2026-27 Fantasy Basketball: Collin Murray-boyles, Derik Queen Among Sophomore Stars

There’s not much of a point in writing a second-year player rankings article and starting it off with Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and VJ Edgecombe. They were fantasy studs a season ago, and they’ll be the same this year as the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 options, respectively.

My list of second-year rankings starts with the best of the rest, headlined by versatile big men ready to take a sophomore leap and throw off the cliche of a slump.

1) Collin Murray-Boyles (F/C - TOR)

CMB enjoyed a productive rookie campaign, putting together per-36-minute averages of 14 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 15 blocked shots. He appeared in 57 games and started 22 of them. The highlight of his first NBA season was a 17/15/3/3/3 line in an OT victory over the Sixers on January 11.

Murray-Boyles will get to play PF and C this season, and there will be times where he plays alongside Jakob Poeltl when the Raptors need a jumbo frontcourt lineup. The athletic big man can do a bit of everything in the boxscore, and Toronto’s frontcourt depth behind Poeltl is thin. CMB is a strong, late-round pick in fantasy drafts, though his hype train is gaining more and more steam with each passing day.

2) Derik Queen (F/C - NOP)

Queen saw meaningful run right out of the gate, averaging 25 minutes across 81 games as a rookie. The big man averaged 11.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.0 steal, 0.9 blocks and 0.3 triples. His versatility as a playmaker was on full display with two triple-doubles, including the first ever 30-point triple-double by a rookie center in league history in a December 8 loss to the Spurs.

He started 48 games, averaging an impressive 13.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocked shots running with the first unit. Queen can play the four or the five, and if Zion Williamson is healthy, the two could share the court together. Even if Queen comes off the bench, he’ll get the luxury of playing with a strong group of role players, and he figures to be an integral part of the lineup regardless.

3) Cedric Coward (G/F - MEM)

Coward was an All-Rookie First Team selection behind 13.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.5 triples and a “stock” across 25.8 minutes. He started in 47 of 62 appearances and provided his best performance of the season against the 76ers on December 30 with 28 points, 16 rebounds and four dimes.

Memphis dealt Ja Morant to the Trail Blazers in the offseason, and the team has officially entered a new era without Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. or Desmond Bane. Coward is a cornerstone of the future alongside Cameron Boozer, and he should have even more runway than he did a season ago. The Washington State product is a breakout candidate for 2026-27 who makes for a fine selection in the late-7th or early-8th Rounds.

4) Jeremiah Fears (G - NOP)

Fears averaged 14.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.2 triples across 25.8 minutes, as he played all 82 games of his rookie season. Fears shot an inefficient 43.4% from the floor and 78.9% from the charity stripe which dinged his overall fantasy value, but the Oklahoma product flashed tremendous upside, particularly at the end of the season.

Fears was a Top-85 player over the final month of the season, and fantasy managers who played to the very end of the campaign were handsomely rewarded with a Top-10 week. Over his final three games, Fears erupted to average 37.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.3 triples while shooting 48.8% from the floor and 80% from the foul line.

Fears will likely play more time with the second unit, and he’ll face competition from Bennedict Mathurin and Jordan Poole, but Fears is the most likely candidate to step into the starting PG role if Dejounte Murray is limited or misses time. Don’t let a potentially reduced role stop you from taking a chance on Fears late in drafts.

5) Khaman Maluach (C - PHO)

Last year’s No. 10 pick averaged only 8.9 minutes across 46 appearances, but he was effective when on the court. Maluach’s per-36-minute averages were 12.2 points, 11.6 rebounds and 2.9 swats. In his only start, Maluach grabbed 14 boards and swatted three shots.

Mark Williams is sidelined after getting shoulder surgery on a torn labrum in early September, and he has a long history of missing time. Williams is likely to miss multiple months, which opens the door for Maluach to win the starting gig over Oso Ighodaro. Maluach was a Summer League standout, which could give him the edge to open the season with the first unit.

6) Ace Bailey (G/F - UTA)

Last year’s No. 5 pick got off to a slow start before turning on the jets down the home stretch of the season. The Jazz dealt with numerous absences due to injury tanking, and Bailey seized the opportunity.

Over the final month of the season, he averaged 20 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.7 steals, 1.5 swats and 2.9 triples across 13 appearances. In that span, Bailey scored 33 and 37 points during a blistering four-game stretch from March 18 to 23 in which he averaged 28 points and 5.8 triples.

The Jazz drafted Darryn Peterson with the No. 2 pick, and Utah is expected to be healthy to open the season, which muddies the waters for Bailey’s role and potential playing time. He was too impressive for the team to keep him out of the rotation entirely, but he’ll surely see a reduction in minutes and usage in Year 2.

7) Maxime Raynaud (C - SAC)

The 2025 second-rounder was thrust into action almost immediately, as Domantas Sabonis missed most of the season with multiple injuries. Raynaud averaged 12.5 points and 7.5 rebounds across 26.5 minutes, and he started 56 of 74 games.

Sabonis is expected to be ready for the start of the 2026-27 campaign, but he’s still on the trading block after Sacramento tried unsuccessfully to trade him before the 2025-26 deadline. Sabonis’ eventual trade should open the door for another worthwhile season from Raynaud.

The big man has reportedly bulked up from 250 pounds to 270 pounds, which should help his post offense, rebounding and shot blocking.

8) Egor Dëmin (G - BKN)

Dëmin started 45 of his 52 appearances as a rookie, averaging 10.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.8 steals and 2.4 triples across 25.2 minutes per game. The 6’8 Dëmin made a noticeable impact as a rebounder, defender and three-point shooter, though he wasn’t too effective as a playmaker or scorer.

Dëmin will face competition for playing time in the backcourt after the Nets selected Mikel Brown Jr. with the No. 5 pick, but Dëmin is expected to retain a starting gig. Brooklyn also brought in Julius Randle who figures to siphon counting stats from Dëmin due to his typically high-usage role. Additional scorers, however, could set up Dëmin to improve his assist numbers from his rookie campaign, making him an interesting final-round pick in standard leagues.

9) Joan Beringer (C - MIN)

The big man from France logged only 7.9 minutes across 40 appearances as a rookie, but he should see a big bump in playing time in Year 2 with both Julius Randle (Nets) and Naz Reid (Hornets) traded.

Beringer showcased his upside in three starts, averaging 15 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.7 steals and 2.7 swats. His 2026-27 campaign is off to a great start after averaging 15.3 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in Summer League action. As the primary backup to Rudy Gobert, Beringer should earn enough minutes off the bench to be viable in deep leagues, and he’ll be a great streamer if Rudy Gobert has to miss time. His athleticism and ability to sprint the floor should get him on the court as a rim-runner and paint protector.

10) Hugo González (F - BOS)

González was thrown into the fire right away as he averaged 14.6 minutes across 74 appearances for the Celtics as a rookie. González shined with additional playing time, averaging 10.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.8 blocks and 1.4 triples in 10 games with at least 25 minutes. His best game of the season came against the Bucks on March 2 when he went nuclear with an 18/16/1/3/2 line that included three triples.

Jayson Tatum is back, but Jaylen Brown’s departure should open up additional playing time and a spot in the starting lineup. González is expected to compete for that spot, and if he can earn 20+ minutes per night, he’ll be worth a look in deeper leagues with the ceiling to make an impact in standard formats.