Ware was a key piece of the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, and his volatility is a major reason Miami wanted to give up on him while Milwaukee wanted to acquire him. His inconsistencies are remarkable, and it's unclear what role Ware will play in Milwaukee. Ware averaged 12.8 points, 11 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 1.3 blocks in 35 games as a starter last season but averaged 9.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 0.7 steals and 1.0 blocks in his 43 games as a reserve. The good news is that Ware is moving to a weaker rotation, but the bad news is that he still might not start with Myles Turner on the roster. This is the sort of guy who has the ability to be a league-winning player in a 30-minute starting role but could also be on the waiver wire a month into the season if he's only playing 15-20 minutes a night. Who knows which we'll see?

Derik Queen, New Orleans Pelicans (ADP: 86.5)

Queen showcased some stellar stat-stuffing in his rookie season, but his role was in flux all year. This big man was the first rookie center in NBA history to record a 30-point triple-double, but he was also benched for DeAndre Jordan at times. That says more about the organization than the player, but a team's stupidity needs to be baked into fantasy value. If you look at the 20 games Queen played at least 30 minutes, he averaged 19.6 points, 9.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. There aren't many better stat-stuffers in the league, but Queen played 21 minutes or fewer in 27 games. It's hard to believe New Orleans was doing that, but it's even more problematic since Yves Missi was an "untradable asset" that might end up starting over Queen. It's a baffling decision if that's the way the Pelicans lean, but it makes Queen nearly impossible to value. 

Ja Morant, Portland Trail Blazers (ADP: 88.8)

I honestly considered just throwing the whole Portland rotation into this article because who knows what will happen with this team? They literally have four point guards in this rotation, and none of those guys is even their best playmaker. That makes this Trail Blazers team impossible to understand because there's only so much fantasy value for all of these pieces. Morant might be the biggest question mark of the bunch because he had a fascinating career in Memphis. Morant looked like he was going to be the face of the Grizzlies organization, but off-court issues, injuries and inconsistent play led to him being traded to Portland. The Blazers bought low on one of the most exciting players of this generation, with Morant averaging 22.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.0 steals in his seven seasons with the Grizzlies. That alone would make Morant look like a good value, but there are way too many ball-handlers in this rotation to get a read on how this will play out.

Kristaps Porziņģis, Golden State Warriors (ADP: 104.9)

Porziņģis' illness absences are one of the biggest mysteries in the NBA. He's been in and out of the lineup for years with an illness and is already out indefinitely with the same issue. That's part of the reason why Porziņģis is playing for his sixth team over the last eight seasons. That kind of movement suggests teams are scared of Porziņģis, but it also shows how intrigued they are by his upside. This is truly one of the most dynamic fantasy players we've ever seen, with Porziņģis averaging 19.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.7 blocks and 1.9 3-pointers throughout his career. You simply don't see talent like this often, but he's only reached 60 games played once over the last eight years, and he's played just 74 over the last two seasons. Golden State really wants to lean on this guy next to Stephen Curry, but who knows how much he'll play?

Other Difficult Players to Rank

• Trae Young, WAS (ADP: 23.7)

• Chet Holmgren, OKC (ADP: 29.6)

• Jalen Williams, OKC (ADP: 40.8)

• Deni Avdija, POR (ADP: 40.3)

• Joel Embiid, PHI (ADP: 51)

• Kyrie Irving, DAL (ADP: 49.4)

• Naz Reid, CHA (ADP: 64.4)

• Alex Sarr, WAS (ADP: 68.2)

• VJ Edgecombe, PHI (ADP: 74.6)

• De'Aaron Fox, SAS (ADP: 79.6)

• Myles Turner, MIL (ADP: 101.9)

• Zach LaVine, SAC (ADP: 102.1)

• Ty Jerome, MEM (ADP: 106.2)

• Jrue Holiday, POR (ADP: 120)

• Kevin Porter Jr., MIL (ADP: 119.5)

• Fred VanVleet, HOU (ADP: 118)