Cameron Boozer is the first rookie coming off the board in the average Yahoo draft.
With the 2026-27 NBA season less than a month away, the debuts for highly-touted rookies from the loaded ‘26 draft class are quickly approaching. We’ll discuss the top players like AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson and analyze what their first professional campaigns could look like as it relates to fantasy contributions.
Cameron Boozer, Memphis Grizzlies – Yahoo ADP 57.8
The third overall pick out of Duke posted 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.6 blocks on 55.6 / 39.1 / 78.9 splits across 38 outings in college. Boozer carried his smooth offensive game and craftiness on the boards into Summer League, averaging 18.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.5 SPG and 0.2 BPG on 49.0 / 40.6 / 76.0 splits in eight contests.
The 19-year-old showcased his touch from behind the arc and flashed some playmaking chops, and he should have unlimited opportunities to develop into what they believe is a star player for a rebuilding Grizzlies franchise. Boozer has the potential to become the face of their franchise, and he’s already a core piece of their future alongside Zach Edey, Cedric Coward, Jaylen Wells and Ty Jerome.
Edey, Boozer’s projected starting frontcourt partner at the five, played in only 11 games a year ago. Memphis brought in Isaiah Stewart and Quinten Post in the offseason to fill out a deep center rotation, but the rookie’s skillset and polished offense should earn him a fairly high usage rate. Managers hoping to acquire his contributions in scoring, rebounds, dimes, steals and 3s will have to cough up as early as a sixth-round pick for Boozer, as he’s been a favorite target for fantasy analysts in redraft and dynasty leagues across all formats.
AJ Dybantsa, Washington Wizards – Yahoo ADP 77.9
The first overall pick in the most recent draft tops this list with an ADP of 77.9. Dybantsa represents another injection of talent for a Wizards team that traded for both Trae Young and Anthony Davis during the 2025-26 campaign. After posting a 50-196 record over the last three years, Washington hopes to turn the corner and compete for a postseason or Play-In berth for the first time since 2020-21. Dybantsa is another significant factor in the organization’s belief in their newly-formed core, and he should be a focal point of the offense from the jump, even despite the additions of Young and Davis.
The former BYU Cougar averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals on shooting splits of 51.0 / 33.1 / 77.4 over 35 games. In two Summer League appearances, he tallied 25.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, 2.5 SPG and 1.5 BPG. The efficiency was far from stellar, but Dybantsa showcased an explosive arsenal and a fearlessness when driving and looking for his shots, as well as a knack for making plays on defense. Spacing will be much better come the regular season, as sharing the court with Davis and a phenomenal passer in Young should only benefit the 19-year-old.
Dybantsa is expected to provide boosts in scoring and rebounding primarily, along with some steals, blocks and dimes. Dybantsa gets an upgrade due to Davis’ health concerns, as the big man has played in 71 total contests between the Lakers, Mavericks and Wizards since the 2024-25 season.
Caleb Wilson, Chicago Bulls – Yahoo ADP 79.6
Chicago chose Wilson fourth overall following his lone year in college at the University of North Carolina. He put up 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks on 57.8 / 25.9 / 71.3 splits across 24 games prior to a season-ending wrist injury on February 10. Wilson did not disappoint in his return to the court following a five-month absence, scoring 35 points on 12-for-21 shooting and 7-for-11 from 3-point range, making it the second-highest debut in Summer League history.
Wilson demonstrated his improved stroke from behind the arc through four SL appearances in Vegas, connecting on 3.2 triples on 7.8 attempts a night, good for a 41.9 percent clip. He’s been in the lab working on his offensive repertoire while keeping the same intensity on defense, as he averaged 23.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.2 SPG and 2.5 BPG. The 20-year-old did struggle from the free throw line, sinking just 1.5 of his 4.5 attempts (33.3%) per game, but it was still good to see him attack the rim and earn those opportunities.
I’d personally rank Wilson ahead of Dybantsa and Boozer, primarily because of his 3-point shot and proficiency in stocks (steals + blocks). The scoring and rebounding should be similar as well, along with Wilson’s opportunity to play a feature role and heavy minutes for the retooled Bulls. He’ll get to share the starting frontcourt role with Nic Claxton, who Chicago acquired over the summer, which will afford Wilson a reliable last line of defense while he aggressively hounds opposing players.
Darryn Peterson, Utah Jazz – Yahoo ADP 99.3
There were talks of Peterson potentially going No. 1 overall to Washington in the 2026 draft, but the former Kansas Jayhawk eventually went second to the Jazz. The landing spot isn’t great from a fantasy perspective, although he’s still certainly worth rostering. Peterson joins a Utah squad that just inked starting point guard Keyonte George to a five-year, $157.5 million extension, traded for two-time All-Star and 2023 Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr., drafted Ace Bailey fifth overall in 2025, and still has former All-Star Lauri Markkanen as a core piece.
Peterson will get his chances as a rookie, but the Jazz suddenly have a plethora of talented mouths to feed on offense. The organization is finally ready to compete after three consecutive seasons of 31 wins or less, including a 22-60 mark last year and a 17-65 record in 2025. Utah believes Peterson is the final piece of their puzzle, but it could take some time for him to firmly establish his role, so a slow start is a real possibility for the 19-year-old.
Despite the early uncertainty surrounding him, Peterson has the profile and acumen to develop into a featured scorer at the NBA level. He’ll be higher on draft boards in dynasty formats but is going as early as round nine in redrafts. Peterson was spectacular across five outings in Vegas, dropping 23.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.2 blocks per game on 39.8 / 34.5 / 77.8 splits, showcasing multi-category production. Category league managers may reap the most benefits of a rookie season that could be highly efficient, but Peterson doesn’t project to have as much upside in points leagues or High Score formats.
Darius Acuff Jr., Sacramento Kings – Yahoo ADP 110.1
The former Arkansas Razorback has a strong chance to be starting point guard for the Kings in 2026-27. Sacramento took Acuff Jr. seventh overall after he averaged 23.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 0.8 steals and 2.5 3-pointers per game on 48.4 / 44.0 / 80.9 splits across 36 outings as a freshman. Russell Westbrook retired in the offseason, leaving Malik Monk and the recently-signed Ben Simmons as the two lone veteran options on the roster.
Monk’s natural position is shooting guard, and Simmons is attempting an NBA comeback after not playing at all in 2025-26. That leaves Acuff Jr. as the favorite to earn a spot in the first unit, and despite struggling mightily with his shooting efficiency in Las Vegas, it should be his job to lose. The 19-year-old registered 20.8 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.0 BPG and 2 3s per game on splits of 35.0 / 27.0 / 69.6 in five appearances.
Acuff Jr.’s Summer League was up and down. However, the sample is simply too limited to panic or overreact to, especially from a fantasy perspective. He was incredibly productive on large volume in college, and he’ll have every opportunity to work his way through growing pains as the centerpiece of Sacramento’s ongoing rebuilding endeavor. Managers should feel more than confident drafting him in the 10th or 11th rounds and beyond, especially in points leagues and High Score formats.
Yaxel Lendeborg, Golden State Warriors – Yahoo ADP 116.1
Lendeborg showed out in Summer League after the Warriors made him the 11th pick overall in June. He led Golden State to the SL Championship title, beating out fellow rookie and third-overall pick Cameron Boozer and the Grizzlies in the process. He tallied 21 points, two 3-pointers, 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals in the victory.
The former Michigan Wolverine is a powerful athlete at 6-foot-9, 250lbs, and he’s bringing a youthful jolt to a Golden State team that features Stephen Curry (age 38), Draymond Green (age 36), and Al Horford (age 40). Jimmy Butler III (knee) and Moses Moody (knee) are both expected to miss large portions of the regular season, so Lendeborg has a prime chance at earning consistent minutes immediately.
Across eight contests this summer, Lendeborg averaged 14.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.9 blocks and 2.1 3-pointers on 48.4 / 45.9 / 71.4 shooting splits. The soon-to-be 24-year-old was named the league and championship game MVP as a consistent two-way force for the Warriors. Think of Chicago’s Caleb Wilson but with less volume/usage, while Lendeborg gets the added bonus of playing alongside an elite talent like Curry. He’s absolutely worth a late-round flier his ADP suggests.
Keaton Wagler, Los Angeles Clippers – Yahoo ADP 119.3
Although Wagler’s debut with the Clippers over the summer left a lot to be desired, he did bounce back nicely over his final three appearances in Vegas. Following a 7-point, 2-rebound, 1-assist performance, he finished with averages of 18.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.5 steals and 2.0 3-pointers on 38.6 / 33.3 / 80.0 splits across four contests.
The shooting wasn’t great, but it did improve steadily from game to game, and Wagler concluded SL with 26 points, four boards, two dimes, one steal and one assist on 9-for-19 shooting with two made 3s. The product of Illinois tallied 17.9 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4.2 APG, 0.9 SPG and 2.4 3s on 44.5 / 39.7 / 79.6 splits in 37 collegiate outings.
The Clippers selected Wagler fifth overall, so they clearly believe in the 19-year-old’s potential as a complementary piece alongside Darius Garland as the future backcourt duo in Inglewood. However, with a number of veterans on the roster in Garland, Bradley Beal, Brandon Ingram, Max Strus, Derrick Jones Jr. and Rui Hachimura, the rookie could face a slow and inconsistent path to playing time, resulting in him being drafted in the final few rounds as an upside play.
Morez Johnson Jr., Dallas Mavericks – Yahoo 209.0 ADP
The ninth overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft by the Mavericks joins a fairly crowded frontcourt in his rookie campaign. Cooper Flagg, P.J. Washington, Dereck Lively II (foot) and Daniel Gafford all return, while Dallas traded for Santi Aldama from the Grizzlies. Flagg is obviously the best bet to handle a massive workload, and Kyrie Irving will demand a high usage rate in his return from an ACL injury that cost him all of 2025-26.
Johnson Jr. will play a valuable supporting role as an athletic rebounder and shot-blocker who plays above the rim while taking advantage of high-percentage looks around the basket. He brings two-way upside after averaging 13.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.7 steals and 1.1 blocks on 62.3 / 34.3 / 78.2 splits during his final year at Michigan. Johnson Jr. as an offensive player will rely on the creation of others to begin his career, but his motor, defensive versatility and rebounding should earn him more opportunities as the ‘26-’27 season progresses.
The Summer League sample size is small at just two games, but the former Wolverine looked dominant prior to dealing with an illness that forced him to miss the Mavs’ final three outings. Johnson Jr. dropped 27 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks in the opener, then compiled 10 points, five boards, two steals and four swats to close out his time in Vegas. He’s going undrafted in most leagues, but snatching him up with a final pick in category leagues hoping for an efficient two-way stat line is a viable option.
