NBA Rookie Rankings: How Cooper Flagg is figuring it out and why he's the ROY favorite over Kon Knueppel

Here are the top five rookies in the NBA right now

Is it too early for me to assume the 2026 NBA Rookie of the Year race has already been narrowed down to two players? Probably, but with the way Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel have been playing, it feels difficult to see another player crashing the party.

That's also not a diss to the rest of the rookie class, because there are so many guys not on this top-five list that should be mentioned. VJ Edgecombe's production hasn't risen to the levels of what we saw from him to open the season, but he's still doing a little bit of everything to make his presence on the floor a positive. Dylan Harper returned from a 10-game absence and is putting up 13 points on 46% off the bench for a Spurs team that is holding steady without Victor Wembanyama.

And that's barely the tip of the iceberg of a rookie class that will be talked about for years to come. But let's stay in the present and get into these rankings and break down the top five rookies through the first two months of the NBA season.

5. Cedric Coward, Grizzlies

Since our last rookie check in, Coward has since been made a full-time starter, giving him more opportunity on offense. He posted a double-double in a win against the Clippers this week, where he shot efficiently from everywhere but 3-point range. In fact, since he's been made a starter, Coward's 3-point efficiency has fallen off a cliff. That's not alarming by any means, but rather shows that progress is never linear.

Inside the arc, however, Coward is showing some veteran-level skills in knowing how to navigate through traffic to get to the rim.

You could probably put an asterisk on his dominance against the Clippers, because everyone's going off on that team as they continue to be in freefall defensively. But it's still impressive nonetheless given that despite being a rookie, Coward is able to exploit the weaknesses of a defense with relative ease this early. 

4. Jeremiah Fears, Pelicans

I said in our first batch of rankings that Fears' 3-point efficiency was starting to catch up with his confidence in taking those shots, and my point has only further been proven. He was shooting 31.7% through the first three weeks of the season, since then that's shot up to 42%. It's on relatively low volume, just 3.1 attempts per game, but if he continues to make them efficiently, teams will have to respect the shot.

Fears is most dangerous when attacking the rim, but a consistent 3-point shot opens up more of his offensive game.

Leading up to this possession, Fears had made two 3s with Donte DiVincenzo giving him space so he could take away his ability to get to the rim. DiVincenzo adjusted to cover Fears tighter, which the rookie noticed and took advantage of in a split second.

His quick first step immediately caught DiVincenzo on his heels, giving Fears just enough room for his speed to do the rest of the work.

3. Derik Queen, Pelicans

The Pelicans have been heavily criticized for their draft night trade that sent their 2026 first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Queen, who was selected 13th overall. The move looks especially bad now that the Pelicans have the worst record in the league and that pick looks to be a top-three selection. But then you watch Queen put up a triple-double the other night and that criticism shouldn't be as loud.

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Sure, it would've been nice if the Pelicans could've gotten one of the many lauded prospects at the top of next year's draft, but between Queen and Fears, the Pelicans might've found their duo of the future already.

He's the first rookie in NBA history to record a 30-point triple-double with four blocks, and is also the first rookie center to record a 30-point triple-double, too. And the fact that he did this against Luke Kornet, a towering presence whose a solid paint protector in his own right, is all the more impressive. Some of the shots Queen was making were straight up circus shots, but there were other times where he was doing whatever it took to get a decent look, or just difficult shots altogether.

The scoring is nice, but it's Queen's court vision that's going to earn him a very long career in this league. It's not everyday you see a center threading the needle with a perfectly placed bounce pass to a six-foot guard cutting to the rim.

2. Kon Knueppel, Hornets

Since LaMelo Ball has returned to the lineup in mid-November, he and Knueppel have shared the floor for 208 minutes. In that time, when the two of them are on the floor together, Charlotte's offensive rating rings in at 117.7. That's 6.3 points higher than the Hornets' offensive rating as a team. It would also rank eighth in the league during that span, tying them with the first-place Detroit Pistons.

I wondered how Knueppel would adjust when Ball came back from injury, and while his return isn't resulting in Charlotte wins, the rookie has maintained consistency. He's been efficient, is still on pace to shatter the rookie 3-point record, and is proving to be an ideal complementary piece alongside Ball, and Brandon Miller too.

He's taking more 3s since Ball's return, which was to be expected, but when he's given the opportunity to create for himself, he doesn't struggle in the moment. It will be interesting to see how the Hornets balance Knueppel's ascension this season, because it wouldn't be the best use of his talents if he's just relegated to a spot-up 3-point shooter. He excels in the mid-range, and has a variety of dribble moves to get to the rim. If the Hornets are focused on his development, then allowing him to shoulder more of the ball-handling responsibilities with or without Ball in the lineup.

1. Cooper Flagg, Mavericks

After the Mavericks picked up a surprising win against the Houston Rockets recently, in which Flagg had 19 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block Kevin Durant spoke glowingly about the rookie.

"Just from watching his film, he's finally figuring it out," Durant said. "They're also doing a good job of taking him off the ball some and letting [Ryan] Nembhard and Brandon Williams control the game and he can just float around and be an all-around player. When you play him at the point, I feel like you're limiting his game. He's playing a well-rounded game. He can shoot the jump shot off the middy, he can shoot the 3, he can get to the rim. I love his game."

This comes just a month after Durant said Flagg will be considered "one of the best of all time" when his career is over. With the way Flagg's been playing over the past month, Durant's words certainly seem to be on the right track. After an odd start to his career after the Mavericks experimented with having him run point, we're finally starting to see the version of Flagg -- the betting favorite for Rookie of the Year honors (-140 at DraftKings) -- everyone raved about going back to his high school days.

Flagg's efficiency is looking like it will be a major strength over his career. He's shot over 50% from the floor in seven of his last 12 games, and shot over 60% four times during that span. His 52 clutch points ranks fourth in the league this season, and he's making mid-range shots at a 46% clip, which ranks in the 84th percentile.

Flagg appears far more confident over the last month, has been more aggressive on offense and while his 3-point shot is still a work in progress, he's been practically automatic from everywhere else. He rarely forces things, always looks for the extra pass to a teammate and defensively has already become someone the Mavericks rely on to get a stop.

It took a little while, but through the first two months of the season Flagg is in the pole position for Rookie of the Year.