The 2026 NBA draft class is shaping up to be a special one, and early signs suggest it will live up to the high expectations set for it. That promise carries over to fantasy basketball, where six rookies currently have Average Draft Positions (ADPs) in the top 130, meaning they are being selected in typical fantasy drafts. In a normal season, only a small number of rookies are discussed for fantasy drafts. Several others are on the fringe, either being drafted in deeper leagues or set to be on the radar as free agents of interest once the season begins.
Here is a closer look at the rookie class as the season approaches, and when you should consider taking each player in your fantasy drafts.
Middle-round prospects
Caleb Wilson (ADP 75.2), Cameron Boozer (ADP 75.3) and AJ Dybantsa (ADP 76.1) are coming off fantasy draft boards in a similar range, around the seventh round. All three look poised to start for their respective teams and contribute significantly out of the gate.
AJ Dybantsa, F, Washington Wizards
Dybantsa was the top overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft and was the leading scorer in college basketball as a freshman last season. He carried that scoring form into the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 25.0 PPG and 7.0 RPG in two games. He has started the first two preseason games for the Wizards and has played a total of 46 minutes, producing a combined stat line of 25 points, nine rebounds, five steals and four assists.
Dybantsa is a strong candidate to lead the rookie class in scoring this season. He draws free throws well and shoots a good percentage. However, he does not hit many 3-pointers for a volume scorer, and he may not have many strong fantasy categories outside of scoring. Overall, Dybantsa is worthy of fantasy draft consideration in the middle rounds. Even so, the author ranks him slightly lower than his ADP, closer to the top 85 than the top 75, in both points and category leagues.
Cameron Boozer, PF, Memphis Grizzlies
The third overall pick has been the betting favourite to win NBA Rookie of the Year since draft night, sitting at +300 to win at DraftKings. He was a 20-10 big man in college, but he is also a strong passer who scores efficiently and can knock down the 3-pointer. In his first three NBA preseason games, Boozer scored in double figures and produced strong per-minute rebound and assist totals in all three outings. The Grizzlies traded former franchise player Ja Morant this offseason, opening the way for Boozer to become the centrepiece of their rebuilding efforts. Boozer currently ranks in the top 70 in points leagues and the top 80 in category leagues, just above his ADP in points leagues and right on his ADP in categories.
Caleb Wilson, PF, Chicago Bulls
Wilson was among four rookies considered for the top overall pick and went fourth overall. Coming out of college, he was regarded as an elite athlete at power forward who would be a strong defender, rebounder and finisher at the next level. At the Las Vegas Summer League, however, he showed an entirely new skill set that changes his ceiling: 3-point shooting. Wilson opened eyes by knocking down seven 3-pointers in his summer league debut against Boozer’s Grizzlies, and he has continued to show that the 3-pointer will be a strong part of his game. In his first three NBA preseason games, Wilson has averaged 17.7 PPG and 2.0 3PG in 28.7 MPG. His strong projections in the defensive and 3-point categories place him slightly higher in category rankings than in points rankings (top 60 versus top 80). Wilson ranks as the top rookie in both scoring formats.
Late-round prospects
Darius Acuff Jr. (ADP 105.2), Darryn Peterson (ADP 108.4) and Yaxel Lendeborg (ADP 129.1) have been drafted in the later rounds of fantasy leagues.
Darryn Peterson, SG, Utah Jazz
Many regarded Peterson as the best prospect in this draft. He was in the debate with Dybantsa for the No. 1 pick before going second overall. Peterson is an electric scoring combo guard with the size and skill set that hint at superstar potential if his game matures. Of the top four picks, he may have both the highest ceiling and the lowest floor.
In his first two preseason games, both starts, Peterson scored 23 points in 30 minutes in a game where Lauri Markkanen was out and both Keyonte George and Jaren Jackson Jr. played monitored minutes. In the other game, when Markkanen played, he managed only three points in 22 minutes. Peterson’s wider range of expected outcomes, along with his inefficiency as a volume scorer, gives him lower fantasy projections than his other top-four classmates. He ranks in the top 110 in points leagues, right at his ADP, and in the top 130 in category leagues. He is a late-round prospect with the upside to deliver fantasy starter numbers in the best-case scenario.
Darius Acuff Jr., PG, Sacramento Kings
Acuff was a high-volume lead guard in a unipolar offence in college, and he has been drafted into a similar situation in the NBA. He is slated to start at point guard for a Kings side in full rebuild mode and should have plenty of opportunities to produce points, assists and 3-pointers from opening tip. Acuff struggled with efficiency and turnovers at the Las Vegas Summer League, which raised questions about how his game would initially translate to the professional level. He has had an impressive preseason so far, however, dropping 19 points in 27 minutes in his debut and following that with a 25-point, eight-assist performance in his third game. Acuff ranks in the top 100 in points leagues, slightly above his current ADP, while the efficiency questions place him closer to the top 130 in category rankings. If his game translates to the professional level quicker than expected, he also has fantasy starter upside.
Yaxel Lendeborg, F, Golden State Warriors
Identified early as a potential Day 1 starter for the Golden State Warriors, Lendeborg consistently impressed this offseason and locked down that role. He is a do-everything combo forward who was the main offensive option for last season’s NCAA National Champion Michigan Wolverines. He brings youthful energy and production to an otherwise veteran Warriors starting lineup. Lendeborg grabbed at least nine rebounds in each of his first three NBA preseason games. After scoring only four points in his debut, he scored 17 and 23 in the next two games. That volume is higher than his offseason projections, which is why his preseason rankings in both points and category leagues reflect more of a “prospect to watch” than a “fantasy draft pick”. Based on his preseason performance, the author considers him worth strong consideration in the later rounds of fantasy drafts.
Worthy of draft consideration or a spot on the free agents to watch list
Several other members of this rookie class deserve either fantasy draft consideration or a prime place on the “free agents to watch” list:
- Mikel Brown Jr was the fifth overall pick and showed flashes of strong play at the Las Vegas Summer League. He has missed the preseason so far due to an ankle injury, but he still projects to start next to Egor Demin in the Brooklyn Nets’ backcourt.
- Keaton Wagler was the sixth overall pick and is one of the elite shooters from this draft. He has come off the bench in the preseason for the LA Clippers, but as a team in full rebuild mode, the Clippers could give him a larger role as the season goes on.
- Kingston Flemings is a highly rated point guard who was drafted to an Atlanta Hawks side with playoff aspirations and a veteran three-guard starting rotation. It is hard to see where Flemings could get enough minutes to be a fantasy impact player early in his career, but if he gets starter minutes, he has fantasy impact upside.
- Morez Johnson Jr. of the Dallas Mavericks and Brayden Burries of the Milwaukee Bucks are both lottery rookies who have been dealing with injuries and currently have roles off the bench for their respective teams.
- Aday Mara of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Hannes Steinbach of the Charlotte Hornets are bigs who seem poised to be the main backups on their new teams. Mara has played well enough in the preseason to attract some attention.
- Meleek Thomas of the Cleveland Cavaliers, a second-round pick, led the Las Vegas Summer League in scoring at 27.3 PPG and has played a lot in the preseason as he fights for a rotation role.