Point Guard
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Kyle Lowry | TOR | 4 | The Point Guards in the league as a whole are struggling to get to the finish line. with the Raptors leading the Eastern Conference, Lowry deserves this spot. Expect tons of scoring, dimes and steals. |
2 | Terry Rozier | BOS | 4 | Rozier moves all the way up to the second spot as he's been a dominant multi-category producer over the last few weeks with Kyrie Irving on the shelf. Expect points, boards, dimes and steals. |
3 | Quinn Cook | GSW | 4 | Cook moves up with Stephen Curry out and even with Klay Thompson back in action, he'll still be the acting floor general for most of the game and he's been very helpful with points and assists. |
4 | Damian Lillard | POR | 3 | Lillard has been able to avoid the injury bug lately and with the Blazers playing better basketball over the last month and chance, Lillard leads them in scoring and will provide a lot of assists. |
5 | Chris Paul | HOU | 3 | Even though Paul has missed his last two games all signs are pointing to him playing his full slate of games. He's been dealing with a minor Hip injury. |
6 | Darren Collison | IND | 4 | The Pacers guards have had to command the offense even more due to injuries and inconsistent plays up front. Expect double-digit scoring and a good amount of dimes and steals this week. |
7 | Dennis Smith Jr. | DAL | 4 | Smith Jr. is fully healthy and with the Mavs having a full slate, he'll be a priority scorer and he'll also help with consistent assists and steals. His shot is slowly improving and his driving is impressive. |
8 | Kemba Walker | CHA | 3 | Even with the Hornets out of the mix for the playoffs, Walker should be able to still see full minutes and he'll be their top scoring and assist mand for the rest of the way. |
9 | Russell Westbrook | OKC | 2 | Westbrook is THAT dominant of a multi-category producer that even with the short slate, owners shouldn't look to bench this impactful player unlike others who have two-game slates this week. |
10 | John Wall | WSH | 3 | Wall looked good in his return and he was held out his previous game for rest and it is possible that he gets held out once this week. It's very hard to tell at this point b/c you can't predict swelling. |
11 | Eric Bledsoe | MIL | 3 | Bledsoe continues to be a helpful scorer and even with Jabari Parker back, he continues to see a good amount of shots in the offense and he'll also help a ton with assists and steals. |
12 | Goran Dragic | MIA | 3 | The Heat are in an interesting spot because even though Hassan Whiteside is back, his minutes continued to be limited. Dragic should remain the Heat's top scoring option for now. |
13 | Spencer Dinwiddie | BKN | 3 | Dinwiddie's production is still relevant but D'Angelo Russell returning has made a negative impact on his production. He continues to attack the rim and he'll also help with assists and steals. |
14 | Ricky Rubio | UT | 3 | Rubio has been playing better as he's learned not to rely on his shot as much and attack the rim more and he'll find openings in the lane and he'll contribute a ton of assists. |
15 | Jamal Murray | DEN | 3 | With Gary Harris still hurt, Murray's usage should go up a bit this week. He'll help with some assists, but he's mainly a shoot-first PG. He's their top backcourt scoring option this week. |
16 | Elfrid Payton | PHX | 3 | Payton has been dealing with a Knee injury and was held out after being listed as questionable for his previous game. His status is uncertain for the Suns first game of the week. |
17 | Rajon Rondo | NO | 3 | We all know the deal with Rondo and this week isn't any different. Expect boards, dimes, steals and an inconsistent amount of scoring. |
18 | Reggie Jackson | DET | 3 | has been shooting the ball better and has really taken the reigns from Ish Smith and he'll help with mainly scoring. Don't be surprised to see one high-assist game this week. |
19 | Trey Burke | NY | 3 | Burke has been a scoring machine and with the Knicks going nowhere, Burke continues to take tons of shots and is by far and away the Knicks top PG on the depth chart moving forward. |
20 | Lonzo Ball | LAL | 4 | Ball is dealing with a Knee injury and has missed his last two games and it is uncertain at this time whether or not he'll have to miss more games. He'll likely sit at least once this week. |
Shooting Guard
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | James Harden | HOU | 3 | Harden stays as the top SG for the week and with Chris Paul a bit banged up, expect Harden to take more control of the offense and more shots even if Paul plays. Houston wants to be safe w/ CP3. |
2 | Victor Oladipo | IND | 4 | Oladipo has the full slate this week and owners can expect him as always to take a lot of shots especially because of the Pacers injuries and struggles in the post. It'll be the Oladipo-Collison show. |
3 | DeMar DeRozan | TOR | 4 | DeRozan continues to be the Raptors top scoring option and he makes some of the toughest shots in the post of anyone in the league. He'll also help with boards, dimes and steals. |
4 | Klay Thompson | GSW | 4 | Thompson is back and is already making a huge scoring impact which shows that he's over his Thumb injury and with Stephen Curry out, he'll be the team's second scoring option. |
5 | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | LAL | 4 | KCP will be taking more shots this week with Lonzo Ball banged up. He's been excellent at rotating between the arc and elbow to get open and he'll also grab long rebounds. |
6 | JJ Redick | PHI | 4 | Redick has proven this season that he can be more than just a scorer. He's taken command of the offense and his assist numbers continue to show consistency overall. |
7 | Bradley Beal | WSH | 3 | Even with Wall back, expect Beal to still be the 1A scoring option, especially if the Wizards decide to play it safe with Wall this week and rest him for a game. |
8 | Jrue Holiday | NO | 3 | Holiday continues to thrive as the Pelicans second scorer and he's been attacking the rim more rather than just settling for contested jumpers. Expect consistent assists and steals. |
9 | J.J. Barea | DAL | 4 | Barea has been dealing with personal issues and he's missed action, but he should be ready to go for the Mavs full slate this week and he'll help with points, boards, dimes and steals. |
10 | Jaylen Brown | BOS | 4 | Brown is fully healthy again and with Irving sidelined, he'll be taking more shots. Expect a good amount of three-point shooting, but he'll also use his ferocious drive from the side of the basket. |
11 | Khris Middleton | MIL | 3 | Middleton will be a priority scorer and he'll mainly take three-point jumpers, but he's been a big help with assists as well this season and he benefits from The Greek Freak's strong offensive moves. |
12 | Lou Williams | LAC | 3 | Williams will continue to take a ton of shots and help with assists and steals. Williams is not afraid to bang with the big boys and he'll reward owners with rebounding help. |
13 | CJ McCollum | POR | 3 | McCollum is still the Blazers second scoring option and he'll also help with steals on the defensive end. He will have high-assist games, but even that is very hard to predict. |
14 | Donovan Mitchell | UT | 3 | Mitchell is making a serious case why he should be the NBA Rookie Of The Year and between his shooting, ball-handling and attacking the rim as hard as he does, he'll be the Jazz top option for years. |
15 | Josh Hart | LAL | 4 | Hart should be getting consistent playing time now that he's healthy. If Ball needs to miss time, his usage will go way up and even if Ball plays, b/c Isaiah Thomas is hurt, he'll rotate to PG. |
16 | Tim Hardaway Jr. | NY | 3 | Hardaway Jr. is the Knicks top shooting weapon, but he continues to be very scoring dependant and he draws a lot of double-teams. |
17 | Nicolas Batum | CHA | 3 | Batum seems over his Achilles soreness and he's been getting consistent minutes and he should be able to help grab more boards and steals this week. |
18 | D'Angelo Russell | BKN | 3 | Russell has been a major scorer over the last couple of months and he's become the Nets top scoring option. He'll help with some assists, but expect mainly scoring. |
19 | Eric Gordon | HOU | 3 | Gordon continues to play a huge role coming off the bench, but could find himself starting if Paul needs to miss more time. He'll always help with scoring. If he starts, the assist numbers will rise. |
20 | Devin Booker | PHX | 3 | Booker is still dealing with the Hand injury and his status for the week is up in the air. He's been dressing, but still has a brace on his Hand and he keeps getting ruled out. |
Small Forward
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Kevin Durant | GSW | 4 | Durant is fully healthy and he takes the top SF spot with the full slate and with Curry out, more will be expected from him. He'll be the Warriors top scorer and he'll also serve as a Point Forward. |
2 | LeBron James | CLE | 3 | James continues to command the ball at the baseline and he'll bring up the ball himself a good amount of the time and owners should expect help in all areas. |
3 | Harrison Barnes | DAL | 4 | Even with Dennis Smith Jr. 100 percent, Barnes should still be the priority scorer in the offense, but he likes to attack more than shoot and he'll help with boards and steals. |
4 | Kyle Kuzma | LAL | 4 | We're awaiting news on whether or not Ingram can play the full slate this week. Kuzma could be looking at more playing time at SF and he'll be mainly a help with scoring w/ SOME help with boards. |
5 | Robert Covington | PHI | 4 | Covington shoots a lot of three's, but he isn't afraid of attacking the rim and he'll reward owners with boards, dimes and steals to go along with a lot of scoring. |
6 | Jayson Tatum | BOS | 4 | Tatum will continue to serve as the 1A scoring weapon along with Al Horford with Irving out of the mix. Tatum is aggressive and will follow his shots by crashing the boards. |
7 | Taurean Prince | ATL | 4 | With Dennis Schroder done for the rest of the season Prince and John Collins will serve as the Hawks top two scoring weapons. Prince is scrappy and he'll help with boards and steals consistently. |
8 | Bojan Bogdanovic | IND | 4 | Bogdanovic is dynamite when his shot is on and serves as the Pacers primary bailout option, but when his shot is off, he'll disappear and just rotate the ball around the perimeter. |
9 | Ersan Ilyasova | PHI | 4 | Ilyasova will be needed to bang in the high post and grab long boards with Embiid out and he's been getting consistent minutes and owners can expect points and boards. He's got a long-range game. |
10 | Otto Porter Jr. | WSH | 3 | Porter moves back to being the third scoring weapon for the Wizards, but that can also work in his favor as he'll see less defensive pressure. With Wall back, he must cut more. |
11 | Will Barton | DEN | 3 | Barton will continue to fill in for the injured Harris and even Wilson Chandler got hurt a few games ago. Barton can rotate to multiple positions and he'll help with points, boards and steals. |
12 | DeMarre Carroll | BKN | 3 | Carroll has had some quiet games lately, but he shouldn't lose playing time and he'll continue to get a good amount of shots and he'll grab rebounds and steals on the defensive end. |
13 | Josh Jackson | PHX | 3 | Jackson has emerged and with the Suns dealing with injuries to most of their starters, Jackson should be a priority scoring option this week. His drive game is solid and shooting continues to improve. |
14 | Paul George | OKC | 2 | George would obviously be much higher in these rankings, but he drew the short slate this week. The Thunder continue to rely on him more and he's even eating into Carmelo Anthony's minutes. |
15 | Joe Ingles | UT | 3 | Ingles is Mr. Bailout as he's a major threat from downtown and because the Jazz have a lot of attackers, he'll be needed to shoot a ton from three and he'll step in and grab long boards and steals. |
16 | Danilo Gallinari | LAC | 3 | Gallinari is fully healthy and he'll spend more time hanging at the arc because Tobias Harris is more of a slasher. He'll help with boards and steals. There are enough shots to go around in L.A. |
17 | Josh Richardson | MIA | 3 | Richardson will rotate to multiple positions throughout the game and he'll help with scoring, assists and steals. He'll log a ton of minutes and even run the point at times. |
18 | Trevor Ariza | HOU | 3 | Ariza is a bailout shooting weapon on offense and he'll shoot a decent amount of three's. If Paul misses more time, he'll be more involved in the offense. He'll help with steals on the defensive end. |
19 | Denzel Valentine | CHI | 3 | With Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn still out, Valentine should see even more run down the stretch and he'll help with scoring, rebounds and steals. He'll shoot long-range jumpers and attack the rim |
20 | Brandon Ingram | LAL | 4 | Ingram is in the league's Concussion protocol and his status for the week in undetermined with the Lakers having a full slate of games. |
Power Forward
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Ben Simmons | PHI | 4 | Simmons take the top spot and with Embiid out, he'll be the top scoring option (not necesserily the top shooting weapon), but he's a fierce driver, rebounder, assist and steals-man. |
2 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | MIL | 3 | The Greek Freak takes the second spot this week without the full slate but he'll continue to help out in just about every area except three-point shooting. |
3 | Draymond Green | GSW | 4 | Green will continue to grab a ton of boards, steals and he'll help with blocks and even assists hitting the cutter from the high-post. View double-digit scoring as an added bonus. |
4 | Aaron Gordon | ORL | 4 | With Fournier likely done for the season, Gordon will be the Magic's top scoring option and he'll grab a good amount of boards and steals. He's got a pretty effective isolation game on the perimeter. |
5 | Julius Randle | LAL | 4 | If Ingram needs to miss more time and Kuzma has to shift to the SF spot again, Randle won't see any threats for playing time. He's thrived in the second half of season with tons of points and boards. |
6 | Dario Saric | PHI | 4 | Saric is dealing with a minor Elbow injury, but he could still play in the Sixers full slate this week and with Joel Embiid already out, they'll need him back in the lineup as soon as possible. |
7 | LaMarcus Aldridge | SAS | 3 | Aldridge gave owners (myself included) a scare last week when he hurt himself and needed an MRI on his Knee. Everything checked out, he's played full minutes since and he's the Spurs top scorer. |
8 | Thaddeus Young | IND | 4 | Young has improved his game overall over the last few weeks and he's taken advantage of Myles Turner's struggles and Domantas Sabonis health issues. Expect points, boards and steals. |
9 | Serge Ibaka | TOR | 4 | Ibaka is back in the rankings with the full slate and he'll take shots from the arc and elbow and grab a decent amount of boards. He's been a lot more helpful with blocks lately. |
10 | Domantas Sabonis | IND | 4 | Sabonis is healthy and he should see 25-30 minutes per game moving forward and he's been a completely different player this season and he'll help with inside scoring and rebounding. |
11 | John Collins | ATL | 4 | Collins will share top scoring responsibilities with Schroder out for the rest of the season. He's battled his own injuries, but he's looked a lot quicker on the court and he'll grab boards as well. |
12 | Marcus Morris | BOS | 4 | Morris has been very helpful filling the scoring void Irving left behind and Morris can hit shots from mid-range and he'll attack the rim. Morris will also help with boards and steals. |
13 | Tobias Harris | LAC | 3 | Expect to see Harris slash more with Gallinari back in the mix. This will benefit fantasy owners as he'll have more opportunities to grab boards on the offensive end. |
14 | Paul Millsap | DEN | 3 | Millsap is healthy and with Harris out, he'll serve as the Nuggets seconds scoring option for at least the next week. He'll hit a lot of mid-range jumpers and he'll grab boards and steals consistently. |
15 | Nikola Mirotic | NO | 3 | Mirotic will continue to be the Pelicans third scoring option, but the second half of the season hasn't been as kind to him. He sits at the arc a lot more. WHY?! Doesn't make sense. He'll help w/ boards. |
16 | Dwight Powell | DAL | 4 | Powell has had stretches in which he looked like a polished PF on the floor and then he has other games in which he's missing in action. He'll help with points and boards down the stretch. |
17 | Lauri Markkanen | CHI | 3 | Markkanen is over his Back injury and he'll be the Bulls top scoring weapon for the rest of the way. He'll continue hitting shots beyond the arc and in the post. He'll grab boards on defense. |
18 | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | BKN | 3 | RHJ will be a priority inside scoring weapon moving forward and he takes a ton of contact in the post and he'll also help consistently with boards, steals and blocks. |
19 | Bobby Portis | CHI | 3 | Portis will continue dominating the post as he has in the second half of the season. Expect tons of inside scoring and rebounding to go along with blocks. He's improved in the post a lot. |
20 | Derrick Favors | UT | 3 | Favors still makes an impact even while giving Rudy Gobert the entire low-post area. Favors will hit mid-range jumpers consistently and he positions himself well in the paint and grabs consistent boards. |
Center
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Anthony Davis | NO | 3 | Even without a full slate of games this week, Davis continues to stay healthy and highly productive in pretty much every category as the Pelicans top option. |
2 | Nikola Vucevic | ORL | 4 | Vucevic moves up the rankings with the full slate and as the Magic's second scoring option, he'll produce mainly in the post and he'll grab a ton of boards. Expect multiple double-doubles this week. |
3 | Andre Drummond | DET | 3 | Drummond got into a pushing match with Quincy Acy and he was ejected Sunday. Acy looked like he started the altercation, but don't be surprised if Drummond gets suspended for a game. |
4 | Nikola Jokic | DEN | 3 | Jokic continues to be the Nuggets top scoring weapon and with Harris still out, expect more three-point shooting and he'll even hit the cutter from the perimeter. He'll grab a ton of boards. |
5 | Al Horford | BOS | 4 | Horford will be needed as the 1A scoring weapon along with Tatum for the rest of the regular season and he'll balance his offense between the arc and the post and help with boards and blocks. |
6 | Myles Turner | IND | 4 | Turner has struggled lately. He takes too many deep shots and needs to use his body more in the post. If he plays in the post more on offense, he'll score in double figures more consistently. |
7 | Jonas Valanciunas | TOR | 4 | Valanciunas doesn't need a lot of playing time to be productive with scoring and rebounding, but as always minutes=opportunity. Regardless, he continues to be productive in multiple areas. |
8 | DeAndre Jordan | LAC | 3 | We all know the deal with Jordan. He'll score just from under the basket off of missed shots as he still can't create in the post. Jordan will grab a ton of boards and blocks and score in double figures. |
9 | Dwight Howard | CHA | 3 | At this point, continue to expect Howard to play full minutes and help out a ton with points, boards and blocks. The Hornets are out of contention and could make the switch to their youth. WARNING! |
10 | Marc Gasol | MEM | 3 | The Grizzlies continue to be plagued by injuries and Gasol is by far and away the top scoring weapon and rebounder. Expect him to play full minutes because the Grizz are running out of options. |
11 | Kevin Love | CLE | 3 | Love is fully healthy again and owners who have been very patient will be rewarded with a lot of scoring, three's and boards. Love will grab most of his boards on defense b/c he hangs at the arc a lot on offense. |
12 | Rudy Gobert | UT | 3 | The Jazz defense continues to improve and Gobert gets a lot of that credit for providing strong interior defense. He'll help with inside scoring, boards and he'll block a lot of shots. |
13 | Clint Capela | HOU | 3 | Capela is the Rockets main inside weapon and with Paul still hurting, his usage could go up for a couple of games. He normally gets the paint to himself and he'll help a ton on the glass. |
14 | Hassan Whiteside | MIA | 3 | Whiteside better stop mouthing off about his minutes or he can find himself benched. He doesn't need a lot of minutes to be a highly productive scorer and rebounder, but he doesn't play full minutes. |
15 | Karl-Anthony Towns | MIN | 2 | Towns would obviously be much higher in these rankings, but he drew the short slate. It takes a lot to put a player with two games above others with four games, but Towns is THAT productive as the top option. |
16 | Dewayne Dedmon | ATL | 4 | Dedmon will get to shoot a few more three's with Schroder out for the rest of the season and he'll do a lot of the Hawks dirty work under the basket. Expect a good amount of scoring and rebounding this week. |
17 | Dirk Nowitzki | DAL | 4 | Nowitzki will mainly score from the arc. He's one of the few Centers who is used as a bailout option, but his age is catching up to him and he can't bang as efficiently, but he'll still grab five-seven boards. |
18 | Brook Lopez | LAL | 4 | Lopez is playing for a contract at this point and he's been a productive scorer while Randle grabs all of the rebounds. Lopez will still get a safe amount of playing time and he'll help out randomly in other areas. |
19 | Jusuf Nurkic | POR | 3 | The Blazers third scoring option will get a lot of plays called for him in the post. He's been an effective post player and will score in double figures consistently and grab a good amount of boards and steals. |
20 | Pau Gasol | SAS | 3 | Gasol hasn't been as productive lately, but the Spurs will need his veteran presence down the stretch and he'll help with at least boards and blocks consistently. His scoring and minutes continue to drop though. |