Point Guards
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | James Harden | HOU | 4 | Even with Curry having an extra game on Harden this week, Harden gets a lot more opportunity on offense. |
2 | Stephen Curry | GSW | 5 | Still able to get a ton of shot opportunities even with Durant shooting well from the field. |
3 | Russell Westbrook | OKC | 3 | Westbrook is a triple-double machine and the fact that he has one less game than most of the guards below doesn't matter. |
4 | Damian Lillard | POR | 4 | Lillard is back in a top position as his slate doubles from last week and the Blazers offense continues to run through him. |
5 | John Wall | WSH | 4 | Wall is not a triple-double machine like Westbrook, but he runs the floor well and is always able to find an open Beal or Porter when he draws the double (Assists increase). |
6 | Kemba Walker | CHA | 4 | Walker keeps the Hornets in the game with his quick drive, especially on transition, and he is able to get open from constant movement off the ball. |
7 | Isaiah Thomas | BOS | 4 | Thomas is playing like a more traditional PG with more scorers outside, Thomas always looks to drive first and only forces up shots when the shot clock is winding down. |
8 | Kyrie Irving | CLE | 4 | Irving is excellent at faking the drive and then getting an open mid-range jumper. He has utilized his tear drop very effectively. |
9 | Eric Bledsoe | PHX | 4 | The Suns do not have offensively skilled players in their front court and with T.J. Warren hurt, Bledsoe has had to take on even more to try to propel this offense. |
10 | Jeff Teague | IND | 4 | Teague is another PG who utilizes his tear drop well. He gets the screen from Thad Young up top and has a quick step to the basket. He has a lot of weapons inside and out. |
11 | Rajon Rondo | CHI | 4 | You are always paying for assists, steals and rebounds, but Rondo has been a bit more aggressive driving the lane and getting more chances to score. |
12 | Kyle Lowry | TOR | 3 | Lowry is an excellent all-around guard and can take over a game, or just keep feeding DeMar DeRozan. He would be higher ranked if he had that fourth game. |
13 | Goran Dragic | MIA | 4 | Dragic has been sticking to his strengths this season and that is passing and driving. He will also go in and bang in the paint to try to keep the play alive. |
14 | Jrue Holiday | NO | 4 | The Pelicans do not have a lot of mid-court options and Holiday will be able to continue to benefit by getting more time with the ball, even if he's playing off the ball. |
15 | Derrick Rose | NYK | 4 | We see flashes of the old MVP, but he has admitted that he is not that guy physically anymore, but has been great at setting up his spot-up shooters. |
16 | Tim Frazier | NO | 4 | Frazier also benefits from the Pelicans lack of options and he has lived up to expectations this season. He will still get shots, and his passing has been crisp. |
17 | Emmanuel Mudiay | DEN | 4 | Mudiay can run the floor as fast as any guard, but the stupid shots need to stop. Too much forcing. He needs to cut more off the ball if he wants to score and not wait at the key. |
18 | Dennis Schroder | ATL | 3 | Schroder owners must come to terms that he is still learning what type of guard he is. Some nights, he mainly passes, while other night's he takes a bunch of shots. |
19 | Sean Kilpatrick | BKN | 3 | Kilpatrick continues to be a colid scoring spark with Lin hurt and the rest of the team unreliable on offense….other than Brook Lopez…who doesn't rebound! |
20 | George Hill | UTA | 4 | Hill has been an excellent bailout scoring option when Gordon Hayward is doubled, but he is suffering from a toe injury. May miss action this week. |
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Shooting Guards
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Gordon Hayward | UTA | 4 | Since losing Derrick Favors, Hayward has stepped up and has attacked the rim more. Teams know his outside game, but now he's running the floor more. Adds another element to him. |
2 | Klay Thompson | GSW | 5 | Thompson is a pure shooter and that is why he is not the top SG this week. The five games are great, but if the opposition focuses on perimeter d, he can be held down. |
3 | Avery Bradley | BOS | 4 | Avery Bradley has had a tremendous all-around season. Between the long rebounding, finding the cutter, shutdown d and spot-up shooting, he may be the C's most effective player. |
4 | DeMar DeRozan | TOR | 3 | DeRozan has been a multi-category helper all year and he continues to utilize his post-game as well and can turn in the post and drive on bigger defenders. |
5 | C.J. McCollum | POR | 4 | McCollum continues to be part of arguably the deadliest scoring backcourt in the league and his slate doubles from last week. |
6 | Nicolas Batum | CHA | 4 | When Batum shoots three-pointers he leans in and these shots are lethal because of the high-point of his release. He can absolutely be relied on for rebounds and steals as well. |
7 | Bradley Beal | WSH | 4 | Beal will always has a place in the offense because of the attention Wall needs and just when you think Beal will shoot from the elbow, he will drive down the Center with force. |
8 | Wilson Chandler | DEN | 4 | Chandler is making a serious run at being the Nuggets top scoring option. He's more agile than Danilo Gallinari and more controlled with the ball than Mudiay. |
9 | Dwyane Wade | CHI | 4 | Wade plays the same role in Chicago as he did in Miami and gets a ton of shots. He does not drive as much, but can always be relied on right inside the arc. |
10 | Zach LaVine | MIN | 4 | Zach LaVine has the ability to take over a game because of his excellent ball-handling skills and quickness. He has major ups, and he is never afraid to take contact. |
11 | Victor Oladipo | OKC | 3 | Oladipo continues to play second-fiddle to one of the league's most dominant forces and somehow, he still makes the same mistakes of too much dribbling and forcing corner shots. |
12 | Eric Gordon | HOU | 4 | Even Harden needs a bailout option and Gordon has been excellent at curling out from under the basket to get open. Gordon has been driving more which shows he is healthy. |
13 | Reggie Jackson | DET | 4 | HE'S BACK! As excited as owners are to have him back, they need to understand that he may not be playing over 30 minutes consistently until next week. |
14 | Rodney Hood | UTA | 4 | The Jazz guards continue to lift them on offense with Favors out and Hood's deadly three-pointer from the top of the key has been a serious threat. He is open frequently. |
15 | Lou Williams | LAL | 4 | With Nick Young and D'Angelo Russell hurt, Williams will need to step up off the ball and drive and take contact. Williams will see a ton of outside shots this week. |
16 | Evan Fournier | ORL | 4 | Fournier continues to be a consistent scorer on a team that lacks offensive weapons. He is also able to drive into the post and his turnaround jumpers. |
17 | Tyler Johnson | MIA | 4 | The Heat are suffering from injuries all over and with a depleted back and mid-court, Johnson will need to take more shots and he will have ample time with the ball. |
18 | Devin Booker | PHX | 4 | After his hot start, Booker has slown down a bit, but will not lose shot opportunities as the Suns have nothing up-front. |
19 | Wesley Matthews | DAL | 4 | With Dirk Nowitzki out, Matthews will continue to see more outside shots. Matthews should look to utilize his post-game against smaller defenders. He spends too much time at the key. |
20 | Trevor Ariza | HOU | 4 | Ariza is an incredible defender and can hit the knockdown three-pointer, but he may miss a game or even two this week with a back injury. |
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Small Forwards
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Kevin Durant | GSW | 5 | Should be the top fantasy producer for the week. Hands down. |
2 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | MIL | 4 | The Greak Freak has his team on a streak and for good reason. He does everything on the stat sheet and when you watch him on the court, he never stays in one spot. |
3 | LeBron James | CLE | 4 | The drive against time continues. The older he gets, the more aggressive he plays. Something has to slow him down eventually…right? |
4 | Jimmy Butler | CHI | 4 | Silent but deadly scoring option, who always creeps around the perimeter, looking for any opening. Plays big inside when his outside game isn't working. |
5 | Kawhi Leonard | SAS | 4 | Another silent but deadly perimeter predator. When the opposition focuses on LaMarcus Aldridge, and he's not in the paint, Leonard is open from beyond the arc. |
6 | Paul George | IND | 4 | Paul George will have night's in which his scoring numbers will be down, but know that he gets priority when it comes to playing time, and he will make it up to you in other categories. |
7 | Carmelo Anthony | NYK | 4 | Anthony is shooting a lot better and has seemed to have found his sweet spot on both sides of the key, 4 feet behind the elbow. Anthony also continues to drive well. |
8 | Otto Porter | WSH | 3 | Porter has been one of the biggest surprises of the year. He was healthy so we knew he would be good on defense, but with the amount of open shots he gets, he's a legit scoring threat. |
9 | Andrew Wiggins | MIN | 4 | Wiggins has games in which he takes a ton of bad shots to start and then eventually finds his rhythm and hits over and over again. He always gets a ton of shots. |
10 | Harrison Barnes | DAL | 4 | With Dirk Nowitzki hurt, as scary as this is to read, Barnes becomes a top option on offense. He has to remember to use his strength and not settle for contested jumpers. |
11 | Jae Crowder | BOS | 4 | Jae Crowder has been better because he makes quicker decisions with the ball. He drives, immediately works his way inside when posted up, or passes off immediately. |
12 | Tobias Harris | DET | 4 | With Reggie Jackson back it will certainly be interesting seeing who loses shot opportunities. Harris will be safe because of his mid-range shooting. |
13 | Danilo Gallinari | DEN | 4 | As stated above, Gallo's now has a threat on his hands for shots. He has a tough time getting open and Wilson Chandler has a quicker step to the basket. |
14 | Rudy Gay | SAC | 3 | Always good for scoring and rebounding and will help a bit in blocks. Always reliable and doesn't need to score 20 points to make an impact. |
15 | Moe Harkless | POR | 4 | Harkless continues to create a bit of an inside game to show that Portland has it. He will help with scoring and rebounding and will not see threats for playing time. |
16 | Michael Kidd-Gilchrist | CHA | 4 | When you pay for the Notorious MKG (saw that on a Shirt) you are paying for rebounds, steals and blocks. He can hit open long range shots, but scoring is an added bonus. |
17 | Ersan Ilyasova | PHI | 4 | Ilyasova continues to show his range and is outplaying Robert Covington on offense big time. He also has a post game that he uses to barrel his way into the lane. |
18 | Will Barton | DEN | 4 | Barton has had the injury bug all year, but now that he's back and Denver is hurting up front, his post-game will be needed and certainly utilized. |
19 | James Johnson | MIA | 4 | The Heat have a ton of injuries and Johnson has played meaningful minutes helping with scoring and rebounding. |
20 | Terrence Jones | NO | 4 | The Pelicans need all of the mid-court help they can get on both sides of the ball and Jones' defense has kept him in the game a ton more. He can score in double figures. |
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Power Forwards
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Anthony Davis | NO | 4 | A.D. All Day? Nothing else to say. |
2 | Draymond Green | GSW | 5 | Expect a ton of rebounds as Green seems to be the lone reliable big man that the Warriors hve who can play meaningful minutes. JaVale McGee SUCKS! |
3 | Kevin Love | CLE | 4 | Love continues to play well inside and still utilizes his outside game. He starts inside and then if the side is open, he will float outside off the inside screen and will be open. |
4 | Kristaps Porzingis | NYK | 4 | The aggresivness has definitely improved as the season continues and so does his balanced offensive attack of shots and driving. |
5 | LaMarcus Aldridge | SAS | 4 | It is hard to guard Aldridge, especially in the post because of his quick release. He is also good at keeping his feet down to try to fake out defenders and draw contact |
6 | Jabari Parker | MIL | 4 | Parker plays big in the post and his agility and speed are able to get him more openings inside. He is a legit No. 2 scoring option on the surging Bucks. |
7 | Julius Randle | LAL | 4 | Randle continues to impress on both sides of the ball in the post and his footwork on the Perimeter against bigger shooters has stood out. He has also stayed healthy. |
8 | Serge Ibaka | ORL | 4 | Ibaka is good for IBLOCKa's and rebounding. If he has a big game scoring, it is not a sign of things to come. He is very inconsistent on offense. |
9 | Paul Millsap | ATL | 3 | Currently suffering from a hip injury and is questionable for Monday night, so proceed with caution. |
10 | Gorgui Dieng | MIN | 4 | Dieng not only has his strong inside game which I rehash every week, but lately we have been seeing a few more mid-range jumpers from him with no defender insight. Hmm. |
11 | Kenneth Faried | DEN | 4 | Faried has been playing better because he is not trying to do too much inside. He tends to pass back out, which in his case is better for the Nuggets. Rebounds and blocks for him. |
12 | Taj Gibson | CHI | 4 | Gibson's inside game has been impressive and is a big time pump-faker and draws a lot of contact. He is also hard to box out. |
13 | Thaddeus Young | IND | 4 | The offense has not been there every night, but the defense in the paint and on the perimeter has been excellent. Young has been an effective screen-setter. Playing time is safe. |
14 | Trevor Booker | BKN | 3 | Booker has been ill (both sick and "sick") inside. He has nothing fancy, as he just grabs the many rebounds Brook Lopez should have but doesn't because he's afraid of the paint. |
15 | Ryan Anderson | HOU | 4 | Anderson is always a scoring threat because he can shoot effectively from way beyond the arc. He needs to drive more to show he's dynamic and it will give him more time with the ball. |
16 | Marcus Morris | DET | 4 | At least for now Morris is still on the list, but could be the Piston who loses shots with Reggie Jackson back (besides KCP). The rebounding will still be there. |
17 | Greg Monroe | MIL | 4 | Still a big box of chocolates and if he looks lost on the court, he will be at a loss for even more playing time than what has already been taken away from him. |
18 | Markieff Morris | WSH | 4 | We continues to see more jumpers from Markieff and when Wall is driving Morris will always be open when he draws the double to the other scoring threats on the team. |
19 | JaMychal Green | MEM | 4 | Green has started to score a bit more consistently and needs to continue working on positioning himself for boards in the paint. Definite work in progress. |
20 | Blake Griffin | LAC | 2 | Griffin has been one of the most dominant inside players this season, but has the short slate this week. Only Clipper to make the list this week. |
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Centers
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Hassan Whiteside | MIA | 4 | I know he's not the most reliable on offense beyond two feet from the hoop, but the Heat have virtually nothing inside and will Whiteside to learn how to back his way in the paint. |
2 | Karl-Anthony Towns | MIN | 4 | Towns gets rebounds even when he's totally out of position. His long arms are able to bat the ball away from defenders even an inch small then he is. |
3 | DeMarcus Cousins | SAC | 3 | Cousins is great, but consistent triple-double great? That's why he is in the 3rd position this week with one less game. |
4 | Andre Drummond | DET | 4 | Drummond remains to be a grand rebounder, but a threat to his own team on offense and especially at the free-throw line. |
5 | Al Horford | BOS | 4 | Horford's outside shooting continues to remain on point, and he doesn't only rely on it as he will post up and follow his own shots. |
6 | Marc Gasol | MEM | 4 | The Grizz have no mid-court and that is where Gasol comes into play on both sides of the ball. He has stellar footwork and can hit from long range. |
7 | Marcin Gortat | WSH | 4 | Gortat has been great inside and takes a ton of contact. He has a few one-handed moves that defenders have a tough time contesting. |
8 | Nikola Vucevic | ORL | 4 | Excellent post-player on a team with very few offensive weapons. Always expect Vucevic to control the paint and he won't lose shot opportunities. |
9 | Dwight Howard | ATL | 3 | Howard has been excellent this season when it comes to hustle, scoring and rebunding but is playing in one-fewer game than some of the other dominant bigs. |
10 | Joel Embiid | PHI | 4 | Embiid has been so impresive that if he were playing 10 minutes more per game than he is now (23), he would be in the 4th position this week and every week outside of 2 game slates. |
11 | Rudy Gobert | UTA | 4 | When you pay for Gobert, you pay for blocks and rebounds and second-chance scoring because the Jazz have a lot of shooters. |
12 | Myles Turner | IND | 4 | Turner has improved when it comes to patience in the paint. He will go in and out of the paint until he gets positioning and is good for second chance scoring. |
13 | Clint Capela | HOU | 4 | Along the same lines as Turner, and when the Rockets slow it down a bit, they will give Capela time in the post as Anderson, Ariza and Gordon all stay outside. |
14 | Brook Lopez | BKN | 3 | He can score, but does not rebound or play in the paint enough. |
15 | Mason Plumlee | POR | 4 | Plumlee does everything he can to draw contact. He does not have a good move in the post, but is good at keeping the play alive and has a quick step to the basket. |
16 | Pau Gasol | SAS | 4 | Gasol has been quietly effective but not as effective all around as in years passed. His stats reflect that. |
17 | Tristan Thompson | CLE | 4 | Thompson continues to utilize his strength inside to keep plays alive and sets a nice screen at the free-throw line. Constant pick n roll scorer. |
18 | Jusuf Nurkic | DEN | 4 | With Nikola Jokic hurt and Faried raw, Nurkic's post game will be needed even more especially when they face teams who are solid at rotating on the perimeter. |
19 | Jonas Valanciunas | TOR | 3 | It is so hard to tell how many shots he will get per game. He has the jumper and inside rebounding ability, but the Raptors outside guys are that much more effective. |
20 | Tyson Chandler | PHX | 4 | All rebounding, tip ins, and blocks even though he has a shot. Another year of being a great rebounder. |