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Cade Cunningham doesn’t get hurt for turnovers or missed threes, making him a worthy top five pick in High Score

The preseason is less than two weeks away, and it’s time to start preparing for Yahoo High Score leagues! A quick reminder that this format rewards more for assists, takes away turnovers, and only counts the highest score from your starters each week. That brings up high-usage players with turnover concerns, and players who have games missed concerns tied to their names due to age or injury history.

Round 1

1. Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets — Eleven assists at two apiece, and nothing clawed back by turnovers. The largest weekly ceiling in the sport.
2. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs — Everything that makes him elite still counts; the only gap to Jokić is passing volume, which is the one thing this format pays a premium for.
3. Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers — He owns the ball with LeBron gone, and his single biggest deduction, averaging over four turnovers a night, has been deleted in High Score.
4. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons — A Round 1 High Score winner: a heavy assist load worth double, and the turnovers that came with it cost nothing.
5. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Miami Heat — Thirty points, 11 boards and six assists on huge minutes, with the turnovers and free throws both off the sheet.
6. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder — Scoring efficiency and free-throw accuracy don’t score, and his assist total is good rather than great. He’s a faller relative to category leagues and standard points formats.
7. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics — Boston’s clear first option with Jaylen Brown gone, and early-season minutes management does much less damage when only his best game counts.
8. Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks — A 20/10/10 threat, and the games-played bet you’re making shrinks to almost nothing when one game carries the week.
9. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves — Scoring volume is the whole engine, so the assist dip that comes with LaMelo Ball running more offense costs him more here than it would elsewhere.
10. Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks — After a fantastic rookie season, Flagg should be able to take a step up in Year 2. His relative lack of 3-point shooting doesn’t cost you in High Score.
11. Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers — A real touch reduction is coming with Jaylen Brown and LeBron James. He can make up for it with efficiency in category formats, but not here.
12. Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors — Kawhi Leonard trims his usage, but Barnes answers with rebounds, assists and defense.

Round 2

13. Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets — Career-high assists from the center spot with the turnovers that come attached wiped off the scoresheet. One of the best values in the format.
14. Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks — Almost nothing changed with the Knicks, so Towns’ role is secure. He’s a nightly 20-and-10 threat and showed improved playmaking in the postseason.
15. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers — Steady high-volume scoring, but Harden has the playmaking and the thin assist total costs more here.
16. Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets — Remains one of the league’s elite scorers, though his efficiency doesn’t give you a boost on its own in High Score, making him less valuable.
17. Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks — Usage leader on the league’s most stable offense, with the assists to match.
18. Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets — Points, rebounds and assists in bulk, and the shooting splits that are his only flaw don’t exist in this format.
19. Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers — An assist monster in an offense built entirely around him, and load management is close to a non-issue when a two-game week still produces one enormous score.
20. Trae Young, Washington Wizards — Ten assists is 20 points before he scores, and the turnovers that always came with them are now free. A significant riser compared to standard points leagues.
21. Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets — Clear second engine on a high-possession offense coming off a career-best campaign.
22. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns — Phoenix’s primary creator and highest-usage player. His declining 3-point rate doesn’t matter in High Score.
23. Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers — A high-volume secondary creator with a green light and neither an efficiency nor a turnover tax.
24. LaMelo Ball, Minnesota Timberwolves — Huge per-game production, a huge turnover rate and spotty availability. This format forgives two of those three.

Round 3

25. Kawhi Leonard, Toronto Raptors — One of the best players in the NBA when available, and you only need one big night out of him for it to pay off in this format.
26. Anthony Davis, Washington Wizards — Twenty games last year attached to a first-round per-game profile, which in a best-game format means the weeks he plays at all pay out nearly in full.
27. Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic — A high-usage forward with a high turnover rate that no longer costs him anything.
28. Josh Giddey, Chicago Bulls — A nightly triple-double threat as the hub of the offense, with the assists worth double and the turnovers free.
29. James Harden, Cleveland Cavaliers — A 20-and-10 threat with the assists worth double and the turnovers erased entirely. A riser in this format compared to other points formats.
30. Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings — Rebounds and assists in bulk from center, with usage returning now that Westbrook and DeRozan are gone.
31. Jaylen Brown, Philadelphia 76ers — Won’t have the volume of touches he saw last season, but is still a better High Score player than category-league one.
32. Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder — His 3-and-D profile as a big man isn’t rewarded here like it is in category formats.
33. Deni Avdija, Portland Trail Blazers — Scoring, rebounding and real playmaking from a forward; Morant and Lillard are the threat to the touches.
34. Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat — The assist volume is what separates him from the other bigs in this range, and he’s one of the safest 30-minute bets at the position.
35. Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons — A nightly 20-and-10 threat whose game is still developing on both ends of the floor.
36. Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers — A quiet 18/10/4 as Cleveland’s third option. Steady rather than explosive.

Round 4

37. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors — 3-point-dependent value in a league with no 3-point category, at 38 years old.
38. Julius Randle, Brooklyn Nets — Expected to lead Brooklyn in combined points, rebounds and assists – which makes him a buy in this format.
39. Walker Kessler, Los Angeles Lakers — Rebounds and dunks off Luka Dončić passes with blocks. There should be plenty of big nights.
40. Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets — The upside is a 20-point scorer with more assists; the base case is efficient shooting, which scores nothing extra in High Score.
41. Pascal Siakam, Indiana Pacers — A dependable well-rounded statline as Indiana’s clear No. 2 option.
42. LeBron James, Philadelphia 76ers — The per-minute output is absurd and the assists are the most rewarded part of it, so a 28-minute role or a night off costs you far less than the draft price assumes.
43. Brandon Miller, Charlotte Hornets — Charlotte’s most likely usage winner post-LaMelo, with adequate secondary stats.
44. Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder — A healthy 20-point wing with balanced production, though he gains more in category formats.
45. Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs — His two flaws are shooting efficiency and turnovers, and High Score charges for neither. One of the format’s best buys.
46. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers — An elite producer when he plays, and this is the only format where a 40-game season is close to fine. Draft the upside swing — the rules absorb it.
47. Darius Garland, Los Angeles Clippers — Should have plenty of 20-and-10 nights as the Clippers’ primary playmaker.
48. Donovan Clingan, Portland Trail Blazers — Averaged a double-double in 27 minutes; the frontcourt is his to claim.

Round 5

49. Trey Murphy III, New Orleans Pelicans — An efficient high-volume shooter with modest rebounds and assists, and Dejounte Murray’s return trims the usage.
50. Derrick White, Boston Celtics — Solid all-around, but the low turnover rate is no longer an edge and there are fewer shots with Jayson Tatum back and Paul George added.
51. Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz — Scoring and rebounding with very little playmaking, on a roster that just added mouths to feed.
52. Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks — The clean efficiency and league-best turnover rate that make him a standout elsewhere are worth nothing here.
53. Cameron Boozer, Memphis Grizzlies — Immediate minutes and playmaking responsibility, and rookie mistakes don’t cost you here.
54. Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic — A balanced offensive line that’s secure behind Banchero, and two injury-shortened seasons aren’t as scary in High Score.
55. Matas Buzelis, Chicago Bulls — Led every Bull not named Giddey in counting stats in under 30 minutes.
56. Jaren Jackson Jr., Utah Jazz — Utah’s crowded depth chart is the ceiling problem.
57. Onyeka Okongwu, Atlanta Hawks — A double-double baseline on 32 minutes a night.
58. Ivica Zubac, Indiana Pacers — Bounce-back candidate with Haliburton feeding him easy interior looks.
59. Tyler Herro, Milwaukee Bucks — The first true lead-playmaking role of his career, and the injury history that always capped him is much cheaper to carry here.
60. De’Aaron Fox, San Antonio Spurs — Castle and Harper ate into the usage, but a healthy Fox is still a 22-and-6 guard.

Round 6

61. Brandon Ingram, Los Angeles Clippers — A 20/5/5 forward in the clear top two of his offense who typically slips due to injury history, but that matters less in High Score.
62. Keyonte George, Utah Jazz — All-Star-level production in a limited sample, but Darryn Peterson, Jaren Jackson and Lauri Markkanen all need touches.
63. Dejounte Murray, New Orleans Pelicans — Points, assists and steals in bulk when right, though it remains unclear exactly how much his minutes and usage will be pushed.
64. Desmond Bane, Orlando Magic — Safe as Orlando’s No. 3 option, thin outside of scoring and some light supplementary stats.
65. Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies — Excellent per-minute rebounding and scoring. Some managers are concerned about recurring ankle injuries, but that matters less here.
66. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers — Even a diminished Lillard produces points and assists at volume, and a year off an Achilles is a much smaller weekly problem than a seasonal one.
67. Dyson Daniels, Atlanta Hawks — A low-usage wing with a well-rounded line and little playmaking volume to lean on.
68. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Atlanta Hawks — A 3-and-D profile with little volume to accumulate.
69. Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans — A volume scorer with rebounds and assists chipped in, and the availability discount that defines his price mostly evaporates here.
70. Ryan Rollins, Milwaukee Bucks — Coming off a breakout campaign, but Milwaukee’s backcourt logjam makes his role less clear than managers would like it to be.
71. Coby White, Charlotte Hornets — Now the unambiguous starting point guard, and the injury-hit final season in Chicago overstates the risk.
72. Michael Porter Jr., Brooklyn Nets — Punished by High Score settings that don’t inherently reward efficiency and 3-point volume.

Round 7

73. Kel’el Ware, Milwaukee Bucks — He just needs the minutes, and a rebuilding Milwaukee will probably supply them.
74. Naz Reid, Charlotte Hornets — Past 30 minutes for the first time, with scoring, rebounding and a bit of playmaking.
75. OG Anunoby, New York Knicks — A secure role, though his 3-and-D profile doesn’t provide as much fantasy potential in High Score.
76. Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves — A clean bill of health despite his age and a walking double-double.
77. Derik Queen, New Orleans Pelicans — Eighty-one games as a rookie with a complete game built for fantasy basketball. Minutes and his role are question marks, but in High Score, the upside drives value.
78. Payton Pritchard, Boston Celtics — 3-point-driven value facing a clear step back in volume.
79. Ja Morant, Portland Trail Blazers — Elite per-game scoring and assists, a high turnover rate and a bad availability record — and High Score waves off two of the three.
80. Paul George, Boston Celtics — Fifty-six or fewer games in six of seven seasons is a far smaller problem here than his price suggests.
81. Caleb Wilson, Chicago Bulls — A starting rookie on a team with minutes to hand out, and neither his efficiency nor his turnovers will be held against him. Defensive upside drives value.
82. AJ Dybantsa, Washington Wizards — The self-creation translates directly and the shaky jumper costs nothing; usage competition with Young and Davis is the catch.
83. Ausar Thompson, Detroit Pistons — Rebounding, steals and transition scoring, with poor shooting that costs him almost nothing. The biggest hurdle is getting to 30 minutes per game.
84. Jaden McDaniels, Minnesota Timberwolves — An improving self-creator whose looks should get easier with LaMelo running the offense.

Round 8

85. Jarrett Allen, Cleveland Cavaliers — Reliable floor, limited ceiling, eroding minutes. A poor fit for a peaks format.
86. Dylan Harper, San Antonio Spurs — A second-year jump looks likely; San Antonio’s backcourt logjam is the obstacle.
87. VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia 76ers — Minutes are secure; a sophomore leap in touches isn’t.
88. Darryn Peterson, Utah Jazz — A promising rookie shooting guard, though he’ll have to fight for touches in a revamped Jazz offense.
89. Ty Jerome, Memphis Grizzlies — Career-high per-game production in 15 healthy games, and a format that only counts the healthy weeks is the right home for that bet.
90. Kristaps Porziņģis, Golden State Warriors — He demolishes this price on a per-game basis, and clearing 65 games twice in a career isn’t as much of a concern in High Score.
91. Miles Bridges, Phoenix Suns — Modest role, secure minutes, third in line behind Booker and Green.
92. Nic Claxton, Chicago Bulls — Rebounds and lobs from Giddey, on a team that acquired him specifically to play him.
93. Alex Sarr, Washington Wizards — Still a starter, but Davis and Dybantsa reshaped the roster around him.
94. Norman Powell, Chicago Bulls — Two straight 20-point seasons and almost nothing else on the sheet.
95. Day’Ron Sharpe, Brooklyn Nets — Elite rebounding rate and expanding offensive game. The per-minute production has always been there, and now he’s expected to start.
96. Cedric Coward, Memphis Grizzlies — Sophomore breakout candidate with more minutes coming on a young roster.

Round 9

97. Josh Hart, New York Knicks — Rebounds and assists from a wing is a good shape, but the minutes dipped and New York’s rotation is set.
98. Jalen Green, Phoenix Suns — He scores in bursts without much else, and bursts are precisely what gets counted.
99. RJ Barrett, Toronto Raptors — A nightly 20 points with some supplementary stats, making him a solid pick in points leagues.
100. CJ McCollum, Atlanta Hawks — Steady, defined role. Atlanta’s No. 2 option behind Jalen Johnson.
101. Andrew Wiggins, Miami Heat — Third scoring option behind Antetokounmpo and Adebayo.
102. Jaime Jaquez Jr., Milwaukee Bucks — Inside track on forward minutes in a wide-open rotation.
103. Darius Acuff Jr., Sacramento Kings — A rookie starting point guard means high assists and high turnovers, and only one of those appears on the scoresheet.
104. Immanuel Quickley, Toronto Raptors — Threes and free-throw shooting are the value, and Toronto’s roster is crowded. He doesn’t pay off here compared to category formats.
105. Mikal Bridges, New York Knicks — The most durable player in basketball, which is worth real money over 82 games of accumulation, but less when only his pop performances count.
106. Myles Turner, Milwaukee Bucks — A rough first year in Milwaukee and an unsettled roster make him hard to trust, and his stats come out better in category formats.
107. Isaiah Hartenstein, Oklahoma City Thunder — Rebounds, assists and efficient interior scoring. Minutes and his role are capped.
108. Ayo Dosunmu, Minnesota Timberwolves — Should approach 30 minutes every game, and provides a well-rounded stat profile.

Round 10

109. Brandin Podziemski, Golden State Warriors — Rebounds and assists from a guard make him more useful than his scoring average suggests.
110. Yaxel Lendeborg, Golden State Warriors — Speculative, but there’s a starting job available.
111. Ajay Mitchell, Oklahoma City Thunder — Sixth Man candidate with starter upside after OKC’s wing exodus.
112. Fred VanVleet, Houston Rockets — The assist volume drives his upside, though he probably won’t have as big of a role compared to years past.
113. Zach LaVine, Sacramento Kings — Heavy usage on a rebuilding team, and the 108 missed games in three years scare drafters more than they should in this format.
114. Jabari Smith Jr., Houston Rockets — High floor, low ceiling, and few shots left behind Durant, Sengun, Thompson and VanVleet.
115. DeMar DeRozan, Denver Nuggets — Could approach 30 minutes per game as a sixth man for Denver with upside for scoring outbursts and solid complementary stats.
116. Neemias Queta, Boston Celtics — Double-double threat now sharing the position with Mitchell Robinson.
117. Khaman Maluach, Phoenix Suns — A double-double with two blocks is the upside case with Mark Williams out.
118. Jeremiah Fears, New Orleans Pelicans — Very high usage in his minutes, though his role isn’t clear cut.
119. Jalen Suggs, Orlando Magic — The health question matters less in this format, though so does his 3-and-D profile.
120. Peyton Watson, Cleveland Cavaliers — First clear path to a full-time starting job, though usage will be hard to come by.

Round 11

121. Ace Bailey, Utah Jazz — Rounded into form late in his rookie year, but his role on the re-tooled Jazz is far from obvious.
122. Collin Murray-Boyles, Toronto Raptors — Versatile production across the board, with an open question about minutes.
123. Jusuf Nurkić, Utah Jazz — Rebounds and assists from the center spot is a solid late-round shape even with modest scoring.
124. Kevin Porter Jr., Milwaukee Bucks — Career-best numbers in 38 games, but Milwaukee added Herro and Burries, making Porter’s role murky.
125. Keegan Murray, Sacramento Kings — Twenty-three games last year, but improved health on a rebuilding squad means usage should be available.
126. John Collins, Detroit Pistons — More minutes and touches replacing Tobias Harris than he had with the Clippers.
127. Aaron Gordon, Denver Nuggets — Safe role and good chemistry with Jokić and Murray, and the injuries don’t cost much here.
128. Cameron Johnson, Denver Nuggets — His counting stats collapsed in Denver while the shooting held up, which is the wrong half to keep in High Score.
129. Reed Sheppard, Houston Rockets — The path to minutes narrowed with Marcus Smart added and Fred VanVleet back.
130. Kyshawn George, Washington Wizards — Real Year 2 improvement into a much busier roster.
131. Davion Mitchell, Miami Heat — The tiny turnover rate that carried his case is worth nothing in High Score; what’s left is assists and a safe role.
132. Anthony Black, Orlando Magic — With Orlando healthy, the minutes and touches aren’t obviously there.

Round 12

133. Cason Wallace, Oklahoma City Thunder — A thin offensive profile, though more minutes are expected, and Wallace can rack up steals in bunches.
134. Jrue Holiday, Portland Trail Blazers — The all-around line is respectable, but the offensive workload is shrinking behind Morant and Lillard.
135. Sandro Mamukelashvili, Los Angeles Lakers — Strong per-minute player with sixth-man upside behind a thin Lakers frontcourt.
136. Toumani Camara, Portland Trail Blazers — Minutes are the only real draw.
137. P.J. Washington, Dallas Mavericks — Mid-teens scoring and seven rebounds, with a busy frontcourt as the downside risk.
138. Egor Dëmin, Brooklyn Nets — Fourth in line behind Mikel Brown Jr., Randle and Porter, though should still have the opportunity for some big performances.
139. Christian Braun, Denver Nuggets — Thirty-plus minutes, but last year’s across-the-board regression makes him hard to project.
140. Devin Vassell, San Antonio Spurs — Declining usage on a rising team with no three-point bonus to fall back on.
141. Andrew Nembhard, Indiana Pacers — His 16.9 points and 7.7 assists with Haliburton out is a ceiling, not a baseline — but ceilings are what this format rewards.
142. Saddiq Bey, New Orleans Pelicans — A long line of players competing for the same possessions.
143. Mikel Brown Jr., Brooklyn Nets — A rookie starting point guard on a bad team will pile up assists, and nobody is charging him for the turnovers.
144. Bennedict Mathurin, New Orleans Pelicans — Scoring punch off the bench.

Round 13

145. Quentin Grimes, Los Angeles Lakers — A release valve for Dončić and Reaves, competing for the third-option role.
146. Collin Gillespie, Phoenix Suns — Three-point value that doesn’t translate, likely off the bench once Phoenix is healthy.
147. Tari Eason, Houston Rockets — One of the better per-minute producers in the league, trapped in a deep rotation.
148. Jakob Poeltl, Toronto Raptors — Field-goal percentage was his standout stat last year, and it’s worth nothing here.
149. Grayson Allen, Charlotte Hornets — Could see sixth-man minutes and usage for Charlotte.
150. Maxime Raynaud, Sacramento Kings — Stuck behind a healthy Sabonis, which caps everything.