Only a handful of games into the 2026-27 NBA season, fantasy basketball managers are already separating real breakouts from small-sample noise. From Cooper Flagg's elite across-the-board production to Ty Jerome's 45-point opener, several early risers are delivering league-winning value in points, rebounds, assists, steals and three-pointers. Tyrese Haliburton and Trae Young are back in form, rookie Yaxel Lendeborg is surging, and big men like Domantas Sabonis and Alperen Sengun are stuffing the stat sheet.
Here are 10 players who have already made a statement, with the numbers that matter for your waiver wire, trade targets and weekly lineups. Flagg has begun his sophomore campaign with a bang, standing out as one of the league's top producers. In fact, he is the only player to average at least 25.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game at this early stage in the season.
He turned in a season-high of 32 points in the season opener and is coming off a 29-point, 11-rebound outing in the last game. He is also shooting an impressive 56.5 percent from the field, including 35.7 percent from deep and has hit 18-for-20 from the foul line. Despite MVP-like numbers from the 19-year-old, the Mavs own a modest 2-2 record through four games.
Haliburton has returned a man on a mission after spending all of last season sidelined, recovering from an Achilles injury suffered in Game 7 of the 2024-25 Finals. He has racked up at least 22 points in three of his four outings so far, including two double-doubles with assists, and is averaging 21.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 9.5 assists, and 1.3 steals, while shooting 51.6 percent from the field. He continues to push the pace for his squad, leading them to an average of 19.5 points in transition per game, and he also remains as a formidable threat from beyond the arc, with a total of 10 threes made over four games.
Smith does not often get the spotlight over teammates Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson, or Alperen Sengun, but his work to start the season deserves legitimate recognition. The fifth-year big man is averaging 16.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks through four games, including a season-high of 30 points in the season opener. He is also averaging 2.3 made three-pointers per game, while shooting 40.9 percent from downtown.
Smith hauled in 12 rebounds in the last game, marking his first double-digit effort on the boards of the campaign. If he can keep this up, the Rockets, off to a 4-0 start, will remain a very dangerous team. Young is off to a fantastic start, averaging 22.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 11.0 assists through four games.
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