The NBA Rookie of the Year race in 2026-27 is led on the numbers by Darius Acuff Jr., the No. 7 pick, at 26.2 points and 7.3 assists a game for the Sacramento Kings. No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa averages 16.7 points in 7 games for the Washington Wizards, fourth among rookies.
We checked all 38 rookies with 5 or more games on our NBA stats matrix: 35 were drafted in June 2026 and 3 went undrafted. All figures are season averages on Statz player pages as of 11 November 2026, about 3 weeks in, with teams 9 to 12 games into the season. The award itself is decided by a media vote after the 82-game season, so these are early numbers, not a verdict.
Who leads the NBA Rookie of the Year race in 2026-27?
The 2026-27 rookie scoring leader is Sacramento's Darius Acuff Jr. at 26.2 points a game, 4.8 more than any other rookie. He also leads rookies in assists at 7.3 and in made threes at 3.1, playing 37.3 minutes a night. His Statz page ranks him 11th in the whole NBA in points and 12th in assists.
The cost is efficiency. Acuff takes 22.8 shots a game and makes 41.8% of them, with 33.0% from three and 3.6 turnovers. His season highs are 38 points and 14 assists, both in his first 11 games. The Kings are 1-10, last but one in the West, so his volume comes on a team that needs every shot he takes. The full run of games is on the Acuff Jr. game log.
Top 10 rookie scorers, 2026-27
Season averages for rookies with 5 or more games, as of 11 November 2026. Pick is the 2026 draft slot.
| Rookie | Pick | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Games | FG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darius Acuff Jr. (SAC) | 7 | 26.2 | 3.8 | 7.3 | 11 | 41.8% |
| Yaxel Lendeborg (GSW) | 11 | 21.4 | 7.2 | 4.0 | 11 | 52.3% |
| Caleb Wilson (CHI) | 4 | 19.3 | 6.3 | 2.1 | 9 | 40.6% |
| AJ Dybantsa (WAS) | 1 | 16.7 | 6.1 | 2.1 | 7 | 43.3% |
| Cameron Boozer (MEM) | 3 | 16.2 | 9.7 | 5.5 | 10 | 36.4% |
| Darryn Peterson (UTA) | 2 | 15.7 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 11 | 41.1% |
| Meleek Thomas (CLE) | 34 | 13.0 | 2.6 | 1.3 | 8 | 47.0% |
| Mikel Brown Jr. (BKN) | 6 | 12.9 | 2.1 | 3.9 | 7 | 34.6% |
| Keaton Wagler (LAC) | 5 | 12.2 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 10 | 32.9% |
| Brayden Burries (MIL) | 10 | 9.8 | 5.3 | 2.3 | 11 | 42.5% |
How many points does AJ Dybantsa average?
AJ Dybantsa averages 16.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 32.4 minutes across 7 games for Washington in 2026-27. Over his last 5 games he is at 16.2 points and 6.8 rebounds. The Wizards are 4-7, and Dybantsa has played 7 of their 11 games.
The No. 1 pick shoots 43.3% from the field and 27.3% from three on 3.1 attempts a game, and 77.1% from the line on 5.0 attempts. His best night so far is 21 points against the Detroit Pistons on 9 November, with 8 rebounds and 2 blocks. That puts him 63rd in the NBA in scoring on AJ Dybantsa's stats page, and 4th among rookies. Each of his games is on the Dybantsa game log.
The rookies who lead each category
6 categories have 4 different rookie leaders, with Acuff Jr. taking 3 of them. Cameron Boozer, the No. 3 pick, leads rookies in rebounds at 9.7 a game, 10th in the NBA, and adds 5.5 assists for the Memphis Grizzlies. Caleb Wilson, the No. 4 pick, leads in steals at 1.9 for the Chicago Bulls, 18th in the league.
Aday Mara, the No. 12 pick, blocks 1.8 shots in 20.3 minutes for the Oklahoma City Thunder, 8th in the NBA, and shoots 61.5% from the field. See where each of them sits league-wide on the NBA rebounds leaders, steals leaders and blocks leaders pages.
Rookie leaders by category, 2026-27
Per-game averages, rookies with 5 or more games, as of 11 November 2026.
| Category | Leader | Average | Next best |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | Darius Acuff Jr. | 26.2 | 21.4, Lendeborg |
| Rebounds | Cameron Boozer | 9.7 | 7.2, Lendeborg |
| Assists | Acuff Jr. | 7.3 | 5.5, Boozer |
| Steals | Caleb Wilson | 1.9 | 1.2, Peterson |
| Blocks | Aday Mara | 1.8 | 1.0, Wilson |
| 3-pointers made | Acuff Jr. | 3.1 | 2.8, Thomas |
Yaxel Lendeborg is the most efficient of the top scorers
Yaxel Lendeborg, the No. 11 pick, is second among rookies at 21.4 points, with 7.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists for the Golden State Warriors. He shoots 52.3% from the field and 44.3% from three on 2.5 makes a game, on 13.7 shots, 9.1 fewer than Acuff. His high is 37 points.
Lendeborg is also the only rookie in the top 3 scorers whose team has a winning record: Golden State is 8-3, 6th in the West, and he is +1.6 a game. Among rookies who make at least 2 threes a game, the best shooter is Meleek Thomas, the No. 34 pick, at 47.8% on 2.8 makes for the Cleveland Cavaliers, scoring 13.0 points in 23.1 minutes. Compare their shooting with the rest of the league on the 3-pointers made leaders page.
How the top 6 picks are doing
The first 6 picks of the 2026 draft all average 12 points or more, but neither of the top 2 rookie scorers came from the top 6. Darryn Peterson, the No. 2 pick, averages 15.7 points for the Utah Jazz and shoots 37.7% from three on 2.1 makes, rising to 18.6 points over his last 5 games.
Keaton Wagler (No. 5, LA Clippers) scores 12.2 points on 32.9% shooting, and Mikel Brown Jr. (No. 6, Brooklyn Nets) scores 12.9 on 34.6% in 7 games. 6 of the 8 teams in the table below have losing records, which means minutes and shots for their rookies. Records come from the NBA standings.
Top picks and their teams' records
Draft slot, team record on the standings page and rookie scoring average, as of 11 November 2026.
| Rookie | Pick | Team record | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| AJ Dybantsa | 1 | WAS 4-7 | 16.7 |
| Darryn Peterson | 2 | UTA 1-10 | 15.7 |
| Cameron Boozer | 3 | MEM 7-3 | 16.2 |
| Caleb Wilson | 4 | CHI 1-8 | 19.3 |
| Keaton Wagler | 5 | LAC 2-8 | 12.2 |
| Mikel Brown Jr. | 6 | BKN 2-8 | 12.9 |
| Darius Acuff Jr. | 7 | SAC 1-10 | 26.2 |
| Yaxel Lendeborg | 11 | GSW 8-3 | 21.4 |
What to watch in the next 3 weeks
3 things will move this race before December. First, games played: Dybantsa has 7 and Wilson 9, while Acuff, Lendeborg and Peterson have 11 each. Second, whether Acuff's 41.8% shooting rises as his 22.8 shots a game hold. Third, whether Lendeborg's 44.3% from three holds on more than 2.5 makes a night.
Follow each rookie's run of form on the NBA player streaks page, sort every rookie by any column on the stats matrix, and see the league-wide scoring table on the NBA points leaders page. Upcoming games for all 30 teams are on the NBA schedule, and AJ Dybantsa's next game is at the Indiana Pacers on 11 November.