Point Guards
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Damian Lillard | POR | 4 | Putting Lillard in a big spot this week because Russell Westbrook isn't scoring as many points to start the season. Lillard will continue being the top scorer and will provide a ton of assists. |
2 | Russell Westbrook | OKC | 3 | Westbrook takes the second spot with one less games. Westbrook's stats are just about in triple-double territory showing his aggresiveness at the rim and he follows his own shots well. |
3 | Kemba Walker | CHA | 4 | Walker has had to take control of the offense and has been balancing nicely between shooting and driving. Walker is good at pumping the breaks on transition to hit open three's. Good for assists. |
4 | Kyrie Irving | BOS | 4 | Irving has had to take on more of a scoring role with Gordon Hayward out and the way he's running the offense is very familiar to how he ran in Cleveland. Always good for points, three's and assists. |
5 | Stephen Curry | GSW | 3 | Curry moves down a bit with the three-game slate, but he's been reliable as ever with his shot and has been hitting the cutter a ton. He'll also help with steals. Still the best three-point shooter. |
6 | Kyle Lowry | TOR | 4 | Lowry has been the 1A option and will be frozen out at times when the mid-court is exposed because of the impact DeMar DeRozan makes right inside the arc. Another PG who helps w/ assists. |
7 | John Wall | WSH | 3 | Wall moves down because of the lack of full slate and he's done an excellent job hitting his wings as they're cutting in the lane. Wall will also get inside and grab rebounds. |
8 | Ricky Rubio | UT | 4 | Rubio has had to be more of a socrer with Rodney Hood in and out of the lineup. Rubio is one of the best passer's in the league and has been helping a ton with scoring from mid and long-range. |
9 | Mike Conley | MEM | 4 | The Grizzlies have been dealing with quite a few injuries to start the season and the offense has had to run exclusively through him. He gets more open looks when Marc Gasol is setting high screens. |
10 | Jrue Holiday | NO | 4 | Holiday has had to play both guard spots and Jameer Nelson being in town has given him some relief and has gotten to take more shots than expected with Rajon Rondo out. |
11 | Goran Dragic | MIA | 4 | With Hassan Whiteside hurt, more is being asked of Dragic and he's been driving a bit more and is never afraid to take contact. He'll always help with assists and steals. |
12 | Darren Collison | IND | 4 | Collison has taken advantage of the lack of depth in the Pacers backcourt and has been finding himself open at both the arc and elbow showing teams don't pay too much attention to him. |
13 | Lonzo Ball | LAL | 4 | Ball's shooting has been inconsistent as expected to start the season, but he's good at following his own shots and grabbing rebounds inside and his passes are also impressive. Expect steals. |
14 | Patrick Beverley | LAC | 4 | Beverley has gotten more playing time with Milos Teodosic out b/c Lou Williams has had to help fill the SG spot. Beverley is good at running the floor and speeding up the offense. He'll score and dish |
15 | Jeff Teague | MIN | 4 | Teague has a lot working against him with the amount of shooters on the 'Wolves and Jamal Crawford backing him up, but still has been reliable with assists and he'll help with steals and scoring. |
16 | Dennis Smith Jr. | DAL | 4 | Smith has played bigger than his size and has been attacking the lane a lot to start the season. Smith with compile assists and he'll draw a lot of contact in the lane. He's not a shy long-range shooter. |
17 | Marcus Smart | BOS | 4 | Smart has definitely helped the guards get relief and has played in meaningful minutes. His decision-making with the ball has improved a bit and he'll grab a consistent amount of long rebounds. |
18 | Dejounte Murray | SAS | 4 | Murray has been getting the job done and his playing time stays in the mid-20's w/ Patty Mills backing him up. He's proven that he's good for scoring and assists with a small help w/ boards. |
19 | Terry Rozier | BOS | 4 | Rozier deserves to be on this list b/c he utilizes his playing time well and helps out with scoring, assists, rebounds and steals. He'll play more in close games as he plays solid perimeter defense. |
20 | Dennis Schroder | ATL | 3 | Schroder would be higher on this list, but only has the three games. With Kent Bazemore shooting a bit better, expect Schroder's assists to improve a tad. He'll get his fair share of scoring opps. |
Shooting Guards
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | James Harden | HOU | 4 | Harden will need to continue to play both guard spots effectively and his assist numbers should be protected and he commands the ball a ton and with no CP3 threat yet, he controls the floor. |
2 | DeMar DeRozan | TOR | 4 | DeRozan has been very successful per usual in the lane and at the elbow. He's been scoring from all over the paint, and he's been grabbing long rebounds and is a suffocating defender. |
3 | Victor Oladipo | IND | 4 | Oladipo has benefitted a ton from Myles Turner being out and has gotten more shots as the top active scoring option and Oladipo has been able to see success at the top of the paint and the arc. |
4 | CJ McCollum | POR | 4 | McCollum has not been helping as much with rebounding and assists but still takes on a big scoring role in Portland as the second weapon. McCollum see's a lot of success from the elbow. |
5 | Devin Booker | PHX | 4 | Booker is the default top scoring and shooter for the Suns until they deal Eric Bledsoe and because the Suns need all the help they can get offensively, expect Booker to be scoring dependant only. |
6 | Eric Gordon | HOU | 4 | Gordon will continue to be a big help filling in for Chris Paul and not only should his playing time and scoring continue to stay high, his assist numbers should see a boost as well for now. |
7 | Andrew Wiggins | MIN | 4 | Wiggins has been a lot more involved in the 'Wolves offense than expected and has eaten into Jimmy Butler's production a bit. He's had a few 20-plus point games with minor rebounding help. |
8 | Jeremy Lamb | CHA | 4 | Lamb deserves to be on this list due to how great of a job he's doing filling in for Nicolas Batum, being Kemba Walker's bailout option at the arc and reliability from the arc when shooting. |
9 | Klay Thompson | GSW | 3 | Thompson moves down a bit because of the lack of fourth game, but he's placed himself inside the arc a bit more and that will give him more scoring chances when cutting to the basket. |
10 | Danny Green | SAS | 4 | Until Kawhi Leonard comes back, Green will continue getting a whole lot of love in the Spurs offense. Green can hit from downtown, but it's his mid-range game that's made him dangerous. |
11 | Jaylen Brown | BOS | 4 | Brown will continue getting a ton of shots and time with the ball. He's not an exclusive shooter and will look to attack the lane, even when the holes are very small and will look to take contact. |
12 | Tyreke Evans | MEM | 4 | Due to all of the Grizzlies injuries, Evans has emerged as the third scoring option and has been scoring in souble figures and (as we've seen before) helping a bit with rebounds and assists. |
13 | Josh Richardson | MIA | 4 | The Heat's offense will have to continue coming through the back and mid-court and Richardson will be driving a lot to draw contact and will stay in the lane to keep plays alive. |
14 | Gary Harris | DEN | 4 | Harris will still get his shots from mid and long-range, but has not been attacking the lane as much. He often waits to get fed on the elbow, but still plays a meaningful role setting screens mid-court. |
15 | Bradley Beal | WSH | 3 | Beal would be much higher on this list, but has the third game. He provides balanced offense for the Wizards and has been cutting more and getting fed from Wall on the drive. |
16 | Khris Middleton | MIL | 3 | Middleton will continue being a good secondary option and see's a lot of open shots from long range. His sweet spot still seems to be at the top of the key and he's been cutting down the middle. |
17 | J.J. Barea | DAL | 4 | Barea has carved himself a role in the Mavs rotation and he's been helping out with scoring, rebounding and will even provide steals help. He's a very scrappy 20-plus minute player. |
18 | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | LAL | 4 | KCP is very proactive at the top of the paint as he will set screens and then pop out. Like in Detroit, he'll still get room to create in the Lakers offense and should be a double-digit scorer. |
19 | Jonathon Simmons | ORL | 4 | Elfrid Payton being out has given Simmons even more playing time and he's been getting more shots and has shown driving ability. He'll help wih steals thoughout the season. |
20 | Justin Holiday | CHI | 3 | Holiday and Lauri Markkanen are currently co-top scoring weapons for the Bulls and Holiday has been hitting a lot of contested long-range shots and will grab long rebounds. |
Small Forwards
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Kevin Durant | GSW | 3 | Even without a full slate of games, Durant has been helping out in every category on a team loaded with weapons and threats and deserves to be in the top spot. |
2 | LeBron James | CLE | 3 | Just about as deserving as Durant is, James has also proven himself and has even taken on PG duties from time to time. He's helped in all fantasy basketball categories. |
3 | Jimmy Butler | MIN | 4 | We can always rely on Butler for boards and steals, but the scoring is the one thing in question as there have been games when he's been frozen out of the offense and held in the corner. |
4 | Evan Fournier | ORL | 4 | Fournier has had to carry the Magic's offense from the elbow and arc with Payton and even Aaron Gordon in and out of the lineup. He'll provide mainly scoring and three-point shooting. |
5 | Otto Porter Jr. | WSH | 3 | Porter is an excellent defender, but his offense has improved even more from last season and he's been dynamic in the post and has been able to have his way in the paint. |
6 | Paul George | OKC | 3 | George has been getting a ton of slashing opportunities, but his scoring will not be as high as in previous season's, but he can always be relied on for boards, steals and blocks. |
7 | Wesley Matthews | DAL | 4 | Matthews has been a good elbow player for the Mavs on both sides of the ball, and he'll often take advantage of mis-matches and back down smaller defenders and take contact in the post. |
8 | Will Barton | DEN | 4 | Barton has carved his way into the Nuggets rotation and has out-played Wilson Chandler and received more shots and opportunities to create in the post. |
9 | Trevor Ariza | HOU | 4 | Ariza had been out with a foot injury, but showed in his return that he's over it and owners can always expect steals, some rebounding and knock-down three-point shooting. |
10 | Danilo Gallinari | LAC | 4 | Gallinari has lost some shots on the arc to Blake Griffin, but teams are starting to double Griffin a bit more in the post and he should see more openings at the arc. He'll provide some help w/ boards. |
11 | Rudy Gay | SAS | 4 | Gay will continue coming off the bench but will be a scorer from the elbow and even in the post. He's able to spin right into good paint position and will grab offensive rebounds. |
12 | Tobias Harris | DET | 3 | Harris continue to be the Pistons most dynamic option. He's a strong attacker with the ball and has moves in the post, but has shown improvement in his shot this season from the elbow. |
13 | Kyle Anderson | SAS | 4 | Anderson will still have a role in the offense as long as Leonard is back and even though he see's first team defense, LaMarcus Aldridge requires a lot more attention. He scores from the arc. |
14 | Brandon Ingram | LAL | 4 | Ingram will get a lot of time with the ball and will compile stats in scoring, rebounding and assists, but the ball gets taken out of his hands a lot in the post. Expect improvement. |
15 | TJ Warren | PHX | 4 | Warren will continue to take on a big scoring role technically as the second option behind Booker, but will continue to be just a scorer and he'll help a bit with steals. Expect mainly shooting. |
16 | Courtney Lee | NY | 4 | Lee has logged a ton of minutes to start the season and has been able to score in double figures. Lee is also a solid perimeter defender and will swipe the ball and his playing time will be secure. |
17 | Robert Covington | PHI | 3 | Covington will continue shooting a lot from the arc and playing the role as the Sixers main bailout option. Teams forget that Covington can work in the post and will even grab rebounds in the paint. |
18 | Kelly Oubre Jr. | WSH | 3 | The Wizards mid-court have been very impressive and Oubre has been a very reliable outside shooter. Oubre will also take advantage of sleepy defenders and keep plays alive inside for the Wizards. |
19 | Evan Turner | POR | 4 | Turner has been successful getting a handful of shots in the Blazers second unit. He's shown his range early and has provided a bit of rebounding and steals help. Blazers lack depth. |
20 | Taurean Prince | ATL | 3 | Prince has been getting a lot of shots in the Hawks offense from mid and long range and has provided a good amount of steals help on the other side of the ball. He'll grab some boards too. |
Power Forwards
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Anthony Davis | NO | 4 | Davis owners were able to breathe when he returned to the court and even with Cousins there, continues to produce at a high level in just about every fantasy basketball category. |
2 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | MIL | 3 | The Greek Freak continues to play multiple positions on the court and while he does have shooting range, he's been attacking the lane a ton and controlling the paint and glass once inside. |
3 | Blake Griffin | LAC | 4 | Griffin has not only been accurate from long-range to start the season, but he's also been clutch. He's still calling for the ball a lot in the post and will continue grabbing a good amount to boards. |
4 | LaMarcus Aldridge | SAS | 4 | Aldridge will continue to be the Spurs top scoring option with Leonard still out and he's been playing in the post more and seeing a ton of success inside and outside. He'll help with boards and blocks. |
5 | Kristaps Porzingis | NY | 4 | Porzingis transition to being a top all-around option is looking good. He provides balanced offense in driving and shooting. He'll provide a ton of boards and blocks on defense. |
6 | Aaron Gordon | ORL | 4 | Gordon is starting to prove that he could have top option potential and even though he's a bit banged up, he has his way in the lane and paint and will grab boards and steals. |
7 | Ben Simmons | PHI | 3 | Even with three games and a non-existant shot, Simmons can play multiple positions, control the offense right inside the arc, attack the rim, grab a ton of boards and sets up his teammates in the paint. |
8 | Harrison Barnes | DAL | 4 | Barnes will continue to get a lot of shots from mid and long-range, but will need to continue to attack the rim more. Once he gets inside, he'll grab rebounds and is hard to screen out on the perimeter. |
9 | Paul Millsap | DEN | 4 | Millsap has been able to get double-digit shots, but it's become hard to tell whether or not he'll ever score 20 points and how often he'll grab a lot of rebounds. He does have shooting range. |
10 | Al-Farouq Aminu | POR | 4 | Aminu takes advantage of the Blazers lack of depth and even with Meyers Leonard out, he'll get more playing time. He's mainly an attacker and will score in double figures & help w/ boards and blocks. |
11 | Domantas Sabonis | IND | 4 | It's still undetermined when we'll see Myles Turner this week and Sabonis will continue to take advantage on the elbow and take mid-range shots, bang in the post and pull down boards. |
12 | James Johnson | MIA | 4 | Johnson has taken advantage of Hassan Whiteside being out and has been producing in the paint for the most part. He's been grabbing rebounds over bigger defenders. Johnson has shooting range. |
13 | Jayson Tatum | BOS | 4 | Tatum has been playing a lot of minutes to start the season and has provided steals and bloacks help. Tatum can hit three-pointers and has had multiple 20-point games this season. |
14 | Serge Ibaka | TOR | 4 | Ibaka may not be the most reliable scorer, but he can always be relied on for boards and blocks. As always, he need to set up in the paint more and use his size effectively on offense. |
15 | Ryan Anderson | HOU | 4 | Anderson has been getting more shots with Paul out and b/c Clint Capela is such an attacker inside, Anderson is used as his bailout option from downtown when the opposition defense collapses. |
16 | Draymond Green | GSW | 3 | It's been a bit of a strange year for Green. In order for him to be fully effective, he'll need to block a lot of shots and grab at least 10 rebounds b/c he won't help much with scoring. |
17 | Thaddeus Young | IND | 4 | Young has also benefitted from Turner being out and will continue to slash inside. Young will place himself aat good spots in the paint and will grab short and long rebounds. |
18 | Carmelo Anthony | OKC | 3 | As expected, Anthony mainly produces from the elbow and arc and does not attack much as he has in previous seasons. He's a very reliable shooter, but hard to tell what other production to expect. |
19 | Lauri Markkanen | CHI | 3 | Markkanen has already proven that he will be hard to defend b/c of his shot that's very hard to contest from short or long-range. It has a high release point, and he also helps on the glass. |
20 | Larry Nance Jr. | LAL | 4 | Nance has been having a few issues scoring inside and has lost a bit of playing time. He's been a helpful rebounder every other game, and helps a ton with steals. |
Centers
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | DeMarcus Cousins | NO | 4 | It doesn't matter if Anthony Davis is in or out of the lineup b/c Cousins will produce at a high level either way and will help in every fantasy basketball category. He'll take long-range jumpers. |
2 | Karl-Anthony Towns | MIN | 4 | Towns will continue to the top option in Minnesota and he also can shoot from long range but is a much better attacker and places himself in position to rebound on both sides of the ball. |
3 | Marc Gasol | MEM | 4 | Gasol has needed to step up on offense due to all of Memphis' injuries. and has been getting it done from inside and outside and he'll continue to be a help on the glass. |
4 | Nikola Vucevic | ORL | 4 | Vucevic has been dominant in the post and has had his way in virtually every match up thus far. He makes very quick spin moves in the post and draws a lot of contact. He's a beast on the glass. |
5 | Nikola Jokic | DEN | 4 | Jokic has been getting it together after a bit of a slow start and is starting to attack more again from the elbow rather than always calling for a the ball in the post. Expect a ton of boards. |
6 | Dwight Howard | CHA | 4 | Howard may have found his fit in Charlotte as he's been in double figures in rebounding in every game this season and has helped a ton with blocks. For the most part, he's been a double-digit scorer. |
7 | DeAndre Jordan | LAC | 4 | Jordan can always be relied on for a ton of boards and blocks, but still finds it difficult to create with the ball inside. He gives the Clippers a ton of second-chance scoring opportunities. |
8 | Rudy Gobert | UT | 4 | Gobert is not a 20-plus point scorer b/c he scores exclusively from the low-block, but he'll still score in double figures in most game and has been averaging 10.8 rebounds per game. |
9 | Clint Capela | HOU | 4 | Capela serves as the Rockets main inside presence, but when the Rockets want to run a bit more, he may lose a bit of playing time and his stats have reflected it. He's still grabbing 10.7 rebounds per game. |
10 | Al Horford | BOS | 4 | Horford will mainly produce from the arc on offense to draw out bigger defenders, but will call for the ball some plays in the post. On defens, he's able to help out w/ boards and blocks. |
11 | Andre Drummond | DET | 3 | Drummond is an excellent rebounder inside and will score in double-figures inside as well, but he's been horrible on defense and even in close games, he may lose playing time. He's not boxing out well. |
12 | Enes Kanter | NY | 4 | Kanter has scored in double figures when he's had limited minutes. Kanter is good at going up and under with the ball and his shots inside aren't contested as well. He's been doing well on the offensive glass |
13 | Pau Gasol | SAS | 4 | Gasol is still able to produce on both sides of the ball in the paint. He's always had good finess and has improved at creating in the post w./ the ball and he can go up with one hand. He'll grab boards. |
14 | Kevin Love | CLE | 3 | Love is now being asked to play more of the stretch-four role and he'll be taking more shots outside. His scoring could go down a little bit if his outside shot isn't on. Expect rebounding to remain consistent. |
15 | Joel Embiid | PHI | 3 | He's dealing with a burised hand, but that shouldn't keep him out of action and does not have to deal with back to back games this week and he should be able to play in all games this week. |
16 | Jusuf Nurkic | POR | 4 | Nurkic has taken advantage of the Blazers depth issues and has been able to score a lot and grab a lot of rebounds from right under the basket. Nurkic does has decent footwork on offense in the post. |
17 | Steven Adams | OKC | 3 | Adams has been getting more plays inside than expected and his field-goal shot attempts have reflected it. Adams has scored in double figures in almost every game this season & is a consistent rebounder. |
18 | Brook Lopez | LAL | 4 | Remember, Lopez cannot be relied on for rebounds. Owners will need him scoring in double-digits in each game & he hasn't been able to do so and has been getting inconsistent playing time. Helps w/ blocks |
19 | Jonas Valanciunas | TOR | 4 | INJ: Dealing with an ankle injury, but there's a chance he can play in three or even his full slate this week. |
20 | Hassan Whiteside | MIA | 4 | INJ: Still dealing with knee issues and it's hard to tell how many games he'll play this week. |