Shooting Guard Tiers for 2025-26 Fantasy Basketball

The shooting guard position isn't what it used to be in the NBA. Once a premium source of scoring ability and game-changing talent, two guards are now limited to lesser roles in a game that's defined by elite point guards and versatile big men who can stretch the floor. However, that doesn't mean there isn't above-average talent available.

Here are our fantasy tiers for the shooting guard position ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season, where we'll rank the league's top 20 players at the position.

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Tier 1

Anthony Edwards could very well be in a class of his own in this tier, as he's far and away the best shooting guard in the NBA -- and one of the top players in The Association at any position. The Timberwolves star has increased his scoring average every year in his five seasons in the NBA. He's coming off a career-best season in which he averaged 27.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game while logging 36.3 minutes per game in 79 regular-season appearances. Edwards also made 39.5 percent of his threes, another career high. If that bump in outside shooting is sustainable, Edwards could have an even better season in 2025-26 with a higher usage rate.

Donovan Mitchell is perhaps the only shooting guard who comes even remotely close to Edwards in terms of all-around impact. The Cavaliers star experienced a slight decrease in his numbers in 2024-25, however, averaging 24.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game while logging a career-low 31.4 minutes per game in 71 regular-season contests. It was the first time Mitchell didn't surpass the 24.0 ppg threshold since the 2019-20 campaign. However, even with the decrease in numbers, he remains one of the best shooting guards in the league. He should experience an uptick in usage rate in the early stages of the 2025-26 season since Darius Garland (toe) isn't expected to be ready to return for Opening Night.

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Tier 2

Austin Reaves had a career-best season in 2024-25 and averaged a strong line of 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.1 steals across 34.9 minutes per game in 73 regular-season appearances. Those are all career-high numbers for the fourth-year guard. The one thing that limits Reaves and prevents him from moving into Tier 1 is his usage rate and his expected role for the Lakers. He figures to be the team's third option on offense once again, well behind Luka Doncic and LeBron James.

Dyson Daniels might not be a Tier-2 player based on his scoring numbers alone, as he averaged a career-high 14.1 points per game while starting in each of his 76 regular-season contests for the Hawks. However, Daniels does a little bit of everything on the court and is an absolute stud defensively. He averaged a league-high 3.0 steals per game in 2024-25, and his peripheral stats were strong as well: 5.9 boards, 4.4 assists and 0.7 blocks per game while shooting 49.3 percent from the floor and 34 percent from three. The long-range shooting remains a work in progress, but his two-way ability certainly makes him an intriguing fantasy play across all formats. He's better suited for category-based leagues than standard scoring leagues, though.

Desmond Bane was one of several high-profile players who were traded this summer, as he moved from Memphis to Orlando in a deal that should boost the Magic's three-point shooting enormously. Bane should be a steady contributor in most fantasy formats, but there are questions regarding his role and usage. He should operate as the No. 3 option on offense behind Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, though that's a small step back from the role he had in Memphis, where he often operated in a No. 2 role.

Amen Thompson is the closest thing to a Swiss Army Knife in today's NBA. He started in 42 of his 69 regular-season appearances in 2024-25 and posted a solid all-around line of 14.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and a combined 2.7 steals-plus-blocks while playing several positions depending on the scheme. The arrival of Kevin Durant to Houston might limit Thompson's ceiling on offense, but he brings so much to the table that he might be able to compensate for the low scoring figures with elite defensive contributions. 

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Tier 3

Zach LaVine is a proven scorer, but he's stuck in a complicated situation in Sacramento while being the third option on offense behind Domantas Sabonis and DeMar DeRozan. Even though he might be considered a Tier-2 player based on his scoring ability and efficiency, the role he has on offense for the Kings limits his upside a bit. If he were in a better scenario where he'd have a bigger role, though, there could be a strong argument to say he remains in Tier 2.

Jalen Green was sent to the Suns in the deal that landed Kevin Durant at Houston. That's far from an ideal scenario for Green, as he's now going to share touches with Devin Booker in the Suns' backcourt while being capped at being a No. 2 option on offense. The Suns didn't mesh well together in the Booker-Durant-Bradley Beal era, so it's unclear how Green's numbers will be. He's capable of putting up 20 points per game regularly, but he's extremely streaky. There are just too many questions surrounding him to justify a better position in this ranking, even though he should still be a solid addition as an early mid-round pick in most formats.

Jordan Poole is the opposite, as he might benefit from a better scenario following the trade that sent him from the Wizards to the Pelicans. Poole will play alongside Zion Williamson, and he figures to have the ball in his hands a lot as a primary playmaker, which should bode well for his fantasy prospects. Poole made 68 regular-season appearances in 2024-25, averaging 20.5 points, 4.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 3.5 three-pointers in 29.4 minutes. He also shot 37.8 percent from deep on 9.1 attempts per game, with both numbers being career-high marks for the six-year veteran.

Brandon Miller missed most of the 2024-25 season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn scapholunate ligament in his right wrist, and he only played 27 games as a result. He showed progress compared to his rookie year, though, averaging 21.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 35.5 percent of his threes. It's hard to say the Hornets are on the rise, but Miller should play a prominent role on offense in Charlotte while operating as the No. 1 or No. 2 option alongside LaMelo Ball depending on the matchups. He still has a tick or two left in his upside since he's only 22 years old, and he's expected to play as the Hornets' starting shooting guard with the addition of rookie Kon Knueppel in the 2025 NBA Draft. 

Tier 4

Norman Powell had a breakout season with the Clippers in 2024-25 and averaged 21.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.9 three-pointers per game while appearing in 60 regular-season contests. However, he was sent to the Heat in the trade that landed John Collins in Los Angeles. This means Powell, who spent most of the 2024-25 season as a secondary scoring weapon alongside Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, will fill the same role in Miami but next to Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo. Acknowledging some regression could happen is realistic, as Powell posted career-high marks in several categories in his 10th year in the NBA in 2024-25.

Cam Thomas recently signed a one-year qualifying offer with the Nets, so he'll be a free agent in the summer of 2026. There's no question that Thomas is an elite scorer when healthy, but injuries have limited him constantly, and he only logged 25 regular-season appearances in 2024-25 due to hamstring injuries. He was excellent when available, though, averaging 24.0 points, 3.8 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 31.2 minutes per game. He's mainly a scorer who thrives on volume instead of efficiency, and that, alongside his limited contributions elsewhere, caps his upside and limits him as a mid-round pick in most formats.

Bennedict Mathurin could easily be a Tier 3 player once the 2025-26 season ends if he's able to live up to his potential. He's going to have an elite opportunity in the upcoming campaign, as he'll be the starting shooting guard with Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) out for the year. Mathurin is an excellent scorer who averaged 16.1 points per game in 2024-25, and he could be on the verge of becoming a 20-point-per-game threat with an expanded role on offense in 2025-26. Until that happens, though, he remains a Tier 4 player due to his potential. Out of this group, though, he's the one with the highest ceiling to take a step toward the next level of fantasy consideration.

Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe are an interesting case. They played together for the Trail Blazers in 2024-25, but Simons is now a member of the Celtics, while Sharpe is expected to be a regular starter on a rebuilding Portland team. Simons will probably play a secondary role in Boston behind Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, but he should post decent numbers overall after averaging 19.3 points in 70 regular-season games in 2024-25. Sharpe, on the other hand, averaged a career-high 18.5 points per game last season and could eclipse the 20-point-per-game barrier in 2025-26. However, Sharpe's lack of efficiency as a shooter limits his upside considerably, and he'll have to rely on volume to live up to those numbers and his ADP of being a mid-round pick in standard formats.

Tier 5

Last but not least, we have the Tier 5, which includes players who are solid starters but aren't driving forces on their respective teams. Christian Braun is expected to have another solid run as a starter for the Nuggets, but he should be the fourth option on offense in a best-case scenario, and his three-point shooting will be his primary source of scoring. Stephon Castle is a sophomore who should have plenty of playing time with the Spurs after being named the 2024-25 Rookie of the Year. Still, his role will determine how much he can contribute in fantasy, especially since he's going to cede touches to Victor Wembanyama and rookie addition Dylan Harper. 

Bradley Beal and CJ McCollum are long-term veterans who have left their best years behind them. They're going to be serviceable starters, but they're not in a very good context ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. Beal will be the third option in the Clippers behind Harden and Leonard, so he's going to have a similar role to the one he had in Phoenix, whereas McCollum was traded to the Wizards, and he doesn't align with the team's rebuilding project, so he could very well be traded midseason.

Finally, there's Malik Monk, who has been linked with a trade away from the Kings but might end up staying in Sacramento. He's expected to operate as the Kings' go-to option at point guard, but he shouldn't have the ball in his hands a lot since he'll share playmaking duties with Sabonis, DeRozan and LaVine. Monk would thrive as a three-point specialist, but he made only 32.5 percent of his shots from beyond the arc in 2024-25. That's not good enough to rely on him on a steady basis, meaning his fantasy upside isn't very high. Neither his role nor his numbers in the last two years help his case -- even if he averaged a career-high 17.2 points per game in 2024-25.

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