Point Guards
Player | Team | # Games | Comment |
1) Stephen Curry | GSW | 4 | Even when Curry has bad games, he still puts up productive fantasy numbers. It is hard not putting him at the top spot even if he played in just three games this week. |
2) Chris Paul | LAC | 4 | Same team, same story. He is the No. 1 scoring option when he wants to be. The Clippers are constantly on the run and that will help his assist numbers. |
3) Damian Lillard | POR | 4 | As expected, the Blazers have been relying heavily on their backcourt for scoring and nobody in the league likes to shoot more than Lillard. |
4) Russell Westbrook | OKC | 3 | Kevin Durant being back in the fold has not stopped Westbrook from doing what he does best: driving the line, shooting well from mid-range and still finding ways to find the open man when double teamed. |
5) Kyle Lowry | TOR | 4 | Getting a lot of playing time and while the scoring is not in the 20s for the most part, his rebound, assist and steal numbers have been adding up to make him dominant (especially in points leagues). |
6) Victor Oladipo | ORL | 4 | Another player that has not been scoring in the 20s, but is excellent at giving the Magic second-chance scoring opportunities and has been tenacious on defense pick-pocketing his opposition six times in the last three games. |
7) Ricky Rubio | MIN | 5 | Any scoring Rubio does should be considered a bonus. He is very reliable when it comes to rebounds and steals, and he is one of the best passers in the league. |
8) Jeff Teague | ATL | 4 | Teague’s scoring has been inconsistent and we will continue to see a seesaw battle when it comes to guard production from him and teammate Dennis Schroder. Teague is coming off a five-steal game. |
9) Rajon Rondo | SAC | 4 | Rondo just posted a triple-double against the Warriors and has shown flashes of the Rondo of old. Fantasy owners should not be expecting as much scoring. You are buying into his passing and rebounding. |
10) Mike Conley | MEM | 4 | If it were not for his assist numbers, he would be down the list, but at the end of the day, he is the playmaker and as long as his turnovers stay down, he is very reliable. |
11) Reggie Jackson | DET | 4 | This young Pistons team will need to keep relying on Jackson’s veteran presence while the rest are developing. Jackson is the top scoring option on this team (Andre Drummond No. 2) and is coming off a stellar 40-point performance. |
12) John Wall | WSH | 2 | The opportunities will not be there this week, but with the amount of categories Wall helps out in, he can and will certainly balance out your overall Week 3 score. |
13) George Hill | IND | 3 | The new hairdo is working as he is giving fantasy owners consistent scoring with a little bit of help in rebounding and assists. |
14) Kemba Walker | CHA | 4 | Coming off of his best scoring game of the season, Walker has been a major help with assists and picked up his defense as well. He looks healthy and is playing aggressively on both sides of the ball. |
15) Eric Bledsoe | PHX | 2 | The Suns' backcourt has been their primary scoring weapon and both Bledsoe and Brandon Knight have shown how effective they can be, even when they are both on the court. |
16) Elfrid Payton | ORL | 4 | Payton has a year under his belt now and has helped speed up the offense and coming off of his first 20-point performance of the season. He should be coming into this week with a ton of confidence. |
17) Jarrett Jack | BKN | 3 | Not only has he been helping the Nets out on offense, but he has also secured 13 rebounds in his last two games. It’s a good sign when a guard shows their aggressiveness on the glass. |
18) Mo Williams | CLE | 3 | From a scoring standpoint, he is filling in for Kyrie Irving very nicely and he will continue to get open looks as LeBron James, Kevin Love and the rest of the Cavs big men draw the double. |
19) Derrick Rose | CHI | 2 | Rose is getting the playing time, but the scoring is not there. He has been shooting horribly and his assist numbers are not high enough. He has two “easier” matchups this week with Philly and Charlotte. He can drop 20 on either team. |
20) Michael Carter-Williams | MIL | 3 | INJURY CONCERN: Ankle. When in, he is very productive (as long as he is not forcing up too many shots). Unsure of how many games he will play this week. |
Shooting Guards
Player | Team | # Games | Comment |
1) James Harden | HOU | 3 | Harden is slowly learning that he has a lot of weapons to choose from and as he continues to learn his assist numbers will improve. |
2) DeMar DeRozan | TOR | 4 | Kyle Lowry does not stop DeRozan from doing what he does best; dribbles right inside the key, fakes the entry pass to the paint and takes the shot himself. |
3) Klay Thompson | GSW | 4 | Do not panic! It has been a slow start for Thompson. He has shown signs of consistency in his scoring and is providing help with rebounds and assists. He is absolutely due for a 20-30 point game. |
4) Kobe Bryant | LAL | 4 | You know what you are getting. Someway, somehow he will score, even if he is having a poor shooting night from the field. As the transition of the Lakers continues, Bryant will still need to be the top offensive threat until their younger players develop a rhythm. |
5) C.J. McCollum | POR | 4 | A huge scoring threat alongside Damian Lillard. McCollum also has shown signs of being a true point guard as he is having success finding the big man inside. |
6) Kyle Korver | ATL | 4 | There will be some games that Korver will not get any open looks from beyond the arc. He is starting to realize that if he takes two steps inside the key, he will be just as deadly on offense. |
7) Gordon Hayward | UTAH | 4 | Great outside-inside player who has started off the season with purpose. He is not a scared shooter anymore. He is very athletic and will bang inside and is good at drawing contact. |
8) Kevin Martin | MIN | 5 | Martin is still a primary scoring weapon on this team. When Karl-Anthony Towns is not open at the elbow, the sneaky Martin will run towards the traffic inside and then pop out and get an open corner jumper. |
9) Nicolas Batum | CHA | 4 | Great fit with the Hornets as he can play both the elbow and the off-guard standing at the top of the key. Great bail out scoring option when their inside plays are broken. |
10) Monta Ellis | IND | 3 | Even with all of the scoring options on the Pacers, Ellis (who is coming off of a season best in scoring) is a high-energy change of pace player who will become a solo act when the Pacers need to pad their lead. |
11) Dwyane Wade | MIA | 2 | He is healthy…for now. And having two games this week works better for Wade owners. You never know when those hamstrings will tighten. |
12) Brandon Knight | PHX | 2 | Excellent dynamic scoring option with quickness. Knight has seemed to change his game a bit as he goes for the fake more when it comes to his shooting and will drive the lane. |
13) Goran Dragic | MIA | 2 | Dragic has been excellent at drawing contact inside and running the floor during transition to find the open man on the outlet. |
14) Trevor Ariza | HOU | 3 | Has been camping out at the key and is always ready for the open three-pointer. His excellent on the ball defensive skills keep him in the game. |
15) Jimmy Butler | CHI | 2 | When Butler is not shooting well, he makes up for it in other areas such as rebounding. You have to like the balance he provides when it comes to his stat-line. |
16) Bradley Beal | WSH | 2 | “Nobody can stop me!”…Except for the Hawks. Other than that, he has been consistently scoring in the mid-20s. |
17) Joe Johnson | BKN | 3 | The Nets look awful but they still need to put a team on the court and need to rely on their veterans. |
18) Danny Green | SAS | 3 | Green has had good scoring nights, but his perimeter defense has definitely improved and he has carved out a role for himself on the Spurs. |
19) J.J. Redick | LAC | 4 | The carousel of the Clippers’ guard rotation continues. At least with Redick, you know the shot opportunities will be there. |
20) Hollis Thompson | PHI | 4 | Needs to improve his scoring. He is getting a good amount of playing time due to the Sixers’ injured forwards. |
Small Forwards
Player | Team | # Games | Comment |
1) LeBron James | CLE | 3 | You know what you are going to get. As long as he is healthy, he is a top option. |
2) Paul George | IND | 3 | George has a few more scoring weapons on his team, but that is not impacting his stat-line. Still dynamic. Still covers just about every standard fantasy hoops category. |
3) Carmelo Anthony | NYK | 4 | The Triangle offense requires a dominant scorer and Anthony has been just that. Watch his rebounding totals as well, as he has been doing a great job following his own shots. |
4) Rudy Gay | SAC | 4 | Gay’s shot has been on for the most part, but when it is not on, he randomly disappears in games. Always a good scoring option and will be relied on more with the Kings frontcourt a little banged up. |
5) Andrew Wiggins | MIN | 5 | Wiggins has not only matured, but is showing why the Wolves traded for him. He can shoot, drive the lane and is excellent at drawing contact and will show you that five times this week. |
6) Tobias Harris | ORL | 4 | One of the better mid-range players in the game. Harris has even shown a minor post game as well that will make him more effective inside. |
7) DeMarre Carroll | TOR | 4 | Carroll was brought on for mainly defensive purposes, but is showing his effectiveness on offense as well. Carroll never has a problem driving the lane. |
8) Kawhi Leonard | SAS | 3 | Fills up the stat-sheet, plays excellent defense and even when the scoring is not there, he will make it up to you. |
9) Thaddeus Young | BKN | 3 | Securing two double-doubles in his last three games is a great sign of things to come. He is very effective at the elbow. |
10) Khris Middleton | MIL | 3 | Middleton has been separating himself a bit and is starting to stand out for the same reasons he did last season. He is often left open to drive the lane and I do not know why. |
11) Giannis Antetokounmpo | MIL | 3 | Very dynamic and helps out in every standard category. He is hard to go against one on one because of how lanky he is. |
12) Jeff Green | MEM | 4 | Excellent lane driver, decent shooter and plays excellent disciplined defense that does not allow the opposition to get in the paint. |
13) Danilo Gallinari | DEN | 4 | When Galinari’s shot is on, the Nuggets do well. He has been driving the lane a lot more and is starting to develop into their No. 1 scoring option. |
14) Ersan Ilyasova | DET | 4 | When Reggie Jackson gets double teamed, there are always a few open options for the Pistons. Andre Drummond needs attention as well from the opposition, and Ilyasova is a reliable outside shooter. . |
15) Stanley Johnson | DET | 4 | Developing more and more into the Pistons’ change of pace player and is often open when Jackson and Drummond are double-teamed. |
16) Wesley Matthews | DAL | 4 | I’ve noticed that Matthews does not call for the ball as much and when he does, he needs to attack the rim. Good fade-away shooter, but is trying too hard to go one on one and it does not give him enough time to plant his feet and shoot. |
17) Chandler Parsons | DAL | 4 | Parsons will always get shot opportunities, but is a box of chocolates; you never know when his shot will be on. |
18) Jae Crowder | BOS | 4 | MINOR INJURY RISK: He has a sore knee, but the Celtics need a mid-range shooter and rebounder and sometimes it seems like Crowder is more disciplined on defense than the Celtics big men. He is averaging three steals per game. |
19) Luol Deng | MIA | 2 | Starting to become an after thought on the Heat and needs to do more than just camp out in the corner. Could be a better NBA asset than fantasy asset. |
20) Harrison Barnes | GSW | 4 | When you have a few of the best shooters in the league on your team, it’s hard to command the ball. Barnes’ defense keeps him in games and he is never afraid to take the open outside jumper. |
Power Forwards
Player | Team | # Games | Comment |
1) Anthony Davis | NO | 4 | It doesn’t matter that the Pelicans are struggling to win games. All that matters is that Davis fills out that stat-sheet; which he does, especially, when attacking the basket |
2) Paul Millsap | ATL | 4 | Hard to decide whether his offense or defense is contributing to his success. He has been great on both sides of the ball. |
3) Zach Randolph | MEM | 4 | Always a rebounding machine. Be happy if he scores 10 points. |
4) Derrick Favors | UTAH | 4 | Favors and Rudy Gobert are great compliments to each other because as Favors creates, scores and provides excellent outside rebounding help, Gobert helps inside. |
5) Blake Griffin | LAC | 4 | The fourth game definitely helps him, but as I said last week, he should be focusing his offensive game in the paint. |
6) Dirk Nowitzki | DAL | 4 | Always has the ability to make himself open and his scoring has shown that and has kept his playing time high. |
7) Kevin Love | CLE | 3 | Apparently the Cavs offense is supposed to run through Love. I have seen him struggle more this year than prosper in the early going, but he will learn that he can be even more effective if he posts up more. |
8) Greg Monroe | MIL | 3 | Fitting in well to his team and has been giving the Bucks a ton of second-chance scoring opportunities. |
9) Serge Ibaka | OKC | 3 | Even with a good shooting center, the more offensively raw Ibaka still gets his possessions to create and has been playing the paint very well. |
10) LaMarcus Aldridge | SAS | 3 | When Aldridge is not in foul trouble, he has been playing a ton, commanding and getting the ball and is being a major help on the glass. |
11) Chris Bosh | MIA | 2 | The two games takes him down a notch this week, but is always effective on the glass and has a lethal top of the key three-point jumper that is rarely challenged. |
12) Tim Duncan | SAS | 3 | Does not even need a lot of time to secure 10 rebounds and even a potential double-double. He is the greatest power forward of all-time. |
13) Pau Gasol | CHI | 2 | When the Bulls rely on their post play, Gasol gets a ton of looks inside and is still able to create. When Derrick Rose is hogging the ball, it does not work out well for him. |
14) Kristaps Porzingis | NYK | 4 | We have seen the solid shooting touch, rebounding and driving ability. The Knicks have a ton of confidence in him, but needs to improve his on the ball defense. |
15) Marcus Morris | DET | 4 | When Morris is not helping offensively, he tries to be an undersized big man in the paint to help out Andre Drummond. Sometimes it works, other times it does not. |
16) Draymond Green | GSW | 4 | A lot of mouths to feed on the Warriors, but if Green is not playing in the paint, he will secure more playing time. |
17) Kenneth Faried | DEN | 4 | Raw on offense, tenacious on defense. That’s all you need to know. |
18) Nikola Mirotic | CHI | 2 | Only two games, and disappears when his shot is not on. He will adapt to his new starting role and will be more consistent as the season continues. |
19) Markieff Morris | PHX | 2 | Morris is playing with a ton of anger and passion as he wants to be traded and is using that anger effectively inside. |
20) Terrence Jones | HOU | 3 | Great defender and when his jumper is on, it is hard to stop Jones, and the Rockets have no problem letting him create. |
Centers
Player | Team | # Games | Comment |
1) Andre Drummond | DET | 4 | Drummond has been the fiercest inside player this season. He has the lower block all to himself and it is very difficult to box him out. The Pistons have not had a player like this since Ben Wallace. |
2) Al Horford | ATL | 4 | When the Hawks aren’t on the break Horford starts from the elbow and works his way in. He is great at positioning himself in the paint. |
3) Marc Gasol | MEM | 4 | Helps out in just about every category and is a constant threat from beyond the arc. |
4) DeAndre Jordan | LAC | 4 | Most effective in transition and is always looking for the ball deep inside. Good at getting second-chance scoring opportunities. |
5) Rudy Gobert | UTAH | 4 | Rely on Gobert for rebounds and blocks. The only scoring you will get will be from put-backs. |
6) Nerlens Noel | PHI | 4 | The Sixers are NOT healthy at all, and Noel does a great job starting from the outside and letting Jahlil Okafor play more of the paint. Noel is developing into a good post player. |
7) DeMarcus Cousins | SAC | 4 | INJURY CONCERN: An Achilles strain is never a good sign, but if Cousins ends up playing, we all have seen just how effective he can be. It is hard to tell at this point. |
8) Dwight Howard | HOU | 3 | When his attitude and foul trouble are in check, Howard is one of the best in the league at rebounding and blocks and is very effective when on the court. |
9) Al Jefferson | CHA | 4 | As good as Jefferson's post game is, people forget he has a quick step to the hoop and because of his big frame, he is tough to stop when driving the lane. He has not settled with his jumper and is still camping out under the basket to get points by putbacks and rebounds. |
10) Brook Lopez | BKN | 3 | Doing what he does best: scoring with minor rebounding help. He’s 7-foot-1….I just don’t get it! |
11) Zaza Pachulia | DAL | 4 | Pachulia has been great defensively on an offensively driven Mavericks team and has been helping out with both scoring and rebounding. |
12) Enes Kanter | OKC | 3 | When he is not scoring, Kanter is rebounding. Kanter has not been relying as heavily on his jumper and is looking to play a more inside game. |
13) Tyson Chandler | PHX | 2 | Only start Chandler if you absolutely need rebounding help. He has only scored in double figures twice this season. |
14) Hassan Whiteside | MIA | 2 | The two games kills him this week, but has scored 20 or more points in three of his last five games. Always a top rebounding option. |
15) Mason Plumlee | POR | 4 | Look for Portland to play Plumlee more as he has shown that he is more effective when on the court for over 30 minutes. He has had multiple double digit rebounding games this season. |
16) Robin Lopez | NYK | 4 | If the pick and roll is working properly for the Knicks, expect Lopez to get a ton of open looks right from under the basket. |
17) Jonas Valanciunas | TOR | 4 | Starting to show a little one on one game and is definitely effective in attacking the rim and drawing contact. |
18) Timofey Mozgov | CLE | 3 | Most effective in small doses. Look for Mozgov to play less than 25 minutes per game. He can still get a double-double in that amount of time, though. |
19) Marcin Gortat | WSH | 2 | For now, expect Gortat to be playing under 30 minutes per game, but his rebounding and block skills are excellent. Not a scoring threat. |
20) Joakim Noah | CHI | 2 | Adjusting to life as an off the bench player has not been the easiest. Noah will be expected to do less offensively and has shown that he is still an effective rebounder. |