2026-2027 Fantasy Basketball Dynasty Rankings: October Updates

October 15, 2026

Zach's Top 450 fantasy basketball rankings for dynasty leagues as of October 14, 2026. Another look at his rankings for the beginning of the 2026-2027 NBA season.

With less than a week until the 2026-2027 NBA season, the time is now to make your final preparations for the beginning of your dynasty season. Hopefully by now, you're out of the lulls of the offseason and ready for the return of basketball. You've set your rosters, you've laid out your goals and expectations for the season ahead, and you're hopeful to see your players continue to rise in the NBA world.

Today, I'm excited for today's update of the top 450 of my dynasty basketball rankings. I've established a baseline for where I'm at on the many, many players around the NBA going into the season and am ready to see how things change over time. This will be the first in-season update for 2026-2027, and as you’d expect, there’s been plenty of movement since the summer.

Today, let's take a look at my full list: who's up, who's down, and some extra notes on players I've been thinking about and wanted to add some context for (with their corresponding category ranks). Let's get into it!

Zach's Top 250 Dynasty Rankings Update (October 2026)

You can see all 450 of Zach's rankings here.

Early Round Movers

Jayson Tatum (7th)

Now, Jayson Tatum didn’t move up on my dynasty rankings at all here. He stayed right where he was at 7th overall for categories and points alike. I’ve stayed bullish on Tatum even from the moment he tore his Achilles and missed a majority of the year.

Thankfully, he came back and looked very close to 100% in the final 16 regular season games and 6 playoff games. This year, I’m expecting him to back up his placement on my boards with a major comeback year. According to Basketball Monster’s 2026-2027 projections, their model predicts Jayson Tatum to have a great season sans Jaylen Brown, with a projected 28.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 5.4 assists.

In my preseason awards ballot, I would have Tatum around 4th or 5th in the MVP race and making 1st Team All-NBA. 

Dylan Harper (19th)

We rarely see rookies that shine as Dylan Harper did in the brightest of lights. Credit to him, he’s so good at 20 years old that he’s now a threat to become the second most important player and the best guard on the Wemby-Era Spurs, on the same team as De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle.

It's just crazy to think about a rise like this. I’ve steadily been pushing Harper up, and he finds his way into the top 20, where I expect him to stay parked if he has a year that continues to tick up from his rookie year.

I think it’s pretty much common knowledge that Dylan Harper will play starter-level minutes regardless of whether or not he starts the game on the court or on the bench

And with an increased role, I think he’ll showcase his superstar ceiling even more https://t.co/zponp40MIB

— Point Made Basketball (@pointmadebball) October 9, 2026

Now, I can’t say I’m really expecting a leap into superstardom as soon as this year, nor is he suddenly going to jump to a 20-point-per-game player. Never say never, I guess, but the conflict here is that Castle is also still really good, and Fox, while fading, isn’t just a nobody. My best guess for this season: Harper ticks up in his counting stats some, probably pushes the PPG to closer to 16-17 or so, and continues to deliver a fantasy-winning game, wherein he’ll compete for 6th Man of the Year.

The reality is he’s just too good to remain off the bench, so if he does surpass even my tapered expectations, he’s going to force the Spurs’ hands eventually. I think the big breakout comes in Year 3, but if you’ve got him, you keep him, or you make someone overpay. If someone has him and you want him, you’re going to overpay. Hype has a way of clouding these things. 

Jalen Williams (22nd)

Over the years of doing rankings, I have consistently been someone that’s higher on Jalen Williams. I really like do-everything wings/forwards like him, and this kind of player is something that, when NBA teams find them, you build with them knowing you’ve got a very expensive and hard-to-get player.

Jalen Williams blossomed into a star the year that the Oklahoma City Thunder won it all, but his lingering hamstring and wrist injuries from 2025-2026 made him play just 33 games and regress in his counting stats. 21.6 points fell to 17.1, rebounds fell marginally while assists ticked up a hair, and the 3-point shooting and efficiency dipped.

I think this is all fairly explainable from two nagging injuries that make the things JDub is good at harder. I’m quite confident he’s going to be healthy this next year and return to All-NBA form. He’s a top 20-25 player I see going for top 30 and lower prices.

Caleb Wilson and the Big 4

I’ve spoken at length in my articles about the Big 4 of the 2026 NBA Draft class. The hype is through the roof, and it seems like the public gets higher every single day. Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, and Caleb Wilson have all looked stellar again this month in preseason and show no signs of slowing down. For reference, that order is the same in which I have them ranked. Boozer at 12, Peterson at 16, Dybantsa at 18, and Wilson at 27.

This is where I stand on them in their long-term value right now; these are all potential stars with strong fantasy profiles should things go in the better-case scenarios. 

In terms of short-term value, I think most people will hopefully recognize that production is very unlikely to come close to their dynasty ranking right now, and that’s perfectly fine. That’s why we play the long-term game. It’s hoping that, while there are things we know coming in and very strong flashes that reveal themselves now, they will put it all together.

I do expect each of these guys to have their pain points and bright spots across the season. However, I do want to touch on the wild card of this group and someone who’s in a quickly developing short-term position: Caleb Wilson.

I still stand by having Caleb Wilson as my 4th rookie in this 2026 class. I think most people in the dynasty community felt the same way coming into their rookie drafts, and I’m not the type of person who is going to overreact to Summer League hype. But Caleb Wilson has really continued to wow me at every turn, and it’s becoming hard to ignore.

Caleb Wilson put his skillset on display in tonight's preseason action!

17 PTS (6-10 FGM)
4 REB
5 AST https://t.co/jgEuyDoEzd

— NBA (@NBA) October 12, 2026

Wilson was incredible at Summer League and, most notably, was knocking down threes at a ridiculous rate. He’s been looking excellent in preseason and frequently played like the best player on the court for the Bulls. He’s not been getting the steals (0.7 steals and 0.3 blocks) through his 3 preseason games, but everything else is coming along. 17.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, shooting 45.2% from the field and 31.4% from deep (worth noting he’s taken four, 11, and four attempts in his 3 games), which isn’t as good as Summer League, but still promising for where he is.

If Wilson blows the doors off fantasy-wise, is putting up good stocks, is shooting 3’s and making them efficiently, we could see some shifts in this rookie class and my rankings by midseason. Time will tell with these youngsters.

The Young Hornets Hype

Kon Knueppel (28th) and Brandon Miller (41st)

This summer, we were in for a real shock as LaMelo Ball was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a pretty light package. However, I’m sure Kon Knueppel already starting to look like a star in Charlotte helped make that decision easier for Hornets GM Jeff Peterson.

Now, the keys have been given to Knueppel and Brandon Miller to lead this franchise, and I’m just not sure what to think. There’s no question in my mind that Kon Knueppel still has room to grow and, with a ton more on-ball reps, he could evolve into an All-NBA level player. Still, is he ready for that? Is Charlotte built for Knueppel to take on that workload already with their aggregate version of Ball, Coby White, next to him? 

The other guy in Charlotte is Brandon Miller, a big wing that’s also ready for that next step. Last year was Miller’s big growth year; while he did have a higher PPG (21) in his second season than this past third season (20.3), Miller became more efficient and settled more into his role. Now, to date, Miller’s advanced numbers have not been kind to him, and I don’t view him as super impactful.

I’m not quite sure I agree with that assessment, but I think with more opportunities this year, he and Knueppel will turn heads. I just don’t know if Miller is more of a strong 2B to Kon’s 2A, if he’s a second to Kon’s first option, or if Kon is a true second and Miller is a third option. Last year, the Hornets were really, really strong with those two and Ball, so suffice to say, I just don’t know what to make of this Hornets team. We’ll just have to see what happens.

Buzzworthy Big Men

Walker Kessler (44th)

If you want further proof that the big market tax on players in dynasty basketball is a thing, look no further than Walker Kessler, a big man who’s been quite good for years in Utah. I’m not immune to it, either, as he jumped up ten spots from my last update and as I’ve seen the Lakers’ rotation take shape. Kessler is going to be extremely important to the Lakers now and moving forward, and as the third option on this team and their best defender by a country mile, I think he’s in for a big year.

One thing that I find interesting about this Lakers squad is how JJ Redick plans to play him and what this team may look like on defense. Redick has stated he wants to use Kessler similarly to Victor Wembanyama in a drop. Makes sense as a fit, but do the Lakers have the defensive personnel around the other starting spots to make their system sing? It definitely will be something to watch. Which, sidebar on that: I think Ziaire Williams might be a deep sleeper to watch specifically on that defensive piece, since he is probably their most qualified guy to play the weak-side 4 role in drop.

Anyway, as we all know well by now, Luka Doncic feeds his big men, and Kessler is probably the best true big man he's played with since Kristaps Porzingis. Kessler will have his life made very easy and catch a lot of lobs. He's going to be very good. Unfortunately, the buy window is likely closed for most leagues, but if you need a center, this is most certainly a guy you want. 

Collin Murray-Boyles (69th)

Yeah, Collin Murray-Boyles is just straight up awesome. I’m never afraid to share my misses and where I’ve been wrong, and while I liked Murray-Boyles as a prospect, I was way wrong about his fit in Toronto. He’s meshed incredibly well with Scottie Barnes and company, and head coach Darko Rajakovic has been all-in on him being a key piece for their short- and long-term future. 

Some guys just have it when you watch. CMB has it. The numbers, even just on a full-year basis, might not blow your mind, but it’s extremely obvious that he’s ridiculously impactful. 8.5 points, 5 rebounds (including 2.3 offensive rebounds), 1.9 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.9 blocks, 57.9% from the field with some signs of life from 3-point land (34% on 0.9 makes per contest). Check this out, though.

Here are his per-game playoff numbers in 7 games played going against the Cleveland Cavaliers and former DPOY Evan Mobley: 27.3 minutes, 14.4 points, 6.3 rebounds (3 OREBs), 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.1 blocks, 68.5 TS%. That is just absurdly good for a rookie. And look, personally, I’m a Cavs fan. I felt like I was watching a Draymond Green variant at points in those games.

Murray-Boyles is probably the closest thing we’ll get to a new-age Draymond Green. Yes, I recognize that’s hyperbolic to say about such a young guy, but again, you watch him, and he’s just got it. And frankly, if it continues like he’s been at and he gets a lot of opportunity this year even with Kawhi Leonard in the mix, we’re going to see him keep climbing in ranks.

Ryan Rollins, Brayden Burries and the Messy Milwaukee Backcourt

So, I think the Milwaukee Bucks are going to have a pretty messy backcourt this year, at least until we start to see Taylor Jenkins shake things out some more. That room is just so muddy. Ryan Rollins, Brayden Burries, Tyler Herro, AJ Green, Kevin Porter Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, Gary Trent Jr. (got to justify that contract somehow!) and Caris LeVert. Yuck. That being said, it’s pretty obvious to me that now’s the time to keep investing in the two most talented guys in that guard room, regardless of the split: Ryan Rollins and Brayden Burries. The Alliteration Bros, if you will.

I have both fairly close together, as you’ll note. I’ll start by saying I think both complement each other well. Rollins has more than shown he can be an on-ball combo guard, while Burries is more of an off-ball 2 guard that’s growing in his on-ball reps. They would work together well. I also think Rollins is abundantly talented and deserves to be a priority this year, but I have some uncertainty around his future with Milwaukee right now.

Rollins is playing on one of the biggest scam contracts in the NBA (3 years, $12 million with a player option next summer), and the situation next summer is Rollins opting out of his player option, Milwaukee committing to re-signing Rollins in unrestricted free agency, or trading him at the deadline in February. There’s really no other option, and they cannot lose him for nothing.

In any situation, I think his value feels fairly insulated and retains positive value in this range whether he stays in Milwaukee and outlasts the others who won’t stick around, or signs elsewhere. Same deal with Burries, who is an absolute priority regardless of the personnel around him and will be something the team looks to play more on the ball.

The short answer is, if the season starts, the guard rotation is weird, and one or both aren’t playing as well or as much early on, and managers with one of them overreact, that’s a good time to buy into them. We’ll see what Jenkins intends to do, but my advice is buying the insulated guys and trusting the long term process here. When Milwaukee (or another team) shows you they value these two, believe them. 

More Young Risers

Khaman Maluach (90th)

I’ll level with you: I’ve been skeptical of Maluach for some time now. I had some areas of concern about him as a prospect. I’ve been uncertain about what to make of his Summer League performance, knowing that is not the role he’ll be asked to play by head coach Jordan Ott.

I was sketchy on how much of a role he might play as a sophomore, before Mark Williams got shoulder surgery and is now set to miss a majority of this season. Now, Maluach is in every position to succeed and own this starting center job for years to come. I pushed him up a good bit in my ranks, and I'm truly hoping I get proven wrong for doubting him on his come-up. Let’s see if he’s ready for his trial by fire. If you wanted him, I hope you’re bought in, because he’s going to be extremely hard to get, especially if he does play the way he played in Summer League. 

Yaxel Lendeborg (107th)

Yaxel Lendeborg is just straight up good. I’ll keep this section brief on him since we still need to see how things go for the Warriors and if Steve Kerr keeps being Steve Kerr with his young guys, but Lendeborg is just too good not to play a decent enough bench role this year.

He was super impactful and had a good fantasy profile from UAB and Michigan, a perfect fit as a 4 on this team with a lot of glue guy-isms to his game, and some real concerns around this frontcourt. The route is there for the taking and, in a rookie field this loaded, Lendeborg could really blow the doors off this year.

Joan Beringer (118th)

Joan Beringer is going to take some time to fully break out, but it’s definitely a good sign that the Timberwolves were comfortable giving Naz Reid for Ball and letting Beringer work into the backup role behind Rudy Gobert. It will be interesting to see that split of minutes this year.

There are definitely games where Beringer will need to carry the load if Gobert fouls out or gets hurt, and in extended stretches, I don’t know how Beringer actually is to start. But I do anticipate we see some really exciting flashes this year and conversations about just how expendable Gobert might be in his age. Don’t expect this season to be a crazy leap out of Beringer, but do expect some strong per-minute stuff in the rebounds and blocks categories, plus a good upholstery for your FG%. 

Day’Ron Sharpe (122nd)

Sharpe is one of those guys you always wonder about. On one hand, there’s no denying he’s been a steady backup to Nic Claxton for years and has looked sharp like he could step up one day. On the other hand, now that he has this starting job, he’s at a point where everything in Brooklyn is up for grabs, the center position is comfortably the weakest position on the team, and Sharpe only received a 2-year, $20 million contract with Brooklyn this summer, when players like Jock Landale and Jusuf Nurkic received more money than him.

I have my own takes and vibes on things, but I am inclined to at least notice what the team seems to think of Sharpe. Given how the center market heated up, that’s a pretty low sum for a starter when a lot of teams are paying 1.5x that or more for backup centers. I don’t really know what to make of that, but I just find it interesting that he accepted so little money when he didn’t even need to be paid yet. I’ll keep that in my back pocket for now. 

I’ll say this, too: Sharpe has been impactful when he plays, and I expect he’ll put up good numbers this year. He is comfortably their best starter at center, and he will play a lot. It’s more the long-term outlook that concerns me and makes me wonder how replaceable he is. He’s a midseason evaluation for me and someone I might really look hard at selling high on around the new year, depending on what his market looks like and if he balls out early. It's always hard to assess questionable spots on rebuilders.

Ty Jerome (123rd)

You’ve likely seen a lot of hype for Ty Jerome this summer, and it’s understandable why. Jerome is projected to start for the Grizzlies and, since reviving his career in Cleveland, has shined often. In just a 15-game sample size last year, Jerome dominated, scoring 19.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.1 steals on 47.4/42/87.5 shooting splits… in just 22.6 minutes.

Again, a 15-game sample size during tanking season at the end of the year, but that is just absurd. He, Boozer, and Edey working off each other are going to be fireworks this year. 

Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell, and Other Miami Guys

One of my burning questions for Miami this season is who’s going to step up beyond Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. I don’t want to write this Miami team off, but to say I’m concerned about their depth is definitely an understatement. So, who are their other guys I’m hoping to see step up?

The obvious one is Andrew Wiggins, who, at 157th in dynasty ranks, is a screaming buy for contenders. It seems Wiggins is going to be asked to do a lot of heavy lifting this year as the team’s likely third option on paper right now, and I’d say he’s certainly up for the task. He’s got plenty of experience not being a star on good teams over the years and should be able to play off these two guys in the frontcourt effectively.

If you can get Wiggins for top 150-175 prices, there’s a good chance I think you can get borderline top 100 or more production out of him depending on how the season goes. 

The other name I see here is Davion Mitchell (161). I’ll be honest: I spent the entire offseason wondering what other point guards Miami planned to bring in with Mitchell to bolster the position. Months went by, and it’s still just Mitchell starting, Dru Smith backing him up, and… I guess rookie Ryan Conwell behind Smith?

So, I suppose the confidence is all there on Mitchell being the guy at the starting point guard spot. Let's not forget Mitchell has looked razor sharp every time he's been put on the big stage for Miami. In 4 playoff games in 2024-2025, Mitchell averaged 15 points, 2.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 0.8 blocks while shooting 61% from the field.

In the Play-In in 2025-2026 versus Charlotte, Mitchell led the Heat in scoring with 28 points on 12-for-24 shooting from the field. I'm not saying Mitchell is going to evolve into a star, but would it really be that surprising to see him emerge as a Most Improved Player candidate? I don't think it would, depending on what he's asked to do for this squad. Keep an eye on him and Wiggins. 

Preseason Standouts

Hugo Gonzalez (166th)

Hugo Gonzalez has been a favorite of mine since his time with Real Madrid. There’s just something about this type of glue guy that plays an aggressive brand of basketball on both ends of the floor that’s impossible not to like. The counting stats weren’t aligned with the impact on the advanced stats, but I’m fairly confident that the stat sheet catches up with him soon.

I’m just honestly not sure if it’s this year or next year. Make no mistake, Joe Mazzulla trusts him a lot already, and that matters. He’ll be asked to do more this year. I just hope we see more of the fantasy juice soon, because I’m incredibly excited about Gonzalez. 

Leonard Miller (252nd)

Last, but certainly not least, I wanted to talk about one of this update’s biggest risers who could be in the midst of a breakout: Leonard Miller. Miller is someone I’ve been a fan of for quite a long time. Before I got into the world of fantasy basketball content creation, I started diving deeper into the world of scouting and prospect analysis.

I was very high on Leonard Miller, so much so that for nearly the entire draft cycle, I had him graded as a late lottery pick. This was a player I followed even going back to high school, following various scouts in Canada local to Miller to get more glimpses of him. In one of my earliest mock drafts in 2023, I had him going 10th to the Dallas Mavericks (who would eventually move down to 12th overall to select Dereck Lively II). Miller ultimately slid to 33rd overall and has struggled to get his career off the ground in Minnesota.

Why do I bring all that up? Well, since coming over to the Chicago Bulls in the Ayo Dosunmu-Rob Dillingham trade, Miller has started to find his footing. Since joining the Bulls (27 GP and 12 GS), Miller has averaged 11.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 1.1 made 3s while shooting 55.5% from the field, 35.6% from 3 (3.2 3PTA), and 76.2% on free throws. Now, let’s be clear: This was during Silly Season when Chicago had zero incentive to win and good odds for a top 4 pick to look forward to. Since trading for Miller, the Bulls went 7-20. But in his 12 starts, Miller went 5-7. 

So far this offseason, Miller has looked really fantastic. I’ll be the first to tell you that I was really skeptical of him in Chicago this season. With Matas Buzelis, Caleb Wilson, and Noa Essengue all there, where might the opportunities come from if he doesn’t blow the doors off? And, well, he has blown the doors off in preseason. 

Again, let me just tell you here and now that I am not saying for certain that Leonard Miller is breaking out this season. It is just preseason. But I will tell you two things: I’ve never seen Leonard Miller moving like this in any NBA experience to date, and he looks hungry and ready to prove himself. 

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