NBA Rookie of the Year Race (Oct. 27): Lendeborg, Wilson and Acuff Set the Early Pace
Four games in, Yaxel Lendeborg, Caleb Wilson and Darius Acuff Jr. lead the rookie scoring race while Cameron Boozer owns the glass. Our early NBA ROY board.
It is way too early to hand out hardware, and that is exactly why it is fun to look. Through games of Oct. 26, teams have played about 3.5 games each, and the 2026 rookie class already has a three-man scoring race at the top, a double-double machine in Memphis and a No. 1 pick who has not logged a minute yet.
One honest caveat before we start: our live 2026 NBA redraft still leans mostly on draft slot this time of year. Performance carries only about 22% of the weight right now, so the board below is a snapshot of who is producing, not a final verdict. That share grows every night the games keep coming.
The scoring race: three rookies over 21 a night
Here is the per-game scoring leaderboard among rookies.
| Rookie | Team | GP | PPG | RPG | APG | MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darius Acuff Jr. | SAC | 3 | 22.3 | 2.7 | 4.7 | 36.0 |
| Yaxel Lendeborg | GS | 4 | 21.8 | 9.3 | 4.8 | 33.3 |
| Caleb Wilson | CHI | 4 | 21.0 | 7.3 | 1.8 | 33.8 |
| Meleek Thomas | CLE | 1 | 16.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 19.0 |
| Cameron Boozer | MEM | 4 | 14.8 | 10.5 | 4.8 | 33.0 |
| Keaton Wagler | LAC | 3 | 13.0 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 26.3 |
| Darryn Peterson | UTAH | 4 | 11.5 | 4.3 | 2.5 | 29.3 |
Yaxel Lendeborg: the early favorite
If you had to vote today, the pick is Yaxel Lendeborg. The No. 11 pick is starting all four of Golden State's games and is doing a little of everything: 21.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 33.3 minutes. He ranks second among rookies in scoring, second in rebounding and tied for first in assists. He is also doing it efficiently, with a 59.1 true shooting percentage, the best mark among the high-volume scorers in this race.
Our formula has noticed. Lendeborg's performance score of 83.2 is the highest in the class, and he has already climbed four spots on the redraft to No. 7. When the weight shifts further toward production, he has the most room to keep rising.
Caleb Wilson: the two-way case
Caleb Wilson, the No. 4 pick, is the rookie with the strongest all-around defensive line so far. He is scoring 21.0 points with 7.3 rebounds in 33.8 minutes, and he sits second among rookies in both steals (1.8) and blocks (1.5) per game. No other rookie shows up in the top two of both.
The knocks are real, though. Wilson is shooting 41.9% from the field and 5 of 28 from three, and Chicago is minus-37 with him on the floor across four games. His 49.9 true shooting percentage keeps him a step behind Lendeborg in our numbers, but his performance score of 71.8 is still second in the class among players at the top of the board.
Darius Acuff Jr.: volume first, efficiency later
Darius Acuff Jr. leads every rookie in scoring at 22.3 points and in minutes at 36.0 a night, and he is chipping in 4.7 assists. Sacramento is handing him the keys. The efficiency has not followed yet: he is shooting 32.9% from the field and 4 of 27 from deep, good for a 41.2 true shooting percentage, and the Kings are minus-33 in his minutes. Acuff went seventh and now sits sixth on the redraft. If his shot starts falling, his volume makes him the most dangerous scorer in this race.
Cameron Boozer: the quiet double-double
Cameron Boozer is the only rookie averaging a double-double: 14.8 points and a class-best 10.5 rebounds, plus 4.8 assists that tie Lendeborg for the rookie lead. The shooting has been rough at 28.3% from the field, but Memphis is plus-36 with him on the floor, the best plus-minus among the rookies in this group. Boozer holds steady at No. 3 on the redraft, the same slot he was drafted.
The No. 1 and No. 2 picks
Darryn Peterson, the No. 2 pick, now owns the top spot on our redraft after starting all four of Utah's games. His production is solid rather than loud so far, at 11.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists with a 43.3 true shooting percentage, but his draft standing still carries him.
AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1 pick, has no NBA minutes in our data yet. That is the only reason he slipped one spot to No. 2. With no games to measure, the board simply has nothing to add to his draft slot, and he will start moving the moment he plays.
Sleepers to watch
- Meleek Thomas (CLE): the No. 34 pick dropped 16 points in 19 minutes in his only game, going 4 of 5 from three with an 80.0 true shooting percentage. That jumped him six spots on the board overnight, the biggest one-day rise in the class, tied with Bryce Hopkins.
- Trevon Brazile (DEN): the No. 35 pick is averaging 9.0 points and 7.3 rebounds in 21.0 minutes off the bench. He is the biggest riser on the redraft, up 12 spots from his draft slot to No. 23.
- Keaton Wagler (LAC): 13.0 points and 4.0 assists in 26.3 minutes without a start, plus a 62.2 true shooting percentage, the best among rookies scoring in double figures over more than one game.
Our early ballot
- Yaxel Lendeborg, GS
- Caleb Wilson, CHI
- Darius Acuff Jr., SAC
- Cameron Boozer, MEM
- Keaton Wagler, LAC
Ask again in two weeks and this list could look completely different.
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For the full per-game leaderboards, see the NBA rookie stats page.
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