The 2026 rookie class came into the season billed as the deepest in years, and three weeks in it has delivered — but the fantasy pecking order has already been scrambled. This week alone, Caleb Wilson broke his right hand, Stephen Curry tore his right oblique and Darryn Peterson strung together the best five-game run of any rookie not named Acuff. Here is where the top first-year players stand for season-long fantasy, with stats through Friday’s games.
The Injury News That Reshapes the Board
Wilson hurt his hand in the third quarter of Chicago’s loss to San Antonio on Wednesday when it hit Victor Wembanyama’s elbow. He had surgery Thursday, the Bulls say he will be re-evaluated in about three weeks, and the reported timeline is four to six weeks.
In Golden State, Curry left Wednesday’s game in Houston in the first quarter and an MRI confirmed a right oblique tear. The Warriors will re-evaluate him in two weeks. That moves the offense squarely onto the rookie who was already its second option.
Tier 1: The Volume Kings
1. Darius Acuff Jr., Kings
Nobody in this class touches the ball like Acuff. He is averaging 25.4 points, 7.2 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 37.2 minutes across 12 games, and his 288 points through 11 games were the most by a rookie at that point since Michael Jordan in 1984. The minutes and usage are locked in on a struggling Sacramento team that has every reason to keep feeding him.
The catch is efficiency. Acuff is shooting 41.1 percent from the field and 32.7 percent from three, and Friday’s 17-point night on 6-of-19 shooting in Portland is the downside version. In category leagues his field-goal percentage is a real drag; the 85.2 percent free-throw mark on heavy volume offsets some of it. In points leagues, he is a locked-in top-tier guard as long as the minutes hold near 37.
2. Yaxel Lendeborg, Warriors
Lendeborg is the most complete rookie fantasy line in the league: 20.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.0 steal and 0.7 blocks in 31.5 minutes, on 48.6 percent shooting and 41.4 percent from deep. That combination of efficiency and counting stats is why he sits above Acuff in most nine-category formats.
Friday was the warning label. In his first game without Curry, Lendeborg went 1-of-13 for three points in 24 minutes of a 123-85 loss in San Antonio. Do not overreact to one blowout. With Curry out at least two weeks, his usage climbs, and the next few games will show whether the efficiency survives being the first name on every scouting report. Expect a dip in field-goal percentage and a bump in shots and assists. He remains a must-start.
Tier 2: Starters With Category Flaws
3. Darryn Peterson, Jazz
Peterson’s season line — 17.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.8 blocks — undersells what he is doing right now. Over his last five games he has scored 21, 26, 25, 22 and 28, and he is a reliable 88.4 percent free-throw shooter. The overall shooting (41.1 percent) is still rough, but the trend is the story: he is taking over a Utah offense that needs him to, and the steal-block combination gives him a defensive floor most scoring guards lack. He is the rookie to buy right now if a league-mate is still valuing him off his slow first week.
4. Cameron Boozer, Grizzlies
Boozer is the hardest rookie to value because his fantasy line depends entirely on your format. He is averaging 15.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists, the best rebounding-plus-passing combination in the class, and he hits 90.2 percent of his free throws. He is also shooting 37.0 percent from the field and 29.6 percent from three, and his 0.6 steals and 0.6 blocks are thin for a 31-minute big. In points leagues he is a strong starter; in nine-cat he is a punt-FG% build piece rather than a plug-and-play guy.
5. Caleb Wilson, Bulls (IR)
Before the injury, Wilson was averaging 18.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 0.9 blocks in 30.8 minutes, the best defensive-stat profile of any high-usage rookie. Do not drop him. A hand fracture with a re-evaluation set for roughly three weeks is the kind of injury players typically return from at full strength, and he should be back well before the fantasy playoffs. Stash him in an IR slot.
In the meantime, Chicago has to replace his shots. Matas Buzelis is the clearest candidate for extra usage in the frontcourt, and Noa Essengue is the speculative add in deeper leagues if his minutes tick up over the next week.
6. AJ Dybantsa, Wizards
The No. 1 pick missed the start of the season with an ankle issue and has been uneven since: 15.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals in 33.9 minutes over nine games, shooting 41.0 percent overall, 23.3 percent from three and 71.8 percent from the line. The minutes are there, which is what matters most, but sharing the ball with Trae Young and Anthony Davis caps his ceiling for now. Hold him; this is the rookie most likely to look different by January.
Tier 3: Specialists and Streamers
- Meleek Thomas, Cavaliers: 13.0 points in just 22.5 minutes, shooting 49.0 percent overall and 47.3 percent from three. Thin on rebounds and assists, but a legitimate threes-and-percentages specialist off the bench in 12-team leagues.
- Aday Mara, Thunder: Leads all rookies with 24 blocks in 13 games and shoots 62.0 percent from the field. With Chet Holmgren out 8-10 weeks with a small patellar tendon tear, Mara has real minutes, but Isaiah Hartenstein is healthy again and remains the primary center. Mara is a blocks streamer, not a long-term hold in shallow formats.
- Brayden Burries, Bucks: Season numbers (9.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists) still include his bench games. He has moved into Milwaukee’s starting lineup, and the rebounding from the guard spot is the fantasy hook. Roster him in 12-team leagues and above.
- Kingston Flemings, Hawks: 4.1 assists in 21.5 minutes on 51.4 percent shooting. A deep-league assist source whose value depends on whether Atlanta keeps expanding his role.
- Keaton Wagler, Clippers: 12.4 points and 3.2 assists, but on 34.8 percent shooting in 22.7 minutes. Watch list only until the minutes grow.
The Bottom Line
Acuff and Lendeborg are the only rookies you should be starting without thinking, and Lendeborg’s next two weeks without Curry will decide whether he finishes the season as the best fantasy rookie in the class. Peterson is the riser to target, Boozer is a format-dependent starter, Wilson is a stash, and Dybantsa is a patience play. Below that, pick your specialist based on what your roster needs: Thomas for threes, Mara for blocks, Burries for guard rebounding.
See today's NBA lines on DFS Lines, each one set against the player's last ten games.