2013-2014 Fantasy Basketball Point Guard (PG) Draft Rankings
Sep 5, 2013 Fantasy Draft Rankings
PG Rankings, Updated October 3, 2013
Chris Paul (LAC) – The top of the PG board really depends on how you are building your team and your particular needs. Paul ranks at the top of my board because most guys are playing a point guard for assists. If that’s the category you are after, then Paul is the pick. His scoring is a little light, but he makes up for it in steals and threes.
Kyrie Irving (CLE) – I think Kyrie Irving is going to have a big year. He’s probably the most balanced PG play on the board. He’s a better scorer than Paul, but is lacking a bit in assists. There’s some real upside in Irving’s game, which is why I ranked him ahead of Stephen Curry, who had a career type year in 2012.
Stephen Curry (GSW) – Curry will definitely appeal more to the group of owners who like to build around the three point category. Last season Curry was lights out from three attempting 7.7 per game and hitting them at a 45.3% clip. The Warriors have a lot of weapons and there is always the possibility that the Warriors ask Curry to do less this season. And then there’s always those ankles.
Russell Westbrook (OKC) – I think you have to bump Westbrook down a few notches with his knee injury and the current 4-6 week timetable for his return. Will he be as explosive when he returns? How long will it take him to shake the rust off after missing all of training camp?
Derek Rose (CHI) – I’m not sure what to expect from Rose this season, but I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt and rank him in the top 5. He’s definitely had plenty of time to get things healed up and training camp should show right where he’s at physically.
John Wall (WAS) – Wall should finally be 100% healthy this season and easily be able to improve on his 18.5 points and 7.6 assists. Those two categories were his best yet as a pro when you look at his per/36 numbers. He’s also sneaky good in the blocks category posting .7 per game over his career. The 44.1 FG% was also the best of his career and if he gets that over 45%, then look out.
Deron Williams (BRK) – The next couple of guys in the rankings are very similar, but I’m giving the edge to Williams based on his surrounding cast. Pierce, Garnett and Lopez should make for a ton of assists for Williams and that’s just what you want from your top PG.
Tony Parker (SAS) – Parker is probably one of the most underrated fantasy PG’s every season. He’s a top scorer and assist man, with a top notch career FG% of close to 50%. He might slow down eventually, but I don’t think it will be this season.
Jrue Holiday (NOR) – The Sixers shipped Holiday to New Orleans where he’ll slide right into the starting PG spot. He has no competition for minutes so he should be able to put up a MPG number similar to last season. The only worry for Holiday is that there’s a lack of chemistry that may be evident. I’m just not sure how well Eric Gordon and Tyreke Evans will mesh, and there isn’t really any good scoring option at SF. Training camp will be important to guage Holiday’s fantasy value.
Brandon Jennings (DET) – I’ve always been a big Jennings fan and I think the move to Detroit will do him good. The knock on him in Milwaukee was that he just didn’t pass and rack up the assists, but for the last couple of seasons exactly who was he supposed to pass to on that team? His offensive game is more perimeter oriented and with Josh Smith, Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond drawing defenses in, Jennings should be able to open up his offensive game. He’s also got the opportunity to find each of those three anywhere inside 15 feet and should have a career assist total this season.
Mike Conley (MEM) – Conley is probably just as underrated as Parker, even more so in fantasy circles. After Rudy Gay left last season, Conley really picked up his game in the scoring column and should continue that this season. The 2.2 steals per game were huge too. I guess you could call Conley a poor man’s Chris Paul, as their fantasy games are kind of similar.
Damian Lillard (POR) – Lillard had an incredible rookie season and definitely rewarded fantasy owners who took a chance on him. I like Lillard, but my concern with him is the fact that he played way too many minutes last season simply because the Blazers just didn’t have anyone else to play the point. Mo Williams is now in Portland and wasn’t brought in to sit the bench. I can see Lillard’s MPG dropping to around 33-34 this year, which really knocks down his fantasy value, especially if you take a look at his per/36 numbers.
Ty Lawson (DEN) – I’ve had Lawson on a few fantasy teams over the last couple of years and he just hasn’t reached the potential of his abilities. I’m hoping that this is the year that he puts it all together. I’ll probably end up moving him up the rankings as camp progresses depending on how many minutes he’s getting and how the new offense looks in Denver.
Kemba Walker (CHA) – Charlotte actually improved their roster this season and that should benefit Walker’s assist numbers and possibly his scoring. He should big improvement last season raising his FG% from 36.6 in 2011 to 42.3 last season. If that continues, he’ll definitely move up the rankings. The 2.0 steals per game were also solid.
Rajon Rondo (BOS) – A lot of negatives this season on Rondo and he’s one of those guys who will be drafted by the gambler in your fantasy league. The Celtics are going to be horrible this season and I doubt the rush Rondo back from his injury. He could be out until after Christmas, which is just killer for rotisserie league owners. He’s probably a little better pick for head to head league owners. Even when he does come back, who is he going to dish those normal 11 assists per game to?
Goran Dragic (PHO) – The Suns are going to be pretty bad this season, but that might actually be a good thing for Dragic. He can score and he’s got a pretty good running mate in the backcourt in Eric Bledsoe. The concern here, or maybe it’s a positive, is that he’s a prime trade target if the Suns want to move Bledsoe to PG full time.
Jeff Teague (ATL) – This could be Teague’s year to break out. The Hawks traded away a good portion of their team and the only real scoring options at this point are Teague and Horford. Teague should still get good assists feeding a very accurate Kyle Korver and a very talented offensive Al Horford. If Teague can pick up his scoring, he could move up the rankings.
Ricky Rubio (MIN) – I love Rubio’s game, but he’s just not a big enough scorer to move any higher in fantasy rankings. If he could pick up his offensive game, I’d definitely consider moving him up.
Kyle Lowry (TOR) – Lowry has to be one of the most aggravating fantasy players. He showed flashes of brilliance in Houston, but has yet to duplicate that in Toronto. I’m not sure why he hasn’t been able to get his game back, but he could be a good risk/reward type of pick this season.
Jeremy Lin (HOU) – Having James Harden and Dwight Howard to feed has to increase the assist totals, right? It’s a shame Lin started off his career in such a red hot manner because it raised expectation too far. He’s not that kind of star, but he’s also not as bad as he’s looked the last year and a half. Maybe now that the pressure is off he can just play ball and put up a solid season line.
Jose Calderon (DAL) – Calderon should be a good source of assists this season and his shooting percentages are always a fantasy help. There’s also a good chance he’ll be asked to pick up the scoring on a Mavericks team that is just old and slow. He’s a good risk/reward pick later in the draft.
George Hill (IND) – Unfortunately, Hill is surrounded by a team full of guys who just don’t need to be assisted. He’s probably still going to put up 5 assists a game, but with Roy Hibbert, Paul George and a likely healthy Danny Granger, he’ll be the fourth offensive option.
Raymond Felton (NYK) – The assist numbers just aren’t big enough to rank Felton any higher. The 13.9 points was solid last season, but the 41.4% shooting and the lack of steals doesn’t help.
Jameer Nelson (ORL) – Nelson has a pretty good game and really helped fantasy owners last season, but the Magic are definitely in a rebuilding mode and I see Nelson being traded to a contender and becoming a solid second team insurance backup at some point this season. This definitely decreases his H2H league value.
Brandon Knight (MIL) – Maybe a change of scenery will help him, but Knight had the lowest per game assist number of any starting PG last season and I don’t think a trade to the Bucks is going to help that number.
Steve Nash (LAL) – No Kobe for awhile, no Dwight Howard and an aging Pau Gasol. I’m a huge Steve Nash fan, but sometimes you just have to acknowledge the fact that at some point father time catches up with you and you might be better served hanging up the sneakers.
Greivis Vasquez/Isaiah Thomas (SAC) – One of these guys is going to win the starting PG spot for the Kings and move way up in the rankings.
Trey Burke (UTA) – I honestly have to say that I just don’t know that much about Burke’s game, but he’s definitely got an opportunity to nab a starting spot on a weak Jazz team. He’s one of those guys that I’m going to have to re-rank in a couple weeks.
Michael Carter-Williams/Tony Wroten (PHI) – One of these guys is going to win the starting PG spot in Philly. The fact that it’s Tony Wroten versus anyone pretty much says all you need to know about drafting a Philly PG.
Tags: Draft Rankings, fantasy basketball
2013-2014 Fantasy Basketball Shooting Guard (SG) Draft Rankings
Sep 5, 2013 Fantasy Draft Rankings
SG Rankings Updated October 11, 2013
James Harden (HOU) – Harden now has Dwight Howard to draw defenses in, so expect a bump up in scoring as Harden fills it up from outside.
Dwyane Wade (MIA) – Wade is getting older, but he should still have one more good year that justifies a top 5 rankings.
Paul George (IND) – George just got a huge contract, but don’t expect the normal dropoff that some athletes experience after getting the big money. George is an across the board help in all categories.
Kobe Bryant (LAL) – Not sure when Kobe will return from his achilles injury, but you can bet he’ll still be top 5 worth when he does.
Monta Ellis (DAL) – Ellis can score, and that’s exactly what the Mavericks need from him. Expect big scoring and threes, but his assists might not be up to par with Jose Calderon at PG.
J.R. Smith (NYK) – Smith had a breakout year in 2012-13 and I expect that to continue. He’s got a five game suspension to start the season, but the Knicks will need every minute they can get from him when he returns.
Andre Iguodala (GSW) – Iguodala is running in a high paced offense that suits his skill set. Expect a big fantasy year from him.
Evan Turner (PHI) – I’m not a huge Turner fan and if he was on any other team there’s no way he’d be ranked this high. The Sixers just don’t have anyone to put points on the board and the scoring sort of falls to Turner by default. Turner is one of those guys who is a lot better in fantasy than in real life.
DeMar DeRozan (TOR) – The Raptors should be much improved this season and although DeRozan is fairly one dimensional, that one dimension is pretty good in a shallow SG pool.
Klay Thompson (GSW) – I love Thompson’s offensive ability, but will he get the same number of opportunities this season with Andre Iguodala around?
Gerald Henderson (CHA) – Henderson is one of my favorite breakout targets this season and a great mid/late round grab who has been sneaking under the radar the last season or so.
Eric Gordon (NOR) – The only thing holding Gordon down in the rankings is his health. If he comes in this season at 100%, then he’ll be moving up the board.
OJ Mayo (MIL) – Mayo actually had a pretty solid season in Dallas, but he’s on the move again and could find himself in a fairly attractive situation in Milwaukee where they will need all the offense he can give them.
Joe Johnson (BRK) – Johnson is on the down side of his career and the arrival of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett might mean even less touches for Joe this year.
Wesley Matthews (POR) – Matthews is a solid all around player who helps you in just about every category.
Bradley Beal (WAS) – Beal has been derailed by injuries, but he could come in healthy this year and show the skills that made him such a coveted draft pick. A healthy John Wall should also improve Beal’s shooting opportunities.
Dion Waiters (CLE) – Waiters will be running alongside a healthy Kyrie Irving, which should really help his spot up game.
Tags: Draft Rankings, fantasy basketball
2013-2014 Fantasy Basketball Small Forward (SF) Draft Rankings
Sep 5, 2013 Fantasy Draft Rankings
SF Rankings Updated October 14, 2013
LeBron James (MIA) – The agument between most fantasy players is who goes first overall, James or Durant. Give me James and his assist numbers over Durant any day. With LeBron’s 7+ assists a game I can go cheap on a PG and then spend bigger at another position.
Kevin Durant (OKC) – If you aren’t first you’re last. Durant is the easy number two choice on the SF board.
Carmelo Anthony (NYK) – Melo is the consolation prize for those who miss out on James or Durant. After Anthony, it’s a long way down to number four.
Nicholas Batum (POR) – Batum is a bit underrated, but I’ll take his across the board stats at the SF position any day. His 4.9 assists per game were second only to LeBron at the SF spot.
Paul Pierce (BRK) – How much does Pierce have left in the tank? I think he’s got one more good year and a big desire to try and grab another ring.
Rudy Gay (TOR) – Gay is one of the most consistent players out there, which can sometimes be fantasy gold in itself. He had corrective surgery in the offseason, so maybe that even gives him a little room for upside.
Thaddeus Young (PHI) – Young will probably qualify at PF and SF. He’s about the only good thing left in Philly and I’d expect that he tries to put the team on his back and do it all, which is exactly what fantasy owners are paying for.
Luol Deng (CHI) – Maybe having Derrick Rose back will help Deng keep things going. The Bulls really need to cut his minutes down though or risk getting him hurt.
Jeff Green (BOS) – This is supposed to be Green’s breakout season, but everyone knows that and you’ll likely have to spend more on him than than you should. While I think he has a good season, it may justify his price tag on draft day.
Kawhi Leonard (SAS) – Popovich likes him and that’s good enough for me.
Shawn Marion (DAL) – He’s nothing fancy, but at least he’ll get you 12 and 7 with a couple of assists and a steal.
Chandler Parsons (HOU) – It’s going to be a fun year in Houston and Parsons should get a ton of outside looks with Dwight Howard drawing defenses in.
Andrei Kirilenko (BRK) – Kirilenko scares me a little this season as a health risk, but if he can stay healthy he’ll get plenty of minutes backing up the aging Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
Wilson Chandler (DEN) – You will probably find Chandler mostly qualifying at SG, but it’s possible some teams have him at SF, which is a great deal if you can get it.
Tags: Draft Rankings, fantasy basketball
2013-2014 Fantasy Basketball Power Forward (PF) Draft Rankings
Sep 5, 2013 Fantasy Draft Rankings
Coming soon!
Tags: Draft Rankings
2012-2013 Fantasy Basketball Sleepers: Shooting Guard
Oct 1, 2012 Blog
It’s finally October 1st and the light at the end of the fantasy basketball tunnel is in sight! It’s been a long offseason and it feels good to finally be getting some real daily news rather than all the rehashed posts from August and September.
I’ve got fantasy sleepers for the shooting guard position today. Point guard sleepers were posted here last week. I’ll be taking a look at the small forward sleepers in the next few days, so be on the lookout for that.
Shooting Guard Fantasy Sleepers
Lou Williams (ATL) – ESPN Rank: 72, Yahoo Rank: 99 – Williams is my favorite SG sleeper this season, if he can grab the starting spot in Atlanta. Right now he’s competing with Anthony Morrow, John Jenkins and maybe a little with Devin Harris for time in the rotation, but I’m expecting Williams to win the spot and get 30-32 minutes a night. Lou played in Philadelphia last season where he was a fairly high usage player with a 27.4 mark in that stat. With Joe Johnson leaving a big usage hole in the lineup, Williams could post something in the 25-27 range while putting up 17-19 points, 3-4 assists and 3-4 rebounds a night.
J.R. Smith (NYK) – ESPN Rank: 142, Yahoo Rank: 88 – There is a big difference in rank between ESPN and Yahoo, but I think Yahoo is probably close to the correct rank for Smith. He should step into the starting SG spot for the Knicks this season and surely he’s finally going to get his read right, maybe? The guy has unlimited athletic potential, but his mental attitude just isn’t on the same level. He should be the best three point for the Knicks and he’s also above average in rebounding from the guard position. I think he’s definitely worth a mid to late round flier in hope that at age 27 he finally realizes that his prime is now.
Dion Waiters (CLE) – ESPN Rank: 120, Yahoo Rank: 110 – Cleveland took Waiters with the 4th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft and it looks like the plan is to start him immediately alongside Kyrie Irving. I took a look at Waiters in this post. The Cavs really don’t have a whole lot to play for this season and the youth movement is underway with Irving and Tristan Thompson, so Waiters could start from day one and be a great source of points. It remains to be seen what his broader game is like, but one thing is for sure, the guy can score.
O.J. Mayo (DAL) – ESPN Rank: 93, Yahoo Rank: 102 – Mayo had a great first couple of seasons in Memphis, but last year he was moved into a timeshare role and it didn’t suit his game, or attitude, at all. He moves to the Mavericks this season and should claim the starting shooting guard spot over the aging Vince Carter. Mayo averaged 17 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal per game in his first two seasons in the league and if he can get 33-35 MPG, he should once again approach that level. A couple weeks of training camp should tell us all we want to know about the distribution of SG minutes in Dallas, so keep an eye on it.
Jamal Crawford (LAC) – ESPN Rank: 125, Yahoo Rank: 139 – The Clippers brought in Jamal Crawford as a gunner off the bench, but now it’s looking like Chauncey Billups might be out a lot longer than was first expected, which leaves Crawford as the likely starting shooting guard with not much backup behind him. Keep an eye on Billups’ recovery and draft Crawford accordingly.
Randy Foye (UTA) – ESPN Rank: 188, Yahoo Rank: 149 – Foye showed flashes of solid offensive potential last season with the Clippers and now finds himself in the running for a starting job in Utah. If he can beat out rookie Alec Burks, then Foye could have some real value running with Mo Williams, with whom he has some good chemistry from their days in LA. If Foye can’t win the job outright and post 30-32 minutes, then I’d probably only use a last round flier on him or leave him on the wire.
Bradley Beal (WAS) – ESPN Rank: 132, Yahoo Rank: 109 – I was really loving Beal until John Wall suffered his knee injury and now looks to be out for at least the next two months. Beal has a great jumper and the thought of him standing on the perimeter getting kickouts from Wall was appealing, but now with Wall out the Wizards really have no playmaker to get the ball to Beal in his comfort zone. Also, Washington may be forced to play Jordan Crawford ahead of Beal due to Crawford’s playmaking ability. The SG situation is really cloudy right now, so see how things shake out before drafting Beal. Having said that, if you are in a keeper league I think you are just going to have to take a bad first couple of months from Beal and just draft him anyway for the future.
Jason Richardson (PHI) – ESPN Rank: 134, Yahoo Rank: 115 – Richardson was shipped from Orlando to Philadelphia and has a real shot at earning the starting shooting guard spot for the Sixers. I’ve seen comments that Philly plans on playing Evan Turner at SF, which leaves only Nick Young as shooting guard competition. I’d also keep an eye on Young himself, if he can win the spot then he becomes an attractive late round sleeper.
Rip Hamilton (CHI) – ESPN Rank: 225, Yahoo Rank: 281 – I’ve seen reports saying that Hamilton has been looking good and seems to finally be healthy. He should start the season at SG for the Bulls, and without Derrick Rose the Bulls will really need Hamilton to step up and score. He’s fairly one dimensional, but if you are looking for points and threes late, he could be a steal.
Sleepers That Need An Impressive Camp:
Marshon Brooks (BRO) – Brooks could be a great sixth man candidate this season backing up Joe Johnson and Gerald Wallace, so keep an eye on how many minutes he’s getting in pre-season games.
Ben Gordon/Gerald Henderson (CHA) – One of these two has to win the starting shooting guard spot, but keep an eye on how the minutes get distributed. If the Bobcats go strictly with one or the other for big minutes, then that player could be a nice sleeper.
Ray Allen (MIA) – Right now Allen is theoretically stuck behind Dwyane Wade, but watch how the Heat structure their offense. If it looks like they want to try and put Wade and Allen on the court together, then bump Allen up in ranking.
Landry Fields (TOR) – The Raptors may give Fields a shot at winning the stating small forward position this season, but most sites still have him listed at shooting guard. He’ll be battling Linas Kleiza for minutes.
Jordan Crawford (WAS) – Right now it looks like the Wizards are going with Crawford as their starting shooting guard, but that might only last until John Wall returns from his injury. Crawford has a horrible shooting percentage and the Wizards will be looking to work Bradley Beal in as quickly as possible.
Jeremy Lamb (HOU) – Lamb is only a sleeper pick for guys in keeper leagues, but if Kevin Martin suffers his usual seasonal injury, then Lamb could quickly become a hot pickup.
Brandon Roy (MIN) – I would say that Roy has sleeper potential, but I’m pretty sure he’s going to be overdrafted based on name alone. While he could have a good year, I’d let someone else gamble on him.
Josh Selby (MEM) – The Grizzlies don’t really ask for anything out of their starting shooting guard spot and mostly rely on Tony Allen playing the position for his defensive ability. However, if Selby can work his way into the rotation, he’s got some offensive ability, as he showed by being tabbed co-MVP of Summer League. He’s more of a point guard, but his offense off the bench could be worked in at shooting guard.