While many prefer more traditional formats when playing fantasy basketball, others are more willing to try new formats. With that in mind, Yahoo! Sports has introduced its new High Score fantasy basketball game. There are some differences between this league and the head-to-head and roto setups we've grown accustomed to over the years. Let's look at how High Score is played, beginning with the rosters.
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- Each team has ten players, but only six will be active.
Lineups are set at the beginning of the week, with six active players and four on the bench. There are two guard slots for players with the point guard and/or shooting guard designation, three frontcourt slots (small forward, power forward and center) and one utility spot that can be occupied by any player regardless of position. The other four players will be on your bench, and you can slot them in at any point in the week.
However, there is a key factor that you'll need to take into consideration when moving a bench player into the lineup for that week. The points accrued by the player you've decided to bench come off the board and can't be recouped. Returning a benched player to the active lineup later in the week doesn't do the trick; only the points earned in games from that point onward will be eligible. Each player's high score from any game played during that week will count toward your team's score, so targeting players capable of an explosive performance is the best way to approach your draft.
- How does scoring work?
There are only five scoring categories for default High Score leagues, which are weighted.
Points: 1 point each
Rebounds: 1 point each
Assists: 2 points each
Steals: 3 points each
Blocks: 3 points each
For those who have played DFS, those point values will look somewhat similar, although rebounds and assists tend to count for 1.2 per rebound or assist. There are no decimals to deal with in High Score, only whole numbers. For those used to worrying about percentages or turnovers, those won't matter in High Score. That boosts the values of players such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Trae Young and Zion Williamson, to name a few.
The game also limits some of the risk of drafting injury-prone players in other fantasy formats. Will you still use a first-round pick on Joel Embiid or Ja Morant, to name two players with prior injury issues? Probably not, but managers will be better positioned to compensate for a player missing time in High Score.
While the High Score format will take some getting used to, it's a relatively simple deal from a scoring standpoint. The substitution situation and what that can do to weekly scoring may take many managers the most time to get used to, possibly losing a matchup or two. With these rules in mind, I recently entered a draft, hoping to craft a team that could do some damage in the High Score format.
I picked from the second slot in a 10-round snake draft, kicking things off with San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama. Below is how the draft played out.
Round 1
| Position(s)
| Player
| Team
|
1
| F,C
| Nikola Jokić
| Denver Nuggets
|
2
| F,C
| Victor Wembanyama
| San Antonio Spurs
|
3
| G
| Luka Dončić
| Los Angeles Lakers
|
4
| G
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
| Oklahoma City Thunder
|
5
| F,C
| Giannis Antetokounmpo
| Milwaukee Bucks
|
6
| G
| Cade Cunningham
| Detroit Pistons
|
7
| G
| Anthony Edwards
| Minnesota Timberwolves
|
8
| G
| Devin Booker
| Phoenix Suns
|
9
| F,C
| Anthony Davis
| Dallas Mavericks
|
10
| G
| Trae Young
| Atlanta Hawks
|
Round 2
| Position(s)
| Player
| Team
|
1
| G
| James Harden
| LA Clippers
|
2
| G
| Stephen Curry
| Golden State Warriors
|
3
| F,C
| Kevin Durant
| Houston Rockets
|
4
| F,C
| Karl-Anthony Towns
| New York Knicks
|
5
| G
| Tyrese Maxey
| Philadelphia 76ers
|
6
| G
| Donovan Mitchell
| Cleveland Cavaliers
|
7
| G,F,C
| Amen Thompson
| Houston Rockets
|
8
| F,C
| Jalen Johnson
| Atlanta Hawks
|
9
| F,C
| Alperen Şengün
| Houston Rockets
|
10
| F,C
| Evan Mobley
| Cleveland Cavaliers
|
Round 3
| Position(s)
| Player
| Team
|
1
| G
| LaMelo Ball
| Charlotte Hornets
|
2
| G
| Jalen Brunson
| New York Knicks
|
3
| F,C
| Domantas Sabonis
| Sacramento Kings
|
4
| G,F,C
| Scottie Barnes
| Toronto Raptors
|
5
| G
| Josh Giddey
| Chicago Bulls
|
6
| F,C
| Chet Holmgren
| Oklahoma City Thunder
|
7
| F,C
| Jaylen Brown
| Boston Celtics
|
8
| F,C
| Jalen Williams
| Oklahoma City Thunder
|
9
| F,C
| Pascal Siakam
| Indiana Pacers
|
10
| G
| Jamal Murray
| Denver Nuggets
|
Round 4
| Position(s)
| Player
| Team
|
1
| F,C
| Jaren Jackson Jr.
| Memphis Grizzlies
|
2
| F,C
| LeBron James
| Los Angeles Lakers
|
3
| F,C
| Bam Adebayo
| Miami Heat
|
4
| G
| Derrick White
| Boston Celtics
|
5
| F,C
| Paolo Banchero
| Orlando Magic
|
6
| F,C
| Franz Wagner
| Orlando Magic
|
7
| F,C
| Trey Murphy
| New Orleans Pelicans
|
8
| G
| Austin Reaves
| Los Angeles Lakers
|
9
| G,F,C
| Dyson Daniels
| Atlanta Hawks
|
10
| G
| De’Aaron Fox
| San Antonio Spurs
|
Round 5
| Position(s)
| Player
| Team
|
1
| F,C
| Zion Williamson
| New Orleans Pelicans
|
2
| F,C
| Joel Embiid
| Philadelphia 76ers
|
3
| F,C
| Jimmy Butler
| Golden State Warriors
|
4
| F,C
| Ivica Zubac
| LA Clippers
|
5
| G,F,C
| Desmond Bane
| Orlando Magic
|
6
| F,C
| Brandon Miller
| Charlotte Hornets
|
7
| F,C
| Kawhi Leonard
| LA Clippers
|
8
| F,C
| Deni Avdija
| Portland Trail Blazers
|
9
| F,C
| Kristaps Porziņģis
| Atlanta Hawks
|
10
| F,C
| Cooper Flagg
| Dallas Mavericks
|
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Round 6
| Position(s)
| Player
| Team
|
1
| F,C
| Myles Turner
| Milwaukee Bucks
|
2
| G
| Ja Morant
| Memphis Grizzlies
|
3
| G,F,C
| Brandon Ingram
| Toronto Raptors
|
4
| F,C
| Miles Bridges
| Charlotte Hornets
|
5
| F,C
| Walker Kessler
| Utah Jazz
|
6
| F,C
| Nikola Vučević
| Chicago Bulls
|
7
| G
| Darius Garland
| Cleveland Cavaliers
|
8
| F,C
| DeMar DeRozan
| Sacramento Kings
|
9
| F,C
| OG Anunoby
| New York Knicks
|
10
| F,C
| Lauri Markkanen
| Utah Jazz
|
Round 7
| Position(s)
| Player
| Team
|
1
| F,C
| Jalen Duren
| Detroit Pistons
|
2
| G,F,C
| Cam Thomas
| Brooklyn Nets
|
3
| G
| Zach LaVine
| Sacramento Kings
|
4
| F,C
| Deandre Ayton
| Los Angeles Lakers
|
5
| G
| Coby White
| Chicago Bulls
|
6
| F,C
| Jarrett Allen
| Cleveland Cavaliers
|
7
| G
| Immanuel Quickley
| Toronto Raptors
|
8
| G
| Tyler Herro
| Miami Heat
|
9
| G
| Jordan Poole
| New Orleans Pelicans
|
10
| G
| Payton Pritchard
| Boston Celtics
|
Round 8
| Position(s)
| Player
| Team
|
1
| G
| Andrew Nembhard
| Indiana Pacers
|
2
| F,C
| Julius Randle
| Minnesota Timberwolves
|
3
| F,C
| Isaiah Hartenstein
| Oklahoma City Thunder
|
4
| F,C
| Rudy Gobert
| Minnesota Timberwolves
|
5
| F,C
| Jakob Poeltl
| Toronto Raptors
|
6
| F,C
| Mark Williams
| Phoenix Suns
|
7
| F,C
| Matas Buzelis
| Chicago Bulls
|
8
| G,F,C
| Paul George
| Philadelphia 76ers
|
9
| G,F,C
| Shaedon Sharpe
| Portland Trail Blazers
|
10
| F,C
| Michael Porter Jr.
| Brooklyn Nets
|
Round 9
| Position(s)
| Player
| Team
|
1
| G,F,C
| Bennedict Mathurin
| Indiana Pacers
|
2
| F,C
| Ausar Thompson
| Detroit Pistons
|
3
| F,C
| Donovan Clingan
| Portland Trail Blazers
|
4
| F,C
| Mikal Bridges
| New York Knicks
|
5
| G,F,C
| Christian Braun
| Denver Nuggets
|
6
| G
| Jalen Green
| Phoenix Suns
|
7
| G,F,C
| Norman Powell
| Miami Heat
|
8
| G
| Anfernee Simons
| Boston Celtics
|
9
| G,F,C
| Bradley Beal
| LA Clippers
|
10
| G,F,C
| Devin Vassell
| San Antonio Spurs
|
Round 10
| Position(s)
| Player
| Team
|
1
| F,C
| Cameron Johnson
| Denver Nuggets
|
2
| F,C
| John Collins
| LA Clippers
|
3
| F,C
| Draymond Green
| Golden State Warriors
|
4
| F,C
| Alex Sarr
| Washington Wizards
|
5
| F,C
| Kel’el Ware
| Miami Heat
|
6
| F,C
| Dereck Lively II
| Dallas Mavericks
|
7
| G
| Kevin Porter Jr.
| Milwaukee Bucks
|
8
| F,C
| Onyeka Okongwu
| Atlanta Hawks
|
9
| F,C
| RJ Barrett
| Toronto Raptors
|
10
| F,C
| Naz Reid
| Minnesota Timberwolves
|
Final team:
F,C Victor Wembanyama
F,C Alperen Şengün
G Jalen Brunson
G,F,C Dyson Daniels
F,C Joel Embiid
F,C OG Anunoby
G,F,C Cam Thomas
G,F,C Shaedon Sharpe
F,C Ausar Thompson
F,C RJ Barrett
Drafting a player of Wembanyama's caliber who can offer elite value in all five scoring categories opens things up regarding crafting your High Score team. I leaned toward offense with Şengün and Brunson, but Daniels was a must-have for me in the fourth round. Even with the second pick of the fifth round, I was unwilling to risk losing out on a defender of his caliber, especially after he racked up 229 steals and 55 blocked shots in 2024-25.
The back half of my draft focused primarily on players capable of putting in an explosive offensive performance, especially Thomas and Sharpe. The former is entering a contract year on a rebuilding team, while the latter is under similar pressure in Portland. Thompson hasn't been an explosive offensive option in Detroit, but I believe in what he brings to the table defensively. And with Jaden Ivey out to begin the regular season, there may be more room for Thompson to spread his wings as a slasher within the Pistons' offense.
Raphielle Johnson