POINT GUARDS
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis | |
1 | Russell Westbrook | OKC | 4 | Westbrook is still putting up huge numbers even with Kevin Durant back at full strength. He is one of the most aggressive players in the league. | |
2 |
| GSW | 4 | Curry’s shin injury brings minor concern. The Warriors would not risk playing him if he wasn’t comfortable shooting. They are out in front in the West. | |
3 | John Wall | WSH | 4 | Wall continues to be a top option on an ailing team without Bradley Beal and minor frontcourt help. | |
4 | Damian Lillard | POR | 3 | Lillard is back to full strength and back to carrying most of the Blazers' offensive attack on his shoulders. | |
5 | Mike Conley | MEM | 3 | Conley’s play at the point continues to impress and he can hit the pull-up jumper. Memphis' defense is killing them. | |
6 | Rajon Rondo | SAC | 3 | Rondo continues to rack up the assists and keep the Kings running. The shot selection continues to improve. | |
7 | Isaiah Thomas | BOS | 4 | Thomas' quickness is hard to stop, especially when the defender is immediately screened out. Thomas is the most-trustworthy Celtic in terms of fantasy. | |
8 | Reggie Jackson | DET | 3 | Jackson is excellent at feeling the flow of the game. He knows when to be more of a point guard and when his shooting is needed. | |
9 | Kemba Walker | CHA | 3 | The Hornets are another team with a lot of injuries and Walker’s offense is relied on heavily. | |
10 | Ricky Rubio | MIN | 4 | Rubio continues to pass more and shoot less. He is constantly trying to hit Andrew Wiggins when he is open at the other side of the key. | |
11 | Jeff Teague | ATL | 3 | We are never sure how long Teague will play but he is great in the lane and he is able to burn bigger interior defenders with his floater. | |
12 | Derrick Rose | CHI | 4 | We always say it: When Rose is in, the offense runs through him. It is hard to gage his playing time per game, though. | |
13 | George Hill | IND | 4 | Hill has been an excellent bail out shooting option when Paul George or Monta Ellis are double-teamed in the high post. | |
14 | Chris Paul | LAC | 2 | Great guard, but only has two games. Notice that players such as Kyle Lowry, with one game, are left off this list. | |
15 | Deron Williams | DAL | 4 | Williams seems to be over his hamstring injury and we have seen games in which he has taken over by himself. If he is hot, he will keep shooting. | |
16 | Tony Parker | SAS | 4 | Parker was ailing from a hip injury, but that should not affect him as much this week and he still has a quick step to the basket. | |
17 | Jrue Holiday | NO | 3 | The leash has been lengthened for Holiday as we are seeing him play more, shoot more, score more and is starting to be a big help with assists. | |
18 | Lou Williams | LAL | 4 | Williams is very effective when Kobe Bryant does not play and despite the fact that we never know when he is in or out, Williams is starting to steal more playing time. | |
19 | Michael Carter-Williams | MIL | 4 | If Carter-Williams can shoot over 43 percent, he is lethal. If his shot is not on, the big Bucks players get fed inside more. | |
20 | Emmanuel Mudiay | DEN | 3 | Mudiay is over his ankle injury and you can tell because he is starting to speed up the Nuggets offense again. His shot needs improvement. |
SHOOTING GUARDS
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis | |
1 | James Harden | HOU | 4 | The Rockets' offense runs completely through Harden and he gets as many shot opportunities as possible. | |
2 |
| GSW | 4 | With Curry hurting a bit, Thompson has been given the ball more and has shown how consistent his shooting truly is. | |
3 | Jimmy Butler | CHI | 4 | Butler has been shooting very well from the field and even when his shots are falling, he will still look to drive. | |
4 | C.J. McCollum | POR | 3 | McCollum returns to the second scoring option on a team with only two reliable scoring options. | |
5 | Gordon Hayward | UT | 3 | Hayward has been playing more in the high post and tries to drive and draw contact. He has been utilizing his mid-range game. | |
6 | Dwyane Wade | MIA | 4 | Wade has still been able to stay healthy but the “rest” disease is always a last minute sickness that can literally take you out of the game. | |
7 | Brandon Knight | PHX | 3 | Knight must continue to take the lead on the offensive charge with Eric Bledsoe done for the year. | |
8 | Goran Dragic | MIA | 4 | Dragic continues to show why he is a much better point guard and shooting guard. He’s excellent at passing and driving. | |
9 | Kobe Bryant | LAL | 4 | When Kobe is in, he gets as many shot opportunities as he wants. With his health, it is hard to gage whether or not he will play on a nightly basis. | |
10 | Trevor Ariza | HOU | 4 | Ariza stays high in these rankings because of the fourth game and his suffocating perimeter defense. His shooting needs to be more consistent. | |
11 | Tyreke Evans | NO | 3 | Evans continues to hog the ball as much as possible, but it is helping the Pelicans on the offensive end and Anthony Davis is not healthy. | |
12 | Nicolas Batum | CHA | 3 | MINOR INJURY: Toe: When Batum is in, he is very effective on both ends of the court, but his toe issue has certainly limited him. | |
13 | Kent Bazemore | ATL | 3 | When things aren’t working inside for the Hawks, Bazemore has become the ultimate bail out option and has been a very consistent shooter. | |
14 | Will Barton | DEN | 3 | The Nuggets have a limited number of offensive weapons and Barton has made a case for being the Nuggets' No. 2 scoring option. | |
15 | Monta Ellis | IND | 4 | When Ellis is in, he continues to speed up the Pacers' offense successfully. Ellis tries to attack the rim before settling with a jumper. | |
16 | Joe Johnson | BKN | 3 | With Jarrett Jack done, Johnson will be the Nets' No. 1 scoring option for the rest of the season | |
17 | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | DET | 3 | Caldwell-Pope is an excellent mid-range option for the Pistons when Reggie Jackson is double-teamed while driving. | |
18 | Eric Gordon | NO | 3 | Gordon has a great fade-away long distance jumper, but needs to call for the ball more. He has excellent ball-handling skills. | |
19 | Kyle Korver | ATL | 3 | Same story each week with Korver: CROSS THE KEY AND SHOOT MORE FROM THE ELBOW! | |
20 | J.J. Redick | LAC | 2 | Redick exhausts his defenders because he is always moving on the court. He is an excellent long distance shooter and great at reading screens. |
SMALL FORWARDS
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis | |
1 | Paul George | IND | 4 | George is definitely in the MVP discussion at this point. He can play four positions and is excellent on both ends of the court. | |
2 |
| SAS | 4 | Leonard has been the most consistent offensive weapon for the Spurs and has easily been their best defender. | |
3 | Kevin Durant | OKC | 4 | Durant still has the ability to score but looks a bit slow when on the court. | |
4 | LeBron James | CLE | 3 | Like Durant, LeBron has not looked the same on the court as he has in years passed. He is still an excellent creator with the ball. | |
5 | Carmelo Anthony | NYK | 3 | Anthony has been shooting a lot better lately and certainly has rewarded fantasy owners with a lot of rebounding production. | |
6 | Rudy Gay | SAC | 3 | Gay continues to burn defenders in the post and is excellent when he shoots from the top of the key. | |
7 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | MIL | 4 | It is never pretty with the “Greek Freak” but he is able to help out consistently in multiple fantasy hoops categories. | |
8 | Andrew Wiggins | MIN | 4 | Wiggins is an excellent scorer and the top option on his team. We need him to be more consistent with assists, rebounds and steals. | |
9 | Danilo Gallinari | DEN | 3 | As good of a shooter as Gallinari has been, he has been on a “drive first” mission of late. He has a more aggressive approach to the basket and a more aggressive haircut to go with it. | |
10 | Thaddeus Young | BKN | 4 | Young is the top defender on a depleted team and continues to drive through traffic to draw contact. | |
11 | Khris Middleton | MIL | 4 | Middleton continues to be an excellent mid-range shooter for the Bucks. He is constantly able to free himself of defenders. | |
12 | Wesley Matthews | DAL | 4 | Matthews continues to work his way in the post and draw contact on offense. He does not resort to his three-point jumper as much. | |
13 | Jae Crowder | BOS | 4 | Crowder continues to play excellent perimeter defense and has been utilizing his post game more on offense. | |
14 | Otto Porter | WSH | 4 | With Bradley Beal hurt, Porter has become a consistent secondary option to John Wall. Porter is also an excellent perimeter defender and attacks the rim. | |
15 | Al-Farouq Aminu | POR | 3 | Aminu plays a lot like Thaddeus Young in that he is always looking to draw contact. He needs to use his jumper more, though. | |
16 | Jeff Green | MEM | 3 | Green’s perimeter defense is the one shining star defender on Memphis. Green is excellent at running the floor and driving the lane. | |
17 | Chandler Parsons | DAL | 4 | Parsons is very hard to rely on because his jumper makes or breaks him. He does not play much inside and playing time is always at risk. | |
18 | Marcus Morris | DET | 3 | If Morris continues to utilize the post from the side of the basket, he will never get good looks when spinning out for the jumper. He needs to post up in the middle of the paint. | |
19 | Andre Iguodala | GSW | 4 | Iggy is not always the most reliable scoring option, but has been an excellent defender and he has provided enough offense to secure playing time. | |
20 | Ersan Ilyasova | DET | 3 | Teams still don’t understand that not only can Ilyasova shoot well from long distance, but he is always able to follow his shot and give the Pistons another possession. |
POWER FORWARDS
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis | |
1 | Draymond Green | GSW | 4 | Another MVP hopeful! Green has been racking up triple-double’s on a team with amazing shooters. | |
2 |
| SAS | 4 | Aldridge continues to get fed at the elbow and work his way inside and not collide with the Spurs lower block players. | |
3 | Kevin Love | CLE | 3 | Love spends more time at the key than in the post, but always works the post well like he did in Minnesota. Cavs coaches should play him there. | |
4 | Paul Millsap | ATL | 3 | Millsap has been a staunch defender as it is hard to get any kind of positioning on him in the post, and has been a good offensive weapon inside. | |
5 | Chris Bosh | MIA | 4 | Bosh has certainly been making more of an effort to post up inside. He has great one-handed post moves and a hook. | |
6 | Pau Gasol | CHI | 4 | Gasol continues to play well on both ends of the floor and virtually has the paint to himself to create on offense. | |
7 | Greg Monroe | MIL | 4 | Monroe’s foot-work is excellent inside. He posts up his defender and manages to go UNDER their coverage for an easy layup. | |
8 | Anthony Davis | NO | 3 | INJURY CONCERN: BACK: He is experiencing sharp pains there. It is hard to tell how many games he will play in. | |
9 | Serge Ibaka | OKC | 4 | Ibaka continues to be one of the most reliable blockers in the league and we have seen him work on offense in the lower block and not settle for his jumper as much. | |
10 | Dirk Nowitzki | DAL | 4 | Nowitzki’s shot has been on and it continues to be a nightmare to defend against it. | |
11 | Kristaps Porzingis | NYK | 3 | Porzingis has been excellent at playing big for his lanky size, including one-handed putback dunks. | |
12 | Zach Randolph | MEM | 3 | Randolph continues to be a monster on the glass and like fine wine, his jumper has improved with age and he is able to hit it right inside the arc. | |
13 | Tim Duncan | SAS | 4 | Duncan continues to be a reliable lower block option and has been a major help on defense. It is easier for him to rebound and block than score. | |
14 | Jared Sullinger | BOS | 4 | Sullinger has been an excellent rebounder but a liability on offense. He is a bit raw and needs to work on his moves in the post. | |
15 | Nikola Mirotic | CHI | 4 | Mirotic continues to show his range with his shot as the post has not been as kind to him this season. He is often left open when Rose and Butler are doubled. | |
16 | Kenneth Faried | DEN | 3 | Faried is an excellent inside player and keeping the possession alive, but is still very raw offensively. | |
17 | Frank Kaminsky | CHA | 3 | With the injuries on the Hornets, Kaminsky has been given the green light for more playing time and has had high-scoring nights. He can’t just be a scorer at his size. We need rebounds. | |
18 | Markieff Morris | PHX | 3 | Morris is the toughest player on and off the court and continues to be showcased, as he wants out of Phoenix. They HAVE to play him. | |
19 | Robert Covington | PHI | 2 | Covington has been a solid post player on the high post. On defense, he does not let anyone down the middle, and is certainly improving his post-game on offense. He is more of a pass-first forward who looks for the cutter. | |
20 | Derrick Favors | UT | 3 | INJURY CONCERN: Back: The Jazz need him and he is just about ready to return. |
CENTERS
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis | |
1 | DeMarcus Cousins | SAC | 3 | Cousins is an all-around amazing center who may even be on the trading block at this time. | |
2 |
| ATL | 3 | Horford is coming off of a strong week, especially on offense. He has been more aggressive in the lane. | |
3 | Andre Drummond | DET | 3 | Drummond continues to be the top low-block center and grabs many rebounds and is hard to box out. | |
4 | Marc Gasol | MEM | 3 | Gasol has been most successful from the high post this year and has utilized his turn-around jumper a lot recently. | |
5 | Hassan Whiteside | MIA | 4 | We never know what to expect offensively, but defensively he is as reliable as any center. | |
6 | Karl-Anthony Towns | MIN | 4 | Towns has been shooting well from all parts of the court and continues to develop more of an inside post game. | |
7 | Dwight Howard | HOU | 4 | Howard has spent less time at the key and immediately looks for the ball right inside and is excellent at drawing contact. | |
8 | Brook Lopez | BKN | 4 | Lopez is still afraid of the paint but is often left open at the elbow and has been a very reliable scorer. He needs to rebound more (shocker). | |
9 | Ryan Anderson | NO | 3 | Anderson will be relied on more as Anthony Davis continues to play in pain. Anderson will need to continue to drive the lane more and not settle for an outside shot. | |
10 | Marcin Gortat | WSH | 4 | Gortat is the only Wizards big man who can stay healthy and has been used more inside giving him more shot opportunities. | |
11 | Zaza Pachulia | DAL | 4 | Pachulia continues to show his strength inside by getting a lot of rebounds and put backs. The rest of the Mavs can learn how to play defense from him. | |
12 | DeAndre Jordan | LAC | 2 | Jordan continues to show that he is still very raw offensively. He is a reliable rebounder and blocker. | |
13 | Jahlil Okafor | PHI | 2 | Okafor is the best post player on the Sixers and has excellent moves inside and is never afraid to draw contact. | |
14 | Ian Mahinmi | IND | 4 | Mahinmi is the one reliable center on the Pacers and has been a staunch defender right inside and is very hard to box out from the lower block. | |
15 | Nerlens Noel | PHI | 2 | Noel is excellent at the pick-and-roll when he starts from the top of the key. He is a good cutter and should be given the ball more. | |
16 | Andrew Bogut | GSW | 4 | Bogut can barely jump and still is able to pull down rebounds and be a force inside. His size makes it hard for defenders to pull down rebounds from over him. | |
17 | Enes Kanter | OKC | 4 | Kanter continues to shoot well from the outside and play aggressively on defense. He is always in a constant battle for playing time and has certainly impressed with improved rebounding. | |
18 | Gorgui Dieng | MIN | 4 | Dieng is a low-block specialist who will only call for the ball is he is open inside. His offense consists of putbacks and is able to be a sufficient rebounder. | |
19 | Tristan Thompson | CLE | 3 | Thompson averages almost 10 rebounds a game but is definitely in a time-share at the position and we never know how much playing time he will get. | |
20 | Mason Plumlee | POR | 3 | Plumlee controls his own destiny when it comes to playing time. He is a reliable rebounder but falls asleep when defending in the post. He is lucky the Blazers big-man depth is not up to par. |