Fantasy Basketball Guards: 2026-27 Rankings and Insights

Guards rule fantasy basketball. They set the pace, drive the scoring spikes, and in Yahoo’s High Score format, they can tilt an entire week with one explosive night. The 2026-27 guard pool is stacked from the very top to the late rounds, and it’s loaded with storylines — MVPs changing coasts, old superstars reinventing themselves, and young guards stepping into massive roles.

This is where the position breaks.

Tier 1 – The Franchise Pillars

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

There are stars, and then there’s the tiny group you build every roster around without a second thought. Gilgeous-Alexander lives there now.

The Oklahoma City guard is one of only two active guards with an MVP on his shelf — and he’s done it in back-to-back seasons. He just finished 2025-26 averaging 31.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.6 assists, his third season in four clearing the 31-points-per-game barrier. In any format, any scoring system, he belongs in the top three overall alongside Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokić. You don’t overthink it.

Dončić walks into Los Angeles as the new centerpiece after LeBron James’ free-agent leap to Philadelphia. The fit with the Lakers is one story; his value in High Score is another entirely. His triple-double ceiling is tailor-made for a format that only cares about his best game each week. A 65-to-70-game season that can frustrate managers in standard leagues hurts far less here when a single 35-12-14 line can carry a matchup.

Tier 2 – Ready to Break the Door Down

Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons

Anthony Edwards has climbed a rung every season. Six years in, he hasn’t stopped. Last season: 28.8 points, 5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.4 steals. Thirty a night is no longer a dream; it’s the next logical step. Now he shares a backcourt with LaMelo Ball in Minnesota, forming one of the league’s most explosive guard pairings. In fantasy terms, he’s a first-round lock anywhere you play.

Cade Cunningham just authored his own breakout, this one in Detroit. The Pistons handed him the keys to the offense, and he drove it straight into the MVP conversation, finishing fifth in the voting. His line across 64 games — 23.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 9.9 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.8 blocks on 46.1% shooting — screams all-around engine. In High Score, that assist volume becomes a weekly weapon. With two points per dime, a 15-assist night doesn’t just look pretty; it flips matchups.

Tier 3 – Second-Round Firepower, First-Round Upside

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 guard pool. These are your second- and third-round anchors, the players who define whether your draft feels safe or spectacular.

Maxey and Brunson carry huge scoring responsibilities and sit closest to punching their way into the tier above. Both have already shown they can shoulder an offense, and both have the usage to spike monster weeks.

Mitchell now shares playmaking duties with James Harden in Cleveland, but that doesn’t mute his fantasy value — it sharpens his role. Jamal Murray continues to operate in the shadow and safety of Jokić in Denver, while Austin Reaves slots next to Dončić in Los Angeles. All three know exactly what’s expected of them, and that clarity translates into dependable production.

Tyrese Haliburton returns from the Achilles injury that wiped out his 2025-26 season. Before that setback, his elite assist rate made him one of the most valuable guards in fantasy. That skill doesn’t vanish. If the health cooperates, he’s a strong bet to reclaim his place quickly.

Trae Young is working from a similar script. Limited to 15 games last season, he still averaged 17.9 points and 8 assists on 45.8% shooting. In standard leagues, managers may fret over volume and percentages. In High Score, where field-goal percentage doesn’t matter and you only need one big night a week, both Haliburton and Young become especially tempting.

Tier 4 – Heavy Minutes, Big Roles, Real Edges

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 makes them valuable. Their roles push them into must-target territory.

Stephen Curry, at 38, still fires at an elite level: 26.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.1 steals in 30.9 minutes across 43 games last season. The volume isn’t what it once was, but the production when he plays remains top shelf.

James Harden has shifted. No longer the heliocentric engine of an offense, he’s more of a complementary playmaker now, but even that version still racks up assists and threes.

Brandon Miller, Darius Garland, Tyler Herro, Josh Giddey and Jalen Green all sit in prominent roles with the green light to chase 20 points per game while chipping in across the box score. These are early-to-middle-round targets that round out your scoring base.

Derrick White and rookie Stephon Castle deserve extra attention in High Score. Their defensive activity — steals and blocks — carries three points apiece, turning a 4-steal night into a quiet fantasy haymaker.

Tier 5 – Risk, Reward, and Returning Names

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 tier in category leagues. His steals upside alone makes him a weapon, and his ability to flirt with triple-doubles adds juice in High Score. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, sharing that same Atlanta backcourt, brings a similar defensive profile with a bit more scoring punch.

Then come the comebacks. Damian Lillard returns from an Achilles injury in Portland. Fred VanVleet works his way back from a knee issue in Houston. Dejounte Murray looks to reestablish himself after two shortened campaigns in New Orleans. In standard leagues, those red flags might push them down draft boards. In High Score, they need only one strong game a week to justify a mid-round pick.

De’Aaron Fox has the inside track to a major role in San Antonio alongside Dylan Harper. 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 whether he opens games or leads the second unit. Ryan Rollins steps into a retooled Milwaukee backcourt, where opportunity will be there for the taking.

Tier 6 – The Glue Guys and the Swing Picks

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 risers, seasoned veterans — this tier mixes them all, but with one common thread: consistent minutes. In a 12-team league, these are players you draft and keep.

They fit best in the middle rounds, bolstering the foundations your early picks built. Ja Morant’s single-game ceiling jumps off the page in High Score. Few guards can match his ability to drop a line that single-handedly decides a week.

Darius Acuff stands out among the rookies here. Sacramento’s backcourt is still sorting itself out, and Acuff has the talent to grab a significant slice of that pie if the rotation breaks his way.

Tier 7 – Late-Round Lottery Tickets

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

By the eighth or ninth round, you’re looking for edges, not perfection. Everyone in this group is worth drafting at that stage.

DeMar DeRozan brings proven scoring and veteran craft to Denver. He’ll immediately pressure Christian Braun and Cameron Johnson for starter minutes and could carve out a larger offensive role than many expect.

Jalen Suggs and Davion Mitchell are cut from similar cloth: defense-first guards who run the team, set the tone and handle floor-general duties. Their box scores may not always explode, but their roles keep them relevant, and any uptick in usage could turn them into late-round steals.

In a guard-driven fantasy landscape, this is the pool you draw from. The question isn’t whether you’ll build around guards — it’s which of these profiles you’re willing to bet your season on.