Balance matters. While we don’t have to be the best in each category, we do need to be around the 80th or 90th percentile to have a good chance at bringing home that title. The intention is to draft as many players as possible who can contribute in as many categories as possible. Spoiler alert, that’s what everyone is trying to do. Sometimes you need to target category-specific players to help provide that boost. As you prepare for the 2026-27 fantasy basketball season, I took a look at some players who can help with respect to rebounds.
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Best Players to Target for Rebounds
Zach Edey, C, Memphis Grizzlies
First, let’s hope that Edey can make it through the season with his health intact. Being present and on the court is a valuable skill set to have, and we can’t discount that. The center is coming off both ankle and elbow surgeries last year, and he only appeared in 11 games in the 2025-26 season. But those 11 games were certainly attention-getting, though.
Playing in just under 26 minutes per game, Edey averaged a double-double with 13.6 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. Unlike a lot of other big men, Edey is clearly a post player as evidenced by his 63.3% field goal percentage last season, but his 78.1% free throw percentage wasn’t a liability either. Just don’t go into this expecting to see three-pointers or explosive offense from Edey. In fact, there’s nothing wrong with that.
Most importantly, we’ve seen Edey make his return this preseason, so we should be able to move forward without issues for the center. Whether it’s the offensive or defensive boards, Edey is a force, and if he gets a few more minutes of playing time, those numbers should only increase.
As far as percentiles go, Edey is at the top of the range when it comes to rebounding:
- Offensive Rebounds – 16.1%
- Defensive Rebounds – 30.6%
- Total Rebounds – 23.3%
Now, we just need Edey to stay healthy.
Day’ron Sharpe, C, Brooklyn Nets
Sometimes, it’s all about playing time. Following the offseason trade of Nic Claxton to the Chicago Bulls, Sharpe is now the man in the middle for Brooklyn. The Nets are also looking to move forward, as opposed to tanking as they previously were, and this is setting up to be a career year for Sharpe.
Last season, his fifth in the league, but he’s still just 25 years old, Sharpe averaged 8.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. You might ask why I’m targeting him entering this season, but that ignores one important variable. That is playing time.
Stuck behind Claxton, Sharpe only played about 19 minutes per game. Now that his role has expanded, we should see him get to 25 to 30 minutes. That might be conservative, and it’s not 36 minutes, but Sharpe’s per-36 stats from last season indicate 16.8 points and 12.8 rebounds.
If we want to be reasonable entering the 2026-27 season, Sharpe should be in a strong position to average a double-double. Just be prepared for his field goal percentage benefits to be offset by his free-throw shooting woes.
Khaman Maluach, C, Phoenix Suns
The intention wasn’t for this to be a preview of the center position, but given the breakdown of the position, it makes sense. In looking at Maluach, we are going a little deeper into the player pool. While there was the thought that the second-year player would be seeing an expanded role, or even starting for this season, that’s still in some degree of flux.
Initially in the preseason, Maluach came off the bench, but he did play more minutes than the starter, Oso Ighodaro. Drafted 10th overall last season, there’s a lot of talent and upside in play here. However, he only averaged nine minutes in the 46 games he played last season, so Maluach is clearly raw.
In that time, he averaged three points and 2.9 rebounds per game. If he works his way up to being in the 20-25 minute range per game, Maluach could flirt with double-doubles. It might not happen right away, and this is likely a pick either for deep leagues or to file away for later in the season; it’s certainly possible.
Towards the end of the season, Maluach had four games in which his capabilities were on full display:
- 3/28 vs. Utah – 20 minutes, 12 points, nine rebounds
- 3/30 vs. Memphis – 13 minutes, 6 points, 11 rebounds
- 4/08 vs. Dallas – 30 minutes, 4 points, 14 rebounds
- 4/12 at Oklahoma City – 29 minutes, 18 points, 14 rebounds
This is what we are after.
When you get done here, make sure to check out our full 2026 Fantasy Basketball Draft Kit!
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