Ranking the 2026-27 Fantasy Basketball Guards

In fantasy basketball, guards don’t just set the tempo — they decide titles. The 2026-27 class is loaded from the very top of the draft to the late fliers, and in Yahoo’s High Score format, where only your best game each week counts, the position becomes even more ruthless.

This is how the guard pool stacks up for standard nine-category leagues and High Score, from ironclad anchors to the last-round lottery tickets.

Tier 1 – The Franchise Pillars

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

The top tier is brutally exclusive. Two names. Two engines. No debate.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander walks into drafts as one of only two active guards with an MVP on his résumé — 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 night, and has topped 31 points per game in three of his last four campaigns. That’s not a hot streak. That’s a standard.

In any format, he belongs in the top three overall alongside Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokić.

Then there’s Luka Dončić, now the unquestioned face of the Lakers after LeBron James’ free-agent jump to Philadelphia. Dončić lives in the triple-double neighborhood. High Score loves that kind of volatility. If you only need his best outing each week, a 65- to 70-game season doesn’t hurt you the way it does in traditional formats. One monster night, and he buries your opponent.

Tier 2 – The Next Wave of Superstars

Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons

Anthony Edwards has climbed the scoring ladder every single season of his six-year career. Last year: 28.8 points, 5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.4 steals. Thirty a night is right there for him, and now he shares a backcourt with LaMelo Ball in Minnesota, forming one of the league’s most explosive guard duos. In any draft room, any format, Edwards belongs in the first round.

Cade Cunningham just built his breakout on the bones of Detroit’s entire offense. He finished fifth in MVP voting, averaging 23.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 9.9 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.8 blocks on 46.1% shooting across 64 games. That assist volume is gold in High Score, where every dime counts for two points. A 15-assist night doesn’t just help — it can flip a matchup on its own.

Tier 3 – Heavy Lifters and High Ceilings

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 where second and third rounds are won or lost.

Tyrese Maxey and Jalen Brunson carry massive scoring loads and sit on the edge of superstardom. Either one could crash Tier 2 with a slight bump in usage or efficiency.

Donovan Mitchell now shares playmaking duties with James Harden in Cleveland. Jamal Murray continues to operate next to Jokić in Denver. Austin Reaves works off Dončić in Los Angeles. None of them owns a heliocentric role, but all three have clearly defined lanes and produce at a high level inside them.

Tyrese Haliburton returns from the Achilles injury that erased his 2025-26 season. His elite assist rate gives him a clear path back to top value. Trae Young is in a similar spot after playing just 15 games last year, averaging 17.9 points and 8 assists on 45.8% shooting. In standard leagues, there’s some risk. In High Score, they’re tailor-made: one explosive performance per week is enough, and field-goal percentage never enters the conversation.

Tier 4 – Prime-Time Starters and Rising Weapons

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 group lives north of 30 minutes a night. That alone locks in steady fantasy value.

Stephen Curry, at 38, still fires away like the clock doesn’t apply to him. He just averaged 26.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.1 steals in 30.9 minutes across 43 games. He may no longer carry a full-season workload, but when he plays, he produces.

James Harden has shifted out of the full-control, ball-dominant role and into more of a complementary creator in Cleveland. The counting stats are still there; the style has just evolved.

Brandon Miller, Darius Garland, Tyler Herro, Josh Giddey and Jalen Green all sit in prime roles with room to flirt with 20 points per game and strong secondary production. These are early- to middle-round targets, especially if you want scoring without punting assists or threes.

Derrick White and Stephon Castle deserve a longer look in High Score. Their defensive activity matters more there: steals and blocks pay three points apiece, and a multi-steal, multi-block night can rocket them up the weekly leaderboard.

Tier 5 – Value with Baggage and Breakout Paths

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

This tier is thick with questions — and upside.

Dyson Daniels headlines the group for category leagues thanks to his steals potential and his ability to flirt with triple-doubles. That same versatility translates beautifully to High Score. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, in the same Atlanta backcourt, offers a similar defensive profile with more scoring punch.

Damian Lillard returns from an Achilles injury in Portland. Fred VanVleet comes back from a knee issue in Houston. Dejounte Murray looks to reset after two shortened seasons. In High Score, they don’t need pristine durability. They just need one strong game each week to justify a mid-round investment.

De’Aaron Fox holds the inside track to partner Dylan Harper in San Antonio’s backcourt. Pritchard, the 2024-25 Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year, transitioned into a regular starter last season and should log heavy minutes regardless of role. Ryan Rollins slides into a revamped Milwaukee guard rotation with room to carve out relevance.

Tier 6 – Steady Minutes, Varied Paths

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

Rookies, second-year climbers, veterans who still know how to score — this is the glue tier for 12-team leagues.

All are projected for consistent minutes and make sense as middle-round complements to your early stars. Ja Morant stands out in High Score. His single-game ceiling remains electric; when he hits, he hits big.

Darius Acuff is the rookie to track here as Sacramento sorts out its backcourt hierarchy. If his role expands quickly, his draft-day price will look like a discount by December.

Tier 7 – Late-Round Tickets and Role-Bet Plays

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

This is the range where you start betting on roles, not résumés.

All are worth scooping from the eighth or ninth round onward. DeMar DeRozan brings proven scoring to Denver and will push Christian Braun and Cameron Johnson for starter minutes on a contender that values his half-court craft.

Jalen Suggs and Davion Mitchell come from the defense-first mold, running the offense as floor generals while earning their keep on the other end. In leagues that reward stocks and effort, they quietly hold their value.

The top of the guard board might feel predictable. After that, it’s all about reading situations, spotting opportunity, and deciding which backcourt can carry your fantasy season when the real one starts to burn.