Point Guard
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Russell Westbrook | OKC | 4 | Westbrook takes the top spot w/ the full slate and fantasy owners can always expect consistent 3-4 category production and despite his issues defensively, he is still needed on the court late in games. |
2 | Chris Paul | HOU | 4 | Even w/ James Harden back in the mix, Paul will still facilitate the Rockets offense for the most part and he can always be relied on for scoring, assists and steals. |
3 | Stephen Curry | GSW | 3 | Curry continues to do a better job helping w/ assists. We all know the scoring ability is there, but we've seen him set up Klay Thompson a lot more this year. |
4 | Damian Lillard | POR | 3 | Lillard continues to be the top scoring option and he'll play deep into games. The Blazers mid-court continues to be banged up and he'll need to take more long-range shots. |
5 | Kemba Walker | CHA | 3 | Walker has been carrying the Hornets offense and w/ the lineup constantly in flux, Walker is the safest option and he's been scoring a ton of points while helping out a good amount w/ dimes. |
6 | Kyrie Irving | BOS | 4 | There are a lot of mouths to feed in Boston and even when he's not the main scorer in games, he still helps in other areas and will continue to be the main facilitator of the Celtics offense. |
7 | Trae Young | ATL | 4 | Young has been very reliable w/ scoring and assists and w/ John Collins still out, he'll continue to be the top scoring weapon and he'll have the most time w/ the ball. He keeps the offense moving quickly. |
8 | Kyle Lowry | TOR | 3 | The good news for Lowry's production is that Kawhi Leonard will be held out of games a decent amount putting him in a position to be far and away the top option when Leonard is off the court. |
9 | Eric Bledsoe | MIL | 4 | Bledsoe is a very balanced player on both sides of the ball. He's a tenacious defender and he'll provide strong overall production in scoring, assists and especially steals. He and Malcolm Brogdon can co-exist. |
10 | Goran Dragic | MIA | 4 | INJ: Dragic is dealing w/ a Toe injury and there's a chance he can miss a game this week. |
11 | Jamal Murray | DEN | 4 | Murray will give you mainly scoring. Will Barton being out helps Murray's time w/ the ball and he needs to lift his assist-numbers a bit more. He takes a lot of shots. |
12 | John Wall | WSH | 3 | Wall's numbers should go up w/ Dwight Howard in the mix. Expect more assists from him over the next few weeks and w/ Otto Porter Jr. banged up, he'll be needed to shoot and drive more. |
13 | Ben Simmons | PHI | 3 | Simmons isn't the best shooter but that doesn't impact his scoring ability. He gets into the lane w/ ease and will help w/ boards, assists and steals. His shot will improve. |
14 | Reggie Jackson | DET | 4 | Jackson has been a nice surprise as the Pistons second shooting option. He's been finding Drummond in the lane and we've seen more quickness from him this year. He's been able to stay healthy. |
15 | Dennis Schroder | OKC | 4 | Despite being in Westbrook's shadow, the Thunder's lack of depth gives Schroder a golden opportunity to be the main scoring option w/ the second unit. He's technically the third shooting option. |
16 | De'Aaron Fox | SAC | 3 | Fox has done a great job keeping the young Kings offense moving and he's become a lot more aggressive in the lane. He'll provide enough help w/ assists and steals too. |
17 | Mike Conley | MEM | 3 | Conley has been able to stay on the court in the early going and he will be needed to score a bit more w/ other Grizzlies options banged up. His assist numbers will go up as Jaren Jackson Jr. improves. |
18 | D.J. Augustin | ORL | 4 | Augustin has had some high-scoring games lately and he's essentially the only game in town when it comes to PG depth in Orlando. Expect him to continue to see sufficient minutes. |
19 | Darren Collison | IND | 4 | Collison has been a bit banged up but, he hasn't had to miss significant time and he still plays a big role on the court w/ lane-driving and assists. Tyreke Evans is his biggest competition for minutes. |
20 | Malcolm Brogdon | MIL | 4 | Brogdon has been able to be productive and he can rotate to both guard spots. He'll have games in which he's more of a scoring help and others in which he's more of a facilitator of the offense. |
Shooting Guard
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | James Harden | HOU | 4 | Harden is healthy and returns to re-claim the top spot w/ the full slate. The Rockets don't have a lot of depth up front and Harden will be needed to slice the defense when driving the lane. |
2 | Victor Oladipo | IND | 4 | Oladipo will continue being the top shooting option, but he is doing more to feed the big men in Indy. The Pacers have a ton of depth in the lane and that will help Oladipo's assist numbers. |
3 | Khris Middleton | MIL | 4 | Middleton continues to be the second scoring option and w/ Jabari Parker gone, he's done a good job of splitting time between being a bailout shooter from the key and forcing defenses to collapse on him |
4 | Gary Harris | DEN | 4 | Harris will continue to pick up more shots w/ Will Barton still sidelined. He takes a lot of high-percentage shots and has been good at reading screens on the perimeter. He'll help out w/ steals on the other side. |
5 | Rodney McGruder | MIA | 4 | The Heat continue to be banged up and McGruder could be looking at games without Dragic and that will shift Josh Richardson to PG. McGruder has been a priority scorer all year and he'll also drive the lane. |
6 | Zach LaVine | CHI | 3 | This will be another week in which LaVine takes a ton of shots and facilitates the offense. He'll help out w/ mainly scoring, but also contribute w/ assists and steals. He continues to be the top scorer. |
7 | Devin Booker | PHX | 3 | Booker is healthy and returns to being the Suns top scoring option. He'll provide mainly points, but playing time will always be on his side and he'll have every chance to score 20-plus points per game. |
8 | Bradley Beal | WSH | 3 | Beal will be needed to score more w/ Otto Porter Jr. banged up. Beal started the season shooting more from the perimeter, but in the last week he's been a lot more balanced offensively by driving. |
9 | Kent Bazemore | ATL | 4 | Bazemore will continue being a priority scorer and he'll always play deep into games because of his defensive ability. Expect some rebounding, but a lot of steals. |
10 | Tim Hardaway Jr. | NY | 4 | INJ: Hardaway hurt his Back Sunday night and there's a chance he may need to miss a game this week. |
11 | Evan Fournier | ORL | 4 | Not a huge fan of Fournier's game overall as he tries to be an isolation player. His moves aren't quick enough, but the ball will be in his hands a good amount and he'll take a lot of long-range jumpers. |
12 | Damyean Dotson | NY | 4 | If Hardaway Jr. needs to miss a game or two this week, Dotson will totally benefit and see extended run. Owners can expect points and boards and he's improved at running the floor. |
13 | Jrue Holiday | NO | 3 | Elfrid Payton is still banged up and that will help Holiday's assist and steals numbers as he'll shift to PG a decent amount of the game. Expect him to be in the position to score 15-plus points nightly. |
14 | Buddy Hield | SAC | 3 | We all know Hield can score, but his improved rebounding numbers have been eye-opening. He's a lot more aggressive at the elbow when fighting for boards and he'll also contribute steals. |
15 | Jaylen Brown | BOS | 4 | Brown has clearly been impacted by the return of Gordon Hayward , but his defense will continue to keep him in games. Expect steals and a bit more scoring w/ the full slate this week. |
16 | DeMar DeRozan | SAS | 2 | DeRozan has fit well in the Spurs offense and has been the priority scorer. He'll help w/ boards and steals. He has the short slate this week though thus shifting him down in the rankings. |
17 | Klay Thompson | GSW | 3 | Thompson has had some high-scoring games and is the Warriors main bailout shooting option, but in a lot of games, he'll mainly provide just points. He'll help a bit w/ steals too. |
18 | JJ Redick | PHI | 3 | Redick has especially benefitted playing and scoring w/ the Sixers second unit. He's always moving around on the court and tiring out opposing guards who have to chase him around. He'll help w/ dimes too. |
19 | CJ McCollum | POR | 3 | McCollum continues to be the Blazers second scoring option and he plays good defense on the other side of the ball. He's got good speed and finds himself open at the elbow a good amount. |
20 | Andrew Wiggins | MIN | 3 | Wiggins will benefit if Jimmy Butler continues to sit out games randomly. The drama between the 'Wolves and Butler will give Wiggins more shots and more minutes. |
Small Forward
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | MIL | 4 | Giannis is healthy and w/ the full slate this week, he should be one of the top all-around producers overall and he helps in every category except for three-point shooting. |
2 | Paul George | OKC | 4 | George is a solid second scoring option for the Thunder and he'll continue to play deep into games as the Thunder's best two-way player in the game. He'll grab a good amount of boards and steals. |
3 | LeBron James | LAL | 3 | James doesn't have the full slate this week, but he'll continue to be the top scoring option for the Lakers. James has made players such as JaVale McGee a lot more useful when he speeds up the pace. |
4 | Kevin Durant | GSW | 3 | Durant will continue to be the 1A option when it comes to scoring for the Warriors. He always finds a way to get in the lane and he'll grab plenty of boards and steals. |
5 | Josh Richardson | MIA | 4 | The Heat's guards a still a bit injured and Richardson can rotate to three different positions on the court and he'll help consistently w/ scoring, assists and steals. Dragic could miss a game or two this week. |
6 | Nikola Mirotic | NO | 3 | Mirotic has had an excellent start to the season, especially from a scoring standpoint and even w/ Anthony Davis healthy, he'll still be able to produce as the Pelicans second scoring option. |
7 | Taurean Prince | ATL | 4 | Prince has been able to get in the lane a good amount and the Hawks need all the help they can forcing defenses to collapse and he takes a lot of contact. Expect consistent scoring and steals. |
8 | Gordon Hayward | BOS | 4 | Hayward continues to work his way back in slowly and his speed is looking good. His scoring numbers should go up a bit more and when he picks up more minutes, more assists and steals will come. |
9 | PJ Tucker | HOU | 4 | Tucker has been an excellent defender both on the perimeter and in the lane. He's been very helpful in every category and w/ Eric Gordon a bit banged up, he should continue to see minutes in the 30's. |
10 | Bojan Bogdanovic | IND | 4 | Bogdanovic is very boom or bust from the perimeter, but he has shown signs of improved aggresiveness and will fight for boards right outside the paint. He's the Pacers main bailout shooter from the perimeter. |
11 | Kawhi Leonard | TOR | 3 | Leonard has elevated the Raptors and has been a strong two-way player. The problem from the fantasy perspective is that he'll continue to be held out of games just to rest. The Raptors are being cautious. |
12 | Jimmy Butler | MIN | 3 | There is a whole mess of drama surrounding Butler. Butler has claimed that he will decide whether or not he sits out games, especially when the 'Wolves are playing back to back games. NOT IDEAL! |
13 | Caris LeVert | BKN | 3 | LeVert can rotate to multiple positions on the court and having no restrictions when it comes to playing time has certainly helped his production. Expect consistent scoring and steals from him. |
14 | Danilo Gallinari | LAC | 3 | Gallinari has been doing more than just jump-shooting. He's setting the screen right by the free-throw line and has been cutting to the basket more. Expect some help w/ boards and steals. |
15 | Luka Doncic | DAL | 3 | INJ: Doncic has a sore Ankle and there's a chance he can miss a game this week. |
16 | Joe Ingles | UT | 3 | Ingles is the Jazz main bailout option and he's been taking a lot of high-percentage jumpers. Expect more scoring w/ Donovan Mitchell missing at least one game this week. He'll help w/ assists too. |
17 | Robert Covington | PHI | 3 | Covington will have games in which he stays at the arc and he'll have other games in which he's banging more in the post. Expect help w/ scoring, rebounding and steals. |
18 | Justin Holiday | CHI | 3 | The Bulls continue to be decimated w/ injuries and Holiday has seen more minutes and more shots. He'll drive the lane and shoot from long-range. Expect help w/ assists and steals from him. |
19 | Jabari Parker | CHI | 3 | Parker will continue to see a lot of minutes and usage as he rotates to both forward spots. He looks healthy and you can tell by the amount he's been driving the lane. He'll help w/ boards and steals. |
20 | Trevor Ariza | PHX | 3 | Even w/ Booker back in the mix, Ariza is still one of the best perimeter defenders in the league and he'll help w/ top the key scoring and steals on the defensive side. |
Power Forward
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Blake Griffin | DET | 4 | Griffin continues to be a big-time scorer and rebounder for the Pistons and w/ their spot-up shooters a bit banged up, expect him to take a good amount of long-range jumpers this week. |
2 | Aaron Gordon | ORL | 4 | Gordon and Nikola Vucevic are dominating the scoring for the Magic early. Gordon will also help grab short and long-rebounds and he'll pick up loose balls in the lane and play deep into games. |
3 | Jayson Tatum | BOS | 4 | Tatum continues to thrive on both sides of the ball. He balancaes his offense between driving and jump-shooting and has impressive leaping ability and will pull down a good amount of boards. |
4 | Paul Millsap | DEN | 4 | Millsap will see more shots from mid-range w/ Will Barton still out and he's been good at using his body to control the paint and owners can expect boards and steals in the lane. |
5 | Marcus Morris | BOS | 4 | Morris continues to serve as a bailout option from the perimeter, but he'll also follow his shots up. Expect him to continue seeing playing time between 20-30 minutes and he'll help grab boards too. |
6 | Carmelo Anthony | HOU | 4 | Anthony's scoring has improved over the last week and w/ James Harden back in the lineup, it'll be a good test to see if he can get just as many shots. Eric Gordon being banged up helps his cause. |
7 | Justise Winslow | MIA | 4 | Since returning from injury, Winslow has been very helpful on the defensive side of the ball filling in for the injured James Johnson . Winslow is a bit inconsistent w/ his scoring, but he'll help w/ boards & steals. |
8 | Tobias Harris | LAC | 3 | Harris contineus to be the Clippers top scoring option and he's been hitting three's and posting up inside. He's good at running the floor and will score a good amount on transition and he'll grab rebounds. |
9 | Thaddeus Young | IND | 4 | Young has still been able to play sufficient minutes despite the Pacers having tremendous big man depth. Young will slash in the lane and hit a good amount of mid-range jumpers. He'll grab boards & steals. |
10 | Jerami Grant | OKC | 4 | Grant will do just enough in multiple categories to be considered a trustworthy option. He'll score infrequently, but he'll grab boards and steals more consistently and the Thunder's lack of depth helps. |
11 | Serge Ibaka | TOR | 3 | Ibaka has finally learned that he's not as useful shooting from the perimeter. He's getting in the lane more and rebounding numbers show it. Expect inside scoring and blocks too. |
12 | Kyle Kuzma | LAL | 3 | Kuzma is a match up nightmare because of his speed and outside shooting. He won't be hindered playing alongside LeBron James and he does a good job following up his own shots and pulling down boards. |
13 | Julius Randle | NO | 3 | Randle is dealing w/ pain in his foot, but it hasn't held him out of games and he'll produce a lot w/ the Pelican second unit. Expect inside scoring and boards, especially on the offensive glass. |
14 | Draymond Green | GSW | 3 | Green has been banged up all season and his scoring numbers show it, but he's been very helpful w/ rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. He'll play deep into games serving as the Warriors enforcer. |
15 | Nemanja Bjelica | SAC | 3 | Bjelica continues to impress w/ his outside shooting and inside rebounding. He's a banger who will get positioning in the high paint. He'll help with ball-handling and finding the cutter. |
16 | Ersan Ilyasova | MIL | 4 | Ilyasova has a full slate and should continue to see 20-plus minutes. He's a good perimeter defender and he'll grab long rebounds and hit mid-range jumpers. Expect him to help w/ steals too. |
17 | Harrison Barnes | DAL | 3 | Barnes is healthy and we should start to see his minutes go up. He'll have to rotate to both forward spots and he'll be in a good position to score, grab boards and steals w/ the Mavs mid-court banged up. |
18 | Marvin Bagley III | SAC | 3 | Bagley continues to show his explosivness and he's earning his minutes by keeping plays alive for the Kings. Expect him to help w/ points and boards and we should expect to see him improve in blocking shots. |
19 | Markieff Morris | WSH | 3 | Otto Porter Jr. being banged up will give Morris extra shots. Expect to see him set the screen at the top of the key and then immediately go to the elbow and wait to be fed. He'll pull down consistent boards. |
20 | LaMarcus Aldridge | SAS | 2 | Aldridge would definitely be higher on this list, but draws the short slate of the week. As always, he be multi-category producer who will rotate between PF and C. Expect help w/ blocks too. |
Center
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Nikola Jokic | DEN | 4 | Jokic takes the top spot w/ the full slate. He's clearly been the Nuggets top option and helps out w/ every standard fantasy basketball category, including hitting long-range jumpers. Expect a ton of production. |
2 | Anthony Davis | NO | 3 | Davis elbow is feeling a lot better and is in line to play in all 3 of his games this week. Davis will help out a ton in scoring, boards and blocks and will be needed to play extended minutes. |
3 | Joel Embiid | PHI | 3 | Embiid has been productive from all over the court and the offense continues to run through him the majority of the time and it doesn't matter if he sets up at the arc or in the post. |
4 | Nikola Vucevic | ORL | 4 | Vucevic has made a huge scoring impact early and even when he misses shots, he fights harder than most centers to grab boards and owners can expect a ton in both categories throughout the season, |
5 | Andre Drummond | DET | 4 | Drummond continues to play exclusively on the low block and even though he's not the quickest defender, he'll still position himself well in the paint and pull down a ton of rebounds and score off putbacks. |
6 | Clint Capela | HOU | 4 | Capela is the main low-block defender and he'll continue to get a lot of plays called for him right inside. He'll help a ton w/ scoring and rebounding and he should see a lot of minutes as he controls the paint. |
7 | Steven Adams | OKC | 4 | Adams is another inside-exclusive Center who fights for a ton of boards and he'll score right inside. Nerlens Noel hasn't impeded on his playing time and he'll dominate against teams weak in the post. |
8 | Hassan Whiteside | MIA | 4 | INJ: Whiteside is dealing w/ a Knee injury and there's a chance he can miss a game this week. |
9 | Enes Kanter | NY | 4 | Kanter has been very productive coming off the Knicks bench and owners can expect a steady diet of double-doubles. His scoring should go up even more if Tim Hardaway Jr. has to miss time. |
10 | Al Horford | BOS | 4 | Horford continues to produce from both inside and outside. He's been able to focus more on the paint because of other Celtics big men being able to hit from deep. Expect boards and blocks as well. |
11 | Karl-Anthony Towns | MIN | 3 | Towns has struggled a bit to start the season , but has shown signs that he could be moving past his early season funk. Towns will help w/ multiple categories and benefit even more if Jimmy Butler sits. |
12 | Rudy Gobert | UT | 3 | Gobert will be a constant big help in controlling the paint and Derrick Favors hasn't been the healthiest to start the season. Expect a ton of boards and blocks to go along w/ inside scoring. |
13 | Domantas Sabonis | IND | 4 | Sabonis continues to improve his game and out-perform Myles Turner . He's been crashing the boards w/ force as soon as the shot goes up and he'll score off of second chance opportunities. Minutes should rise. |
14 | Marc Gasol | MEM | 3 | Gasol will continue being the banged up Grizzlies second option and he'll hit shots inside and pop out for open long-range jumpers. He'll help w/ boards and blocks on the defensive end. |
15 | Deandre Ayton | PHX | 3 | Ayton has been impressive and w/ Tyson Chandler out of the picture, he should be able to get even more run. He'll score a lot from mid-range and grab a ton of boards and swat shots away. |
16 | DeAndre Jordan | DAL | 3 | Jordan will continue to play deep into games and remains one of the best defensive center's in the game. Expect a lot of boards and blocks. He'll score from right inside and cut to the basket a lot after screening. |
17 | Myles Turner | IND | 4 | Turner continues to see a safe amount of playing time, but his rebounding ability must improve. It makes no sense seeing him wait outside the paint. He needs to bang more and fight for boards. |
18 | Jusuf Nurkic | POR | 3 | Nurkic continues being the Blazers third scoring option and he uses his god footwork to get in the lane and positions himself well to grab offensive boards. Expect him to continue seeing heavy usage. |
19 | Alex Len | ATL | 4 | Len has been seeing more playing time than Dedmon on average, but the leash will certainly be shorter. Expect help w/ points and boards, but Dedmon's shooting range could take the ball out of Len's hands. |
20 | Dewayne Dedmon | ATL | 4 | The Hawks continue to be cautious w/ Dedmon. Dedmon has no problem taking long-range jumpers and he'll mainly help grab boards on the defensive side. Expect his minutes to increase over the next few weeks. |