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NBA Fantasy: Week 1 Power Rankings
Nikola Jokić and Victor Wembanyama crack the top five in NBA.com’s first fantasy power rankings for the 2026-27 season.

The NBA season is back! With nearly the entire league having played a regular-season game already, let’s take a look at our Week 1 Fantasy Power Rankings. This list will fluctuate throughout the season and will be updated on a weekly basis, but this is how the NBA Fantasy team sees the top players right now from a standard points league perspective.

The Celtics’ 3-point-heavy offense should give Tatum plenty of perimeter shots, while last season’s return from a torn Achilles’ tendon could give him the confidence to come out firing this season. In 16 games last season, he was extremely active outside of scoring, averaging 10 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.4 steals. If he can do more of that with Paul George as his co-star in a system that finished second in offensive rating, Tatum can be a firm top-10 fantasy player.

9. Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers

With so many new faces that need the ball this season in Philadelphia, it’s reasonable to ask who will have to adjust their role and sacrifice some offensive production? In the 76ers’ first game of the season, a victory over the defending champion New York Knicks, the answer to that question early on was “not Tyrese Maxey.” Maxey shined on the Garden floor Tuesday with 28 points, 5 assists and, perhaps more importantly, took 19 shots and 9 free-throw attempts. The points, field-goal attempts and free-throw attempts all led the team, showing an early sign that Maxey is going to be the lead guard in what should be a loaded offensive attack.

Johnson was one of the most underrated players in the NBA last season, and his all-around contributions made him a fantastic fantasy option. The All-Star forward averaged 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists for a total of 48.3 fantasy points. At the very least, Johnson should replicate his production from last season, but he could certainly take another leap.

Cunningham will be asked to take a heavy offensive role once again in Detroit this season, which will be ideal for his fantasy managers. Now 25 years old, Cunningham has become a very reliable fantasy MVP candidate over the past few seasons. The only concern here is turnovers, but in leagues such as High Score, we would bump Cunningham up in these rankings with turnovers and missed shots not counting against you.

6. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves

The Anthony Edwards-LaMelo Ball partnership was in full effect from the jump. Wednesday’s opener saw the two combine for 66 points, 45 coming from Edwards. The two-time All-NBA guard tallied 66.5 fantasy points (70 High Score points) in the win over Miami, and has the chance to put up big numbers due to elite three-level scoring. Expect the buckets to come easier with Ball as his point guard.

The concerns that Antetokounmpo would struggle somewhat offensively while learning to gel with Bam Adebayo disappeared instantly after a 35-point performance in just 30 minutes vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves. While the his 1 assist is somewhat of a concern, the ball is expected to be in Antetokounmpo’s hands plenty this season, especially without a true starting point guard on this roster. If Antetokounmpo’s teammates step up to help him convert some assists, Antetokounmpo should remain a top-five fantasy option this season.

4. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

Wembanyama has an extremely high floor due to his defensive production. Tuesday’s opener wasn’t his best, but that will quickly be forgotten. The reigning Kia Defensive Player of the Year averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.1 blocks for 53.4 fantasy points last season. Rebounds and blocks are a big reason why the French big man could be the top fantasy player after 82 games.

3. Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers

With LeBron James taking his talents to Philadelphia, this is the Dončić show now more than ever. He dazzled in the Lakers’ first game with the ball in his hands consistently. In what became a blowout over Golden State, in just 30 minutes Dončić put up 28 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists. He even attempted 12 3-pointers in those 30 minutes. The only question regarding Dončić is whether he can play a full season. Dončić has missed 50 games over the last two seasons, which is the main reason he’s behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokić in our first rankings.

2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

In Tuesday’s Western Conference Finals rematch, Gilgeous-Alexander picked up right where he left off, dropping 32 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks for 61.2 fantasy points (64 High Score points). Last season, the reigning back-to-back Kia Most Valuable Player averaged 50.4 fantasy points, proving he’s one of the best two-way players of our generation. Gilgeous-Alexander is showing no signs of slowing down, spearheading a dominant Oklahoma City Thunder team.

1. Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets

No surprise here as The Joker remains the King of fantasy basketball heading into the 2026-27 season. Jokić will have the ball in his hands plenty this season, just like he has the previous few seasons. He continues to have enough of a supporting cast of Jamal Murray and DeMar DeRozan allows him to continue to rack up the assists. Despite missing time with injury last season, Jokić has played in at least 65 games in all 11 of his NBA seasons.

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