Weekly Fantasy Basketball Player Rankings: NBA Week 3

Published: Nov 07, 2016

NBA Weekly Fantasy Basketball Player Rankings: Week 3

Point Guards

RANK	NAME	Team	# Games	Analysis
1	Russell Westbrook	OKC	4	Westbrook reclaims the top spot and and has hit value as my No. 1 overall draft pick thus far.
2	Damian Lillard	POR	4	Lillard continues to shine through and score as he always does. I notice he is playing way more on the ball to start the season.
3	Chris Paul	LAC	4	When Paul has a four game week, I never even think of the match up. When he's not taking over the game offensively, he's feeding Jordan and Griffin LOB city style.
4	Stephen Curry	GSW	4	Should fantasy owners worry about Curry's production? A little but not as much as Klay Thompson owners. Durant has been given a ton of plays to create on his own.
5	James Harden	HOU	3	MVP? He will be in contention at least from the fantasy side and Harden is an even more effective shooter running the point. He has been attacking a lot early.
6	Eric Bledsoe	PHX	4	Bledsoe has Harden-like ability but the explosivness is not the same. I would take Bledsoe's shot over Harden's as they play with the same style.
7	Kemba Walker	CHA	4	As the Hornets continue to deal with frontcourt health issues, Walker's offense will be relied on heavily both on and off the ball.
8	John Wall	WSH	4	Wall has done all he can to keep the Wizards in games. He is drawing triple teams at times when driving. Wall is the king of transition and gets ample time with the ball.
9	Rajon Rondo	CHI	4	Rondo has done a great job setting up Wade for open jumpers early. Always rely on him for assists and steals and hope that he hits the open three.
10	Kyle Lowry	TOR	3	DeRozan has been a Monster to start the season and Lowry has been letting the offense go through him a bit more. As a point guard, you need to keep feeding the hot hand.
11	D'Angelo Russell	LAL	4	Imagine that Byron Scott! You let the up and coming guard actually PLAY and what-a-ya-know, production! He learns quickly from his on court mistakes. There is a reason Scott is no longer coaching this team.
12	Kyrie Irving	CLE	3	Irving's court vision has been great to start the season and has taken over games. While LeBron will always get his, Irving seems just as involved.
13	Jeff Teague	IND	4	Teague has been doing a great job balancing the possesions between inside and outside that it keeps teams guessing. Teague takes advantage of hesitation on defense and will drive himself.
14	Isaiah Thomas	BOS	3	With Horford on board giving the Celtics a highly skilled talent inside, Thomas new more plays were going in the paint, so he has adjusted and has been looking to play in the paint himself a good amount early.
15	George Hill	UT	4	Hill provides the same impact on the Jazz as he did in Indiana. He has been utilized both on and off the ball and is one of the best spot-up shooters in the league. He will still get shots with Hayward back in.
16	Tim Frazier	NO	4	The Pelicans are very thin and Frazier has done a great job being the traditional floor general. When he has Anthony Davis as his main weapon, you can expect a ton of assists.
17	Derrick Rose	NYK	3	Rose has made some amazing acrobatic plays like we've seen from him before and is excellent at kicking the ball outside and driving. He needs to protect the ball a bit more. He has stayed healthy thus far which is rewarding enough.
18	Dennis Schroder	ATL	3	Schroder and Paul Millsap have a strong connection and Schroder has the ability to make quick passes inside. He will need to continue utilizing his tear drop throughout the season as those won't be contested.
19	Goran Dragic	MIA	3	Dragic will always be better when he shoots less and once Josh Richardson is 100% he will have more to work with. Tyler Johnson outside and Whiteside inside along with a semi-impactful Dion Waiters have been utilized correctly while we wait.
20	Ty Lawson	SAC	3	This is Lawson's last chance to show that he still deserves a TON of playing time even with Collison back. The pressure is on and we have seen some strong stat-lines thus far.

[pagebreak]

Shooting Guards

RANK	NAME	Team	# Games	Analysis
1	C.J. McCollum	POR	4	McCollum and Lillard are the most productive backcourt in the NBA and as their frontcourt continues to lack an identity they will both be heavily relied on.
2	DeMar DeRozan	TOR	3	DeRozan has been a force inside and outside and hits turnaround jumpers spinning further from the basket. He has been treated on the court as the Raptors No. 1 option to start the season.
3	Victor Oladipo	OKC	4	The UFO of the NBA strikes again. Oladipo will score consistently when he has the ball, but he does not call for it and dribbles into traffic when running the offense. Where is the best spot for this guy to play on the court? Hence UFO.
4	Klay Thompson	GSW	4	Thompson's pure shooting ability and lack of time he takes when he has the ball and on his release makes him a dangerous weapon and despite all of the Warriors weapons, Thompson will get his shot opps. When the pace quickens.
5	Devin Booker	PHX	4	Booker has been on fire from all over the court and shoots with confidence. He has earned his bunch of plays and shots even playing alongside shot-happy Bledsoe and Knight. Suns front court is limited and he has taken advantage.
6	Nicolas Batum	CHA	4	Speaking of limited frontcourt's, just like with Kemba, Batum will need to lead the charge on offense and we should hope early that defenders don't switch their bigger defenders on him. Batum is very dangerous in the high post and from the key.
7	Bradley Beal	WSH	4	Beal has suddenly started showing his strong attack to the basket when he gets the ball at the top of the key. If Beal drives more, it will add (bring back) another dimension of his overall game and he will get more time with the ball.
8	Gordon Hayward	UT	4	Hayward is back and already looks healthy. After watching him shoot yesterday, his form looked consistent and showed little signs of slowness. Expect him to pick up more shots.
9	Dwyane Wade	CHI	4	Wade looks great early from both long-range and the elbow. Wade has been relying mainly on his mid range shooting and defenders continue to back off of him thinking he will drive.
10	Avery Bradley	BOS	3	Bradley has been excellent on both sides of the ball as he is showing a little of his own isolation when he has the ball and has been excellent at finding himself space on the court to take open shots.
11	Monta Ellis	IND	4	Ellis continues to find his own success when he drives in and hits running one handers. Ellis has a quick step to the basket and he has been left open in the middle of the paint to flip shots up.
12	Rodney Hood	UT	4	Even with Hayward back, Hill will get a good amount of shots as he becomes the Jazz lead kick-out option and Hood will have less pressure on him when he has the ball.
13	Tyler Johnson	MIA	3	Johnson has balanced his game nicely with a spot-up shooting and top of the key penetration and drive. Johnson has a very high basketball IQ and will hit the back door cutter even after working his way to the free-throw line.
14	Lou Williams	LAL	4	Williams has been scoring a bunch early to start off the season and I notice that when he drives and has a few steps, he will stutter step and that gives him a minute to see if anyone is crashing the paint and will often pass out, spot up and hit the open shot.
15	Zach LaVine	MIN	4	With Rubio hurt, LaVine will get a ton of time with the ball and has excellent driving ability and is very agile. When Towns is kept in the corner, expect LaVine to get entry passes inside.
16	Evan Fournier	ORL	4	Fournier is more of a chucker but the Magic need backcourt scoring and with Payton limited, Fournier often is left open after rolling off a screen.
17	Kent Bazemore	ATL	3	Bazemore will need to post-up and fake out and draw contact from bigger defenders as he is aggressive inside especially when his mid-range shot isn't falling.
18	J.J. Redick	LAC	4	Redick will continue to tire out defenders and make them chase him all over the court. Another of the leagues best spot-up shooters, especially off of screens.
19	J.R. Smith	CLE	3	Smith looks very organized and is not trying to put up too many wild shots with that herky-jerky motion of his body. He has been successful from spotting up early.
20	Sean Kilpatrick	BKN	3	Kilpatrick caught my attention in pre-season because of his ability to run the floor and help with the Nets pacing. With Lin hurt, Kilpatrick will now get a ton of playing time and time with the ball to create as the Nets only consistent shooter has been Brook Lopez.

[pagebreak]

Small Forwards

RANK	NAME	Team	# Games	Analysis
1	Kevin Durant	GSW	4	What did we learn from Warriors-Thunder last week? It doesn't matter what jersey he is in, Kevin Durant will always be Kevin Durant and will tear through the paint when he pleases.
2	Paul George	IND	4	George may not always shoot, but will draw a ton of contact as team's will always look to double team him and if he drives, he can put bigger defenders in foul trouble. (We know everything else he does well).
3	LeBron James	CLE	3	James has been sticking to his drive for the most part when he has the ball and why not? He knows how to position himself to get his own rebound and put it back up.
4	Jimmy Butler	CHI	4	Because of Rondo's lack of consistency on offense, Butler will need to hang around outside when waiting for the pass and because Wade has been moving a bunch, Butler has seen a few more open shots. He is an excellent driver as well.
5	Kawhi Leonard	SAS	3	Leonard's outsode shooting continues to improve each season and you see that when he spots up, he is a lot more confident and his shooting motion stays consistent as well.
6	Carmelo Anthony	NYK	3	Anthony is carrying the Knicks offense as he always does and he is waiting to crash the boards on defense as well. Keep expecting ample scoring and rebounding.
7	Danilo Gallinari	DEN	4	The Nuggets shooters keep going down with injuries and that can only mean more shots for Gallinari. The Nuggets need to draw defenders outside or their production will be reduced inside.
8	Luol Deng	LAL	4	Deng continues to show that he is deserving of 25-35 minutes per game as he has been doing his usual damage on the elbow and has been one of the Lakers best rebounders to start the season.
9	Rudy Gay	SAC	3	Gay continues to be one of the Kings best rebounders and scorers. Gay's mid-range game continues to be his biggest strength as he has been drawing a ton of match up advantages.
10	T.J. Warren	PHX	4	Warren has provided the Suns with the mid-range game they need and is able to help out with long rebounding leading to their quickness on transition. Warren will continue to be part of the scheme.
11	Andrew Wiggins	MIN	4	Wiggins has been doing a great job of penetrating to the basket to get the open shot, but he needs to keep his head up and look for Dieng who is always in position on the low block.
12	Aaron Gordon	ORL	4	Gordon is a work and progress when it comes to being an effective shooter. He is an effective driver and cutter and will be needed as the Magic bore only a few offensive weapons.
13	DeMarre Carroll	TOR	3	Carroll is a very diciplined defender and one of the best long rebounders in the league. He needs to look to shift inside more in the post and not settle for as many contested mid-range jumpers.
14	Tobias Harris	DET	3	Harris continues to get plays in which he is on the elbow and always looks to drive first and draw contact. When forwards try posting him up, he constantly tries swiping at the ball causing them to pass out.
15	Trevor Ariza	HOU	3	Ariza is another excellent perimeter defender who has started adopting a mid-range game as he has been able to square up at the basket and finds himself open off of screens.
16	Michael Kidd-Gilchrist	CHA	4	We are giving MKG a chance to see what he can do offensively. You can expect rebound, block and steals help, but will he be effective in the post and try to draw contact? You never know!
17	Otto Porter	WSH	4	Porter has been very effective on the wing and has been excellent at giving Wall room to work off of the scree. Porter will see more shots opps from right outside the paint.
18	Joe Johnson	UT	4	This is Johnson's chance to show he can still be an effective deadly shooting option when Gordon Hayward is doubled and the inside is blocked. Johnson will need to take advantage of match ups and utilize his post game to earn shots.
19	Giannis Antetokounmpo	MIL	2	Greek Freak does everything you want on the court and plays multiple positions throughout the game, but unfortunately has drawn the short slate this week.
20	Thabo Sefolosha	ATL	3	Giving Sefolosha another run as the hope is for 10 points on offense per game with a few rebounds, assists and one or two two-steal games. It is very possible.

[pagebreak]

Power Forwards

RANK	NAME	Team	# Games	Analysis
1	Anthony Davis	NO	4	Always an amazing situation for Davis as he is on a thin team with a bunch of limited weapons and he can't be contained inside. Beware of blow out benching.
2	LaMarcus Aldridge	SAS	4	Aldridge has done a good job putting more emphasis being a tough inside player who covers the paint well and his stats are reflecting as such.
3	Blake Griffin	LAC	4	Griffin has been favoring the inside a ton more to start the season and we have seen a better Griffin because of it. The Clippers have enough shooters and Griffin's toughness inside makes him unique and dangerous, not three-point shooting.
4	Derrick Favors	UT	4	Favors will continue to take advantage of Gobert being strictly an inside player and will continue to post up and create from the elbow as he has become a very effective mid-range player.
5	Draymond Green	GSW	4	Green has shown that he is most effective cutting to the basket and has been excellent at following up his shots and giving the Warriors second-chance scoring opportunities and grabbing a good amount of offensive rebounds.
6	Paul Millsap	ATL	3	No Horford? No problem! Millsap continues to do a good job asking for the ball at different parts of the court. He is good at finding a teams weakness and exploiting it from either the elbow or deep inside.
7	Nikola Jokic	DEN	4	Even though the Nuggets will need to show that they are a threat outside, Jokic plays just outside enough that he will be given chances to create with the ball throughout the season and continues to be a fierce rebounder.
8	Kristaps Porzingis	NYK	3	Porzingis has been on fire from the outside and continues to make his presence felt inside as well. Porzingis hits shots consistently from way behind the the stripe.
9	Kevin Love	CLE	3	Love has started this season playing a lot more inside and that is great to see because he was one of the top paint players in the league when he was a Center in Minnesota.
10	Serge Ibaka	ORL	4	New week. Same Story. Expect blocks. Expect Rebounds. Expect wild three-point jumpers. Be happy for double digit scoring on offense.
11	Thaddeus Young	IND	4	Young will continue posting up at the elbow and he has done a great job attacking the basket and drawing contact.
12	Julius Randle	LAL	4	Randle has done a great job positioning himself adjacent to the free-throw line and has been getting a ton of long rebounds and when on offense he will go right back up with the ball off the miss.
13	Taj Gibson	CHI	4	Gibson has earned his playing time early and has been very effective in gaining position right under the basket and he has also utilized his one-handed hook moves on offense.
14	Gorgui Dieng	MIN	4	Dieng does what he always does; cleans out the garbage. He stays away from Towns and lets him create and controls the low block once the ball is in the air. It is very hard to box him out.
15	Ryan Anderson	HOU	3	Anderson will continue to be a match up nightmare because of his quick and effective long range shooting ability and serves as Harden's bailout option on offense.
16	Frank Kaminsky	CHA	4	The Hornets are huring and Kaminsky (who has already been hurt this year) will be need to draw defenders to the elbow and he will need to both shoot and drive. Not one or the other.
17	Markieff Morris	WSH	4	Morris has been utilizing the post quite well to start the season off and has a quick step to the middle of the paint and utilizes his flips down low to draw contact.
18	Kenneth Faried	DEN	4	Faried has been excellent under the glass. As expected he is destroying second units' front courts and even though playing time will fluctuate, you can expect rebounds from him when ever he is on the court.
19	Trevor Booker	BKN	3	Booker has taken a ton of contact early as he is the Nets most effective inside player. Playing time is at his disposal and has the paint to himself as Brook Lopez often plays outside.
20	Marcus Morris	DET	3	Because Drummond is limited on offense Morris has had more time to create in the post and is excellent at drawing contact from the free-throw area. Teams forget that he does have a knock-down mid-range jumper.

[pagebreak]

Centers

RANK	NAME	Team	# Games	Analysis
1	Karl-Anthony Towns	MIN	4	Towns plays all over the court and is effective from everywhere on offense and has a full schedule this week.
2	DeMarcus Cousins	SAC	3	Cousins is one of the most dominant players across the board in fantasy, but with Towns providing similar effectivness, Cousins gets the second spot with one less game.
3	DeAndre Jordan	LAC	4	You can always count on Jordan for rebounds and blocks, but like Ibaka, is limited on offense and see's most of his scoring in dunks.
4	Pau Gasol	SAS	4	Gasol has done a great job keeping space between himself and Aldridge and continues to get time with the ball to use his finess.
5	Hassan Whiteside	MIA	3	Whiteside's driving ability has improved a ton and has made an emerging threat on offense. Once he starts to the basket it has become very difficult to stop him.
6	Dwight Howard	ATL	3	Howard has certainly been hustling more to start the season and cutting more to the basket than hanging around at the key.
7	Nikola Vucevic	ORL	4	Vucevic's amazing post-play will be needed as the Magic's lack consistent offensive weapons.
8	Rudy Gobert	UT	4	Another Center who is good and will score from right under the basket. He will always reward owners with rebounds, steals and blocks.
9	Andre Drummond	DET	3	Drummond is still one of the toughest Centers to box out in the league and continues to grab rebounds off his own shots and has learned to kick the ball back out.
10	Al Horford	BOS	3	Concussion issues worry me a bit and may cost him one of his games this week, but if he is on the court the Celtics will fully utilize him inside.
11	Joel Embiid	PHI	4	Embiid has been very effective when he receives the ball from right outside the paint and works his way in. He will continue to be under minutes restriction for the next month or two.
12	Tyson Chandler	PHX	4	Chandler has crushed the boards to start the season and will continue to do so and take playing time away from Alex Len. Chandler's the Suns only major rebounding threat.
13	Myles Turner	IND	4	Turner needs to be more patient when driving inside and hesitate a bit to draw contact from bigger defenders.
14	Jusuf Nurkic	DEN	4	Nurkic will continue making plays from not only under the basket, but from right outside the paint as well. Surprised with the amount of shots he's been getting.
15	Marcin Gortat	WSH	4	Gortat has been playing more effectively and we have seen more of his baby hook on offense. It is very difficult to post him up.
16	Steven Adams	OKC	4	Adams continues to draw a ton of contact and be an excellent inside banger for the Thunder. He has the paint to himself to work through.
17	Brook Lopez	BKN	3	Lopez needs to learn how to utilize his size as five-rebound games won't cut it.
18	Tristan Thompson	CLE	3	Thiompson's stats will continue to fluctuate per game, but his playing time is stable enough to call him a trust-worthy option.
19	Jonas Valanciunas	TOR	3	Excellent defensive big man with an improved mid-range game, but he is not fully healthy entering the week, and it may cause a slight decrease in minutes.
20	Clint Capela	HOU	3	Capela is continuing to learn how to gain positiining without the ball inside. He does have a few post moves that have been helping him produce.

Player News

No Players Found

{{item.datetime}} (ET)

More Player News