Where should James Harden be drafted in 2026-27?

The No. 35 player on the 2026-27 projection, down from No. 18 in 2025-26. Yahoo drafters take him at 35.3 on average: priced about where he ranks.

How many games will James Harden play in 2026-27?

Our projection has him at 66 games, after 70 last season.

CLE

James Harden

Cleveland Cavaliers · PG/SG · Age 37 · 6′5″ · 18th season

Rankings O.G. Anunoby Evan Mobley

Rank#35PG #22 · of 233

Value0.1899-cat, per game

Yahoo ADP35.3ESPN 29.7

$ Max value$25Yahoo avg $22.8

Games6633 min a game

Rostered99.5%ESPN leagues

Fantasy outlook

The No. 35 player on the 2026-27 projection, down from No. 18 in 2025-26. He is top 25 in assists, threes, and free-throw percentage among rotation players; the cost is turnovers at 3.2 a game, which makes him a natural punt-TO pick. Yahoo drafters take him at 35.3 on average: priced about where he ranks.

Stats over time

Steady: between 16.6 and 23.6 for 5 seasons.

Last season23.6

5-season average21.2

Trend a season+0.5

2026-27 proj.20.0

Fairly steady: lowest in 2023-24, highest in 2025-26.
Per 36 minutes: 21.3 in 2021-22, 24.4 last season, on 37.2 → 34.8 minutes: the change is his game, not his playing time.
The projection (20.0) is down on last season (23.6).

PTS rank among rotation players

23-24#73of 24724-25#30of 26625-26#23of 27226-27*#50of 213

Per game, from ESPN box scores. * Our 2026-27 projection, dashed.

Season by season

Season	Rank	Value	GP	MIN	PTS	3PM	REB	AST	STL	BLK	FG%	FGM/FGA	FT%	FTM/FTA	TO
2026-27Proj.	35	0.189	66	33	20.0	3.1	4.5	7.6	1.0	0.4	43.8%	6.2/14.1	87.5%	4.6/5.2	3.2
2025-26	18	0.475	70	35	23.6	3.1	4.8	8.0	1.1	0.4	43.4%	7.0/16.0	88.4%	6.6/7.5	3.5
2024-25	10	0.690	79	35	22.8	3.0	5.8	8.7	1.5	0.7	41.0%	6.7/16.4	87.4%	6.4/7.3	4.3
2023-24	20	0.270	72	34	16.6	2.6	5.1	8.5	1.1	0.8	42.8%	4.9/11.4	87.8%	4.2/4.8	2.6
2022-23	-	-	58	37	21.0	2.8	6.1	10.7	1.2	0.5	44.1%	6.4/14.5	87.1%	5.4/6.2	3.4
2021-22	-	-	65	37	22.0	2.3	7.7	10.3	1.3	0.6	41.2%	6.3/15.3	87.8%	7.2/8.2	4.4

Rank, Value and colours start with 2023-24, the first season on our board; earlier seasons show ESPN's box scores.

Category profile · 2026-27

PTS

20.0#50 of 2130.40

3PM

3.1#18 of 2130.80

REB

4.5#88 of 213-0.26

AST

7.6#11 of 2130.89

STL

1.0#102 of 213-0.00

BLK

0.4#107 of 213-0.35

FG%

43.8%6.2/14.1#191 of 213-0.56

FT%

87.5%4.6/5.2#21 of 2130.36

TO

3.2#201 of 213-0.71

Rank among rotation players (20+ minutes, 20+ games). Colour is the value in the category, as in Rankings.

Team role · Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers starter at PG, with Craig Porter Jr. behind him. 183 minutes a night of the 2025-26 rotation left, most of it Darius Garland, De'Andre Hunter, and Keon Ellis; Peyton Watson is the arrival projected for the most minutes (31).

PG

Left since 2025-26

Darius Garland30 min → LAC
De'Andre Hunter26 min → SAC
Keon EllisSigned by BKN Jul 625 min → BKN
Max StrusAcquired by LAC Aug 2024 min → LAC
Dean WadeSigned by PHI Jul 622 min → PHI
Dennis SchroderAcquired by CHA Aug 2021 min → CHA
Lonzo Ball21 min
Larry Nance Jr.Signed by IND Jul 913 min → IND
Minutes a night183

Arrived

Peyton WatsonTraded by DEN Aug 2030 min from DEN
Meleek ThomasSigned Jul 1new
Mario HezonjaSigned Jul 31new
Khalifa DiopSigned Sep 2new
Ernest Udeh Jr.Signed Jul 1new

Depth chart from ESPN. Who left and arrived: last season's box scores against today's roster; how and when: ESPN's transaction feed, where it lists the move. Minutes are last season's, per game. Cleveland Cavaliers depth chart

Season	Team	GP	MIN	PTS	3PM	REB	AST	STL	BLK	FG%	FGM/FGA	FT%	FTM/FTA	TO
2025-26	LAC/CLE	70	34.8	23.6	3.1	4.8	8.0	1.1	0.4	43.8%	7.0/16.0	88.0%	6.6/7.5	3.5
2024-25	LAC	79	35.3	22.8	3.0	5.8	8.7	1.5	0.7	40.9%	6.7/16.4	87.7%	6.4/7.3	4.3
2023-24	LAC	72	34.3	16.6	2.6	5.1	8.5	1.1	0.8	43.0%	4.9/11.4	87.5%	4.2/4.8	2.6
2022-23	PHI	58	36.8	21.0	2.8	6.1	10.7	1.2	0.5	44.1%	6.4/14.5	87.1%	5.4/6.2	3.4
2021-22	BKN/PHI	65	37.2	22.0	2.3	7.7	10.3	1.3	0.6	41.2%	6.3/15.3	87.8%	7.2/8.2	4.4
2020-21	HOU/BKN	44	36.6	24.6	2.8	7.9	10.8	1.2	0.8	46.7%	7.8/16.7	86.3%	6.3/7.3	4.0
2019-20	HOU	68	36.5	34.3	4.4	6.6	7.5	1.8	0.9	44.4%	9.9/22.3	86.4%	10.2/11.8	4.5
2018-19	HOU	78	36.8	36.1	4.8	6.6	7.5	2.0	0.7	44.1%	10.8/24.5	88.2%	9.7/11.0	5.0
2017-18	HOU	72	35.4	30.4	3.7	5.4	8.8	1.8	0.7	44.8%	9.0/20.1	86.1%	8.7/10.1	4.4
2016-17	HOU	81	36.4	29.1	3.2	8.1	11.2	1.5	0.5	43.9%	8.3/18.9	84.4%	9.2/10.9	5.7
2015-16	HOU	82	38.1	29.0	2.9	6.1	7.5	1.7	0.6	44.2%	8.7/19.7	86.3%	8.8/10.2	4.6
2014-15	HOU	81	36.8	27.4	2.6	5.7	7.0	1.9	0.7	44.2%	8.0/18.1	86.3%	8.8/10.2	4.0
2013-14	HOU	73	38.0	25.4	2.4	4.7	6.1	1.6	0.4	45.5%	7.5/16.5	86.8%	7.9/9.1	3.6
2012-13	HOU	78	38.3	25.9	2.3	4.9	5.8	1.8	0.5	43.9%	7.5/17.1	84.3%	8.6/10.2	3.8
2011-12	OKC	62	31.4	16.8	1.8	4.1	3.7	1.0	0.2	49.5%	5.0/10.1	83.3%	5.0/6.0	2.2
2010-11	OKC	82	26.7	12.2	1.4	3.1	2.1	1.1	0.3	43.4%	3.6/8.3	83.3%	3.5/4.2	1.3
2009-10	OKC	76	22.9	9.9	1.2	3.2	1.8	1.1	0.3	40.8%	3.1/7.6	81.3%	2.6/3.2	1.4

Box-score averages from ESPN.

James Harden in fantasy basketball

The outlook above is written from our 2026-27 projection and his recent seasons, and changes with every projection run. His Value and ranks are the same numbers Rankings shows.