{"id":797578,"date":"2026-07-28T04:12:19","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T04:12:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/797578\/"},"modified":"2026-07-28T04:12:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T04:12:19","slug":"fantasy-basketball-2026-27-five-players-who-could-lead-the-nba-in-usage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/797578\/","title":{"rendered":"Fantasy Basketball 2026-27: Five Players Who Could Lead the NBA in Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Points and scoring efficiency get a lot of the glory in fantasy basketball land, but usage is the real hero-maker. A high usage rate<\/a> equals big-time fantasy production, making it an outstanding measuring stick for fantasy production.<\/p>\n

Offseason uncertainty can make it hard to gauge usage rates for players trying to move up the depth chart or directly impacted by a massive trade. But there are also those stand-out stars who constantly command major usage, and they are sure to be fantasy behemoths in 2026-27.<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers<\/p>\n

The 27-year-old Slovenian was last season\u2019s usage leader<\/a>, ending the regular season with a 36.8% rate. That helped boost his status as a 9-cat fantasy asset, ending 2025-26 averaging 33.5 points (first in the league) on 47.6% shooting, 8.3 assists (third in the league), and 7.7 rebounds.<\/p>\n

The Lakers’ shifting hierarchy, with younger players like Walker Kessler joining the ranks, puts Doncic in position to be an early-season usage leader. Even with Austin Reaves dialed in as second in command, Doncic should be looking at a top-10 usage rate in the post-LeBron era.<\/p>\n

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Miami Heat<\/p>\n

The two-time MVP ranked just behind Doncic with a 35.8% usage rate last season, even though he only played 36 games. He will now move from being the Bucks\u2019 offensive anchor to being part of a frontcourt tandem with the Heat.<\/p>\n

While there\u2019s no definitive proof in the middle of the offseason, Antetokounmpo\u2019s usage is expected to fluctuate in Miami since he will be sharing duties with Bam Adebayo<\/a>. However, his usage rate is still expected to be high since Miami\u2019s offensive core is shifting to the frontcourt. Fantasy managers let down by Giannis\u2019 absence last season should target him to have a bounce-back campaign and keep his usage up.<\/p>\n

Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics<\/p>\n

Tatum already has a high usage rate when he\u2019s on the court, which has hovered around 30% over the last two seasons. That number should remain high, maybe even increasing since Jaylen Brown<\/a> will be playing for a different team.<\/p>\n

Per StatMuse<\/a>, Tatum\u2019s usage shot up to 28.5% with Brown on the court last season to a staggering 38.3% without him. His overall production thrives when he has more work to do, so owners can count on Tatum\u2019s fantasy contributions to match an elevated usage rate.<\/p>\n

Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors\"\"<\/p>\n

Stephen Curry remains Golden State’s offensive centerpiece despite evolving roster dynamics entering the upcoming campaign.Mark J&period Rebilas-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Curry\u2019s usage rate has fluctuated over the last couple of seasons, depending on his health and which teammates are on the court with him. After an injury-plagued season when his rate was just a tick over 30%, his usage is projected to be one of the highest in the NBA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Health will, of course, play a hand in that number. But Curry will also be responsible for the bulk of the Warriors’ offense since Jimmy Butler<\/a> will start the season on the bench and Golden State hasn\u2019t added any big pieces this offseason. How the extra work will impact Curry\u2019s fantasy impact in other areas remains to be seen. But for that first part of the season without Butler, No. 30\u2019s usage should be off the charts.<\/p>\n

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder<\/p>\n

Even with a stacked backcourt, OKC\u2019s offense runs through SGA. So it\u2019s no surprise he has had a top-10 usage rate four seasons in a row, hitting 33.2% in the 2025-26 season.<\/p>\n

The Thunder made some offseason roster tweaks to cut costs, but that won\u2019t cut into Gilgeous-Alexander\u2019s usage rate. His two-way game features rim pressure and foul-drawing free-throw opportunities alongside high-volume scoring that Oklahoma City depends on. Fantasy managers targeting SGA for his prowess in category leagues can expect a usage rate close to 34% in 2026-27.<\/p>\n

Questions About Usage Rate, Answered<\/p>\n

Who led the NBA in usage rate last season?Luka Doncic<\/a> led the league in usage rate last season, finishing the regular season with a 36.8% mark. His heavy offensive workload helped him average 33.5 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.7 rebounds while remaining one of fantasy basketball’s top overall assets.<\/p>\n

Will Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/a>‘s usage rate stay the same in Miami?There is no definitive answer during the offseason. Giannis is expected to share more offensive responsibilities alongside Bam Adebayo<\/a>, which could cause his usage rate to fluctuate, although it is still expected to remain among the league’s highest.<\/p>\n

Will Jayson Tatum<\/a>‘s usage increase after Jaylen Brown’s departure?Tatum already carries a high usage rate, and his opportunities could increase with Brown playing for another team. His usage climbed significantly in lineups without Brown last season, suggesting he could take on an even larger offensive role.<\/p>\n

Does a high usage rate guarantee fantasy success?A high usage rate is a strong indicator of fantasy production because it reflects how often a player finishes possessions. Players who consistently dominate the ball typically generate scoring, assists, and counting stats that make them valuable fantasy options.<\/p>\n

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports<\/a> on Jul 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the Fantasy<\/a> section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Points and scoring efficiency get a lot of the glory in fantasy basketball land, but usage is the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":609606,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3770],"tags":[7,6,681,680,476,3820],"class_list":["post-797578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-toronto-raptors","tag-basketball","tag-nba","tag-raptors","tag-toronto","tag-toronto-raptors","tag-torontoraptors"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116995656730864804","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/797578","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=797578"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/797578\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/609606"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=797578"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=797578"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=797578"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}