Fantasy basketball stock watch: Cooper Flagg, Ty Jerome lead early breakouts to buy

Breaking down the early risers delivering league-winning value Oct 28, 2026 at 2:27 pm ET • 5 min read 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.Cooper Flagg, MavericksFlagg 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. Tyrese Haliburton, PacersHaliburton 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. Jabari Smith, RocketsSmith 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. Trae Young, WizardsYoung is off to a fantastic start, averaging 22.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 11.0 assists through four games. He has already logged three double-doubles and registered a season high of 13 assists. He is also doing a good job of controlling the ball, averaging 2.3 turnovers in 36.5 minutes per game. Young missed the vast majority of last season and only played in a handful of games after being traded to the Wizards, making this essentially his debut with the squad. His hot start is a great indication that he is back in top form and ready to continue challenging the league's best value producers. Yaxel Lendeborg, WarriorsLendeborg got out to a modest start with 12 points in his first outing but then delivered an 18-point, 13-rebound effort in the second game of the season. Amazingly, he managed to one-up himself in each of the next two outings, with 26 points, nine boards and five assists, followed by 31 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in the most recent game. The rookie's brilliance could not come at a better time for the Warriors, as the team has been struggling to find answers over the last couple of seasons. Lendeborg has surely already earned himself the green light and should continue to stand out as a central figure for the squad. Ty Jerome, GrizzliesJerome has made some noise over the last couple of seasons, indicating that he has more to offer. After missing most of last year due to injury trouble, he got straight to business when handed the keys to the new-look Grizzlies to begin the 2026-27 campaign. The eighth-year guard stunned the league with a 45-point masterclass on opening night and kept the ball rolling by averaging 34.7 points on 56.3 percent shooting over the first three games. He came back down to earth with 15 points and eight assists in his most recent game, but he is very likely on track for a breakout season. Alperen Sengun, RocketsSengun is off to a strong start, averaging 24.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.8 steals over his first four games. He is shooting an impressive 58.1 percent from the field, including 6-for-9 from long range. The big man is also doing a good job getting to the line, averaging 6.5 free throws per game and converting 76.9 percent of those attempts. An unsung aspect of his game is his ability to snag steals, as he has averaged at least 1.1 per game for the last three seasons and is up to 1.8 per game so far this year. Jalen Johnson, HawksJohnson has picked up where he left off last season, averaging 21.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.5 steals through his first four games. He logged a double-double in the season opener and delivered a 26-point, nine-rebound, 16-assist performance in the game before last. Since the departure of Trae Young, Johnson has had full control of the offense and often takes the ball coast-to-coast after grabbing it off the glass. On the other hand, he is shooting just 42.6 percent from the field so far this season, including going just 3-for-19 from deep. Michael Porter, NetsPorter has always been an under-the-radar contributor, scoring with efficiency, good with the long ball, and an unsung hero on the glass. This season is no different, as he continues to shine as a top offensive option with the Nets. He is coming off a 27-point, 12-rebound performance in the last game, but that is only arguably the best of his four appearances, as he also delivered 28 points, nine rebounds and four steals in the second game of the year. Porter is averaging 22.8 points on 47.1 percent shooting, including 40.5 percent from deep, 7.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 2.3 steals through his total of four games played. Domantas Sabonis, KingsDespite a 0-4 start for the Kings, Sabonis has been quick to remind everyone that he is one of the best-producing big men out there, averaging a league-high 16.5 rebounds per game. He has at least a double-double in each game, with one triple-double, where he racked up 27 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists. He is also shooting an incredible 73.8 percent from the field through his four appearances. As it is likely his squad will need more time to figure things out, the one thing that they can rely on is the veteran big man stuffing the stat sheet.