Weekly Fantasy Basketball Player Rankings: NBA Week 9

Published: Dec 19, 2016

Point Guards

RANK	NAME	Team	# Games	Analysis
1	Russell Westbrook	OKC	4	Westbrook makes passing in the paint look easy. He is excellent at taking advantage of other players miss-timed jumps when they go at him in the paint.
2	James Harden	HOU	3	Even with other guard options, Harden holds the ball a ton more and the Rockets wouldn't have it any other way.
3	Stephen Curry	GSW	4	The Warriors will have a lot of blowout games down the stretch, should we be a little worried about Curry being held out of games? Not yet!
4	Chris Paul	LAC	4	With Blake Griffin heading to knee treatment and DeAndrew Jordan limited offensively, more of the offensive burden now falls on Paul
5	John Wall	WSH	3	Wall continues his drive-first attack as soon as he crosses mid-court and to his credit, he is good at finding an immediate open option, and reaches him even on the other side of the court.
6	Damian Lillard	POR	3	Lillard's scoring is neede as the Blazers continue to have depth issues up front. The Blazers struggle on offense as soon as the ball goes near the paint.
7	Isaiah Thomas	BOS	4	Thomas has been getting his own set of shots, even with other players serving as long-range threats. Thomas will take the ball himself and look to draw contact in the paint.
8	Kyrie Irving	CLE	4	Irving continues to be the master of extending plays when he gets hit. He is able to slow down his drive and creep through traffic with a controlled dribble and not turn the ball over.
9	Eric Bledsoe	PHX	3	The Suns are also a mess up-front offensively, and Bledsoe has been shooting the ball well and is good at pulling up for the open jumper on transition instead of trying to draw contact inside.
10	Mike Conley	MEM	3	Conley is back a bit earlier than expected, and returns to his rightful role of being the shoot-first point guard. His return gives Memphis much needed perimeter depth.
11	Rajon Rondo	CHI	4	It is always the same case with Rondo, if he is rebounding and not making stupid passes, he is as good as gold, but often has trouble getting out of his head during times of struggle.
12	Goran Dragic	MIA	3	The Heat continue to battle injuries and Dragic has stepped up and has been shooting the ball well as teams often leave him unguarded at the perimeter.
13	Jeff Teague	IND	3	Teague will be getting even more playing time with Monta Ellis out with the groin injury and will pick up shot opportunities during this time. He's been improving at forcing the ball inside.
14	D'Angelo Russell	LAL	4	Russell is still trying to identify what type of PG he will be between traditional pass-first PG or shoot-first. He has been actively trying out different styles each game. We will know soon.
15	Jrue Holiday	NO	3	Holiday is doing all he can to provide off the ball offense because it has not been working out as much on the ball. Holiday needs to cut from the side and not down the middle w/ bigs in front.
16	Jeremy Lin	BKN	3	Lin will continue to get his own open shots because team's know he can drive and will often fall back on him on defense. He has a quick release and the Nets have no threat inside on offense.
17	Tim Frazier	NO	3	Frazier has been excellent at being the main distributor and will shoot mainly when open and will try to drive when Anthony Davis is doubled.
18	Dennis Schroder	ATL	3	Schroder has a major identity crisis on his hands. He is a bit inconsistent and gets screened out easily on defense. As quick as he is with the ball, he can still disappear in games.
19	Deron Williams	DAL	3	Especially with Dirk Nowitzki out, Williams is technically a co-No. 1 scoring option along with Harrison Barnes. Williams shot is needed w/ little inside depth.
20	Derrick Rose	NYK	3	Still always looks to drive first, just unsure if he will be held out a game due to reoccuring back spasms. He will make an impact if active.

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Shooting Guards

RANK	NAME	Team	# Games	Analysis
1	Avery Bradley	BOS	4	Very impressive all-around threat on both sides of the ball. He scores via pull-up jumper, isolation, pick and pop, and is a shut-down perimeter defender.
2	Klay Thompson	GSW	4	Thompson has been a scoring machine and it shows just how good of a pure shooter he has become because he is hitting more shots than dribbles. It won't be like this every night.
3	Gordon Hayward	UT	3	If the Jazz were at full strength, it would be easy to say Hayward would have less time with the ball but w/ Favors coming back slowly and George Hill still hurt, expect him to be very productive
4	C.J. McCollum	POR	3	McCollum continues to benefit from the Blazers lack of consistent offensive weapons. He is able to get open right inside the key and create well with the ball.
5	Dwyane Wade	CHI	4	Wade continues to get a good amount of shots and even though he does not drive too much, he is able to curl around the paint and get open. The shots and long rebounds will be there.
6	Zach LaVine	MIN	4	LaVine not only has a quick drive and good pull-up jumper, but he has come through in crunch time and expect him to get more time w/ the ball late into games.
7	Bradley Beal	WSH	3	I will always say Beal needs to drive more until he actually does it, but is excellent at hitting pull-up jumpers and will always have a lot of shot opportunities.
8	Lou Williams	LAL	4	Williams always finds his place in the Lakers offense because they have trouble executing from the high side of the paint and Williams cuts a lot and gets open right outside traffic inside.
9	Reggie Jackson	DET	3	Jackson will need a few more games to fully shake the rust off, but he has walked back in to a ton of time with the ball and a decent amount of shots. He will still look to pass on the wing.
10	Trevor Ariza	HOU	3	Ariza is always a safe option because of his perimeter defense and quick hands. He has good driving ability and can hit jumpers and is needed to slow down teams.
11	Eric Gordon	HOU	3	Gordon is a pure shooter, but has good ball-handling skills to be able to drive and kick back out. He gets a decent amount of time with the ball next to Harden.
12	Wilson Chandler	DEN	3	Fantasy owners can exhale as the hip flaring up was not a good sign of health, but Chandler is back, and serves as a consistent duel threat (shooter and driver), and is good at ball-handling.
13	Wesley Matthews	DAL	3	Matthews offense will continue to be needed because of all of the Mavs injuries. He has been able to stay on the court and has even provided rebounding help.
14	Evan Fournier	ORL	3	Due to the lack of offensive weapons and shooters, Fournier will always get the cream of the crop in a land full of shot opportunities.
15	Tyler Johnson	MIA	3	Don't know what the deal is with Johnson, because he has had every chance to be the offensive leader on Miami. He has a good shot selection and lane-driving ability, but his game is incomplete
16	Sean Kilpatrick	BKN	3	Despite Lin being back in full force, Kilpatrick was consistent enough to skill keep his number of shots in tact. Expect him to be a positive part in this offensive disaster.
17	Devin Booker	PHX	3	Booker will continue to get the ball at the elbow, but needs to make quicker decisions. If he is relying on the cutter, at least dribble and try to deke your defender. Free layups!
18	Gary Harris	DEN	3	Harris is back and with Denver trying to find any for of consistency on offense, their mid-range just got deeper. Harris is good at the pick and pop and is able to find openings.
19	Kentavious Caldwell-Pope	DET	3	Expect KCP to get more open shots because teams will view Jackson as the bigger driving threat. He will be cutting from the side, and will wait at the arc as a bailout option.
20	DeMar DeRozan	TOR	2	Yes, SG is a thin position and DeRozan has had a dominant year. He is the only two-game player to be on the list this week.

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Small Fowards

RANK	NAME	Team	# Games	Analysis
1	Kevin Durant	GSW	4	Offense continues to run through Durant and to his credit, even when he is out of the play, he is ALWAYS crashing the boards. Always good to see fundamentals in action.
2	LeBron James	CLE	3	James does not NEED the ball all of the time, but he is one of the most dominant lane drivers in the league and the Cavs will still always look for him on the curl.
3	Giannis Antetokounmpo	MIL	3	Greek Freak is doing everything he can. He see's little consistency during games because he plays at different spots of the court, and still produces. He needs to be aware of fouls though.
4	Kawhi Leonard	SAS	4	Leonard continues to dominate from the perimeter more than the middle of the court because team's continue to fall-back on him thus keeping him open from long-range.
5	Jimmy Butler	CHI	4	Butler will continue to get his time with the ball both in the post and outside. I've noticed in the post that he has been using a lot of quick one-handed moves. Shows confidence in the post.
6	Paul George	IND	3	George is a great team player and does not need the ball all of the time, but when in an isolation situation, he needs to work his body inside to try to draw contact to get more chances.
7	Carmelo Anthony	NYK	3	Anthony's shoulder was just sore as without his best (and only as some would say) weapon being his shooting up to par, it would not be a pretty sight.
8	Andrew Wiggins	MIN	4	Wiggins shot selection is not the best but he still takes them anyway. Teams force him to shoot from the top of the key often. He has good driving ability and can cut in the post. Stays outside.
9	Otto Porter	WSH	3	Porter continues to shoot the ball well from the wing and will play a ton of minutes because of how diciplined he is on the perimeter defensively. It is very hard to screen him out.
10	Jae Crowder	BOS	4	Crowder's defense will keep him in games and will not try to do too much on offense. He will try to barrel inside and draw contact. It is what he's best at.
11	Harrison Barnes	DAL	3	Barnes is the de facto No. 1 scoring option and he will need to attack both inside and outside. Expect a lot of off the ball cutting and he will even get time with the ball at the top of the key.
12	Danilo Gallinari	DEN	3	Gallinari has been shooting better, and has been quietly helping with assists and rebounds. When he shoots from the outside, he takes a few steps inside to try to keep the play alive.
13	Tobias Harris	DET	3	Harris has a drive game with minor isolation attack from the elbow. Harris has a few one-handed post moves that can draw out the defender. He will hit the inside cutter helping w/ assists.
14	Rodney Hood	UT	3	Hood will still be the main bailout option when ever the Jazz try to drive inside and force defenses to collapse. Hood has excellent range and will see a lot of open jumpers.
15	Nick Young	LAL	4	I do not like Nick Young's shot selection, but due to the fact that he never sees a bad shot no matter what he tries to do with the ball, Young forces shots and is still left on the court…Trust!
16	Will Barton	DEN	3	Barton will need to utilize his game in the post if he is going to be productive, because he can get inside. If he squares up at the elbow, he often passes off. Need to cut in the mid court more.
17	Moe Harkless	POR	3	Harkless is still the Blazers top mid-range option at the moment, but often see's bigger defenders and dribbles into trouble. Double digit scoring potential is there every night, as are traps inside.
18	Rudy Gay	SAC	3	Gay has missed his last 3 games with a hip injury and there are very few signs at this point on whether he will be held out or play. If he plays, he will produce. Consider him day to day.
19	C.J. Miles	IND	3	Because of Monta Ellis groin injury, Miles picks up a lot more shots and you can expect more playing time and consistent double figure scoring outings until he's relegated back to the bench.
20	Terrence Jones	NO	3	Jones is a solid perimeter defender and makes this list because he is on a team with very few effective players on defense and playing time is at his disposal. He can score from mid-range.

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Power Forwards

RANK	NAME	Team	# Games	Analysis
1	Anthony Davis	NO	3	The one sure fire every night producer on the Pelicans. Even with limited minutes, he can still be as dangerous as any player. Compiles stats at lightning speed.
2	Kevin Love	CLE	4	Love has been so balanced between inside and perimeter play that it has made him once again, one of the biggest offensive threats in the league. He has been staying healthy too.
3	Draymond Green	GSW	4	It is never pretty, but Green handles both PF and C virtually by himself. He plays hard in the post and shows his toughness on the glass and never gives up on plays.
4	LaMarcus Aldridge	SAS	4	Aldridge is both a post and perimeter threat and as soon as team's fall back on him, he burns them with elbow jumpers. He often calls for the ball inside and can make quick passes back out.
5	Julius Randle	LAL	4	Randle continues to dominate the mid-court for the Lakers and has no competition at his position and can creat from the elbow and drive effectively inside.
6	Kristaps Porzingis	NYK	3	Porzingis has been burning teams from way outside on offense, but will often run towards the basket to try for a quick put-back. He has played a lot more aggresively inside.
7	Paul Millsap	ATL	3	Millsap continues to be effective, when setting up for shots off of screens. He often fakes the drive and then pull up for uncontested jumpers. Stays out of Dwight Howard's way inside.
8	Jabari Parker	MIL	3	Parker is the only other consistently efficient option on the Bucks other than the Greek Freak and he always plays bigger than his side and posts up against bigger defenders.
9	Gorgui Dieng	MIN	4	Dieng has developed a baby jumper and teams leave him unguarded outside the paint. He often sets the screen on the side and takes two steps in. He has become a mid-range threat as well.
10	Trevor Booker	BKN	3	Booker has essentially been the Nets most effective rebounder and inside force on defense. He is very gritty inside and does not get pushed around and get a lot of second-hand scoring plays.
11	Serge Ibaka	ORL	3	Ibaka is always good for blocks, rebounds and cheap steals. He should be better offensively in the post, but for some reason spends more time at the elbow. PLAY INSIDE! USE YOUR SIZE!
12	Nikola Jokic	DEN	3	Jokic has improved tremendously on offense since being sent to the bench and he is not only good at creating in the post, but can see and hit the cutter on the other side of the paint.
13	Taj Gibson	CHI	4	Gibson has been a bit banged up but is another samller big man who does not get pushed around and has a nice baby hook that he frequently uses in the paint.
14	Kenneth Faried	DEN	3	Faried has stuck to doing what he does best and that is rebounding. You never want to see him holding the ball. He will take contact on offense which is his one positive.
15	Derrick Favors	UT	3	Favors is back and he is clearly on a minutes limit. He will continue to shake the rust this week and can surpass 20 minutes, but that is about all you will get on average. He is productive.
16	Zach Randolph	MEM	3	Randolph continues to utilize his mid-range game and is left open at the elbow. With Conley back he will see even more open jumpers and you can always rely on Z-Bo for boards.
17	Ryan Anderson	HOU	3	Anderson's long-range game is always a threat and has been a bit more effective with his shooting. He does square up and provide some impact on the defensive end.
18	Markieff Morris	WSH	3	Morris has been excellent at providing offense from the free-throw line. He gets the ball there when Wall runs out of room to drive and needs to pass off. He plays controlled in the post.
19	Thaddeus Young	IND	3	Young has been inconsistent all season from a statistical stand-point but the potential is still there because he will always look to drive and post up inside against bigger defenders.
20	Greg Monroe	MIL	3	Monroe has been playing better, but it is still hard to tell how involved in the game he will be. Some nights, he stands on the elbow waiting for the ball with the action on the opposite side.

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Centers

RANK	NAME	Team	# Games	Analysis
1	Karl-Anthony Towns	MIN	4	Giving Towns the top spot due to being an amazing force in the league who does everything you could want in an NBA player and for being the main source of production on a growing team.
2	DeMarcus Cousins	SAC	3	Cousins will always get his, but because Towns stats are not too far behind and he has the extra game, Cousins is in the second slot this week.
3	Hassan Whiteside	MIA	3	Whiteside cannot control the inside all on his own, but has been driving effectively and constantly draws doubles. You can't box him out, and he never gives up on a play inside. Rebound machine
4	Al Horford	BOS	4	Horford's outside shooting has yet to be solved and just when you think he's settled out there, he gets the ball and drives, or posts up at the top of the paint. Performing like a No. 1 option.
5	DeAndre Jordan	LAC	4	He will get fed a tad more in the post but he is still weak offensively and only scores on ally-oops. With Griffin out of the picture, he controls the inside.
6	Andre Drummond	DET	3	Drummond has been better at cutting when the defense is drawn out and it has given him more chances to score. He is another Center that makes rebounding look easy.
7	Dwight Howard	ATL	3	The hustle is there, even with the team struggling. Howard has been calling for the ball inside more and making plays and has shown signs of free-throw improvement.
8	Marc Gasol	MEM	3	Gasol will be focused on less with Mike Conley back in the fold, and expect him to get a lot of uncontested perimeter jumpers. He has been effective in the post on defense.
9	Brook Lopez	BKN	3	Expect all scoring and limited rebounding because that's the kind of parallel universe Lopez thinks he's playing in.
10	Pau Gasol	SAS	4	Gasol's days of dominating from a scoring stand point seem to be over, but he will still make an impact and can be fed at any spot in or right outside the paint and will get time with the ball.
11	Marcin Gortat	WSH	3	Gortat continues to fight for possesion inside and put the ball back up. His struggles seem to come into play when he tries to kick the ball back out. He is trying to no-look it, but it is not working
12	Nikola Vucevic	ORL	3	Vucevic needs more time with the ball and the forwards need to look to screen him out if they are going to be a threat to their own team with the ball in their hands. He draws a lot of doubles.
13	Rudy Gobert	UT	3	Gobert is instant defense and with Favors working his way back in, he will get the ball even less than he does now, but will get a ton of second chance scoring opportunities. Good for boards.
14	Myles Turner	IND	3	Turner has been getting a bit more action inside, but needs to call for the ball at spot further away from the basket so he can learn to create in the post. Pacers have a lot of rim attackers.
15	Mason Plumlee	POR	3	Plumlee has given the Blazers life inside and once he gets the ball in position, he is effective, but team's now that he is all they have inside and will force him out of the paint and make him pass.
16	Tristan Thompson	CLE	4	It is always hard to tell how involved Thompson will be in the game stat-wise. My goals for him are eight points, eight boards with a block and/or a steal. He can surpass those expectations.
17	Steven Adams	OKC	4	Adams is very gritty and will always look to draw contact and bang inside on the glass on both ends of the court. He will get the ball more with Victor Oladipo hurt.
18	Robin Lopez	CHI	4	Lopez has been playing better inside and has a few one-handed post moves at the middle of the paint. Unlike his brother, he is always hard to box-out and keep outside the paint.
19	Tyson Chandler	PHX	3	You never know what you will get from Chandler on offense, but always expect ample rebounds, w/ tip outs to the outside and blocks because he is a strong defender.
20	Clint Capela	HOU	3	The Rockets lone inside threat on offense, but is battling a leg injury. He is day to day and may have to miss a game. If he is in, he will produce. Unsure about his status.

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