Yahoo High Score drafts demand a different kind of board. The format doubles assists, removes turnover penalties and uses only the best score from a manager’s starters each week, moving high-usage creators and injury-risk stars up the room while cutting into players who live on efficiency, threes or season-long availability.
Nikola Jokić remains the first name on the board, with his assist production creating a weekly ceiling nobody else reaches. Victor Wembanyama follows, then Luka Dončić, Cade Cunningham and Giannis Antetokounmpo; Dončić and Cunningham get the full benefit of turnovers no longer counting against them, while Giannis loses the usual free-throw drag.
Quick scan
- Assists are worth two points, lifting primary ball-handlers and passing bigs.
- Turnovers are not deducted, creating a major boost for high-volume players such as Dončić, Cunningham, Trae Young, James Harden and Josh Giddey.
- Only one monster game is needed in a given week, softening concerns over maintenance days, injury histories and limited schedules.
- Three-point shooting, field-goal efficiency and low turnover rates have less standalone value than they do in category formats.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is still an elite Round 1 player, but this setup does not pay extra for his shooting efficiency and his assist total is merely solid by this group’s standards. Jayson Tatum’s path to Boston’s top usage role, Jalen Johnson’s triple-double potential and Scottie Barnes’ all-around production keep them in the opening round, while Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Maxey take a hit from reduced playmaking environments. Cooper Flagg’s projected second-year jump is more valuable here than his limited three-point profile.
Round 2 starts with Alperen Sengun, whose expanding playmaking from center is a clean fit once turnovers disappear. Karl-Anthony Towns, Donovan Mitchell, Kevin Durant, Jalen Brunson, Amen Thompson and Tyrese Haliburton follow, with Haliburton’s assist-heavy offense and Thompson’s weaker shooting profile both working in their favor.
Trae Young is one of the sharper format risers: 10 assists alone produce 20 points before his scoring is added, and his giveaways are irrelevant. Jamal Murray’s career-best season, Devin Booker’s lead-creator workload, Austin Reaves’ larger offensive freedom and LaMelo Ball’s huge per-game line all make them Round 2 options, with Ball’s turnovers and uneven availability less damaging than usual.
Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Davis headline Round 3 because a single active, dominant night can largely settle a week. Paolo Banchero, Giddey and Harden benefit from their heavy possessions and turnover-prone creation, while Domantas Sabonis should regain more offensive involvement with Russell Westbrook and DeMar DeRozan gone from Sacramento.
Jaylen Brown’s lower touch count in Philadelphia limits his ceiling somewhat, but he remains stronger in High Score than in category leagues. Chet Holmgren’s defensive and shooting strengths receive less credit here, while Deni Avdija must share possessions with Ja Morant and Damian Lillard in Portland. Bam Adebayo’s passing separates him from similarly ranked centers, Jalen Duren remains a developing 20-and-10 threat, and Evan Mobley offers a steadier 18-point, 10-rebound, four-assist shape as Cleveland’s third option.
Stephen Curry falls into Round 4 territory because there is no separate three-point reward and he is entering his age-38 season. Julius Randle projects to lead Brooklyn in combined points, rebounds and assists, while Walker Kessler could pile up boards, blocks and finishes from Dončić-created looks with the Lakers.
Kon Knueppel’s upside is tied to scoring growth and more creation, though efficient shooting itself is not a bonus. Pascal Siakam holds down Indiana’s No. 2 role, LeBron James remains a premium per-minute producer even if Philadelphia limits him to about 28 minutes or rests him, and Brandon Miller could be Charlotte’s main usage winner when LaMelo Ball is off the floor.
Jalen Williams offers balanced production, but gains more in category scoring. Stephon Castle is a notable High Score target because poor efficiency and turnovers are his biggest weaknesses elsewhere. Joel Embiid’s upside is worth the swing even in a 40-game season, Darius Garland projects as the Clippers’ lead playmaker, and Donovan Clingan enters a Portland frontcourt he can claim after averaging a double-double in 27 minutes.
Round 5 includes Trey Murphy III, Derrick White, Lauri Markkanen and Kyrie Irving, four players whose shooting-based value does not translate perfectly. Murphy’s usage could fall with Dejounte Murray back, White has fewer Boston attempts with Tatum returning and Paul George added, Markkanen joins a roster with more mouths to feed, and Irving’s elite efficiency and low turnover rate are mostly wasted in this format.
Cameron Boozer has a chance at immediate Memphis minutes and on-ball responsibility, with rookie mistakes carrying less cost. Franz Wagner’s secure offensive role behind Banchero, Matas Buzelis’ counting-stat production in fewer than 30 minutes, Jaren Jackson Jr.’s crowded Utah situation, Onyeka Okongwu’s 32-minute double-double foundation and Ivica Zubac’s possible rebound season with Haliburton feeding him shape the middle of the round.
Tyler Herro is set for his first true lead-guard job in Milwaukee, and his injury record is cheaper to absorb in a best-game format. De’Aaron Fox still carries a 22-point, six-assist profile when healthy, even with Castle and Dylan Harper cutting into San Antonio’s usage.
Brandon Ingram opens Round 6 as a likely top-two option for the Clippers, with the injury discount reduced here. Keyonte George showed star-level output in a small sample but now shares Utah possessions with Darryn Peterson, Jackson and Markkanen. Dejounte Murray brings points, assists and steals when healthy, although his New Orleans workload remains unsettled.
Desmond Bane is safe as Orlando’s third option but does not offer much beyond scoring. Zach Edey’s per-minute scoring and rebounding travel well, while recurring ankle concerns do not carry the usual season-long penalty. Lillard’s post-Achilles workload in Portland is similarly easier to stomach, and Zion Williamson’s availability discount shrinks sharply in this setting.
Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker are less appealing because their low-usage, defense-first profiles lack the stat volume High Score favors. Ryan Rollins faces a crowded Milwaukee backcourt despite his breakout year, Coby White takes over Charlotte’s starting point-guard spot, and Michael Porter Jr. loses ground because efficiency and three-point volume are not separately rewarded.
Round 7 is built around minutes bets and availability gambles. Kel’el Ware needs Milwaukee’s rebuilding club to give him a longer runway, while Naz Reid has crossed 30 minutes and brings scoring, rebounding and some passing. OG Anunoby and Rudy Gobert have stable roles, but Anunoby’s 3-and-D contributions are muted while Gobert’s value rests on health and a dependable double-double.
Rookie Derik Queen played 81 games with a broad fantasy profile, though his New Orleans role and minutes remain open questions. Payton Pritchard faces a volume reduction, but Ja Morant is a major format climber because his scoring and assists matter while turnovers and missed games hurt less. Paul George’s extensive recent absence history is also discounted.
Caleb Wilson can win a starting role and provide defensive production for Chicago without being punished for efficiency or turnovers. AJ Dybantsa has self-created offense in Washington but must coexist with Young and Davis; Ausar Thompson needs a route to 30 minutes; and Jaden McDaniels could get cleaner looks with Ball running Minnesota’s offense.
Jarrett Allen begins Round 8 as a reliable but limited-ceiling player with declining minutes, an awkward fit for a peak-score league. Harper has a possible second-year leap to make but must crack San Antonio’s crowded guard group. VJ Edgecombe’s Philadelphia minutes look safer than a major touch increase, and Peterson is another Utah guard fighting for possessions.
Ty Jerome produced at a career-best rate in 15 healthy Memphis games, making him a natural best-week wager. Kristaps Porziņģis has much stronger per-game value than his price suggests, and the concern over his rare 65-game seasons is reduced. Miles Bridges is a secure third option in Phoenix behind Booker and Jalen Green, while Nic Claxton should receive minutes in Chicago after the Bulls acquired him to play.
Alex Sarr remains a Washington starter, though Davis and Dybantsa changed the roster around him. Norman Powell remains mostly a scoring play after consecutive 20-point seasons. Day’Ron Sharpe is expected to start in Brooklyn after long showing elite rebound rates per minute, and Cedric Coward has a potential sophomore jump with expanded Memphis minutes.
Josh Hart’s wing rebounds and assists are useful, but his minutes have dipped and New York’s rotation is established. Jalen Green’s scoring bursts are exactly the sort of single-game spike the format catches. RJ Barrett brings a regular 20 points with supporting stats, CJ McCollum is Atlanta’s defined second option behind Johnson, and Andrew Wiggins slots as Miami’s third scorer behind Antetokounmpo and Adebayo.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. has a path to Milwaukee forward minutes. Darius Acuff Jr. projects as Sacramento’s rookie starting point guard, making his assists valuable and his turnovers harmless. Immanuel Quickley, Mikal Bridges, Myles Turner and Isaiah Hartenstein lose some appeal because their best traits—shooting, durability, blocks or efficient supporting work—matter more in other scoring systems. Ayo Dosunmu could approach 30 minutes nightly in Minnesota with a more rounded line.
Round 10 features Brandin Podziemski’s guard rebounds and assists, Yaxel Lendeborg’s chance at a Golden State starting job and Ajay Mitchell’s sixth-man-to-starter upside following Oklahoma City’s wing departures. Fred VanVleet still has assist-driven value, though his Houston role may not match past workloads. Zach LaVine’s high usage on a rebuilding Sacramento group makes his 108 missed games over the last three seasons less frightening.
Jabari Smith Jr. has a safe floor but limited shots behind Houston’s top creators. DeRozan could play close to 30 minutes as Denver’s sixth man, Neemias Queta is a double-double candidate while sharing Boston’s center minutes with Mitchell Robinson, and Khaman Maluach has a possible double-double, two-block ceiling while Mark Williams is out. Jeremiah Fears owns big usage in his New Orleans minutes, Jalen Suggs’ health matters less than normal, and Peyton Watson finally has a clear route to a Cleveland starting spot despite limited touches.
Ace Bailey finished his rookie season strongly but enters an unsettled Utah rotation. Collin Murray-Boyles brings versatile Toronto production, Jusuf Nurkić offers center assists and rebounds, and Kevin Porter Jr. has a murky Milwaukee role after the additions of Herro and Burries despite career-best output in 38 games.
Keegan Murray played only 23 games last season but should find usage on a rebuilding Sacramento roster if healthier. John Collins is positioned for greater Detroit minutes and touches in Tobias Harris’ old role, Aaron Gordon remains a safe Denver piece beside Jokić and Murray, and Cameron Johnson’s shooting held up after his Denver counting stats collapsed—the wrong split for High Score.
Reed Sheppard’s Houston minutes tightened after Marcus Smart arrived and VanVleet returned. Kyshawn George improved in his second Washington season but joins a busier roster, Davion Mitchell no longer gets credit for avoiding turnovers, and Anthony Black faces a difficult minutes-and-touches path with Orlando healthy.
Cason Wallace may receive more Oklahoma City minutes and can generate steals in streaks, though his offense is thin. Jrue Holiday’s Portland responsibility is shrinking behind Morant and Lillard. Sandro Mamukelashvili has strong per-minute value and sixth-man upside for a thin Lakers frontcourt, while Toumani Camara’s main draw is simply playing time.
P.J. Washington projects around mid-teen scoring and seven rebounds but faces a packed Dallas frontcourt. Egor Dëmin sits behind Mikel Brown Jr., Randle and Porter in Brooklyn, though he can still produce isolated big nights. Christian Braun has 30-plus-minute potential after a down season, Devin Vassell’s usage has slipped in San Antonio, and Andrew Nembhard’s 16.9 points and 7.7 assists without Haliburton represent a ceiling worth chasing.
Saddiq Bey is one of several Pelicans competing for possessions. Brown, a rookie Brooklyn starter on a poor club, has assist upside with no turnover tax. Bennedict Mathurin supplies bench scoring punch for New Orleans.
The final tier includes Quentin Grimes as a Lakers release valve behind Dončić and Reaves, plus Collin Gillespie, whose shooting value may disappear once Phoenix is whole. Tari Eason remains an excellent per-minute Houston producer caught in a deep rotation, Jakob Poeltl’s field-goal percentage does not help here, Grayson Allen could handle Charlotte sixth-man minutes, and Maxime Raynaud is capped behind a healthy Sabonis in Sacramento.
