Ranking the Top-Three Rookie Scorers Heading into Their Debut Seasons

The 2026 NBA Draft class is currently gearing up for its debut season, working through the offseason in hopes of hitting the ground running in a few months.

While pure scoring and bucket-getting isn’t always conducive to winning games, it’s still a coveted skill, especially among top prospects. And it will also put players under the spotlight come award season.

Below are the top three scorers heading into the 2026-27 season:

3. Darryn Peterson, Jazz

While Darryn Peterson didn’t show off quite as much as others at the college level — be it due to role or injury — there’s little doubt he’s still one of the top scorers in the class.

At Kansas, he scored over 20 points per game, largely doing so off-ball in hitting threes, slashing in transition and more. In Summer League with the Jazz, he did much of the same, while also showing a little more on-ball work with handling, passing and more.

In fitting in with the Utah core of Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George and more, Peterson is sure to rank high among rookies in terms of pure scoring. In addition to having some of the highest-upside in the class.

2. Darius Acuff Jr., Kings

Kings’ top pick Darius Acuff Jr. struggled with efficiency through his Summer League slate, though few will deny he’ll still be among the top scorers in his first NBA season.

Acuff was a superstar at Arkansas, full stop. He scored massively and effectively with the Razorbacks, going for 23.5 points per game on 48% shooting. Even more, he did so in the team’s biggest moments, helping them to the SEC title and Sweet Sixteen.

There’s sure to be a learning curve for Acuff seeing as he’ll be playing the toughest position in the league. Though his skill is likely to catch up as he gains more experience.

1. AJ Dybantsa, Wizards

Far-and-away the most talented present scorer — and the player who projects to be the best down the line — is new Wizards’ wing AJ Dybantsa.

At 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot wingspan, Dybantsa has the prototypical size, athleticism and skillset to thrive from the word go. He did so at the college level, functioning as one of the country’s scorers. He slashed to the rim and finished effectively, got into the mid-range often and showed growth beyond the 3-point line.

There’s little reason to think he won’t do so at the next level, especially given he’ll be playing with NBA talent. He'll need to continue to hone his outside shooting, but is certain to rank at or near the top among rookie scorers.

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