Point Guard
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Stephen Curry | GSW | 3 | Curry comes into the season as the Warriors 1A scoring option with Kevin Durant . Expect a lot of three's, assists and even steals on the defensive end. |
2 | Chris Paul | HOU | 3 | Paul is fully healthy coming into the season and he'll serve as the second scoring option behind James Harden . Expect Paul to contribute a ton of dimes as always. |
3 | Kyle Lowry | TOR | 3 | It will be interesting to see if Lowry is utilized any differently with the departure of DeMar DeRozan . Kawhi Leonard doesn't command the ball as much, should help pts. |
4 | Ben Simmons | PHI | 3 | Despite dealing with minor neck soreness, Simmons is ready to be a multi-category producer. He's a fierce driver with the ball and will grab a lot of boards as well. |
5 | Kyrie Irving | BOS | 3 | Irving is ready to go with the injuries hopefully behind him. With Gordon Hayward back, his assists numbers should be constantly high but his scoring may dip a tad. |
6 | Kemba Walker | CHA | 3 | Walker remains the top scoring weapon on the Hornets and with a healthy Nicolas Batum and Cody Zeller and lane-flyer Miles Bridges , his assist's should improve. |
7 | Damian Lillard | POR | 2 | The Blazers haven't changed much from last season when it comes to roster composition and Lillard will contribute plenty of points and assists. |
8 | John Wall | WSH | 2 | With Dwight Howard hurt to start the season, Wall will be depended on to score a bit more to start the season. He's healthy and assist and steals numbers will be high. |
9 | Jeff Teague | MIN | 3 | With Jimmy Butler still a member of the team, expect to see similar production from Teague. He'll score consistently in double figures and he'll help w/ dimes & steals. |
10 | Goran Dragic | MIA | 3 | Dragic will be a priority scorer in the Heat's offense and he'll have plenty of time to feed Hassan Whiteside and dish a lot of assists. Expect him to keep the pace quick. |
11 | D'Angelo Russell | BKN | 3 | Russell is healthy and w/ no Jeremy Lin , he should operate exclusively out of the PG spot and be a priority scorer with his forwards a bit banged up. |
12 | Jamal Murray | DEN | 3 | Murray will contribute mainly points rather than a steady diet of scoring and assists, but he will keep the tempo up and on transition is where you get assists. |
13 | Darren Collison | IND | 3 | Even with the addition of Tyreke Evans , Collison's spot in the rotation is solidified and he should be able to score and dish consistently. He'll help out w/ steals too. |
14 | Patrick Beverley | LAC | 3 | Beverley is healthy going into the season and faces a lot of competition for minutes and could be dealt this season. Besides scoring, expect consistent boards & dimes. |
15 | Dennis Schroder | OKC | 3 | With Russell Westbrook hurt, we should see a lot of scoring and PT from Schroder early on in the season. He's not a NO. 1 guy anymore & could be sixth man. |
16 | De'Aaron Fox | SAC | 3 | Expect to see growth from Fox and he will have time rotating at both guard spots and with a bolstered front court, his assist numbers should see an increase. |
17 | Trey Burke | NY | 3 | Burke shuld have a leg up on the Knicks depth early and he'll take a lot of shots and help w/ assists. If the Knicks need more defense, Frank Ntilikina will be subbed in. |
18 | Mike Conley | MEM | 2 | Conley is back from injury and should be the Grizzlies top scoring weapon and assist man. He has more help in Kyle Anderson and Jaren Jackson Jr. to dish to. |
19 | Eric Bledsoe | MIL | 2 | Bledsoe will be able to take more shots with Jabari Parker off the team and he's a good defender and will play deep into games. Expect a good chunk of steals. |
20 | Russell Westbrook | OKC | 3 | INJ: It is undetermined if Westbrook will start the season active as he needs to get more full contact practices in as he recovers from Knee surgery. He could play week 1. |
Shooting Guard
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | James Harden | HOU | 3 | The reigning NBA MVP goes into this season as arguably the top fantasy option and he'll remain the top scoring weapon and he'll have enough time with the ball as well. |
2 | Victor Oladipo | IND | 3 | Oladipo is coming off of a career-changing season in which we saw him not only shoot well and become the Pacers NO. 1 option, but he'll also drive and dish & grab steals. |
3 | Klay Thompson | GSW | 3 | Thompson will have his games in which he places himself more inside, but you'll mainly get a lot of three's from him as the bailout option, but you'll also get steals. |
4 | Nicolas Batum | CHA | 3 | Batum is healthy coming into the season and as the Hornets second scoring option, he'll hit shots from long-range and follow up his shots and grab boards and steals. |
5 | Lou Williams | LAC | 3 | Even though Williams is in a situation with a ton of guard depth, he'll rotate to both guard spots and play 30-plus minutes and help with scoring, dimes and boards. |
6 | Tim Hardaway Jr. | NY | 3 | THJ is dealing with a minor Wrist sprain, but that won't keep him out and he's the Knicks top scoring weapon to start the season. He won't stay at the arc the whole time. |
7 | Gary Harris | DEN | 3 | Even with a lot of options on his team, he'll be the priority shooter over Will Barton and he'll get open from mid-range jumpers and provide help w/ boards and steals. |
8 | Donovan Mitchell | UT | 2 | Mitchell would be higher on the list if he had the third game, but he still opens the season as the Jazz top scoring weapon and he'll even run the point to compile dimes. |
9 | DeMar DeRozan | SAS | 2 | DeRozan should start the season as the Spurs top scoring weapon and he'll be needed to facilitate the offense w/ all of the guard injuries and his assist-numbers will go up. |
10 | Jrue Holiday | NO | 2 | The additions of Elfrid Payton and Julius Randle shouldn't hinder Holiday's production as he'll still be relied on heavily especially to score. He'll help with boards & dimes. |
11 | Bradley Beal | WSH | 2 | Beal will be the second scoring option and he did a great job of attacking the rim more last season and that will help him grab boards. He's the Wizards second option. |
12 | CJ McCollum | POR | 2 | McCollum remains the second scoring option to Lillard and he'll find himself open from mid and long-range and he'll be helpful w/ boards and steals. |
13 | Khris Middleton | MIL | 2 | Middleton will see more shots with no Jabari Parker and he'll set up a lot at the top of the key. He'll grab a god about of boards and steals and be a minor assist help. |
14 | Josh Richardson | MIA | 3 | Expect to see growth from Richardson this season. He's healthy and will be relied on more to shoot more this season, especially w/ Dion Waiters still hurt. |
15 | Andrew Wiggins | MIN | 3 | With Jimmy Butler still around, expect Wiggins to score between 12-15 points per game and help a bit w/ boards and steals. He needs to not stick to the arc as much. |
16 | Evan Fournier | ORL | 3 | Fournier will still be a priority scorer, even with the Magic healthy going into the season. Expect to see him take a lot of three's as he hangs out at the arc as a bailout. |
17 | JJ Redick | PHI | 3 | We saw a more productive Redick last season and his playing time may take a small hit if Markelle Fultz gets involved early. Expect consistent scoring and even assists. |
18 | Buddy Hield | SAC | 3 | Hield will see more shots than anticipated early with Bogdan Bogdanovic a bit banged up to start the season. He'll also provide rebounding help & play a lot of minutes. |
19 | Eric Gordon | HOU | 3 | Even w/ Carmelo Anthony on the team, Gordon will still get a ton of shots, especially with the second unit and he has the ability to run the point effectively. |
20 | Devin Booker | PHX | 2 | INJ: Booker has been recovering from a hand injury and he was supposed to miss the first week of action and new Reports show the scorer has a shot to play opening night. |
Small Forward
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Kevin Durant | GSW | 3 | Expect to see consistent all-around production from Durant like we saw last season. When DeMarcus Cousins eventually returns, we'll have to re-evaluate a bit. He's safe! |
2 | Paul George | OKC | 3 | With Westbrook potentially out, George will be the top scoring weapon and should see more shots and time w/ the ball. Expect boards, steals and heavy minutes. |
3 | Kawhi Leonard | TOR | 3 | Leonard is healthy and he'll be right behind Lowry as the priority scorer and should score consistently between 17-20 points. Expect a ton of boards and steals help. |
4 | Jimmy Butler | MIN | 3 | Butler is still a member of the Timberwolves and he's healthy going into the season. Expect to see a steady diet of scoring, boards and steals from Butler. |
5 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | MIL | 2 | Antetokounmpo will always get time with the ball to drive and he's very aggressive when crashing the boards. Expect production in all categories. |
6 | LeBron James | LAL | 2 | Will James be as dominant from a scoring standpoint? From what we've seen in pre-season he's looking to set up his teammates a bit more. This could lead to more dimes. |
7 | Gordon Hayward | BOS | 3 | Hayward returns to a very deep Celtics team and he should be the second scoring option and he'll help with assists. The question is how the shots will be divided in Boston. |
8 | Will Barton | DEN | 3 | Barton was able to score in double figures consistently and he played very strong defense. Expect him to log heavy minutes and help w/ boards, dimes and steals. |
9 | Robert Covington | PHI | 3 | It was a very up and down year last season for Covington. Even though he hangs out at the arc a lot, he'll still crash the boards and have times in which he plays in the paint. |
10 | Taurean Prince | ATL | 3 | Prince will still have a role in this offense. He'll set up at the elbow, set the opening screen and pop out for a jumper. He's also not afraid to drive the lane. |
11 | Danilo Gallinari | LAC | 3 | Gallinari is healthy and should be the second scoring option behind Tobias Harris . He'll shoot a lot of three's, but will still look to drive and grab boards. |
12 | Otto Porter Jr. | WSH | 2 | Otto Porter is known more for his defense and he'll help with boards and steals. On the offensive end, he'll score in double figures being the team's main bailout option. |
13 | Nikola Mirotic | NO | 2 | Mirotic will shift down to SF w/ the arrival of Julius Randle . Expect to see more long-range shooting. He'll have plays in which he lines up in the high post and he'll grab boards. |
14 | Luka Doncic | DAL | 2 | Doncic will be able to shift to multiple positions early w/ Harrison Barnes and Dirk Nowitzki banged up. He'll have time to run point. Expectations are high for production. |
15 | Jabari Parker | CHI | 2 | The big question remains whether or not the injury-ridden Parker will have a minutes restriction entering the season. He'll help w/ points and boards. Markkanen being out helps. |
16 | Caris LeVert | BKN | 3 | We should see a big jump in production for LeVert w/ the Nets banged up going into the season. Expect him to score in double figures and help w/ dimes and steals. Will he start? |
17 | Mario Hezonja | NY | 3 | The Knicks need all of the help they can get scoring and w/ Courtney Lee having neck pain, Hezonja could see starter minutes and he'll help w/ scoring and boards. |
18 | Bojan Bogdanovic | IND | 3 | The jury is still out regarding how involved Bogdanovic will be in the Pacers offense early. Tyreke Evans will be looking to steal minutes and shots from him. He's a bailout option. |
19 | Joe Ingles | UT | 2 | Ingles will take a ton of three's and fantasy owners can expect him to take a lot of high-percentage shots. He'll also provide some help with boards and assists to the cutter. |
20 | Brandon Ingram | LAL | 2 | Even w/ LeBron James aboard, Ingram has shown strong chemistry early and they'll feed off each other on transition. Ingram will have some time to run the floor. Will he start? |
Power Forward
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Kevin Love | CLE | 3 | Love is the Cavs top scoring option and despite coming into the season a little banged up, he's not in danger of missing the opener. Expect a ton of scoring and boards. |
2 | Draymond Green | GSW | 3 | Until DeMarcus Cousins is ready, expect Green to constantly play two positions at once controlling the paint. He will take open three's and help out in all fantasy categories. |
3 | Aaron Gordon | ORL | 3 | Gordon is fully healthy and he'll be the top scoring option and he's very agile and has improved his lane-driving ability. He'll help w/ boards and steals. |
4 | Tobias Harris | LAC | 3 | Harris will have a huge opportunity to be looked at as a top scoring option and his scoring numbers should improve. He follows his shots and will grab a good chunk of boards. |
5 | Jayson Tatum | BOS | 3 | It'll be interesting seeing if Tatum loses shots with Gordon Hayward back in the mix. Tatum was great at crashing the boards and keeping plays alive and should still see shots. |
6 | Paul Millsap | DEN | 3 | Millsap will score steadily in double figures and he'll take a ton of mid-range shots while fighting for boards on both sides of the ball. He's healthy coming into the season this year. |
7 | Dario Saric | PHI | 3 | Saric should see starter minutes and he'll take shots from short and long-range. Expect improvements in rebounding and even blocks. W/ Wilson Chandler hurt, it'll help his PT. |
8 | Blake Griffin | DET | 2 | Griffin will be the top shooting option for the Pistons and because Andre Drummond is very limited offensively, it will put the ball in Griffin's hands more. He'll help in most categories. |
9 | LaMarcus Aldridge | SAS | 2 | Aldridge's role will be very similar to last season's and with the guard injuries, he'll be asked to provide a good amount of offense from short and long range and help w/ boards and blocks. |
10 | Marvin Bagley | SAC | 3 | Bagley has a ton of explosivness to his game and is agile when he attacks the rim. He'll look to settle for mid-range jumpers at times, but should see a lot of playing time early. |
11 | Thaddeus Young | IND | 3 | Young seemed like an outcast until recently when the Pacers realized that playing Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis on the floor together may not be the best idea. His PT should be safe. |
12 | Taj Gibson | MIN | 3 | Gibson is Mr. Volume because he only needs 20 minutes to produce points and boards. He has strong inside moves and will draw a lot of contact. Gorgui Dieng shouldn't be a threat. |
13 | Carmelo Anthony | HOU | 3 | The big question remains if Anthony will attack the paint on both sides of the ball a bit more or if he'll let P.J. Tucker do all of his dirty work for him. He'll take a lot of long-range jumpers. |
14 | Kevin Knox | NY | 3 | Knox looked strong in the preseason and attacked the rim with no fear. He has good shooting ability and the Knicks don't have many options. Expect consistent points, boards and steals. |
15 | Serge Ibaka | TOR | 3 | Ibaka is not the same blocker that he used to be, but his mid and long-range game will still be utilized a good amount and owners can expect 6-8 boards per game. |
16 | Jonathan Isaac | ORL | 3 | Isaac has a lot of hype coming into this season as he was hampered by injuries, but he's big, quick and agile and he should be able to be to make an impact w/ points, boards and blocks. |
17 | Jerami Grant | OKC | 3 | Grant will be needed as the Thunder still lack depth and their wings will have to shift to other positions at times. He'll see more shots this week if Westbrook is out. He'll help w/ boards and steals. |
18 | Julius Randle | NO | 2 | It'll be interesting seeing how many plays will be called for Randle. Expect him to score 10-14 points per game, but to also help provide a ton of defense including steals and blocks. |
19 | Kyle Kuzma | LAL | 2 | Kuzma will be relied on to do a lot of the dirty work. He'll hit long-range jumpers and then crash the boards after. Expect his rebounding numbers to go up a bit and he'll help w/ steals. |
20 | Jaren Jackson | MEM | 2 | The Grizzlies are stupid if they don't start Jackson. He's very agile and has major leaping ability. He can hit long-range jumpers and has speed. He's a definite upgrade to JaMychal Green . |
Center
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Karl-Anthony Towns | MIN | 3 | No matter what happens w/ Jimmy Butler , Towns should still be the top scoring option and he'll take a decent amount of three's, but will make up for it w/ plenty of boards and blocks. |
2 | Nikola Jokic | DEN | 3 | Jokic will be the priority scorer for the Nuggets and he'll even take his fair share of long-range jumpers, but he can also dribble and force his way inside. He'll help w/ most categories. |
3 | Joel Embiid | PHI | 3 | Embiid is healthy and shouldn't be on any kind of minutes restriction to start the season. He'll fight for boards and block a good amount of shots. Expect steals in the lane. |
4 | Anthony Davis | NO | 2 | Davis would be at the top of this list if he had a full slate. He was much better last season when it came to health, but it should always be a concern. Expect all-around high end production. |
5 | Hassan Whiteside | MIA | 3 | Whiteside had a bad season and saw his minutes get limited a lot. Was it health or lack of effort? CLEAN SLATE! When he's at his best, he'll help w/ points, boards and a good amount of blocks. |
6 | Nikola Vucevic | ORL | 3 | As much as the Magic will want to use Mo Bamba, Vucevic brings a ton of offensive ability complete w/ fancy footwork. He places himself at good spots in the lane to grab a lot of boards. |
7 | Andre Drummond | DET | 2 | While Drummond can't create with the ball, he surely can box out as good as any big man in the league and he'll score from right under the basket and grab a ton of boards and blocks. |
8 | Al Horford | BOS | 3 | Hayward being back could take Horford away from the arc a bit more and he'll be able to create in the post and grab a good amount of boards. He was much more aggressive last season. |
9 | Myles Turner | IND | 3 | Turner wasn't the healthiest player for the first half of last season. He needs to rely less on his long-range game and be a true Center by fighting for boards and setting up in the post more. |
10 | Clint Capela | HOU | 3 | Even though Capela got paid in the offseason, he'll be relied on as the Rockets main inside player since 'Melo like to put in as much effort. Expect inside scoring and a lot of boards and blocks. |
11 | Enes Kanter | NY | 3 | Kanter will be the Knicks second scoring option to start the season and he'll provide a good amount of points and boards. His overall inside game has improved since joining the Knicks. |
12 | Marc Gasol | MEM | 2 | There will be less pressure on Gasol with more options on the Grizzlies and a healthy Conley, but Gasol will still get a lot of plays called for him inside & out & he'll grab consistent boards and blocks. |
13 | DeAndre Jordan | DAL | 2 | With Dirk Nowtizki and Harrison Barnes hurt, the Mavs will force the ball inside more and Jordan has a few good passers to set him up inside and he'll help out with tons of boards and blocks. |
14 | Rudy Gobert | UT | 2 | Gobert is a traditional inside banger of a Center and he'll score a lot by driving inside and setting up on the low block. He'll help with put-backs and grab a lot of rebounds and he'll block a lot of shots. |
15 | Jarrett Allen | BKN | 3 | Expect to see growth from Allen this season, especially with DeMarre Carroll and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson banged up to start the season. He'll play more minutes and help out w/ boards and blocks. |
16 | Steven Adams | OKC | 3 | Adams is a gritty inside Center and he'll score in double figures and he'll fight for boards as hard as any Center in the league. Nerlens Noel doesn't pose much of a threat to Adams production. |
17 | Willie Cauley-Stein | SAC | 3 | Will Bagley being around hinder Cauley-Stein's production? I don't thinks so. Cauley-Stein will set up a lot at the elbow and attack the rim. Expect to see consistent points and boards. |
18 | Jonas Valanciunas | TOR | 3 | Valanciunas is another volume player who may not see more than 23 minutes in a game unless he can keep up w/ the Raptors pace. He has slowly improved his mid-range game and will grab boards. |
19 | Deandre Ayton | PHX | 2 | Ayton looked dominant in the preseason and it'll be interesting to see if he gets shifted down to PF to start alongside Tyson Chandler . Regardless if he comes off the bench expect all-around production. |
20 | Marcin Gortat | LAC | 3 | New team, new situation! Gortat has the ability to control the paint and secure double-doubles, but if the Clippers need more quickness, he may be benched. With a full slate, we'll give him a shot! |