Beckett Hot/Cold List April 27: Wembanyama Stays Hot, Matvei Martone Is the Rookie to Watch
Beckett's weekly Hot List puts Wembanyama on a six-week run and SGA leading a sweep of Phoenix, but the real collector-side leverage is on rookie winger Matvei Martone, whose Flyers jersey is now the best-selling in the NHL.
Beckett released its Hot/Cold List for the week of April 27, 2026 and the headline names are mostly the ones you would expect, with one quiet rookie who has the chance to be the breakout collectible story of the NHL playoffs. Here is what is moving and why it matters for your buying and selling decisions this week.
Hot: The Names Driving the Week
Victor Wembanyama (NBA)
Wembanyama is on the hot list for a sixth consecutive week, which is becoming a multi-month story. After returning from a concussion, he posted 27 points, 12 rebounds, 7 blocks, and 4 steals in Game 4 of the first-round playoff series against Portland. That stat line made him the first player in over two decades, and only the 10th in NBA history, to hit at least 25-10-7 in a single game.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (NBA)
The reigning regular-season and Finals MVP averaged 33.8 points and 8.0 assists per game as Oklahoma City swept Phoenix in the first round. SGA's high-end slabs continue to climb, and his 2018 Donruss Optic Rated Rookie remains the cleanest entry-point investment.
Jayson Tatum (NBA)
Three double-doubles as Boston took a 3-1 lead over Philadelphia, averaging 24.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 8.5 assists. Tatum's market is a great example of how playoff narratives translate to card values: when he is winning, his rookie-card market firms up across grades.
Matvei Martone (NHL) — The Sleeper of the Week
If there is one name on this list to take seriously as a collector, it is Matvei Martone. The rookie right winger appeared in just nine regular-season games for the Philadelphia Flyers, but strong playoff performances have made his jersey the best-selling in the NHL since the playoffs began. That is the exact pattern that has historically preceded rookie-card price runs in hockey, and his 2025-26 Upper Deck Young Guns is the obvious target.
Francisco De La Cruz (MLB)
The 24-year-old shortstop is proving he belongs among elite talent in 2026. Early-career card markets like De La Cruz reward patience: this is the moment to acquire base rookies before a hot summer push, not after.
Brian Tate (NFL)
The fourth overall pick in the NFL Draft projects as an immediate impact wide receiver for the Titans, giving second-year quarterback Cam Ward a real complementary threat. Rookie autographs are already moving in the high-end product market.
How to Use the Hot List
The Beckett list is most useful when you treat it as a momentum signal rather than a buy list. Wembanyama and SGA are already priced for performance. The leverage is on the names like Martone and De La Cruz, where the market is just starting to react and Young Guns or base rookies can still be acquired without the full premium baked in.
The pattern to watch is jersey sales preceding card sales. When a rookie's jersey leads the league while the player is still relatively unknown, that is the window before mainstream collectors arrive.
For sellers, this is the right week to list any Wembanyama or SGA inventory while playoff narrative is at its peak. For buyers, the smart play is to use the Hot List as a watchlist and look two or three names down rather than at the top.