The 2026-27 fantasy board is already pointing toward a familiar formula: young players with a clearer runway, more touches and, in a few cases, a rotation door finally swinging open. Dylan Harper, Brandon Miller, Ausar Thompson, Day’Ron Sharpe and Matas Buzelis each carry a different level of draft risk, but all have a plausible path to a larger role and a stronger nightly box score.
Key takeaways
- Spurs guard Dylan Harper has a Yahoo average draft position of 82.2 and is projected for 46.1 High Score fantasy points per game.
- Brandon Miller could move to the front of Charlotte’s offense following LaMelo Ball’s exit, though heavier volume could pressure his field-goal percentage.
- Ausar Thompson has never averaged more than 26 minutes a night, making a move into the 30-minute range the major swing factor in Detroit.
- Nic Claxton’s departure leaves Sharpe with his best opportunity yet to claim Brooklyn’s starting-center work.
- Buzelis enters his third NBA season after appearing in 77 games and posting career highs in nearly every major category except free-throw percentage and turnovers.
Backcourt and wing roles are changing
Harper’s place in San Antonio’s crowded guard room is less about whether he can crack the starting five than how much the Spurs expand his workload after a strong rookie season and a playoff run that reached the NBA Finals. His size gives the coaching staff a way to build three-guard groups without sacrificing too much physically, particularly late in close games.
That flexibility matters for a guard who can fill multiple fantasy columns. Harper has the talent to produce points, assists and peripheral stats, and the projected 46.1 fantasy points per game in Yahoo High Score formats reflects the expectation that his minutes will climb. At an 82.2 ADP, the bet is that San Antonio will find enough floor time for one of its best young players.
Miller’s situation in Charlotte is more direct. With Ball no longer on the roster, Miller has an opening to become the Hornets’ primary scoring option. He has already shown he can handle a heavy diet of attempts and provide volume from beyond the arc. The next layer would be more responsibility as a creator and more production on the glass.
The field-goal percentage is the obvious category concern in nine-category formats, especially if Miller’s shot total rises sharply. Still, heading into Year 4 with the offense potentially built around him, his 44.6 Yahoo ADP reflects the chance for a career-best fantasy campaign.
Thompson, at an 82.6 ADP, has a different profile. Detroit’s lucrative extension signaled belief in his next offensive step, and the Pistons did not make a major move that would overhaul the starting group. His defensive foundation is already sturdy: perimeter stops, rebounds, steals, blocks and some secondary playmaking give him value even before accounting for scoring growth.
The minute ceiling remains the central question. Thompson’s career high in average playing time is 26 minutes per game. If Detroit pushes him into a regular 30-plus-minute role, his across-the-board activity could justify a mid-round fantasy investment. Even modest improvement as a scorer would strengthen that case.
Frontcourt openings offer different upside bets
Sharpe’s 93.8 ADP is tied directly to the opportunity created by Claxton’s departure. Brooklyn has long seen Sharpe’s per-minute production flash through his rebounding and steal numbers, but he has not had a full season as an established starter to prove that output can hold over a larger workload.
There is more to his profile than rebound totals. Sharpe has shown touch near the rim and enough passing feel to offer some offense from the center spot. The risk is clear: fantasy managers would be drafting for a role and production level that has not yet been sustained across an entire season. But no previous season has presented a cleaner route to standard-league relevance.
Buzelis is the most expensive player in this group by Yahoo ADP at 64.9, and the market has continued to move upward. The Bulls forward could push Norman Powell for the team scoring lead while adding the rebounds, made threes, steals and blocks that broaden his category appeal.
His case is not based solely on projection. Buzelis played 77 games last season and improved to career highs in virtually every statistical area outside of free-throw shooting and turnovers. With Chicago looking for offense and Buzelis entering Year 3, the rising draft cost comes with a similarly rising ceiling.
