Weekly Fantasy Basketball Player Rankings: NBA Week 5

Published: Nov 21, 2016

NBA Fantasy Basketball Player Rankings: Week 5

Point Guards

RANK	NAME	Team	# Games	Analysis
1	James Harden	HOU	4	It's scary to think that at one point the top two stat machine's on this list were once on the same team. Patrick Beverley returning doesn’t scare me…yet.
2	Russell Westbrook	OKC	4	Westbrook continues to attack bigger defenders and the Thunder Coach's will continue to have him attack the rim and he will kill teams shooting from the field too.
3	Stephen Curry	GSW	4	Curry finds his way to get his chunk of shots and his form has not changed. I was worried that he would be forcing shots more overall this season, and it hasn't happened yet.
4	Chris Paul	LAC	4	Even when Paul is hurt, he plays like at top PG in the league and when he is off, more often than not the Clippers as a whole will be off.
5	Kemba Walker	CHA	4	The Hornets offense is strong in their back court and Walker is doing a great job balancing his offensive attack between attacking the basket and reading screens.
6	Damian Lillard	POR	4	Lillard has not lost any shots and continues to keep the tempo up when he has the ball. The Blazers struggle once defenses settle in the paint.
7	Jrue Holiday	NO	4	HE'S BACK! The world in New Orleans is Holiday's oyster as the Pelicans lack a slasher who can stop and pop and he will be seeing a ton of shots.
8	Mike Conley	MEM	4	Conley's scoring will need to stay up because of Memphis mid-court injuries. When Gasol is unable to get position in the paint, Conley will need to ISO more.
9	John Wall	WSH	3	I notice that Wall tends to be more aggressive from the field when the Wizards have a lead, but when it's close, he is all drive and draws a ton of contact.
10	Kyle Lowry	TOR	3	Lowry has been excellent at reading screens and is seeing a ton of open looks right inside the key and as teams will put a ton of focus on DeRozan, he will have more open looks.
11	Jeff Teague	IND	4	With Paul George a bit banged up and the front court struggling, Teague's excellent drive will be needed. He will be seeing a few more shots this week.
12	Goran Dragic	MIA	4	Dragic has done an excellent job being the traditional PG who only shoots when open. Shot selection has improved and you can bank on him for assists.
13	D'Angelo Russell	LAL	4	Russell has been very impressive and is showing that he is multi-dimensional. Some games, he attacks the rim a ton, and acts like a floor general in others.
14	Eric Bledsoe	PHX	4	Bledsoe is feeling the heat a bit from other scorers on the team and he is subject to getting trapped with the corner. Bledsoe should look to drive more to produce more.
15	Isaiah Thomas	BOS	3	The Celtics have faced injuries all over the place and it hurts Thomas production when he is forced to pass off for most of the game. Thomas scoring should improve.
16	Kyrie Irving	CLE	3	Irving continues to attack the basket as much as LeBron does and it is benefitting him because he draws a ton of contact. Expect a ton of steals and assists.
17	Dennis Schroder	ATL	4	We get to the boom or bust portion of the PG rankings because that's what these next few players are. Schroder has shown a lot of scoring promise, but it's every other game.
18	Emmanuel Mudiay	DEN	4	Mudiay is excellent at driving the floor, but you can see that he has very little confidence in his jumper. His quickness is great, but will not produce against sound defensive teams.
19	Elfrid Payton	ORL	4	Payton's shot is also one big question mark. Some nights, he looks in a groove, but he is a very pass first player. When you play him expect mainly assists.
20	Derrick Rose	NYK	3	Has the ability to take over games, but the timing hasn't been right. Rose shows flashes of his old self in blowouts but then will be taken out while hot. We know what he can do.

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Shooting Guards

RANK	NAME	Team	# Games	Analysis
1	C.J. McCollum	POR	4	McCollum continues to get his in the Blazers offense. This is what happens when you have a weak front court; the back court needs to shoot 90% of the time.
2	DeMar DeRozan	TOR	3	While the league is gaga over Harden and Westbrook, DeRozan has put up a fantastic multi-category productive season. He is proving he has No. 1 guy potential.
3	Nicolas Batum	CHA	4	Batum has been excellent at calling for the ball in the high post and faking the pass out. Batum will often draw bigger defenders and he rebounds as well.
4	Klay Thompson	GSW	4	When the Blazers have space in games (either down or up), Thompson's shooter's touch is needed because he can rattle off 4-5 shots in a row and is a big part of this offense.
5	Victor Oladipo	OKC	4	Oladipo has started to bring back bad habits. He is driving in the corner and getting trapped, dribbling too much and forcing up shots to avoid shot-clock violations.
6	Tyler Johnson	MIA	4	Johnson continues to be a top scoring option on a weak team overall. Just when Johnson's shot is getting hot, he begins attacking the basket.
7	Devin Booker	PHX	4	Booker has been able to take shots away from Bledsoe because he is doing a better job of getting open and staying in the middle of the court. He gets open right inside the key.
8	Evan Fournier	ORL	4	I don't like his playing style. I don't like his shot. I don't like his play calling. I don't like his isolation. The stats are the stats though and he is scoring a bunch. Hats off.
9	Eric Gordon	HOU	4	Gordon is a strict shooter. You are paying for points and with Patrick Beverley back, it could take away from Gordon's shots in the offense. They want to preserve him too.
10	Avery Bradley	BOS	3	Bradley has been excellent and just like Batum, he is posting up smaller defenders and taken full advantage. He has been consistent from long range too.
11	Bradley Beal	WSH	3	Beal looks healthy and has been showing drive potential with a strong mid range game. Because of Wall's quickness, teams need to shift to his side and Beal gets open.
12	Kentavious Caldwell-Pope	DET	4	KCP has been an excellent shooter and he will post up right inside the key. He has a turnaround jumper that he has clearly been working on.
13	Lou Williams	LAL	4	Williams has been not only shooting well and cutting well, but he has shown that he can re-organize the offense when traffic occurs in the paint. He is great at reading screens.
14	Vince Carter	MEM	4	Carter is needed badly because Chandler Parsons is still hurt and all he has left for competition for playing time is James Ennis. His shot has been on fire.
15	Zach LaVine	MIN	4	LaVine is an excellent driver and has been able to handle Point Guard duties as well. LaVine looks to cut first at the top of the key and get screened out to be open in the corner.
16	Wilson Chandler	DEN	4	Chandler has been effective when on the court, and will look to drive first right to the top of the paint and when team's back off on him, he starts to shoot. He has the ball a lot.
17	Kent Bazemore	ATL	4	Bazemore has been using his body and post-game a bit more. As much as he tries to get Kyle Korver open, he does call for the ball a good amount.
18	Monta Ellis	IND	4	With Paul George a bit banged up, Ellis quick pace will be needed and he has been driving a ton rather than settling with contested jumpers on transition.
19	J.J. Redick	LAC	4	Excellent at reading screens and has a quick release with his jumper. Redick has an effective back door cut as well. One of the best long distance shooters in the game.
20	Wesley Matthews	DAL	4	Matthews has been excellent at getting open and is a great compliment to Harrison Barnes, who looks to attack first. Matthews finds himself open on the wing.

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Small Forwards

RANK	NAME	Team	# Games	Analysis
1	Kevin Durant	GSW	4	The Warriors offense has completely changed to work centrally around Durant and looks just as effective as he has in OKC.
2	Kawhi Leonard	SAS	4	Leonard continues to be a dominant mid-court presence on both offense and defense. He has a ton more confidence in his long range jumper.
3	LeBron James	CLE	3	James has done an excellent job using his body and attacking the rim much more than shooting. He will continue to see a ton more success.
4	Giannis Antetokounmpo	MIL	3	The Greek Freak plays almost every position on the court all at once. He has the ball, passes offf and calls for it right back to drive. He helps in all categories.
5	Andrew Wiggins	MIN	4	Wiggins is a bit scoring dependant, but has done a better job not leaving the side of the court until the play is over, and looks for cutters in the middle.
6	Harrison Barnes	DAL	4	Big things will be expected from Barnes with Dirk ailing and he will not only need to attack the rim a ton, but will need to be an effective shooter. Mavs are banged up.
7	Danilo Gallinari	DEN	4	Love that Gallinari continues to drive as soon as he gets the ball. When he stops dribbling he normally gets into trouble and is doubled. Excellent on the pick and pop.
8	Carmelo Anthony	NYK	3	Anthony continues to be the top scorer on the Knicks and as much as the Coach's want to force the triangle, "Melo Isolation" lives on (and works out a good amount).
9	Paul George	IND	4	George is an all-around fantasy producer and has a full slate of games, but may sit out one as he is suffering from an ankle injury. Unsure how many games he will play in.
10	Trevor Ariza	HOU	4	Ariza continues to play shut-down perimeter defense, see's consistent minutes, and hits the open top of the key three-pointer. Same role for years.
11	Rudy Gay	SAC	3	Rudy Gary has helped a ton with rebounding this year. As he has gotten older, he has developed a strong inside game and takes advantage of lanky defenders.
12	Tobias Harris	DET	4	Harris has his own isolation that has worked out because he attacks the middle of the paint. He draws a lot of contact and is diciplined on defense.
13	Jae Crowder	BOS	3	Crowder looks 100% and we can expect to see him drive the lane more once he calls for the ball. Crowder is a contact first player on both sides of the ball. Very physical.
14	Otto Porter	WSH	3	Porter is a good defender, but it has been his offense that has improved and impressed. When he is in a groove, it is hard to stop him. He has been scoring a ton.
15	Michael Kidd-Gilchrist	CHA	4	You are playing MKG for his defense. Anything offensive is a bonus. MKG has been scoring a bit, but expect rebounds and steals as his consistent stats.
16	Will Barton	DEN	4	Barton looks healthy and is already calling for the ball in the post which means he is looking to get physical and with Gary Harris hurt, he will see a good amount of minutes.
17	Moe Harkless	POR	4	The Blazers have not found a good answer for middle or inside scoring and Harkless will continue to see shots and minutes with Evan Turner struggling.
18	T.J. Warren	PHX	4	With P.J. Tucker back, Warren knows and he is playing like he is in a competition for playing time, but has been a bit sick with an illness, and unsure how many games he will play.
19	Jimmy Butler	CHI	2	Butler being on this list shows the lack of consistent depth at SF in fantasy and Butler will continue burning defenders all over the court.
20	Gordon Hayward	UT	2	If Derrick Favors was not injured, Hayward would not have made this list, but the Jazz are desperate for mid-court scoring and that falls mainly on Hayward.

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Power Forwards

RANK	NAME	Team	# Games	Analysis
1	Anthony Davis	NO	4	As much as I want to say that with Holiday back Davis will get a bit more rest, it's not going to happen as the Pelicans are just too thin.
2	Blake Griffin	LAC	4	Griffin continues to see a ton of success inside and has been taking a ton of contact in every game.
3	Draymond Green	GSW	4	Green has been consistently following his own and teammates shots. He is always cutting to the basket to give the Warriors second chance scoring.
4	Paul Millsap	ATL	4	Millsap has good post moves and will even turn away from the basket to make shots. Millsap balances his attack by shooting from the elbow at times.
5	LaMarcus Aldridge	SAS	4	LMA continues to play good in the low block defensively and the Spurs have needed to keep him in more. On offense, his low post moves, constantly make defenders mis-time jumps
6	Julius Randle	LAL	4	Randle has been beyond impressive. He is quick, agile and excellent at running the floor. He is also plays well against bigger defenders and does not let them near the hoop.
7	Kevin Love	CLE	3	Love continues to set up inside first and the Cavs look for him in the post and Lovs has an excellent turn around one handed flip in the middle of the paint.
8	Kristaps Porzingis	NYK	3	Porzingis is seeing scoring nights in the 30's and has been both driving the lane and shooting from a few feet behind the arc. He is a very confident shooter who helps on the glass.
9	Trevor Booker	BKN	4	Booker is the out-of-nowhere player of the year thus far because of his rebounding ability and he has been very difficult to box out. The Nets have very limited help on the glass.
10	Gorgui Dieng	MIN	4	Dieng is a staunch inside player who you can expect 10 and 10 from on average. He has low post moves and is another big forward who is very hard to box out.
11	Kenneth Faried	DEN	4	Faried has been playing well off the bench and the Nuggets needed a high-energy guy who is tough inside and gets a lot of rebounds.
12	Thaddeus Young	IND	4	Young has had games in which his mid-court game is working and others in which he has had to pass off more. Young takes a ton of contact.
13	Serge Ibaka	ORL	4	Rely on Ibaka for his defense as his offense is not fun to watch. Awkward three's in the corner? GET INSIDE AND PLAY!
14	Marcus Morris	DET	4	Morris has done a great job in the post and calls for the ball at the elbow and either powers his way inside or he takes two steps and shoots.
15	Jabari Parker	MIL	3	Parker has been playing well against bigger defenders and his quickness makes him tough to chase around the court.
16	Ryan Anderson	HOU	4	Anderson is an excellent outside shooter but needs to drive more. He has a big body and a quick cut, but is often just standing their waiting to be fed.
17	Zach Randolph	MEM	4	Randolph is very much needed inside because of the Grizzlies lack of attackers and injuries. Randolph has a good mid-range jumper and is excellent on the glass.
18	Marvin Williams	CHA	4	Williams has a mid-range game and teams have forgotten about it and he is getting the ball and popping open jumpers. He also calls for the ball in the middle of the paint.
19	Dario Saric	PHI	4	Saric has been a great hustle player for the 76ers and is not afraid to take contact inside. His court vision is also solid and has a quick inside pass.
20	Greg Monroe	MIL	3	Still the biggest box of chocolates in the league. Some games he looks like a top PF and in others, his minutes are limited.

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Centers

RANK	NAME	Team	# Games	Analysis
1	Hassan Whitesinde	MIA	4	The top rebounder in the game who has provided sound offense by aggressively driving to hole and drawing a ton of contact.
2	Karl-Anthony Towns	MIN	4	Hard to guard because he is so effective all over the floor and reads screens well, and takes open long-range jumpers.
3	DeMarcus Cousins	SAC	3	Cousins is a stat-machine and top option frequent, but he does not have a full slate of games. Expect a whole bunch of everything.
4	Dwight Howard	ATL	4	Howard's play has been impressive this season and has been playing more aggresively inside on offense. He makes rebounding look easy.
5	Andre Drummond	DET	4	Has not been the most healthy player, but he grabs a ton of rebounds and blocks a lot of shots and gets a ton of garbage points from under the basket.
6	Marc Gasol	MEM	4	Outside shooting will be needed more with Parsons out and Gasol will have to fake a lot so he can take a few steps inside for open paint shots.
7	DeAndre Jordan	LAC	4	Anything offensive is an added bonus, but Jordan can be relied on for a ton of rebounds and blocks.
8	Al Horford	BOS	3	Horford is healthy again and with the Celtics lack of consistent inside effectivness, Horford will have to attack the rim a good amount.
9	Nikola Vucevic	ORL	4	Vucevic still continues to get time with the ball because their other big men cannot be trusted with the ball. Expect a ton of offense.
10	Pau Gasol	SAS	4	Gasol has transitioned into more of a passer, screening for Leonard and Aldridge and only shooting with an open paint. Gasol still has moves in the post.
11	Myles Turner	IND	4	Turner has been a bit banged up but has been excellent at fighting off defenders for rebounds. Expect a couple of 10 and 10 efforts.
12	Clint Capela	HOU	4	Capela has learned to be patient and take a few dribbles with the ball inside. If you go up with the shot right away, it will be blocked.
13	Marcin Gortat	WSH	3	Gortat has been excellent at setting the screen and calling for the ball in the middle of the paint and scoring. He has been a fiend on the glass lately.
14	Brook Lopez	BKN	3	With Lopez, you get a ton of scoring and if you are lucky, five rebounds for your 7'1 Center.
15	Joel Embiid	PHI	4	Embiid has been very effective to start the season and has a good inside game, but is still on a playing time limit, at least for the next month.
16	Steven Adams	OKC	4	Adams is gritty and will get you 10 and 10 the hard way as he will score off of rebounds and he will bang with the best of them.
17	Jonas Valanciunas	TOR	3	Valanciunas has been utilizing the middle of the paint effectively and has been getting open on the elbow. He will pop out and shoot if needed.
18	Mason Plumlee	POR	4	Plumlee still does not have too much competition for playing time and you can expect double digit scoring off of rebounds and the Coach's like his hustle on the court.
19	Tristan Thompson	CLE	3	You never know when Thompson will be cutting and calling for the ball or hanging on the elbow. It is hard to determine, but once he's in a rhythm, his confidence shoots up.
20	Tyson Chandler	PHX	4	Chandler has been one of the best rebounders in the league, but it will be hard to tell how many games he will play in. Dealing with the death of his Mother.

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