NBA Fantasy: Draft strategy for Yahoo High Score

Kevin Durant is one of the few players carrying dual-position eligibility, making him a coveted fantasy option this season.

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Welcome back to Yahoo’s High Score fantasy basketball. Whether you’re brand new to fantasy hoops or a longtime 9-cat or standard points vet looking for something a little different, get ready to unlearn some old habits. This game isn’t about nightly grind and steady production. It’s about chasing big performances and embracing the chaos of the NBA week.

I go deeper in my High Score 101, but the rules are simple: your weekly score counts only the single best fantasy performance from each of your six starters. That’s it. A player can have three duds with one monster game, and the monster game is the only one that counts.

I ran every box score from 2025-26 through High Score scoring, and a few draft lessons stood out. Here’s how I’d attack draft day.

As a reminder, here’s how scoring works:

Points: 1 point

Rebounds: 1 point

Assists: 2 points

Steals: 3 points

Blocks: 3 points

And here’s the starting lineup:

Guard

Frontcourt

FLEX/UTIL

There are also four bench spots.

Enjoy the lineup flexibility

High Score keeps it simple: two guard spots, three frontcourt spots and one flex/utility spot. You don’t have to fill every position (PG, SG, SF, PF, C) like traditional formats. That gives you a ton of freedom to build your team your way. Stack guards, load up on versatile forwards or mix and match. Or, better yet…

Target players who qualify at guard and frontcourt

Dual-position eligibility (G/FC) is a cheat code in this format. Injuries and rest days are inevitable, and having players who can move between lineup spots makes navigating them much easier.

Only 19 players inside the top 120 carry both designations:

Cooper Flagg

Kevin Durant

Austin Reaves

Jaylen Brown

Brandon Ingram (injured)

Desmond Bane

Kon Knueppel

Trey Murphy III

Deni Avdija

Kawhi Leonard

Norman Powell

Ausar Thompson

Dyson Daniels

RJ Barrett

Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Zach LaVine

Andrew Wiggins

Josh Hart

Jalen Green

I’d bump most of these guys up a few spots on your draft board for the extra edge.

Guards have an advantage

If you remember one thing from this article, make it this: guards are worth more in High Score than in regular points leagues. Assists count for 2 points (compared with 1.5 in Yahoo’s standard points scoring), and turnovers don’t cost you a thing. Steals are worth a hefty 3 points too, and guards rack those up.

The numbers back it up. Compared with Yahoo’s standard points scoring, Darius Garland jumped from 61st to 45th in per-game value under High Score scoring last season, and Andrew Nembhard went from 59th to 44th. Even Cade Cunningham, already elite, climbed from sixth to third. A guard who dishes out 6 to 10 assists and snags a steal is giving you a head start before you even count his points and rebounds.

That doesn’t mean you should ignore big men. Bigs who can playmake, like Alperen Sengun, held their value just fine. Prioritize the frontcourt guys who generate assists, since assists are worth more than rebounds. More on that in a minute.

Draft for weekly winners, not consistency

In most formats, a guy who misses games can sink your week. That fear sends injury-prone stars tumbling down draft boards. In High Score, that risk is insulated because you only need one game from a starter each week.

Joel Embiid is the perfect example. He played just 38 games last season, less than half the schedule. But he still suited up in 17 of the 25 weeks, and his best game in those weeks averaged about 53 fantasy points. He can play once, drop a big line and you’re set. Load management doesn’t sting the same way here.

Same goes for players who are all over the place game to game. Matas Buzelis is a great mid-round example. His best game each week averaged about 31% more than his typical night last season. In other formats, his quiet games would be frustrating. Here, they don’t count. Build a roster full of guys who can go OFF, not just show up.

Let the traditional centers slide

You know the type. Reliable bigs who grab rebounds, block a couple of shots and not much else. They give you a steady floor in other formats. In High Score, they end up middling around 30 fantasy points per game – not typically enough to win your week.

Rebounds are worth just 1 point here (compared with 1.2 in Yahoo’s standard points scoring), and these guys rarely rack up assists. Last season, Rudy Gobert ranked 55th in per-game value in standard points but just 72nd under High Score scoring. Donovan Clingan slid from 44th to 61st. You pretty much know what you’re getting every night, and predictable doesn’t win weeks in this format.

Focus on bigs who are involved in the offense or chip in a little of everything. Let someone else in your league draft the “safe” centers.

Cash in your late-lottery tickets

High Score rosters are small (10 players, including four bench spots). Sounds limiting, but it actually frees you up late in the draft. You don’t need to burn those last picks on safe, low-upside players just to fill out a roster. Go big-game hunting instead.

Swing for the fences with your late picks. Rookies with a clear path to shots are my ideal targets. Darius Acuff Jr. is running point in Sacramento. Darryn Peterson, the No. 2 overall pick, should get plenty of run in Utah. Mikel Brown Jr. is another name I like later in drafts. Rookies are streaky, but they can drop 45 fantasy points out of nowhere, and in this format that’s all you need.

There’s almost no downside. If your lottery ticket doesn’t hit, the short bench makes it easy to drop him for the hot waiver add. Take a shot on someone who could win you a few weeks. Those are the swings that separate you from the rest of your league.

Don’t sleep on stocks

Steals and blocks, or “stocks,” are worth 3 points each. They can be random, but they add up fast and can swing a close matchup.

Guards who defend are especially valuable. Derrick White averaged over a steal and over a block per game last season (2.4 stocks), which is rare for a guard. Tyrese Maxey (2.6) and Dyson Daniels (2.4) were right there with him.

In the frontcourt, look for versatile defenders who do a bit of everything. Ausar Thompson averaged nearly three stocks a game (2.0 steals, 0.9 blocks), one of the best marks in the league, and his twin Amen brings the same athleticism. Miss out on the top scorers? Pivoting to elite defenders is a great way to stay competitive.

That’s High Score — chase ceiling over consistency. Prioritize guards and playmaking. Don’t overpay for traditional centers. Take your swings late. And above all else, draft players who can win you a week with one game. Good luck on draft day!