Fantasy Basketball Guards Rankings for 2026-27

Guards rule fantasy basketball. They set the tempo, fill the box score and, in Yahoo’s High Score format, they can decide a week with one outrageous night. Heading into 2026-27, the position is loaded from the very top of the draft to the late fliers who can quietly win categories.

This is how the guard landscape stacks up.

Tier 1: The Cornerstones

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

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander no longer feels like a breakout story. He’s the standard. One of only two active guards with an MVP on his résumé, and he’s taken the last two in a row. He just averaged 31.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.6 assists in 2025-26 and has cleared 31 a night in three of his past four seasons. In any format, any build, he belongs in the top three with Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokić.

Luka Dončić, meanwhile, walks into Los Angeles as the new axis of the Lakers universe after LeBron James’ move to Philadelphia. The fit with fantasy is obvious: a triple-double machine whose ceiling is exactly what High Score is built to reward. In that format, only his best game of the week counts, which softens the blow of a 65-to-70-game season and lets his monster nights carry you.

Tier 2: The Next Wave of Franchise Guards

Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons

Anthony Edwards has climbed the scoring ladder every year of his six-season career. Last season: 28.8 points, 5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.4 steals. Thirty a night is not a dream anymore, it’s the next logical step. Now he shares a backcourt with LaMelo Ball in Minnesota, a pairing built for fireworks. In any draft room, he’s a first-round pick, full stop.

Cade Cunningham just put Detroit’s offense on his shoulders and finished fifth in MVP voting. He delivered 23.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 9.9 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.8 blocks on 46.1% shooting over 64 games. That assist volume is gold in High Score, where every dime is worth two points. One 15-assist night can flip a matchup by itself.

Tier 3: High-End Engines and Co-Stars

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 heart of the second and third rounds. Guards who carry offenses or share them with other stars, but still post elite fantasy lines.

Tyrese Maxey and Jalen Brunson both shoulder heavy scoring loads and have the profile to crash the tier above if things break right. Donovan Mitchell now shares playmaking with James Harden in Cleveland. Jamal Murray runs next to Jokić in Denver. Austin Reaves plays off Dončić in Los Angeles. All three know exactly who they are in their offenses, which makes them reliable fantasy anchors even without heliocentric roles.

The intrigue spikes with Tyrese Haliburton and Trae Young. Haliburton returns from the Achilles injury that erased his 2025-26 season, but his assist rate remains elite and should restore his value quickly once he’s fully ramped up. Young is coming back from a 15-game campaign in which he still averaged 17.9 points and 8 assists on 45.8% shooting. In High Score, their upside sharpens: you only need one eruption a week, and you never have to worry about their field-goal percentage dragging you down.

Tier 4: Volume, Veterans and Rising Stars

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 in the 30-plus minutes range, which is where fantasy value breathes.

Stephen Curry, at 38, still punishes defenses. He put up 26.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.1 steals in just 30.9 minutes over 43 games. James Harden has shifted from ball-dominant orchestrator to more of a complementary force in Cleveland, but the skill set is still there for strong lines.

Brandon Miller, Darius Garland, Tyler Herro, Josh Giddey and Jalen Green all sit in prominent roles with paths toward 20 points per game and enough secondary stats to matter. They’re prime early-to-middle-round targets.

Then there’s the defensive juice. Derrick White and rookie Stephon Castle deserve extra attention in High Score, where steals and blocks are worth three points each. A three-steal, two-block night from either can swing a week.

Tier 5: Comebacks, Sleepers and Stat-Stuffers

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 for nine-category leagues. His steals upside jumps off the page, and he has the kind of all-around game that can flirt with triple-doubles, which plays beautifully in High Score. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, in the same Atlanta backcourt, brings a similar defensive profile with more scoring punch.

This tier is also where the injury returns live. Damian Lillard (Achilles) and Fred VanVleet (knee) come back looking to reestablish their rhythm. Dejounte Murray returns after two shortened seasons. In High Score, they don’t need pristine durability; they just need one strong outing each week to justify a mid-round pick.

De’Aaron Fox has the inside track as San Antonio’s lead guard alongside Dylan Harper, a rookie with a clear opportunity. Payton Pritchard, the 2024-25 Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year, moved into a regular starting role last season and should log heavy minutes regardless of whether he opens games or finishes them. Ryan Rollins joins a reshaped Milwaukee backcourt, a situation to monitor for hidden value.

Tier 6: Reliable Minutes, Explosive Ceilings

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 the tier where rosters round into shape. Rookies, second-year risers and proven veterans all project to steady minutes, making them worth holding all season in standard 12-team leagues.

Ja Morant stands out immediately. His single-game ceiling is tailor-made for High Score. One 40-point, 10-assist explosion and you’ve squeezed maximum value out of him for the week. Darius Acuff is the rookie to circle here. Sacramento’s backcourt rotation is still sorting itself out, and he has a real chance to carve out a meaningful role early.

Around them, players like Mikal Bridges, Coby White, CJ McCollum, Ayo Dosunmu and Immanuel Quickley offer exactly what mid-round fantasy managers crave: predictable usage, stable production and the occasional spike night.

Tier 7: Late-Round Edges

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, these are the names that can quietly tilt a league.

DeMar DeRozan brings proven scoring to Denver and will push Christian Braun and Cameron Johnson for starter minutes. If he carves out enough usage, his mid-range mastery and foul-drawing can still carry fantasy value.

Jalen Suggs and Davion Mitchell profile as defense-first guards who also run the show offensively. They may not always light up the scoring column, but their steals, assists and minutes stability make them valuable depth pieces.

Brandin Podziemski, Ajay Mitchell and Jeremiah Fears add a layer of upside. They step into roles where opportunity can expand quickly with one injury or one coaching adjustment.

In a guard-driven fantasy landscape, those late jolts of value often separate contenders from everyone else.