Fantasy basketball draft rooms are opening for 2026-27, and the small-forward pool is carrying plenty of roster flexibility. Anthony Edwards sits atop the 9-category board with point guard and shooting guard eligibility as well, while Jayson Tatum, Cooper Flagg and Jalen Johnson follow in a group built to fill multiple lineup spots.
The position runs well beyond traditional wings. Scottie Barnes is eligible across all five positions, Austin Reaves and Josh Giddey bring ball-handling tags, and several frontcourt regulars — including Kevin Durant, Lauri Markkanen, Pascal Siakam and Paolo Banchero — can be deployed at small forward. The ranking below tracks the 50-player 9-category small-forward board and each player’s listed team and eligibility.
2026-27 9-Category Small Forward Rankings
| Rank | Player | Eligibility | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anthony Edwards | PG, SF, SG | MIN |
| 2 | Jayson Tatum | SF, PF | BOS |
| 3 | Cooper Flagg | PF, SF, SG | DAL |
| 4 | Jalen Johnson | PF, SF | ATL |
| 5 | Kevin Durant | PF, SF, SG | HOU |
| 6 | Scottie Barnes | C, PF, SF, SG | TOR |
| 7 | Austin Reaves | PG, SF, SG | LAL |
| 8 | Josh Giddey | PG, SG, SF | CHI |
| 9 | Trey Murphy III | PF, SF, SG | NOP |
| 10 | Amen Thompson | PG, SF, SG | HOU |
| 11 | Brandon Miller | PF, SF, SG | CHA |
| 12 | Lauri Markkanen | SF, PF | UTA |
| 13 | Desmond Bane | SG, SF | ORL |
| 14 | Kawhi Leonard | PF, SF, SG | TOR |
| 15 | Jalen Williams | PF, SF, SG | OKC |
| 16 | LeBron James | SF, PF | PHI |
| 17 | Jaylen Brown | PF, SF, SG | PHI |
| 18 | Deni Avdija | PF, SF, SG | POR |
| 19 | Michael Porter Jr. | SF, PF | BKN |
| 20 | OG Anunoby | SF, PF | NYK |
| 21 | Franz Wagner | PF, SF | ORL |
| 22 | Pascal Siakam | C, PF, SF | IND |
| 23 | Paolo Banchero | PF, SF | ORL |
| 24 | Kon Knueppel | SF, SG | CHA |
| 25 | Mikal Bridges | PF, SF, SG | NYK |
| 26 | Brandon Ingram | SG, SF, PF | LAC |
| 27 | Paul George | PF, SF | BOS |
| 28 | Dyson Daniels | PG, SF, SG | ATL |
| 29 | Ausar Thompson | PF, SF, SG | DET |
| 30 | Jaden McDaniels | PF, SF | MIN |
| 31 | Matas Buzelis | SF, PF | CHI |
| 32 | Josh Hart | SF, SG | NYK |
| 33 | Norman Powell | SG, SF | CHI |
| 34 | Cedric Coward | SF, SG | MEM |
| 35 | Andrew Wiggins | PF, SF, SG | MIA |
| 36 | Caleb Wilson | PF, SF | CHI |
| 37 | Miles Bridges | SF, PF | PHX |
| 38 | AJ Dybantsa | SF | WAS |
| 39 | Peyton Watson | SF, PF | CLE |
| 40 | Keegan Murray | SF, PF | SAC |
| 41 | Zach LaVine | PG, SF, SG | SAC |
| 42 | Ayo Dosunmu | PG, SF, SG | MIN |
| 43 | Quentin Grimes | SG, SF | LAL |
| 44 | Rui Hachimura | SF, PF | LAC |
| 45 | Herbert Jones | PF, SF, SG | NOP |
| 46 | Cason Wallace | PG, SF, SG | OKC |
| 47 | Anthony Black | PG, SG, SF | ORL |
| 48 | DeMar DeRozan | PF, SF | DEN |
| 49 | RJ Barrett | PF, SF, SG | TOR |
| 50 | Yaxel Lendeborg | PF, SF | GSW |
The middle and late portions of the board remain useful for managers chasing flexible depth. Herbert Jones, Cason Wallace and Anthony Black arrive with three-position eligibility, while DeMar DeRozan, RJ Barrett and Yaxel Lendeborg close the top 50. In a 9-category build, the small-forward slot is less about filling one wing spot than keeping lineup options open through the draft.
