Just a few games into the 2026-27 NBA season, fantasy basketball managers are trying to tell real breakouts apart from small-sample noise. Several players have already produced league-winning numbers across points, rebounds, assists, steals and three-pointers, according to CBS Sports.
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg tops the list. Through four games of his second season, the 19-year-old is the only player averaging at least 25.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals. He scored a season-high 32 points in the opener and followed with 29 points and 11 rebounds in his latest outing. He is shooting 56.5 percent from the field and has made 18 of 20 free throws, though Dallas has split its first four games.
Memphis guard Ty Jerome has been the biggest surprise. The eighth-year player scored 45 points on opening night and averaged 34.7 points on 56.3 percent shooting over the first three games. He cooled in his most recent game with 15 points and eight assists, but he appears set for a breakout year after missing most of last season with injury trouble.
Two guards are also back in form after long absences. Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton, who missed all of last season recovering from an Achilles injury suffered in Game 7 of the 2024-25 Finals, is averaging 21.8 points and 9.5 assists while shooting 51.6 percent. Washington's Trae Young is averaging 22.3 points and 11.0 assists with three double-doubles, and is turning the ball over only 2.3 times in 36.5 minutes per game. Young played only a handful of games after being traded to the Wizards, so this is effectively his debut with the team.
Golden State rookie Yaxel Lendeborg has improved with every game. After scoring 12 points in his first outing, he posted 18 points and 13 rebounds, then 26 points, nine rebounds and five assists, and most recently 31 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. His rise comes as the Warriors have searched for answers over the past couple of seasons.
Houston has two players on the list. Alperen Sengun is averaging 24.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.8 steals on 58.1 percent shooting, while Jabari Smith is putting up 16.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.3 made threes per game, including a 30-point opener and a 12-rebound effort in his latest game. The Rockets are unbeaten through four games.
Atlanta's Jalen Johnson is averaging 21.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.5 steals, including a 26-point, nine-rebound, 16-assist game. His shooting is a concern, at 42.6 percent overall and just 3 of 19 from three-point range. Brooklyn's Michael Porter is scoring 22.8 points per game with 7.0 rebounds and 2.3 steals, shooting 40.5 percent from deep, after a 27-point, 12-rebound showing in his latest game.
Sacramento center Domantas Sabonis rounds out the group. Even with the Kings winless in four games, he leads the league with 16.5 rebounds per game, has recorded at least a double-double every night, and shot 73.8 percent from the field. His lone triple-double so far came with 27 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists. With Sacramento likely needing time to settle, his steady production looks like the team's most reliable asset.
