Fantasy NBA: Week 3 Rookie Power Rankings
Updated rookie power rankings from a fantasy perspective in Week 3 of the NBA season.
Steve Inman & Jed Katz, NBA.com · November 3, 2026, 6:28 PM
Yaxel Lendeborg has been a consistent force early in his rookie season for the Warriors.
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Our Fantasy Rookie Power Rankings are heating up in a big way, with four legitimate candidates for the No. 1 spot—all of whom lit up the stat sheet over the past week.
10. Trevon Brazile – Denver Nuggets
Last Week: 9 ↓
The Nuggets have found a legitimate frontcourt backup in Brazile. His five seasons of collegiate experience are paying early dividends, allowing him to contribute in the paint. Through six games, he ranks seventh on Denver's roster in minutes (22 per game), averaging 8.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and 0.7 blocks. The 35th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft is proving himself worthy of serious playing time, having recorded two double-digit scoring performances and one double-digit rebounding game.
9. Aday Mara – Oklahoma City Thunder
Last Week: 8 ↓
With Chet Holmgren injured, many expected Mara to see an increased role—but that hasn't happened yet. Mara has played 21 or more minutes just once this season and is currently splitting minutes with Jaylin Williams. Williams is struggling to generate any offense, so Mara's minutes could very well increase soon. Mara has posted consecutive games with nine rebounds, so if his minutes do increase, he could become a nightly double-double threat.
8. Meleek Thomas – Cleveland Cavaliers
Last Week: NR ↑
Thomas is doing a fantastic job of translating that Summer League hype to the regular season. The 34th overall pick is averaging 14 points, three rebounds, and one steal, having appeared in four of Cleveland's last five contests. In every single game, he has hit double-digit scoring on at least 40% shooting from the field. Monday's matchup against an elite Thunder squad saw Thomas drop a career-high 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 steal. If Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson continues to trust his second-round selection, Thomas could be a legitimate fantasy option in deeper leagues.
7. Keaton Wagler – Los Angeles Clippers
Last Week: 7
Wagler continues to struggle badly with his shot, shooting just 25.6% from the floor in four games this week. The one positive for Wagler is that he has a defined role in the Clippers rotation. If the losses continue to pile up, the team might be more inclined to give Wagler a larger role—even if he continues to struggle.
6. Darryn Peterson – Utah Jazz
Last Week: 5 ↓
The start of the season hasn't been the greatest for Peterson, but he still has a prominent role on a deep Jazz team and is still putting up solid numbers. The second overall pick is averaging 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.3 steals on 36.3% shooting from the field—but an impressive 37.5% from 3-point range. Utah has plenty of scoring, but Peterson can stand out by continuing to be a threat from beyond the arc. At the very least, the surface-level stats are promising.
5. AJ Dybantsa – Washington Wizards
Last Week: 6 ↑
Dybantsa made his debut this week and averaged 19 points and 4.7 rebounds across three games. He averaged 30 minutes per game on 13.3 shot attempts. Despite having well-established teammates around him such as Trae Young and Anthony Davis, Dybantsa was still productive. The BYU product should continue to improve as he gets his feet wet.
4. Darius Acuff Jr. – Sacramento Kings
Last Week: 4
Acuff continues to let it fly, and that only makes him a better option in High Score leagues. Sacramento picked up its first win of the season on Monday, and the seventh overall pick dropped an efficient 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists on 10-for-21 shooting. In fact, Acuff has shot 47% or better from the field in each of his last three games. His best performance of the season came on Oct. 29 against the Pelicans, when he posted a 34-point, 14-assist double-double. Acuff is a bucket-getter, but he's also a fantastic facilitator.
3. Cameron Boozer – Memphis Grizzlies
Last Week: 3
In three games this week, Boozer averaged 21 points, 10 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 52.9% from 3-point range. In such a loaded rookie class, that was only enough to maintain his current ranking. Boozer has an established role on what has been a better-than-expected Grizzlies squad, and this looks to be his floor in our rankings going forward.
2. Caleb Wilson – Chicago Bulls
Last Week: 1 ↓
Yaxel Lendeborg's dominance shouldn't overshadow what Wilson has done, especially over his last three games. He has remained consistent, averaging 21.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, two steals, and 1.3 blocks this season. Wilson has scored fewer than 20 points in just two of his seven games played and has recorded multiple steals in four of those seven. The Bulls are letting him work on offense, but that motor is translating to the other end of the floor.
1. Yaxel Lendeborg – Golden State Warriors
Last Week: 2 ↑
Lendeborg has been battling for the No. 1 spot all season, but after a dominant 37-point, 6-assist night on 13-for-19 shooting in a win over the Clippers, he's the top choice this week. Lendeborg is averaging 21.5 points, 7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists on a strong 50% from the floor this season. He'll need to continue this kind of production if he wants to stay No. 1 going forward—but he's certainly capable of it.
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