New Orleans Pelicans 2026-27 Season Preview: Mosley Era, Mathurin Signing & Fantasy Outlook

New Orleans enters 2026-27 under new head coach Jamahl Mosley with no first-round pick, a deeper backcourt headlined by free agent Bennedict Mathurin, and a fully healthy camp roster built around Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy, and a talented young core.

This New Orleans Pelicans 2026-27 season preview breaks down every major storyline entering the year: why the Pelicans had almost no 2026 draft capital, their roster moves and the Bennedict Mathurin signing, the hiring of new head coach Jamahl Mosley and the projected starting lineup, updated Vegas win total and championship odds, and Pelicans fantasy basketball analysis on the players who matter most heading into DFS and season-long drafts. Coming off a 26-56 season and a franchise-altering trade-up for Derik Queen that cost them their own 2026 first-rounder, New Orleans is a team defined less by splashy additions than by what it already has in Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy, and a promising young core, now opening camp with everyone healthy.

Pelicans 2026-27 Season at a Glance

New Orleans' 27.5 win total is among the lowest in the league, and the Pelicans' +100000 championship odds reflect a team banking on internal development and better health under a new coaching staff rather than a big outside addition.

2026 NBA Draft: Pelicans' Lone Pick

New Orleans entered the 2026 NBA Draft with almost nothing to show for a 26-56 season, the direct result of trading its unprotected 2026 first-round pick (along with the No. 23 pick) to Atlanta a year earlier to move up and select Derik Queen at No. 13. That pick landed at No. 8 in a deep, star-studded 2026 class, a selection the Hawks made instead of the Pelicans. New Orleans' only selection was the No. 58 overall pick, acquired from Detroit via the Knicks in the earlier Jose Alvarado trade.

Pierre gives the Pelicans a developmental scoring guard with local ties, but he is not expected to factor into the regular rotation early in 2026-27.

Key Free Agent Departures

New Orleans' departures were mostly depth pieces, and most were tied to the cap and roster work needed to sign Bennedict Mathurin:

Hawkins, the No. 14 pick in the 2023 draft, and Peavy were sent to Memphis (and is now on the Chicago Bulls) with a future second-round pick and a second-round swap in a Sept. 8 trade that cleared roughly $6 million and a roster spot for Mathurin. Taj Gibson, who came back in that deal for salary-matching purposes, was waived and has since retired.

Key Free Agent Acquisitions and Re-Signings

Major Roster Moves and Projected Starting Lineup

New Orleans' offseason centered on a new coaching staff and a few targeted roster moves. Jamahl Mosley replaced interim coach James Borrego after Willie Green's in-season firing, becoming the third head coach for New Orleans since Joe Dumars took over basketball operations in April 2025. On the roster, the Pelicans signed Bennedict Mathurin to a two-year deal, traded Jordan Hawkins and Micah Peavy to Memphis for AJ Johnson and Taj Gibson, and extended Saddiq Bey. The team also opened camp fully healthy, with Williamson reporting lighter and Dejounte Murray a full participant. The projected starting five entering training camp:

Projected Starters

Bench Rotation

• Backcourt: Jeremiah Fears, Jordan Poole, AJ Johnson
• Wing: Herbert Jones, Saddiq Bey, Bennedict Mathurin
• Frontcourt: Derik Queen, Karlo Matkovic, DeAndre Jordan

With no clear hierarchy set beyond Murray, Murphy, and Williamson, Mathurin and second-year lottery picks Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen are all in the mix for starter-level minutes, a continuity-first approach that leaves plenty of preseason competition for the final two starting spots.

Pelicans Biggest Fantasy Questions

Can Zion Williamson Stay on the Floor?

Williamson posted a career-low 29.7 minutes per game in 2025-26 due to ongoing injury management, even while shooting a career-best 60% from the field. He reported to camp listed at 277 pounds, down from 284 last season, and has been encouraged to expand his offensive game with more jumpers. His per-minute production remains elite, but his fantasy draft price has to account for a real risk of missed games rather than his box-score upside alone.

Is Dejounte Murray Fully Back From His Achilles Tear?

Murray returned from the ruptured right Achilles after the All-Star break last season and averaged 16.7 points and 6.4 assists in 14 games. He has been described as a full participant in camp and said the whole roster is healthy, so he slots back in as a high-usage, multi-category contributor if the Achilles holds up. His ADP in the high-90s still carries real downside risk after such a small sample.

Do Jeremiah Fears or Derik Queen Have a Path to a Starting Job?

Both rookies were benched in the second half of last season in favor of veterans, yet both closed the year on tears and made the All-Rookie Second Team. Their fantasy outlooks hinge almost entirely on whether new coach Jamahl Mosley trusts them with starter-level minutes from day one or eases them in as key bench pieces.

Pelicans Fantasy Basketball 2026-27: Key Players to Know

Four Pelicans fantasy players carry meaningful weight into 2026-27 drafts, with health and role clarity the dominant themes across the roster.

Zion Williamson Fantasy Outlook

• 2026-27 ADP: 55.0
• Position: C/PF
• 2025-26 Stats: 21.0 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 3.2 APG, 60.0 FG%
• Fantasy Outlook: High-upside, high-risk mid-round pick
• What to Watch: Minutes restrictions and games played

Williamson posted career lows in points, rebounds, and minutes per game in 2025-26 as New Orleans carefully managed his workload, but his per-minute efficiency, highlighted by a career-high 60% shooting mark, remained elite. He arrived at camp lighter and healthy, which is encouraging, but he's routinely been drafted in the 30-to-55 range depending on format, a price that reflects real skepticism about his ability to play 50-plus games. Draft him for the per-minute production, but build in a contingency plan for missed time.

Trey Murphy Fantasy Outlook

• 2026-27 ADP: 49.0
• Position: PF/SF/SG
• 2025-26 Stats: 21.5 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.5 SPG
• Fantasy Outlook: Team's most reliable fantasy asset
• What to Watch: Usage if Murray and Williamson are both healthy

Murphy led the Pelicans in scoring, minutes, and games started in 2025-26, emerging as the most complete and durable fantasy option on the roster with career highs across nearly every category. His three-point volume, steals, and now-established go-to scorer role make him a strong value in the mid-to-late fourth round of most formats, with legitimate top-40 upside if he keeps the usage bump he showed last season.

Dejounte Murray Fantasy Outlook

• 2026-27 ADP: 97.5
• Position: PG/SG
• 2025-26 Stats: 16.7 PPG, 6.4 APG (14 games after Achilles return)
• Fantasy Outlook: Boom-or-bust health bet
• What to Watch: Games played and minutes after a full offseason of rehab

Murray returned after the All-Star break last season following more than a year of rehab on his Achilles and looked close to his old self, averaging 16.7 points and 6.4 assists in 14 games. When healthy in prior seasons, he's delivered top-50 value as a points-assists-steals contributor. He enters camp as a full participant, and his current ADP near pick 98 still reflects real uncertainty; a healthy full season would make him one of the bigger value plays in the league at that price.

Derik Queen Fantasy Outlook

• 2026-27 ADP: 115.5
• Position: C/PF
• 2025-26 Stats: 11.7 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 3.7 APG (82 games)
• Fantasy Outlook: Late-round rebounding and playmaking upside
• What to Watch: Whether he wins back the starting center job

Queen made the All-Rookie Second Team after a rookie season that included a triple-double and rare rebounding-assist production for a big man, moving to fourth all-time among rookie centers in assists. He closed the season on a tear, including a 30-point, 20-rebound game in the finale, but was benched for stretches in favor of veterans. With no clear starting center locked in for 2026-27, Queen offers real late-round upside in rebounding- and assist-friendly formats if he opens the year in the first unit.

Pelicans Fantasy Sleepers & Breakouts

Pelicans Fantasy Sleeper

Bennedict Mathurin: Despite the likelihood of coming off the bench, Bennedict Mathurin is in a role he’s familiar with and has thrived in. He’s come off the bench in 153 games throughout his career while averaging 15.9 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 1.8 APG, and has actually had a 25% USG off the bench and just 22.8% USG as a starter. Mathurin should be highly effective in a mid-20s minute role off the bench and is tied for the seventh-best odds in the sixth-man of the year award. 

Pelicans Fantasy Breakout Candidate

Jeremiah Fears: The No. 7 overall pick in 2025 set the Pelicans' rookie scoring record and averaged 31.8 points over his final five games of the season on 47.1% shooting. At a rock-bottom ADP of 166.0, any real expansion of his role under a new coaching staff would make him one of the best value picks in the entire draft pool.

Data via NBA.com, ESPN, Yahoo Sports, Hoops Rumors, Spotrac, BetMGM, RotoWire, and Basketball Reference. Odds and win totals reflect lines as of early October 2026 and are subject to change.