NBA Fantasy Basketball Player Rankings: Week 5
Point Guards
| RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
| 1 | James Harden | HOU | 3 | The everything Guard that continues to stay hot and even with three games, the confidence in him is at an all-time high. |
| 2 | Russell Westbrook | OKC | 3 | The other everything Guard that continues to get his, even with a highly skilled scoring threat Victor Oladipo right next to him. |
| 3 | Chris Paul | LAC | 4 | Paul would be the No. 1 option for the week, but the scoring is always a concern and that is one thing you never have to worry about with the other two. |
| 4 | Kyle Lowry | TOR | 4 | Lowry continues playing like a true NBA PG and tends to score more when their inside game does not produce and DeMar DeRozan is off. |
| 5 | Kemba Walker | CHA | 4 | Walker has elevated his game even more and has bolstered the Hornets offense as they continue to stay in the upper half of the conference w/o a consistent mid and front court. |
| 6 | Stephen Curry | GSW | 3 | There will be games in which Curry's scoring numbers will be down and that is because of the Warriors offense centering around Kevin Durant. Always will help in other categories. |
| 7 | Isaiah Thomas | BOS | 4 | With the Celtics fully healthy, Thomas and Avery Bradley can continue running their successful two-man game up top and his assist numbers will go up as Al Horford is shooting well. |
| 8 | Mike Conley | MEM | 4 | When Conley tries to create a shot for himself, he should consisder himself lucky that he does not lose the ball more b/c he rotates w/ the ball all over. Comes through with assists. |
| 9 | John Wall | WSH | 3 | Wall has taken a few more shots to keep himself involved in the offense, but the Wizards are best when they are taking a lot of mid-range shots and Otto Porter is hot. |
| 10 | Kyrie Irving | CLE | 3 | Irving continues to extend himself in the lane and take a ton of contact. He makes circus shots while taking the contact and his shot selection continues to improve. |
| 11 | George Hill | UTA | 4 | Hill is back and so is his number of shots. Hill is excellent at making the first pass on offense and then getting open. He will serve as Gordon Hayward's bailout option. |
| 12 | Dennis Schroder | ATL | 4 | Schroder will have some games in which the scoring will be high and others in which his rebound and assist numbers will carry him. He can ruin possesions when trying to find rhythm. |
| 13 | Derrick Rose | NYK | 4 | Despite his injuries, Rose continues to drive first with the ball. He can sometimes force up shots in the lane with multiple hands in his face and that can lead to more turnovers. |
| 14 | Jrue Holiday | NO | 3 | Holiday will continue to have to control both the key and the paint as the Pelicans hot shooting comes in the form of a revolving door of players. Holiday's offense is much needed |
| 15 | Rajon Rondo | CHI | 3 | Remember, when paying for Rondo, you are paying for assists, steals and rebounds. He has great court-vision, but does not take a ton of shots unlike other shoot-first guards. |
| 16 | Elfrid Payton | ORL | 4 | Payton is also not a scorer and can sometimes be held out if he starts forcing up three-pointers, but he is quick and his passes are as well. |
| 17 | Goran Dragic | MIA | 4 | Dragic will score, but he is another player who is more useful when passing and driving. He may miss a game with an elbow injury. |
| 18 | Damian Lillard | POR | 2 | Lillard is a great scorer and he will get assists as well, but he has the short slate. |
| 19 | Tim Frazier | NO | 3 | Frazier's passing will be needed to set up Holiday and he has been very consistent and also looks to drive as well. He will get a chunk of shots and control of the offense. |
| 20 | Emmanuel Mudiay | DEN | 3 | Mudiay has been better about not forcing up shots and his passing has been very good, especially on transition. He runs the floor very quickly. |
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Shooting Guards
| RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
| 1 | DeMar DeRozan | TOR | 4 | No. 1 guy? Sure looking like it to start the season (in fantasy and reality) |
| 2 | Avery Bradley | BOS | 4 | I knew Bradley would have a secure amount of playing time coming into the season, but his all-around productivity has made him a top SG thus far on both sides of the court. |
| 3 | Nicolas Batum | CHA | 4 | Good for scoring inside and outside and can be relied on for long rebounding. Minor concern with his eye injury, but it should not keep him out. |
| 4 | Klay Thompson | GSW | 3 | There will be games when Thompson gets lost in the shuffle, but he can also be very useful in shooting the Warriors back into games. |
| 5 | Victor Oladipo | OKC | 3 | Once a UFO, always a UFO. There will be games in which fantasy owners will want to kiss him for all-around greatness, and there will be others in which they will kill him. |
| 6 | Tyler Johnson | MIA | 4 | With the Heat ailing, expect Johnson to not only shoot more, but the ball will be in his hands more as well and he should see an increase in assists this week. |
| 7 | Bradley Beal | WSH | 3 | Beal is very physical and it seems to be easy for players to get in his head. He needs to continue to call for the ball and drive more as he has ups. |
| 8 | Lou Williams | LAL | 4 | With D'Angelo Russell hurt, Williams will be seeing more playing time and more shot opps. This week. |
| 9 | Zach LaVine | MIN | 4 | LaVine continues to run the floor well and because his shot selection is better than Ricky Rubio's, he will continue to see more time with the ball. |
| 10 | Evan Fournier | ORL | 4 | Fournier continues to get a ton of shots and has been shooting well from the top and right inside the key. The Magic back court needs a ton of help on offense. |
| 11 | Rodney Hood | UTA | 4 | With the Jazz back court seemingly at full strength, it will be interesting to see how Hill and Hayward being healthy impacts the number of shots Hood will take. |
| 12 | Wilson Chandler | DEN | 3 | Chandler continues to make great decisions and attack the rim with the ball and is showing very few signs of fatigue and has been staying clear of injuries. |
| 13 | Dwayne Wade | CHI | 3 | Wade will continue to get a good chunk of shots and he and Jimmy Butler have been playing on opposite sides of the court and the Bulls front court does not score as much. |
| 14 | Vince Carter | MEM | 4 | Carter will continue to get a ton of shots with Ennis and Parsons both injured and should see close to 30 minutes each game. |
| 15 | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | DET | 4 | KCP continues to hit from long-range and that benefits him until Reggie Jackson is back. The Pistons tend to attack more and he serves as a bail out option. |
| 16 | J.J. Redick | LAC | 4 | Redick continues to play well off of screens and shift nicely with the ball. Players who have quick shot releases are often the hardest to guard against. |
| 17 | Eric Gordon | HOU | 3 | Gordon continues to be a strict scorer for the Rockets. Will be interesting to see how many shots he will get per game with the Harden effect, and other scorers healthy. |
| 18 | Kent Bazemore | ATL | 4 | Bazemore has not been that impressive, but if he is going to post up, he should utilize a shot fake to draw contact. Long range shooting needs to improve. |
| 19 | C.J. McCollum | POR | 2 | Great shooter with a short slate this week. Part of a deadly offensive back court. |
| 20 | Eric Bledsoe | PHX | 2 | Another short slate player who is an excellent shooter and drive and part of another highly skilled back courts. |
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Small Forwards
| RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
| 1 | Kevin Durant | GSW | 3 | The Warriors offense continues to work around him. The system fits him well and he gets a ton of time with the ball. |
| 2 | LeBron James | CLE | 3 | James continues to help out with every category and has been playing more inside to keep plays alive. |
| 3 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | MIL | 3 | The Greek Freak continues to play four positions on the court and contribute in every fantasy category. The Bucks do not have much depth all-around. |
| 4 | Carmelo Anthony | NYK | 4 | Anthony has not only been taking better shots and hitting shots in late game situations, but he has been rebounding a bit more as of late and not leaving the paint immediately. |
| 5 | Gordon Hayward | UTA | 4 | Because the Jazz front court is offensively challenged with Favors out, they will need to continue to rely on their back court for 90% of their offense. |
| 6 | Kawhi Leonard | SAS | 3 | Leonard is very reliable on both sides of the ball and continues to get open shots from beyond the arc. |
| 7 | Jimmy Butler | CHI | 3 | Butler continues to be a duel threat with the ball in the post and on the drive and can be relied on for rebounds and even blocks. |
| 8 | Rudy Gay | SAC | 4 | Gay continues to score and rebounds and is a very diciplined player in the post. Gay does not get into too much foul trouble and gets a lot of time with the ball. |
| 9 | Andrew Wiggins | MIN | 4 | Wiggins continues to be a scoring and steals threat and will get a ton of playing time as the season continues. Expect his steals numbers to go up. |
| 10 | Tobias Harris | DET | 4 | Harris will have quiet games offensively, but will always get a ton of playing time because of how effective he is on the perimeter. |
| 11 | Jae Crowder | BOS | 4 | Crowder is another player whose defense will keep him in the game. He has been working on his post play, but still tends to abandon the possession and pass off. |
| 12 | Otto Porter | WSH | 3 | Porter has been a big outside scoring threat. His scoring, complete with, his defense will give him a chunk of shots, some games, even more than Beal. |
| 13 | Trevor Ariza | HOU | 3 | Ariza's defense will always keep him in the game and he can be relied on to hit the spot-up three-pointer. |
| 14 | Harrison Barnes | DAL | 3 | Barnes continues to drive with the ball effectively and draw a lot of contact. When he hangs at the key, he is not as effective. |
| 15 | Michael Kidd-Gilchrist | CHA | 4 | MKG is another forward who is diciplined at the perimeter and it has made a difference in the Hornets overall game play. He is a minor scoring threat from the elbow. |
| 16 | Ersan Ilyasova | PHI | 4 | Ilyasova has been rebounding a bit more and has been seeing a ton of open shot opps. He is one of the 76ers most reliable outside shooters. |
| 17 | Dion Waiters | MIA | 4 | Waiters has been scoring consistently for the Heat and adding on rebounds to pad his stats and his playing time reflects it. Waiters is suffering from a small groin injury. |
| 18 | Nick Young | LAL | 4 | Young will be needed more to score with Russell hurt and he will even have time to run the point. Expect his assist's and playing time to rise. |
| 19 | Danilo Gallinari | DEN | 3 | Gallo continues to be an excellent shooter from all over the court, but is suffering from a thigh injury and could miss a game or two this week. |
| 20 | Wesley Matthews | DAL | 3 | Matthews is a good compliment to Barnes because he will be the bailout option when Barnes gets caught up in the lane. With Nowitzki not 100%, he will need to shoot more. |
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Power Forwards
| RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
| 1 | Anthony Davis | NO | 3 | A.D. will continue to get as much run as possible and gets the ball all over the court, including the top of the key. When he passes off, he normally gets the ball back and drives. |
| 2 | Blake Griffin | LAC | 4 | Griffin continues to play well inside and with all the contact he takes, his body has shown no signs of slowing down and will continue to produce offensively. |
| 3 | Paul Millsap | ATL | 4 | Millsap continues to produce inside and outside. His defense is not the greatest, but the Hawks need his offense and will never lose playing time. |
| 4 | Kristaps Porzingis | NYK | 4 | I wrote earlier that I was worried about Porzingis spending too much time outside, but, he has been driving and posting up inside and taking more contact. All good signs. |
| 5 | LaMarcus Aldridge | SAS | 3 | Aldridge continues to spend half of the game on the low block and the other half screening and getting the pas at the elbow. He has a ton of space to creat w/ no threat from Gasol. |
| 6 | Kevin Love | CLE | 3 | Love has done an excellent job focusing on the paint and it has resulted in more time with the ball and more shot opps. Love can be relied on to hit the spot-up three-pointer. |
| 7 | Julius Randle | LAL | 4 | Randle has been very effective on both sides of the ball, but could miss a game or two with health issues. |
| 8 | Gorgui Dieng | MIN | 4 | Dieng continues to be a huge low-block threat and gets a ton of second chance scoring opportunities. He can be relied on for 8-10 rebounds per game. |
| 9 | Serge Ibaka | ORL | 4 | When you rely on Ibaka, expect rebounds and blocks and maybe a little scoring, but he is not productive when he is hanging on the key. |
| 10 | Draymond Green | GSW | 3 | Green is ailing a bit this week and could miss one of his game, but when in, expect a ton of rebounds and blocks with a double digit scoring outing. |
| 11 | Jabari Parker | MIL | 3 | Parker continues to call for the ball in the post and he takes a quick step versus bigger defenders to try to get a open one-handed shot at the basket. |
| 12 | Trevor Booker | BKN | 3 | Booker can be relied on for 10 points/10 rebound games and has been the Nets top rebounder with no threat in sight. |
| 13 | Marcus Morris | DET | 4 | Morris can drive and call for the ball in the most and has a few spin moves in the post. He can be relied on for rebounds as well. |
| 14 | Kenneth Faried | DEN | 3 | Faried is very raw offensively, but he can be relied on for blocks and rebounds and has seen a ton more playing time. |
| 15 | Taj Gibson | CHI | 3 | Gibson is an excellent low block scorer and it is very tough boxing him out of the lane. Gibson will grab rebounds and block a shot or two and doesn't need to play a ton. |
| 16 | Ryan Anderson | HOU | 3 | Anderson will always be a threat on offense especially shooting from the outside and serves as the ultimate Harden bailout option. Anderson is able to take 3 steps in the key. |
| 17 | Dirk Nowitzki | DAL | 3 | Nowitzki will still be an effective scorer, but his playing time will vary until he is 100 percent healthy again. |
| 18 | Markieff Morris | WSH | 3 | Morris has been able to be productive at the free-throw line and the Wizards have been utilizing his mid-range game and has not seen many defenders when he puts a shot up. |
| 19 | Nikola Jokic | DEN | 3 | Jokic has been great the last few games as he has come off the bench. We are finally seeing the production we thought we would see from the get-go. Good buy-low option. |
| 20 | Greg Monroe | MIL | 3 | You never know with Monroe as he is capable of scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, but he is just not involved in certain games and does not make an impact. |
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Centers
| RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
| 1 | DeMarcus Cousins | SAC | 4 | The Big Dog is back on top with a full slate of games. Expect all-around productivity. |
| 2 | Hassan Whiteside | MIA | 4 | A top rebounder with an ailing team will result in 40-minute games from Whiteside. |
| 3 | Karl-Anthony Towns | MIN | 4 | Towns will continue to produce all over the court, including from long-range and he is a very diciplined post defender. |
| 4 | Dwight Howard | ATL | 4 | Howard continues to show how much he wants to be involved in the Hawks offensive scheme and has been hustling early on. |
| 5 | Andre Drummond | DET | 4 | Drummond continues to be a threat inside and is one of the hardest players to box out of the paint and can always be relied on for double-doubles. |
| 6 | Al Horford | BOS | 4 | Horford has been shooting from over 40 percent from beyond the arc over the last few games and it has resulted in more shot opps from him, especially from the outside. |
| 7 | Marc Gasol | MEM | 4 | Gasol continues to split his time between the key and the paint and has been successful in both on the scoring front. He is also a big rebound help as well. |
| 8 | DeAndre Jordan | LAC | 4 | Remember, scoring doesn't come easy to Jordan, but rebounds and blocks do. |
| 9 | Nikola Vucevic | ORL | 4 | Vucevic continues to be impressive in the post and gets a ton of scoring chances because of the lack of offensively skilled big men in Orlando. |
| 10 | Joel Embiid | PHI | 4 | Embiid has been a all-around force for the Sixers, but he is not higher in the rankings because he is still on a minutes limit. |
| 11 | Rudy Gobert | UTA | 4 | Gobert will help a ton with rebounds, blocks and steals, but getting to the basket is never easy for him. |
| 12 | Jonas Valanciunas | TOR | 4 | DeRozan takes on a ton of the scoring burden for Toronto, but when Valanciunas pops out, he is often open for mid-range jumpers. |
| 13 | Marcin Gortat | WSH | 3 | Gortat has improved his overall gameplay and has been staunch on both sides of the ball in the post. He has been scoring in double figures consistently. |
| 14 | Brook Lopez | BKN | 3 | Lopez is just a scorer. He does not not do what you would want your Center to do in games. He does not like to rebound. |
| 15 | Clint Capela | HOU | 3 | Capela continues to learn how to control the inside with the ball. He has been getting a few more plays called for him in the post and has no competition at the position. |
| 16 | Pau Gasol | SAS | 3 | Gasol has not been as effective as originally expected , but does play a role in the high post and can still pull off his finess in the paint. Aldridge gets more of the play calls. |
| 17 | Tristan Thompson | CLE | 3 | Thompson continues to play well in the post despite not getting plays called for him. Thompson does well with put backs and does drive the lane a bit as well. |
| 18 | Steven Adams | OKC | 3 | Adams will never make it looks pretty, but he will get the job done as he is the Thunder's most aggressive player inside and can be relied on for rebounding and blocks. |
| 19 | Robin Lopez | CHI | 3 | Lopez has been playing a bit better on the glass and he has been calling for the ball in the high post and gets chances to score. Lopez has a reliable hook, and center spin in the post |
| 20 | Andrew Bogut | DAL | 3 | Bogut has been incredible on the glass and has been able to remain healthy. He should see more playing time and has been averaging double-digits in rebounding this season. |