Points Guards
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Russell Westbrook | OKC | 4 | Westbrook vs Harden was debated on Friday's edition of Fantasy Alarm and as good and productive both are in each category, Westbrook has a little bit more to his game. |
2 | James Harden | HOU | 4 | Just because Harden is #2 in a very deep position, it does not take away from his wide range of skills and excellent on the ball ability. |
3 | John Wall | WSH | 4 | Wall is averaging a double-double this season for good reason. Most of the Wizards plays consist of him driving and he is more often than not the assist man on transition. |
4 | Stephen Curry | GSW | 4 | I'm liking that Curry is learning that he will get more shots if in fact he doesn't shoot, but drives. Curry is one of the best ball handlers in the league and is starting to drive more and with success. |
5 | Kyle Lowry | TOR | 4 | Lowry continues to keep the Raptors towards the top of the Conference and hr continues to balance playmaking and shooting very well. |
6 | Isaiah Thomas | BOS | 4 | Definitely one of the most talked about players this season. Thomas has been able to carry the Celtics offense on his back and is able to find openings with his quickness. |
7 | Kemba Walker | CHA | 4 | The Hornets have been struggling to score inside all season, so Walker and Nicolas Batum have been burning teams from the outside and Walker gets the most time with the ball by far. |
8 | Damian Lillard | POR | 3 | Lillard would normally be higher on the list, but is the stud-guard that draws the 3-game slate this week. |
9 | Kyrie Irving | CLE | 4 | Even though LeBron James can take control of the possesions from end to end, Irving becomes the bailout option for him when he is driving and gets caught up. More shots for Irving. |
10 | Jeff Teague | IND | 4 | Teague has been excellent this season and takes charge of the offense and knows how to best create offense for himself. Excellent at working the top of the paint for open floaters and tear drops. |
11 | Goran Dragic | MIA | 4 | Is Dragic being showcased? Regardless, the Heat need the scoring help with Tyler Johnson not at 100 percent and Dragic has been answering the bell. If he is being showcased, expect even more PT. |
12 | George Hill | UT | 4 | With Rodney Hood out, Hill will be getting a ton more time with the ball and will have the ability to work the key and play off the ball more and he serves as Gordon Hayward's bailout option on the drive. |
13 | Eric Bledsoe | PHX | 3 | Bledsoe is another stud guard with 3 games, but on a team that struggles for consistent offense, and being that he has the most time with the ball, the world is his. |
14 | Jrue Holiday | NO | 4 | Holiday is still the #2 option on the team and is getting more time with the ball to create as they slowly bring along Tyreke Evans and Anthony Davis has been getting banged up again=Holiday #1 option |
15 | Dennis Schroder | ATL | 4 | Schroder has been up for the challenge of taking long-range shots for the Hawks. Teams know to double Paul Millsap and Schroder has done oa good job of balancing driving and shooting. |
16 | Mike Conley | MEM | 3 | Conley is another PG who is good at creeping in the paint and utilizing quick one handed moves and is not afraid to take contact. He also does a good job of popping back out for open shots. |
17 | Derrick Rose | NY | 4 | There will be games in which Rose will show why he won an MVP and there will be a ton of other games in which he is doing too much and turning the ball over. He is playing for a contract=Motivation? |
18 | Rajon Rondo | CHI | 4 | Oh boy, it has been depressing seeing this situation not work out but Rondo is in trade rumors and that should mean that we see more of him on the court leading up to the trade deadline. |
19 | Marcus Smart | BOS | 4 | Smart makes the list because he has done a great job of filling the void of the injured Avery Bradley and he has been seeing a ton of games in the 30's for playing time. Good scorer and assist guy. |
20 | Deron Williams | DAL | 3 | Williams is quietly having a strong season and as Dirk Nowitzki continues to heal, he will take the bulk of the shooting and he has been averaging seven assists per game. J.J. Barea OUT=More PT. |
Shooting Guards
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Gordon Hayward | UT | 4 | A healthy Hayward and an unhealthy Derrick Favors and Rodney Hood means more production for our top SF producer for the week. |
2 | DeMar DeRozan | TOR | 4 | DeRozan dethroned (a rare occurrence) but is suffering from an ankle injury and we shall see if he plays his full week's slate of games and how much pressure he could put on the ankle. |
3 | Nicolas Batum | CHA | 4 | Batum continues to provide a strong amount of offense from inside and outside and has been a major help at sneaking inside the paint and fighting for rebounds. Good perimeter defender. |
4 | Bradley Beal | WSH | 4 | Beal is starting to move a bit more when on the court and "shockingly" he has been getting the ball more because he is seeing openings. He has major ups and needs to drive more. |
5 | Klay Thompson | GSW | 4 | As much of a pure shooter Thompson is, he will drive when he see's the open lane and he is excellent at anticipating and reading screens from the opposition and plays suffocating defense. |
6 | C.J. McCollum | POR | 3 | McCollum is a bit lower because of the 3 games, but he is a very consistent weapon and gets a lot of time with the ball. He has a good pass inside to for cutters. |
7 | Dwayne Wade | CHI | 4 | Wade has been an effective mid-range shooter, but also annoying as ever because he gets a good amount of rest games and it is hard to trust he will play a full slate of games per week. |
8 | Patrick Beverley | HOU | 4 | Continues to utilize his speed on transition and drive to draw contact. Every game for the Rockets seems to be a race to 105 and PatBev is the quickest guard and can run the point effectively |
9 | Eric Gordon | HOU | 4 | Gordon will cut in quickly and then pop back out and hopefully get a screen so he can square up. He will take shots from three feet behind the arc and won't have a defender in sight. |
10 | Victor Oladipo | OKC | 4 | Oladipo has come through in big game situations and will look to shoot from the top of the key. As much as he drives into trouble, he has been driving more for contact. |
11 | Zach LaVine | MIN | 3 | LaVine will always get a healthy number of shots, but it’s the drive that we want to see more from him because he has quickness and incredible ups. |
12 | Wilson Chandler | DEN | 3 | Chandler can play just about every position on the floor and the Nuggets depth is sub-par so we can always expect him to get minutes and he will even get time to run the point. Solid driver. |
13 | Sean Kilpatrick | BKN | 4 | With Jeremy Lin still hurt, Kilpatrick's combo-guard abilities will be needed at both positions and he will see a lot of time with the ball and shot opportunities. |
14 | Tyler Johnson | MIA | 4 | He has been a big help in the scoring department on this depleted Heat team, but is in danger of missing a game with a shoulder injury. |
15 | Devin Booker | PHX | 3 | Booker's shot selection is improving and is getting open more. He is most effective when he gets the ball and shoots. The playmaking seems to mess up his flow and he does too much when dribbling. |
16 | Dion Waiters | MIA | 4 | With Josh Richardson and Tyler Johnson banged up, Waiters will continue to see starts and a ton of games in the 30's and he will provide help on the glass. Long range shooting threat as well. |
17 | Wes Matthews | DAL | 3 | Ailing from a hip injury, but should be able to give it a go when the Mavs start their week on Wednesday. |
18 | Bojan Bogdanovic | BKN | 4 | Someone needs to score on the Nets because outside of Brook Lopez it has been hard to find an everyday option and Bogdanovic has stood out a bit and we are seeing a lot more double digit games. |
19 | J.J. Redick | LAC | 3 | With Chris Paul hurt, the Clippers will be relying more on Redick to not only shoot off screens, but to drive when he gets the ball at the top of the key. Cutting will be a big part of his game. |
20 | Gary Harris | DEN | 3 | Harris has been in and out of the lineup, but when in, has been an effective driver and shooter and he doesn't need a ton of playing time to be productive. |
Small Forwards
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Kevin Durant | GSW | 4 | It's hard to determine which part of his game I like best because Durant produces from all over the court and will not give up on shots and cut swiftly in the lane to keep plays alive. |
2 | LeBron James | CLE | 4 | Keep driving LeBron because nobody can stop it and is good at recreating when an obstacle comes in the way while driving and brings the ball up himself a lot. |
3 | Giannis Antetokoumpo | MIL | 4 | Plays 4 positions and does about 70% of the work for the Bucks on a night in/night out basis. |
4 | Jimmy Butler | CHI | 4 | Even though the Bulls are not on the same page, Jimmy Buckets will live up to his name and even when his shot is on, he is not afraid to go post to get more chances at scoring and rebounding. |
5 | Kawhi Leonard | SAS | 4 | Leonard continues crushing teams from behind the arc and from the mid-range. On the ball, he is one of the most effective perimeter defenders in the league. |
6 | Paul George | IND | 4 | Even though George does not call for the ball as much as some of the players above him, he is still an all around effective player and a fercious defender inside and outside. |
7 | Carmelo Anthony | NY | 4 | Anthony scores enough to be a frequent producer and somehow magically ends up with six to eight rebounds. Sometimes he will even play defense! |
8 | Otto Porter | WSH | 4 | Porter continues to be an excellent two-way player and has been very effective from the perimeter on both sides of the ball. He is the king of the knock-down three this season. |
9 | Trevor Ariza | HOU | 4 | Ariza's defense is always suffocating and he is a veteran with ups and will keep plays alive. Don't forget that he specializes in steals as well and hitting the knockdown three. |
10 | Ersan Ilyasova | PHI | 4 | Proud of his play because the 76ers are in need of scoring and Joel Embiid is not allowed to do it every night because of the rest factor. He will also grab about six rebounds per game. |
11 | Jae Crowder | BOS | 4 | Crowder continues to be one of the most aggressive post players in the league and will continue to bang inside until he gets an opening or draws contact. |
12 | Harrison Barnes | DAL | 3 | Barnes will never have to worry about playing time, even if he takes awful shots because he is very sound defensively. With Dirk not a 100 percent, he will continue to take on the scoring burden. |
13 | Andrew Wiggins | MIN | 3 | Wiggins will never see a shot he doesn't like and because Minnesota needs to the scoring help so badly, he will continue to see a ton of shots and time with the ball. |
14 | Danilo Gallinari | DEN | 3 | Gallinari seems to be over his ankle injury and is always a downtown shooting threat and will drive to draw contact. |
15 | James Johnson | MIA | 4 | Johnson will continue to get it done for the Heat as not only a scorer, but also for his enforcer defensive skills in the post and on the wing. |
16 | Robert Covington | PHI | 4 | Covington has been showing vast improvement over the last couple of weeks and is playing more aggresively and has been moving quicker. He doesn't look as lost on the court. |
17 | Michael Kidd-Gilchrist | CHA | 4 | MKG is a strong defender who will get you steals, blocks and rebounds. He has SOME offensive ability and when his mid-range jumper is on point, he will get more chances to shoot. |
18 | Terrence Jones | NO | 4 | Jones is another good perimeter player on defense and reads screens nicely. He has been able to see some success in the post and frequently looks to cut inside. |
19 | Will Barton | DEN | 3 | Barton has been utilizing his post game a lot more and will see more points because of the contact he has once again been taking. Expect consistent rebounds. |
20 | Aaron Gordon | ORL | 3 | With Evan Fournier still hurt, Gordon will continue to get more opportunities to create with the ball and is a much more successful driver than shooter. |
Power Forwards
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Anthony Davis | NO | 4 | You never know with Anthony Davis and he has missed his last couple of practices and is banged up. Owners will continue to hold their breath everytime he falls down. |
2 | Kevin Love | CLE | 4 | I have been impressed with Love's balance this year as he has been playing inside more, but even late in games, he needs to continue to play inside and not resort to the arc. |
3 | Draymond Green | GSW | 4 | Green continues to play both PF and C at the same time and is one of the dirtiest players in the game. He is all contact and grit and muscles his way inside a ton. He takes a ton of contact. |
4 | Paul Millsap | ATL | 4 | Millsap's long-range play is needed and he will produce each game as the top option, but with Kyle Korver gone, more focus will go on him and he will spend a lot more time passing off. |
5 | Kristaps Porzingis | NY | 4 | Porzingis has still been effective despite not being 100 percent. His shot as not altered and his motion stays consistent. All good signs as he continues to recover. |
6 | Jabari Parker | MIL | 4 | Parker's play is on WATCH from the entire Bucks organization after calling out his team for not playing together and then telling the media about it. SHAME! |
7 | LaMarcus Aldridge | SAS | 4 | Aldridge will need to provide even more offense with Pau Gasol out and we should expect to see more elbow jumpers from him because that's where Gasol was producing from. |
8 | Nikola Jokic | DEN | 3 | Jokic has been incredible and turning into the Nuggets No. 1 scoring option and all-around player. He has been a monster with the post and with one hand. |
9 | Trevor Booker | BKN | 4 | Excellent rebounder and scores mainly from right inside. He will never have to worry about playing time because he is the one Nets player who defends. |
10 | Markieff Morris | WSH | 4 | Morris has been incredible at making shots from all over the paint and John Wall has been feeding him more when he drives into traffic. Morris has been a major help in the post on both sides of the ball. |
11 | Thad Young | IND | 4 | Young has been seeing more success offensively and that is because he is driving less and cutting more. He wants to create, but it has been working as well and defenders stop him on the drive. |
12 | Serge Ibaka | ORL | 3 | Ibaka's offense will be needed more with Evan Fournier still out and he will need to do more than hang by the key and shoot three's. He needs to call for the ball inside more. |
13 | Ryan Anderson | HOU | 4 | Always a deep shooting threat and will fool defenders and drives when he catches them off their feet. He has been battling an illness, but should be good to go for the full slate. |
14 | Greg Monroe | MIL | 4 | Still very hard to get a read on how much Monroe will be involved in the Bucks scheme on a per game basis. I don't even think Jason Kidd knows. |
15 | Taj Gibson | CHI | 4 | Gibson will always do the dirty work for the Bulls and does not needs a lot of time to produce double-doubles. He has a minor post-game that features a lot of pump fakes for contact and hooks. |
16 | Zach Randolph | MEM | 3 | Randolph is still able to get it done and has been shooting effectively from mid-range and then following up shots to keep plays alive. Always an enforcer defensively. |
17 | Gorgui Dieng | MIN | 3 | Dieng will continue to show off his new shooting touch from right outside the paint and teams continue to not put defenders on him. We can always rely on Dieng for boards. |
18 | Dirk Nowitzki | DAL | 3 | Dirk is not 100 percent yet and he is playing consistently in the 20's and scoring in double figures. He's even shown he can still rebound, but, he still looks slow. Age might have caught up to him. |
19 | Derrick Favors | UT | 4 | What the heck is wrong with this guy? Looks very slow on the court and unlike Dirk, we can't expect double digit scoring consistently as he is now averaging under 10 points per game. |
20 | Kenneth Faried | DEN | 3 | We can always rely on Faried for rebounds and blocks and his effort is there, but his offense is another story. Very limited. |
Centers
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | DeMarcus Cousins | SAC | 4 | Boogie stays on top do to his ability to do everything AND Kings 2nd option Rudy Gary is OUT for the season meaning he will be relied on even more. |
2 | Hassan Whiteside | MIA | 4 | Whiteside has been taking a beating physically, but as long as he's on the court he's effective on both sides of the ball. He's a hound on the glass and powers into the post and it's hard to stop him. |
3 | Karl-Anthony Towns | MIN | 3 | Towns would normally be #2, but he has one less game than Mr. Whiteside. Still an all-around producer. |
4 | Rudy Gobert | UT | 4 | Gobert has been dominating the inside and because Favors continues to be limited, Gobert has been working on his post-game as the lone Jazz consistent inside player. |
5 | Dwight Howard | ATL | 4 | Howard continues to show his new found love for "trying" and has been picking up more on the offensive end with Kyle Korver gone. When Millsap is doubled, he provides relief with a screen. |
6 | Joel Embiid | PHI | 4 | Embiid continues to be the X factor for the Sixers and leads the team in scoring, rebounding and blocks and only plays 25 minutes per game. I trust the process! |
7 | Al Horford | BOS | 4 | Horford continues to be a match up nightmare on the perimeter and has been outstanding from beyond the arc this season. |
8 | Brook Lopez | BKN | 4 | Lopez is the Nets top scoring option and will be highly productive overall because of it. He has also been in the trade rumors as well, so we can expect him to be out there a bit longer. |
9 | Marcin Gortat | WSH | 4 | Gortat's cutting has added a whole new element to his and the Wizards offensive game. He is running the floor better and isn't committing to the post right away as it slows down his approach. |
10 | Myles Turner | IND | 4 | Turner has a good amount of offense from right outside the paint and does not have much trouble working his way inside and draws a lot of contact. |
11 | DeAndre Jordan | LAC | 3 | All defense, limited offense! Especially with Chris Paul out. Always can rely on him for boards and blocks. |
12 | Marc Gasol | MEM | 3 | Gasol can burn defenders in the most and is excellent at popping out to the top of the key for open jumpers. He is also diciplined in the post defensively and it is hard faking him out on the drive. |
13 | Nikola Vucevic | ORL | 3 | Vucevic is another player being showcased right now and is seeing some starts on a team that is already limited offensively and without their top shooter. Vucevic becomes their top offensive weapon. |
14 | Jonas Valanciunas | TOR | 4 | Valanciunas continues to play tough inside and use his finess at the top of the paint with jumpers. He is not the main focus of the offense, but is still effective at drawing out defenders. |
15 | Enes Kanter | OKC | 4 | Unsure if Steven Adams will be playing the full slate, and evenif he does, expect Kanter to get more time than usual and more shots from the perimeter. |
16 | Tristan Thompson | CLE | 4 | Thompson will never have outstanding stats, but does enough of the enforcer work down low that he will produce and score on cheap inside putbacks |
17 | Mason Plumlee | POR | 3 | Plumlee has the best moves offensively on the Blazers as they continue to struggle working the ball inside. Plumlee will drive on any Center in the league and always look for contact. |
18 | Steven Adams | OKC | 4 | Excellent inside player, but it is still hard to determine if he will play a full slate of games as he continues to recover from a Concussion. |
19 | Cody Zeller | CHA | 4 | Zeller has been standing out among Hornets big men and has been more successful inside when it comes to his scoring and rebounding. He has been the Hornets one consistent big man. |
20 | Andre Drummond | DET | 2 | Drummond has just two games, but his dominance in rebounding and blocking shots alone make up for the other holes in his overall game. The guy is a monster inside and is hard to box out. |