There is not much point in writing a second year player rankings article and starting with Cooper Flagg, It could be Knueppeland VJ Edgecombe. The fantasy studies were ahead of time, and will be the same year as No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 options respectively.
My list of second-year rankings begins with the best of the rest, headlined by versatile big men ready to take the sophomore leap and avoid the cliche of the slump.
2026-27 Fantasy Basketball Kit (1) (draged).jpg
2026-27 Rotoworld Fantasy Basketball Draft Kit: Rankings, player profile, expert analysis, free download
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Prepare for the fantasy basketball draft with Rotoworld’s Free tips, including rankings and player profiles for the 2026-27 season.
1) Collin Murray-Boyles (F/C – TOR)
CMB enjoyed a productive rookie campaign, averaging 14 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 15 blocked shots per 36 minutes. He appeared in 57 games and started 22 of them. His first NBA season streak was 17/15/3/3/3 in an OT win over the Sixers on January 11th.
Murray-Boyles will play PF and C this season, and there will be times where he plays alongside Jakob Poeltl when the Raptors need a jumbo frontcourt. The athletic big man can do anything in the box, and Toronto is thin on the frontcourt behind Poeltl. CMB is a strong, wide-round pick in the fancy drinks, with its hype train getting more and more steamy every day.
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2) Derik Regina (F/C – NOP)
Regina saw significant run right out of the gate, averaging 25 minutes in 81 games as a rookie. The big man averaged 11.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.9 blocks and 0.3 triples. His versatility as a player was on display with two triple-doubles, including the first-ever 30-point triple-double by a rookie center in league history in a Dec. 8 loss to the Spurs.
He started 48 games, averaging an impressive 13.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 runs scored with the first unit. Regina can play four or five, and if Sion Williamson is healthy, two courts can share together. Even if the queen comes off the bench, he will have the luxury of playing with strong role players, and figures to be an integral part of the lineup.
3) Cedric Coward (G/F – MEM)
He was an All-Rookie First Team selection after averaging 13.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.5 triples and a “stock” across 25.8 minutes. He started in 47 of 62 appearances and had his best performance of the season against the 76ers on December 30 with 28 points, 16 rebounds and four assists.
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Memphis traded Ja Morant to the Trail Blazers in the offseason, and the team is officially entering a new era without Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. or Desmond Bane entered. He is the feared rock of the future alongside Cameron Boozer, and should have even more of a bridge than he did last season. The Washington State product is a 2026-27 breakout candidate who makes a smart choice in the late-7th or early-8th rounds.
4) Jeremiah Fears (G – NOP)
Fears averaged 14.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.2 rebounds and 1.2 triples across 25.8 minutes while playing all 82 games of his rookie season. Shooting an inefficient 43.4% from the floor and 78.9% from the charity stripe, which tinged his overall fantasy value, the Oklahoma product has flashed tremendously, especially at the end of the season.
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He was feared as a Top-85 player over the last month of the season, and fantasy managers who played to the final battle were gifted with a Top-10 week. Over the final three games, Fears broke out to average 37.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.3 triples while shooting 48.8% from the floor and 80% from the foul line.
Timor will likely play more time with the second unit, and will see competition from Benedict Mathurin and Jordan Poole, but Timor is likely a candidate to step into the starting PG role if Dejounte Murray’s season ends or he is out. Don’t let a potentially reduced role prevent you from taking a chance on a widely feared draft.
5) Khaman Maluach (C – PHO)
The No. 10 pick averaged just 8.9 minutes across 46 appearances, but was effective when on the court. Maluach’s per-36 minute averages were 12.2 points, 11.6 rebounds and 2.9 steals. In his only start, Maluach grabbed 14 boards and threw three hits.
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Mark Williams is sidelined after undergoing shoulder surgery for a torn labrum in early September, and has a long history of missing time. It is likely that Williams will be out for several months, which opens the door for Maluach to take the starting gig over Oso Ighodaro. Maluach stood out in the summer league, which could give him the edge to open the season with the first unit.
6) Ace Bailey (G/F – UTA)
Last year’s No. 5 pick got off to a slow start before breaking into the home stretch of the season. The Jazz have been tanking for many of their absences due to injury, and Bailey took the opportunity.
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During the last month of the season, he averaged 20 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.7 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 2.9 triples in 13 appearances. In that span, Bailey scored 33 and 37 points in a tough four-game stretch from March 18 to 23 in which he averaged 28 points and 5.8 triples.
Jazz Darryn Peterson with No. He pulled down 2 picks, and Utah is expected to be healthy to open the season, which muddies the waters for his role and potential playing season. It was too much trouble for the team to keep him out of the rotation, but he will certainly see a decrease in minutes and usage in Year 2.
7) Mainly Raynaud’s (C – SAC)
The 2025 second-round pick was pushed into the lineup almost immediately when Domantas Sabonis missed most of the season with multiple injuries. Raynaud averaged 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds over 26.5 minutes and started 56 of 74 games.
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Sabonis is expected to be ready for the start of the 2026-27 campaign, but is still on the trade block after Sacramento unsuccessfully tried to trade him before the 2025-26 deadline. The Sabonis trade may open the door for another season of work by Raynaud.
The big man reportedly weighs in at 250 pounds to 270 pounds, which should help his offense, rebounding and shot blocking.
8) Egor Demin (G – BKN)
Dëmin started 45 of his 52 rookie appearances, averaging 10.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.8 rebounds and 2.4 triples in 25.2 minutes per game. The 6’8 Dëmin made a significant impact as a rebounder, defender and three-point shooter, though he wasn’t very effective as a player or scorer.
Dëmin will face the challenge of playing time in the bike behind Mikel Brown Jr. selected with the No. They pick up 5, but Dëmin is expected to keep the starting gig. Brooklyn also brought in Jules Randle who figures to siphon stats from Dëmin for his typically high usage role. Additional rebounders, however, could set Dëmin up to improve his assist numbers from his rookie campaign, making him an interesting final round pick in the league.
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9) John Beringer (C – MIN)
The big man from France averaged just 7.9 minutes per 40 appearances as a rookie, but should see a big bump in game time in Year 2 when both Julius Randle (Nets) and Naz Reid (Hornets) are traded.
In his three starts, Beringer averaged 15 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.7 steals and 2.7 steals. His 2026-27 campaign is off to a great start after averaging 15.3 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in Summer League action. As the primary backup to Rudy Gobert, Beringer should earn enough minutes off the bench to be viable deep in the league, and he will be a great outlet if Rudy Gobert misses time. His athleticism and ability to sprint down the court should position him on the court as a rim runner and paint protector.
10) Hugo González (F – BOS).
González was immediately thrown into the fire as he averaged 14.6 minutes per 74 appearances for the Celtics as a rookie. González has shined in additional playing time, averaging 10.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.8 blocks and 1.4 triples in 10 games with at least 25 minutes. The best game of the season came against the Bucks on March 2 when the Nukes went with a line of 18/16/1/3/2, which included three triples.
Jayson Tatum is back, but the departure of Jaylen Brown should open up playing time and a spot on the starting line. González is expected to compete for that spot, and if he can earn 20+ minutes a night, he’ll be looking to dig deeper with the ceiling to make an impact in the regular season.