Point Guard

RankPlayerTeam# GamesAnalysis
1Russell WestbrookOKC3Even when Westbrook and Harden have three games, they are that much more productive overall and are very deserving of the top spots.
2James HardenHOU3Another all-around top producer who gets respect for being on a team with a ton of scoring options. He still eats as much as he does in games and that says something. 
3John WallWSH4The Wizards need to pray that Wall does not run out of gas when Playoff time rolls around. Wall is the glue of the offense and can count on double-digit Assists just as much as scoring.
4Chris PaulLAC4Paul has not looked back since returning from injury and he alone has been able to keep the Clippers producing at a high level offensively. 
5Damian LillardPOR4Lillard does not have the fifth game, but when one of the most lethal scoring guards has a full slate and his frontcourt cannot score, expect him to feast as always. 
6Stephen CurryGSW3Curry does not have the full slate, but is the Warriors top scoring option and will have the most time with the ball while Durant is out. 
7Kyrie IrvingCLE4Irving is an excellent driver and can hit the knock down three-ball, but fatigue is always a factor late in games, and may be rest a bit down the stretch.
8Isaiah ThomasBOS3Thomas continues his high level of production as the Celtics can shoot any team's lights out and Thomas not only scores off of single screens, but he is excellent at finding the cutter inside. 
9Mike ConleyMEM4Conley has been encouraging pace while on the floor and has been looking to drive a lot more in the second half of the season. He remains one of the best at creeping through screens. 
10Kemba WalkerCHA3Walker does not have the fourth game but owners can always expect him to feast due to lack of a healthy frontcourt. They NEED him to shoot a ton and he runs point most games every game.
11Jrue HolidayNO4Holiday can be frozen out at times because both of the Pelicans highly skilled big men like to shoot from the elbow and perimeter, but when they post up, it allows Holiday room to create. 
12Eric BledsoePHX3Even though he has been a bit banged up, the Suns inside scoring is a learning process because they lack consistency and Bledsoe's scoring and driving are needed and he controls the pace. 
13Ricky RubioMIN4Since the year turned, 2017 has been kind to Rubio. Better shots, better driving, less risky cross-court passes. He has filled in for the injured Zach LaVine nicely on the scoring front. 
14George HillUT4Hill has had a bit of toe injury he has been dealing with and the pain changes each day, so he can be held out a game this week. Be careful. 
15Dennis SchroderATL3Schroder needs to continue focusing on keeping the turnovers down as he is learning his craft. There will be a decent amount of plays that is all him and he won't even attempt passing. 
16Goran DragicMIA3Dragic has an eye injury with blurry vision that he is dealing with. The Heat have a couple of days off and if he can't see, he may be held out additional games. 
17Jeff TeagueIND3Teague remains the 1A scoring option on the Pacers as he has shown that he is not afraid to pull-up from right inside the key and the Pacers back off and let him create. All health signs are good.
18D'Angelo RussellLAL4Russell is learning the ins and out of driving to the rack and how to attack without getting plays broken up. He is a lot more patient at reading screens and he has been taking way better shots. 
19Jeremy LinBKN4Lin is picking up playing time and because the Nets are a mess, his shooting and driving will be most crucial as he has been excellent at nailing the knockdown three. He also sets up Lopez well.
20Reggie JacksonDET4Jackson continues to hang on to as much playing time as possible and his decision-making has been a bit better in the last week, but he is still on a short leash and could lose shots and PT.

 

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Shooting Guard

RankPlayerTeam# GamesAnalysis
1DeMar DeRozanTOR4DeRozan returns to the top spot with a full slate and especially no Kyle Lowry
2Gordon HaywardUT4Hayward continues to be the Jazz top shooting option and he always looks to power his way through the lane first. He has been excellent at curling off the screen and shooting quicker. 
3C.J. McCollumPOR4McCollum still has the full slate and as many shots as he wants lined up because outside of Lillard, there is no consistency when it comes to the Blazers offense. 
4Bradley BealWSH4Beal continues to play well and serve as the open cross-court option when Wall's drives are stalled. Instead of hanging out by the key, Beal's cuts have been fantastic. 
5Nicolas BatumCHA3Batum is still a major scoring and rebounding help on a team that lacks a healthy frontcourt, but moves down a bit because of lack of full slate. His outside shooting remains consistent.
6Dwyane WadeCHI4The reason Batum is over Wade is because noone likes resting more than Wade. Wade has been Mr. Mid-Range this season and even though he has had success, he likes RESTING. 
7Klay ThompsonGSW3Thompson has to play a bit differently with Durant out and has to spend more time at the key rather than looking to cut. He is a pure shooter, but scoring will not come as easy until Durant returns.
8Khris MiddletonMIL4Middleton has been getting a ton of playing time and as expected, he has become the Greek Freak's secondary scoring option. His drives have been better and is playing more aggresively. 
9Wesley MatthewsDAL4Matthews moves up due to consistent elbow scoring and with the Mavs lacking inside weapons, Matthews will have to take advantage of match ups against smaller defenders and post high side. 
10Avery BradleyBOS3Bradley looks to be recovering nicely and will continue to spend more time setting screens until he can handle more shots, but expect teams to lay off Bradley a bit and he should find openings. 
11Kentavious Caldwell-PopeDET4KCP's shooting will need to be relied on a bit more as Jackson is hanging on by a thread when it comes to playing time. KCP will also stay right outside of the lane until the possesion ends. 
12Patrick BeverleyHOU3Beverley continues to be a nice change of pace option for the Rockets and he attacks the rim hard, can pull-up for a jumper on the break and he has been an effective defender. 
13Devin BookerPHX3Booker is the OTHER consistent scoring weapon on the Suns and just like in Portland with McCollum, same rules apply for Booker as the shots will always be there. 
14Victor OladipoOKC3Oladipo is over his back injury and returns to being the scoring dependant secondary weapon on the Thunder. When Oladipo gets hot, Westbrook will feed him a bit more. 
15Seth CurryDAL4Curry has been a quick driving option for the Mavs and like his Brother, he can hit turn around jumpers and does not need a lot of room to create. Curry gets a ton of playing time. 
16Sean KilpatrickBKN4Kilpatrick's playing in both guard spots will be needed. Kilpatrick is not afraid to drive the lane and due to lack of other scoring weapons, he will continue to get a lot of shots. 
17Dion WaitersMIA3Waiters holds the balance of his playing time in his hands because the Heat have a lot of scoring weapons and he will help only a little on the glass and if the shots aren't falling, he will be benched.
18Eric GordonHOU3Gordon continues to find openings as he is now the J.J. Redick of the team. Gordon's job is to only drive when open and knockdown three-pointers when open. 
19Lou WilliamsHOU3Williams has more of the PG role when Harden plays off the ball or even out of the game. Williams is an excellent creator from the corner and will cut back-door when the ball is at the key. 
20Tyler JohnsonMIA3Johnson is an off the bench scorer with driving ability and will need to keep playing for contact if he wants to stick out and get more playing time down the stretch.  

 

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Small Forward

RankPlayerTeam# GamesAnalysis
1LeBron JamesCLE4King James remains on top of the rankings with the full slate and as much as people want to see him lose some ability, he only gets better with age. 
2Giannis AntetokounmpoMIL4Even though Middleton is healthy, the Bucks lack a true frontcourt presence and that is where Antetokounmpo's driving will be a huge benefit and he will use it more. 
3Jimmy ButlerCHI4Unlike Wade, Butler will played every game even when banged up and the Bulls do not have as many scoring options to rely on and he will have a ton of time with the ball. 
4Kawhi LeonardSAS4Still in the league Concussion protocol and is Questionable to play Monday night. 
5Paul GeorgeIND3Even with the three games, George produces from all over the court and remains one of the best defenders in the league and he will never lose playing time. He just passes on shots. 
6Otto Porter WSH4Porter continues to be an effective wing player on both sides of the ball. He shuts down on the wing defensively and scores mainly from that area on offense. 
7Andrew WigginsMIN4Wiggins will continue to have all of the shots in the world with LaVine out and he will need to continue to rely on his drive to find openings. He will crash the boards from time to time. 
8Harrison BarnesDAL4Barnes has been excellent at keeping the offense balanced. He will lineup at different parts of the court on offense and shows his range nicely without forcing up too many shots. 
9Tobias HarrisDET4Harris continues controlling the wing nicely on offense and will always look to attack the rim first and just like Marcus Morris, he transitions nicely into post-play and Drummond is limited on offense.
10Danilo GallinariDEN3Gallinari is fully healthy and with Wilson Chandler a bit banged up, he will likely get more shots and chances to drive. Even though he stays at the key, he needs to use his size a bit more to get in. 
11Jae CrowderBOS3Crowder is an all post player who will try to get a quick step inside to score or draw contact. He will look to pass the second another defender comes in sight to avoid getting trapped. 
12Trevor ArizaHOU3Ariza remains an excellent perimeter defender and due to all of the scoring and driving weapons, he can remain at the key to be fed open three's.
13Rodney HoodUT4With the Jazz inside game a bit banged up, expect Hood to get a lot more shots and he will find himself open at the top of the key. Hood will fake his defender out and drive too. 
14Moe HarklessPOR4Harkless continues to remain an offensive weapon by default and will look to create from the elbow. He can hit a mid-range jumper, but he will pass off a lot and keep the ball moving. 
15Robert CovingtonPHI4Knee issues, questionable for Tuesday
16Wilson ChandlerDEN3Groin Strain, Questionable for Monday
17James JohnsonMIA3Johnson continues to be a big inside weapon for the Heat and has been a good driver and post player. On defense he does not let anyone through and he is hard to push around in the lane. 
18Evan FournierORL3Fournier continues to be the top shooting weapon on the Magic and he takes some terrible shots but by default due to lack of consistency of others, he will have a lot of time with the ball. 
19Carmelo AnthonyNY2We all know what 'Melo can do, but he moves way down the rankings due to the short slate. 
20Ersan IlyasovaATL3Ilyasova has a tougher time getting shots or time with the ball due to all of the elbow players the Hawks have. His defense will save his playing time down the stretch. 

 

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Power Forward

RankPlayerTeam# GamesAnalysis
1Anthony DavisNO4Davis remains far more productive than other players at his position and thus remains at the top of the rankings. 
2Blake GriffinLAC4Because of how limited DeAndre Jordan is, Griffin gets more time with the ball and has been dominant from the post and will rebound consistently. 
3Nikola JokicDEN3Jokic has been excellent and is able to move around nicely all over the court. He attacks the rim hard and takes a lot of contact and he is a hound on the glass. 
4Draymond GreenGSW3Green, as always, will need to play multiple positions at once and will see more plays on offense with Durant on the sidelines, but he is mainly a rebounder and blocker. 
5Paul MillsapATL3Millsap continues to be dominant on the offensive end. He will shoot off screens and create from the elbow. He has good moves to the middle of the paint that give him more chances to score.
6Serge IbakaTOR4Ibaka will continue to benefit with more shots on offense with Lowry out and he continues to shoot perimeter jumpers and it is hard to get around him on the defensive end. 
7Julius RandleLAL4Randle has improved his drive and has been hard to stop in the post. He is good at positioning himself right under the basket and helps the Lakers get secondary scoring opportunities. 
8Dirk NowitzkiDAL4Nowitzki seems over his health issues from earlier in the season as his scoring has picked up a ton. Expect long-range shooting and rebounding right inside as Dirk has said he is not done yet.
9Markieff MorrisWSH4Morris continues showing off his new-found mid-range game and he is always able to get himself open because of how often Wall drives to the rack and all of the attention he requires. 
10Zach RandolphMEM4Randolph continues to be fierce on the glass and he can always create from the elbow. Randolph's shot release is quick for a big man, and it is hard to defend and does not need a lot of air in his jump. 
11Trevor BookerBKN4Booker continues to be a hound on the glass and nobody else has really been there to help him on the boards. He feasts on second chance scoring. 
12Gorgui DiengMIN4Because Towns is such a mobile big man, Dieng often stays right outside the paint until the shot is put up and he crashes the boards hard and it is hard boxing him out. 
13Greg MonroeMIL4Monroe is a volume player at best because we never know how often he will play into games. He has double-double potential each game, but will look lost in some games and be ineffective. 
14Marcus MorrisDET4As mentioned in Tobias Harris' post, both the Pistons wings are good at transitioning to backing down their defender and both have quick moves in the post. I trust Morris elbow jumper a bit more.
15Al-Farouq AminuPOR4Aminu is not a huge scoring threat, but will often look to cut or drive to the basket and that's more than most of the other Blazers will do to try to break defenses and he is a reliable rebounder.
16JaMychal GreenMEM4Green is another volume player and can move a bit quicker than Randolph and will look to attack on the ball a bit more, but he is still growing and will be careless with the ball inside. 
17Jon LeuerDET4Leuer has proven that when healthy he can get involved in the offense and he has a good turnaround jumper and he will immediately crash the boards as well. He has carved out playing time. 
18Marvin WilliamsCHA3Williams has proven that he can create from the elbow and he will look to cut to the low post and draw contact. His jumps are well timed and he will draw a ton of contact. 
19Ryan AndersonHOU3Anderson is excellent at drawing out the defender as he is most effective from the perimeter, but, he is known to fake out the often slower, bigger defender and drive the open lane. 
20Kristaps PorzingisNY2Porzingis would obviously be higher in the rankings, but the Knicks are the only team with the short slate this week. 

 

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Center

RankPlayerTeam# GamesAnalysis
1DeMarcus CousinsNO4Boogie is at the top of the heap, but for how long? Will Anthony Davis feed into his shots? Will their be drama? It's Boogie, all-around Producer and an equally all-around Headcase. 
2Karl-Anthony TownsMIN4Towns could un-seed Boogie as the Top default option when the top options have full slates and why not? Like Boogie, he's an all-around weapon on both sides of the ball with shooting range.
3Andre DrummondDET4Drummond is a very good defender and might be the hardest player to box out of the paint. Teams will often look to send Drummond to the line and he is not known for his offense. VERY LIMITED.
4DeAndre JordanLAC4Jordan is another player not known for his offense, but with Paul in, double-digit scoring can be expected. When it comes to rebounding, Jordan has been a top dog in recent years and blocks too.
5Rudy GobertUT4Gobert is having a bit of leg soreness from a collision and is having an MRI on it. Right now he is questionable for Monday. 
6Marc GasolMEM4Gasol has been effective as ever and as good of a shooter he is from the outside, he has been an effective inside player and is also hard to box out of the paint. 
7Hassan WhitesideMIA3Whiteside moves down a bit due to the lack of fourth game, but he has transformed the Heat into a defensive powerhouse and attacks the rim as hard as any Center. 
8Brook LopezBKN4Lopez does not like attacking the rim, but he may be the best shooting Center in the game. Problem is, he doesn't attack the paint on defense either. 
9Dwight HowardATL3Howard has been working a lot harder for positioning this season, but still is limited to only an inside game and could be suspect from the free-throw line. Always expect rebounds and blocks. 
10Marcin GortatWSH4Gortat has been cutting more and is working hard for rebounding, but it is hard to determine how much he will be involved in the Wizards offensive scheme. He is fifth on the scoring depth chart.
11Nikola VucevicORL3Vucevic continues to be the Magic's best two-way inside weapon and he will always get fed. He is good for scoring, rebounding and has excellent footwork in the post. 
12Pau GasolSAS4With LaMarcus Aldridge out for who knows how long with a Heart ailment, Gasol will pick up a ton more plays on offense and will need to set the high screen and imediately post up inside. 
13Al HorfordBOS3Horford continues to be very effective from the outside and is good at reading the screens and escaping defenders, but he does not post up enough inside for a big man and is an ineffective defender.
14Jonas ValanciunasTOR4Valanciunas will continue getting open looks from right at the top of the paint, but Ibaka's demand for the ball will ultimately take the ball out of his hands and he will have to score from the post.
15Myles TurnerIND3Turner has the ability to shoot from the perimeter and he has improved tremendously at crashing the boards. He won't post up as much due to how many of his teammates like attacking the rim.
16Tristan ThompsonCLE4Thompson is all rebounding and anything he does offensively should accounted as an added bonus. He is very raw offensively, but hard to box out. 
17Mason PlumleeDEN3Because Jokic takes up a ton of space, Plumlee becomes the Dieng-type in this situation and won't get as many plays called for him, but with Kenneth Faried out, he can remain in the game a lot. 
18Clint CapelaHOU3Capela is the Rockets main inside weapon with a ton of his teammates setting up outside and will help in the rebounding department. He is the only Rocket to crash the boards consistently. 
19Jusuf NurkicPOR4Nurkic landed in the right spot for him and I expect him to move up the rankings down the stretch, but his production can only be counted on every other game, He is an inconsistent scorer and rebounder.
20Steven AdamsOKC3Adams is all grit and we can always expect him to rebound and keep players out of the lane. He will take a ton of contact and score a lot from the free-throw line. Rely on him for mainly defense.