Where should LaMelo Ball be drafted in 2026-27?

The No. 40 player on the 2026-27 projection, up from No. 44 in 2025-26. Yahoo drafters take him at 25.6 on average, 14 picks before his rank: he costs more than he returns.

How many games will LaMelo Ball play in 2026-27?

Our projection has him at 66 games, after 72 last season.

MIN

LaMelo Ball

Minnesota Timberwolves · PG · Age 25 · 6′7″ · 7th season

Rankings Jalen Williams Keyonte George

Rank#40PG #17 · of 233

Value0.1299-cat, per game

Yahoo ADP25.6ESPN 18.0

$ Max value$23Yahoo avg $28.8

Games6631 min a game

Rostered99.6%ESPN leagues

Fantasy outlook

The No. 40 player on the 2026-27 projection, up from No. 44 in 2025-26. He is top 5 in threes and top 25 in assists among rotation players; the cost is field-goal percentage at 41.4%, which makes him a natural punt-FG% pick. Yahoo drafters take him at 25.6 on average, 14 picks before his rank: he costs more than he returns.

Stats over time

Steady: between 20.1 and 25.2 for 5 seasons.

Last season20.1

5-season average22.5

Trend a season+0.2

2026-27 proj.20.8

Fairly steady: lowest in 2021-22, highest in 2024-25.
Per 36 minutes: 22.4 in 2021-22, 25.8 last season, on 32.3 → 28.0 minutes: it has held.
The projection (20.8) sits between last season (20.1) and his 5-season average (22.5).

PTS rank among rotation players

23-24#122of 24724-25#14of 26625-26#45of 27226-27*#49of 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.	40	0.129	66	31	20.8	3.7	5.0	7.8	1.3	0.3	41.4%	7.3/17.7	89.2%	2.5/2.8	3.0
2025-26	44	0.258	72	28	20.1	3.8	4.8	7.1	1.2	0.3	40.7%	7.0/17.3	89.9%	2.2/2.5	2.8
2024-25	47	0.324	47	32	25.2	3.8	4.9	7.4	1.1	0.3	40.5%	8.6/21.3	84.3%	4.1/4.9	3.6
2023-24	149	-0.362	22	32	23.9	3.2	5.1	8.0	1.8	0.2	43.3%	8.3/19.2	86.5%	4.1/4.7	3.8
2022-23	-	-	36	35	23.3	4.0	6.4	8.4	1.3	0.3	41.0%	8.2/20.0	82.4%	2.8/3.4	3.6
2021-22	-	-	75	32	20.1	2.9	6.7	7.6	1.6	0.4	43.1%	7.2/16.7	87.5%	2.8/3.2	3.3

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

20.8#49 of 2130.41

3PM

3.7#5 of 2130.95

REB

5.0#74 of 213-0.19

AST

7.8#13 of 2130.88

STL

1.3#42 of 2130.31

BLK

0.3#154 of 213-0.56

FG%

41.4%7.3/17.7#213 of 213-0.98

FT%

89.2%2.5/2.8#32 of 2130.15

TO

3.0#188 of 213-0.52

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

Team role · Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves starter at PG; Isaiah Evans, new to the team, is behind him. 97 minutes a night of the 2025-26 rotation left, most of it Julius Randle, Naz Reid, and Kyle Anderson; Jonathan Kuminga is the arrival projected for the most minutes (28).

PG

1LaMelo BallNew
2Isaiah EvansNew
3Bones Hyland
4Ayo Dosunmu
5Zyon Pullin
6Donte DiVincenzo

Left since 2025-26

Julius RandleAcquired by BKN Jul 1033 min → BKN
Naz ReidTraded Jul 1026 min → CHA
Kyle AndersonSigned by TOR Jul 619 min → TOR
Mike ConleySigned by BOS Jul 618 min → BOS
Minutes a night97

Arrived

LaMelo BallAcquired Jul 1028 min from CHA
Cody WilliamsAcquired Aug 2924 min from UTAH
Jonathan Kuminga23 min from ATL
Isaiah EvansSigned Jul 12new
Trey Lylesnew

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. Minnesota Timberwolves depth chart

Season	Team	GP	MIN	PTS	3PM	REB	AST	STL	BLK	FG%	FGM/FGA	FT%	FTM/FTA	TO
2025-26	CHA	72	28.0	20.1	3.8	4.8	7.1	1.2	0.3	40.5%	7.0/17.3	88.0%	2.2/2.5	2.8
2024-25	CHA	47	32.0	25.2	3.8	4.9	7.4	1.1	0.3	40.4%	8.6/21.3	83.7%	4.1/4.9	3.6
2023-24	CHA	22	32.3	23.9	3.2	5.1	8.0	1.8	0.2	43.2%	8.3/19.2	87.2%	4.1/4.7	3.8
2022-23	CHA	36	35.2	23.3	4.0	6.4	8.4	1.3	0.3	41.0%	8.2/20.0	82.4%	2.8/3.4	3.6
2021-22	CHA	75	32.3	20.1	2.9	6.7	7.6	1.6	0.4	43.1%	7.2/16.7	87.5%	2.8/3.2	3.3
2020-21	CHA	51	28.8	15.7	1.8	5.9	6.1	1.6	0.4	43.2%	5.7/13.2	78.1%	2.5/3.2	2.8

Box-score averages from ESPN.

LaMelo Ball 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.