Point Guard
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | POR | 4 | Lillard gets the top spot for continuing to carry the Blazers through games with his balanced offensive attack of driving and shooting while still helping on the assist front. | |
2 | WSH | 4 | Wall has definitely focused a bit more on hitting the cutter and the assists will always be high and Bradley Beal and Otto Porter have both benefitted from Wall leaving more space for a cutter when driving | |
3 | GSW | 4 | Curry is dealing with a minor thigh injury and may have to miss a game this week for his full slate. | |
4 | TOR | 4 | The Raptors frontcourt has been very inconsistent and banged up to start the season and a lot of the consistent scoring will have to continue to come from Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. | |
5 | LAL | 4 | The shooting is absolutely a work in progress, but Ball gets enough rebounds, assists and steals to still be considered a consistent producer. We're seeing more double-digit scoring efforts. | |
6 | MIN | 4 | Teague has been getting more involved in the Timberwolves offense and is able to score on the drive from right in front of the free-throw line and help with assists. He has a ton of options to play with. | |
7 | UT | 4 | Rubio and Donovan Mitchell will need to be ready to handle more of the Jazz offense with Rudy Gobert out for the next four to six weeks. Rubio's shot attempts will increase thus his scoring will increase. | |
8 | CHA | 3 | Walker is lower without the full slate and owners will need to enjoy Walker handling most of the offense because Nicolas Batum is on his way back. Walker will still score a ton and assists will go up. | |
9 | ATL | 3 | Schroder is absolutely needed on this rebuilding team and he's still able to find ways to get in the lane despite seeing even more attention from defenders. Assists will stay consistent and he'll get steals. | |
10 | MEM | 3 | Conley's options are slowly returning to the floor, but should still be able to keep his numbers consistent. The Grizzlies Coaches will take the ball out of his hands if shot selection is poor. | |
11 | MIA | 3 | With Hassan Whiteside back at full strength, expect a lot more passing than scoring because of Whiteside's dominance inside. Dragic will continue to help out with assists and will take contact inside. | |
12 | NO | 3 | Holiday will continue to being the Pelicans top outside scorer from the outside and he will see more open shots than a lot of other scoring guards b/c teams NEED to focus on their skilled big-men. | |
13 | PHX | 4 | James will continue to benefit with more playing time with the departure of Eric Bledsoe and expect him to be scoring in double figures while dishing five to seven assists. | |
14 | SAC | 4 | We're starting to see some consistency with Fox's offense and scoring. He's not taking as many contested jumpers and he's spending more time at the top of the paint getting long rebounds. | |
15 | BOS | 3 | Irving is dealing with facial injuries and needs to be fitted for a protective mask and that may cost him a game this week. | |
16 | DET | 3 | Jackson has been playing better this season than he has in the previous two. We're seeing more controlled possessions and drives in the lane. | |
17 | IND | 3 | Collison has been one of the Pacers most efficient outside shooters and even when he's hitting from the outside, he'll continue to look to drive and draw contact. | |
18 | MIL | 3 | Bledsoe and Giannis Antetokounmpo already look like they've played together and Bledsoe's assist numbers should increase and he already has a ton of security in the Bucks rotations and will get steals. | |
19 | DAL | 3 | Smith continues to be the driving force of this team. The Mavs have a lot of slower players and Smith is able to use his speed to be the lone-provider of the Mavs offense on transition. | |
20 | OKC | 2 | Westbrook would be much higher on this list and CAN out-produce some of these players who have more games then he has, but still makes the rankings b/c of amazing all-around production. |
Shooting Guard
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | WSH | 4 | The Wizards have one of the most dominant backcourt's in the league and Beal has become a ton more aggressive on offense and Beal provides a balanced attack of driving and scoring and plays in the paint | |
2 | C.J. McCollum | POR | 4 | The Blazers backcourt continues to provide most of the Blazers offense and like Beal, McCollum is also playing more in the paint and is getting fed more to further improve his scoring. |
3 | PHX | 4 | As the Suns turn over a new leaf, Booker becomes their top scoring option and he does a great job of driving and taking contact. The Suns frontcourt is weak offensively and that will benefit Booker. | |
4 | GSW | 4 | Thompson will benefit with the full slate and that Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry are a bit banged up. Expect Thompson to be given more time with the ball this week. | |
5 | TOR | 4 | DeRozan will continue being the 1A option for the Raptors offense. DeRozan is very effective backing his way inside and then turning to the opposite side to avoid a hand in his face when shooting. | |
6 | HOU | 3 | Harden moves down just a bit because a lot of the top Shooting Guards have a bigger slate than he does. Until Chris Paul returns, expect his assists to stay mainly in double-figures. | |
7 | MIN | 4 | Wiggins will primarily help with scoring and the Timberwolves have a ton of mouths to feed. Wiggins has been attacking a bit more with success and that has taken the ball out of Jimmy Butler's hands. | |
8 | IND | 3 | Oladipo moves down because of the lack of full slate, but his scoring has been consistent as ever and he's not driving in the corner and turning the ball over as much. He's shown his growth as a SG. | |
9 | LAL | 4 | KCP will continue to hit long-range shots from tough angles and use his post-game on the elbow to take advantage of smaller defenders. KCP will also grab long-rebounds and steals. | |
10 | HOU | 3 | Gordon will continue to be the Rockets second scoring option until Chris Paul returns and that could be in the next few games. Expect a good amount of scoring and assists. | |
11 | MIL | 3 | Bledsoe being aboard does pose a threat to Middleton's shots and because Bledsoe can create, it will keep Middleton even more at the arc, but if he uses his big frame in the high post, he'll get fed more. | |
12 | UT | 4 | Mitchell has ben impressive and getting rewarded with starts and with their centerpiece Rudy Gobert out for a bit, Mitchell will have to use his agility to force himself inside to provide interior offense. | |
13 | SAC | 4 | Hield has quietly been a double-digit scorer and see's a lot of open shots from the arc. Hield has taken the ball right out of George Hill's hands and is able to score from long and mid-range. | |
14 | MEM | 3 | When Evans is healthy, he's proven he can be a multi-category producer. He'll help with scoring, rebounding, assists and steals and even with Ben McLemore back, his spot is safe. | |
15 | CHA | 3 | Lamb has been very efficient from the arc and is a big reason why Walker is not trapped on offense on every play. Lamb will also cut back door and utilize his quickness to slow down transition offense. | |
16 | BOS | 4 | Brown continues to fill-in for Gordon Hayward nicely and has taken advantage of having more time with the ball and will attack the rim more as he continues to gain experience. He'll also help with steals. | |
17 | NY | 4 | Hardaway has been very hit or miss from the arc this season, but when his drive game is working and the lane stays open, instead of continuing to force up shots, he'll work his way inside more. | |
18 | CHI | 3 | The Bulls continue to be banged up, but they did get back Bobby Portis and that should take some of the defensive pressure off of Holiday when Portis and Lauri Markkanen are active. | |
19 | ATL | 3 | Bazemore continues to utilize his mid-range game from the post and when set up at the elbow for an open jumper. He's turning into one of the Hawks main bailout options on offense. | |
20 | LAC | 3 | With Patrick Beverley hurt, Williams will cdrtainly get more shots this week and more time with the ball. Scoring and assists should improve and he'll also help with steals. |
Small Forward
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | GSW | 4 | Durant is the top dog with the full slate and he seems to not be bothered by his thigh injury. Expect full strength for a full slate of games. | |
2 | WSH | 4 | Porter continues to score both from the arc and driving the lane. Porter has been taking a lot more contact on both sides of the ball and has been getting rebounds and he's always a help with steals. | |
3 | MIN | 4 | Butler has had to earn his shots because of all of the options the Timberwolves have on offense and will get fed more in games when his attack in the lane is working. Butler's defense will always keep him in. | |
4 | CLE | 3 | James has had to continue to be the Cavs main all-around producer as they continue to have a tough time winning. James, as always, is more successful when attacking as he's one of the hardest guys to stop. | |
5 | TJ Warren | PHX | 4 | The Suns frontcourt cannot provide consistency on offense and Warren's value increases because he will be a primary shooter and the Suns second shooting option from mid and long-range. |
6 | UT | 4 | Ingles has been one of the best three-point shooters in the league for the last couple of years and will call for the ball in the high post and find openings at the arc. His quick shot release makes it hard to contest. | |
7 | LAL | 4 | Ingram's scoring is not quite where the Lakers want it to be, but his ball-handling skills are and he does grab long rebounds and is providing enough production. He'll help with steals as well. | |
8 | WSH | 4 | Oubre has been getting a lot of playing time because of his solid perimeter defense and he's been a good bailout option in the Wizards second unit and has been very reliable from beyond the arc. | |
9 | DET | 3 | Harris will continue slashing down the middle and drawing contact and getting rebounds off of missed shots on both sides of the ball. Harris does utilize his long-range game as well. | |
10 | ORL | 3 | Fournier will continue being a primary scoring option and the Magic's top outside shooter. Fournier will mainly stick to scoring from the outside, but will look to attack semi-open lanes at times. | |
11 | PHI | 3 | Covington provides a balanced offensive attack. He can play at multiple positions on the court and will sometimes get fed in the post, at the arc and even right in the lower block. He'll grab boards too. | |
12 | DAL | 3 | Barnes is more of an attacker than shooter and the Mavs offense will require him to do both and he is great defender and will grab rebounds and steals consistently. | |
13 | UT | 4 | Hood has had to earn his shots and when his shots aren't falling, the Jazz will focus more on driving inside and both Ricky Rubio and Donovan Mitchell are better drivers than he is. He becomes a bailout option | |
14 | DEN | 3 | Barton has played at multiple positions and the Nuggets Coaches are so impressed with his ball-handling and defense that they'll play him at point guard and Gary Harris has been hurting. More shots for Barton. | |
15 | BKN | 3 | Carroll has been one of the biggest surprises to start the season and with D'Angelo Russell out for a bit with an injury, he'll get more shots from mid and long-range and he'll grab six to seven rebounds per game. | |
16 | ATL | 3 | Prince continues to rotate through screens well on defense and he'll help with steals and always look to attack on offense. He's technically the Hawks second scoring option and he takes a ton of contact. | |
17 | HOU | 3 | It's hard to determine how much Ariza will be involved in the Rockets offense at a given time, but his playing time is safe because he plays terrific defense and will always help with steals. | |
18 | SAS | 3 | Gay has filled in for Leonard nicely and has been utilizing his post game and getting rebounds off of missed shots on offense. Expect Gay to continue scoring in double figures. No return set for Leonard yet. | |
19 | James Ennis | MEM | 3 | Ennis has proven himself to be a multi-category producer and wil lhave to play at his best with McLemore activated and he's been consistently helping with scoring, assists, rebounds and steals. |
20 | OKC | 2 | George would be higher on this list but has the short slate. He's been scoring more than expected and Carmelo Anthony is dealing with a sore back and George should be fed more. |
Power Forward
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | MIL | 3 | Even with lack of full slate and the addition of Bledsoe, expect the Greek Freak continue to produce all-around at an extremely high level. | |
2 | NO | 3 | Davis has also produced and helped with all fantasy basketball categories with an equally skilled big man in DeMarcus Cousins sharing the paint with him. | |
3 | GSW | 4 | Green moves up the rankings with the full slate and will help with rebounds, steals and blocks and you never know what you're going to get from him when it comes to scoring. | |
4 | NY | 3 | Porzingis will continue providing balanced offense and is my far the Knicks top option and will produce from all over the court and has been excellent at running the floor. | |
5 | PHI | 3 | Simmons has been excellent with the ball and the Sixers have multiple guard injuries and Simmons will continue providing a lot of points, rebounds, assists and he'll help with steals. | |
6 | LAC | 3 | Griffin will continue to be the Clippers top scoring option and even though he continues to see the most success in the paint, he'll still take open outside jumpers. He'll always help with rebounding. | |
7 | LAL | 4 | Kuzma has taken the ball and run with it since Larry Nance Jr. went down and has proven to be the Lakers best attacker and positions himself in the paint to grab a good amount of boards. | |
8 | TOR | 4 | Ibaka moves up with the full slate and should be given a longer leash on offense because the Raptors inside players have not been consistent on offense. Ibaka will always help with blocks. | |
9 | SAS | 3 | Aldridge continues to be the Spurs top option with Kawhi Leonard out and he's been producing well from all over the court and will grab a steady number of boards and hit three-points. | |
10 | ORL | 3 | Gordon has had an excellent start to the season and has been one of the strongest attackers in the league and his outside shooting has improved. His rebounding from all over the court has been most impressive. | |
11 | UT | 4 | With Gobert out, Favors is in an excellent spot to get more time with the ball inside and rotate between PF and C as the Jazz will need to pose a threat inside. Expect Favors to get fed a ton and he'll grab boards. | |
12 | MIN | 4 | Gibson will be more of a volume producer and with Gorgui Dieng banged up, he should see a few more minutes and can score and rebounds effectively in under 20 minutes. | |
13 | DEN | 3 | Millsap has not made as much of an impact consistently as he did in Atlanta, but when he sets up in the post or cuts down the middle he see's more openings at the basket. He'll also help with boards. | |
14 | IND | 3 | Young has been a good slasher for the Pacers this season and even though he may see the ball less with the Pacers big men healthy, he plays excellent defense and his minutes are safe and he'll get steals. | |
15 | BOS | 3 | Tatum has been a good slasher and gets more aggressive each game and will find ways to stay in the lane and give the Celtics second chance scoring opportunities. | |
16 | MIA | 3 | Johnson has had to earn back his minutes and he's been muich better on both sides of the ball and has seen more success on offense over the last couple of weeks and he'll grab rebounds consistently. | |
17 | BKN | 3 | RHJ has had to rotate to multiple positions due to the amount of injuries the Nets have suffered from and has been having his way in the post and is driving with the ball more. | |
18 | IND | 3 | Even with Myles Turner back, Sabonis has still been able to produce and has been a consistent mid-range shooter. He can hit shots from long-range and play effectively inside and grabs a lot of boards. | |
19 | CHI | 3 | Even though he's played in just a few games, Portis has already made a huge impact and has been scoring in double figures, rebounding well, and Lauri Markkanen is hurting. | |
20 | HOU | 3 | Anderson has been working his way inside a little more, but when Chris Paul returns, he'll likely be camped out at the arc. He's been getting long rebounds that has helped keep his average up. |
Center
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | MIN | 4 | Towns returns to the top spot with the full slate and even though he may have games where he isn't scoring as much, he'll make up for it in all other categories. | |
2 | NO | 3 | Cousins continues to produce at an ultra-high level and has also taken on some of the Pelicans ball-handling skills thus giving him opportunities to produce. | |
3 | DEN | 3 | Jokic has returned to form and is taking advantage of attacking weak interior defenses on the wing. He's been hitting shots from all over the court and has been grabbing a ton of rebounds. | |
4 | MIA | 3 | Whiteside doesn't need too much time to grab a ton of rebounds. He'll have a harder time driving inside versus tough frontcourts but will take advantage on the glass and score off rebounds. | |
5 | Andre Drummond | DET | 3 | Drummond continues to be as much of a help on offense as he's been a hurtful piece on defense, but as always, he's rebounding at a high level and is scoring from right under the basket. |
6 | LAL | 4 | As much as Lopez frustrates fantasy players with inconsistent rebounding, he's proven to be the Lakers top shooter and he'll continue getting a lot of shots from the wing and will help with blocks. | |
7 | WSH | 4 | Gortat moves up with the full slate and has been running well with the speedsters on his team and his one-handed offensive attack continues to work in the post and he fights for rebounds. | |
8 | POR | 4 | Nurkic has excellent footwork in the post and draws a lot of contact and the Blazers are hrting for depth up front and that will give Nurkic even more playing time. | |
9 | PHI | 3 | Embiid is a volume producer as the Sixers continue to watch his minutes and has been shooting more from downtown this season. He'll provide a rebounding and blocks help. | |
10 | MEM | 3 | Gasol will continue to be an inside and outside producer on offense and he'll see open three-pointers. He's a strong defender in the post and will help with boards, steals and blocks. | |
11 | TOR | 4 | Giving Valanciunas a little more love with the full slate and he's been inconsistent from the field and inside, but his spot is safe in the rotation and will still score in double-figures. Shot hasn't been as on this year. | |
12 | CLE | 3 | Love has to revert back to the arc because of the Cavs injuries and he'll continue to score at a high level if he calls for the ball inside. He'll still be a huge help with rebounds. | |
13 | HOU | 3 | Capela will always have security in the Rockets lineup because of his ability to spin in the post and continues to be the Rockets main defensive weapon inside. | |
14 | BOS | 3 | Horford will continue producing mainly from the outside with Marcus Morris back, but he's committed more on defense this season and will grab a healthy amount of rebounds and will help with steals. | |
15 | ORL | 3 | Vucevic is still strong offense and is taking more contact this season. He plays well once he gets the ball in the post, sometimes, when doubled, he does a bit too much and loses possesion. | |
16 | LAC | 3 | As always, Jordan will be a reliable blocks and boards help, but with Beverley out for a few games, it will be harder to feed Jordan inside because he normally has two defenders watching him. | |
17 | CHA | 3 | Howard has utilized the post nicely and is a big help on the offensive glass and controls the paint because most of the Hornets weapons stay outside. | |
18 | IND | 3 | Oladipo's success has eaten into Turner's production a little, but Turner is good in the post and will look to spend more time there and less on the arc. He'll provide rebounding and blocks help. | |
19 | NY | 3 | Kanter has given the Knicks life inside on offense and has post moves and one-handed hook shots. He see's success on the offensive glass and has not spent as much time hanging at the arc this season. | |
20 | SAS | 3 | Gasol is still able to find ways to get inside and he does take mid-range shots and on defense will still hustle and rebound. He's slown down a bit, but is still able to use his body inside and make an impact. |