Austin Reaves has the chance to be a first-time All-Star this season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The NBA talent pool is growing by the season, with players taking a coveted leap into stardom every so often. Plenty of names are in contention to be a first-time All-Star, which will have heavy implications in fantasy basketball’s 2026-27 season. Here’s a list of potential breakout All-Stars to watch as you draft your fantasy and High Score lineups.
Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks
Flagg established himself as an elite fantasy and High Score option in year one, with a perfect opportunity to build entering his sophomore season. At 19 years old, he already has multiple 40-point performances and became the first teenager to record 50 in an NBA game.
The former No. 1 overall pick and reigning Rookie of the Year is fantastic on both ends of the floor, and with a fully healthy Kyrie Irving returning to the Mavericks, he’ll have weapons around him to maximize his fantasy output.
Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers
Reaves is proving to be one of the best undrafted players in recent history, due for a bigger role this year. The 28-year-old most recently averaged 23.3 points, 5.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game before an oblique injury cut his regular season short.
LeBron James departed from Los Angeles this offseason, but Reaves is now a firm second option next to Luka Dončić, which could lead to better fantasy nights and some massive scoring outbursts for High Score.
Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic
The Franz Wagner-Paolo Banchero partnership remains strong in Orlando, and this could be the season in which the German forward joins his teammate as an All-Star. Wagner averaged an impressive 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game throughout 2024-25.
The 25-year-old appeared in just 34 contests in an injury-ladened 2025-26 season, which could mean he’s due for a bounceback season. Wagner could prove to be a sneaky fantasy star to watch on the Magic.
Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs
It’s no secret that Castle is a budding star for one of the NBA’s top contenders. He proved to be a valuable supplementary piece to Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, but now, there’s legitimate hype for the 2024 lottery pick to take another leap entering year three.
Take note of Castle’s statistical improvement in the playoffs. Despite it being his first appearance, along many other San Antonio faces, the two-way wing boosted his scoring average to 18.2 points rebounds across 23 games from 16.7 in the regular season. That increase should translate to a 2026-27 All-Star campaign for one of the key members of the reigning Western Conference champions.
Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets
Another rising sophomore, Knueppel could have certainly taken home the Rookie of the Year award last season after being in heavy contention with Flagg — his former Duke teammate — the entire way. Don’t forget, he averaged 18.5 points per game on 48-43-86 shooting splits, setting the single-season rookie record for 3-pointers in a season (273).
The Hornets made a blockbuster trade this offseason, sending LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves, but that should only mean more opportunities for Knueppel as the lead guard, especially as a reliable High Score option. Charlotte hopes to still be a postseason contender after becoming one of the most exciting stories to watch in 2025-26, so look out for Knueppel to make that All-Star leap.
