Point Guard
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Damian Lillard | POR | 4 | Lillard takes the top spot with the full slate. Even though the Blazers have more shooters, it will never impact Lillard's shot totals per game and will only help him contribute more dimes. |
2 | Malcolm Brogdon | IND | 4 | Put Brogdon in a less crowded situation and he's thrived running the point for the Pacers. His scoring will be needed even more with the Pacers big men hurting. |
3 | Ben Simmons | PHI | 4 | Simmons will have the most time with the ball, especially with Joel Embiid missing the Sixers first game of the week. Per usual, he's been a multi-category producer and it's hard stopping him on the drive. |
4 | Trae Young | ATL | 4 | INJ: Young has been dealing with an Ankle injury, but he can still be ready to play his full slate of games. |
5 | Kyrie Irving | BKN | 3 | Irving, as expected, takes a high volume of shots and he can have as many mood swings as he wants off the court. He'll still be prioritized, especially with a raw front court offensively. |
6 | Luka Doncic | DAL | 3 | Having Kristaps Porzingis alongside Doncic has been very beneficial. It's opened up the lane and it's made driving easier for him and he'll continue being a big help with boards and dimes. |
7 | Terry Rozier | CHA | 4 | Even though Devonte' Graham has been impressive to start the season, Rozier has been able to still log over 30 minutes per game and set up other options successfully like PJ Washington. |
8 | Ja Morant | MEM | 4 | Morant has met expectations early on and has forced opposing defenses to take focus off of other options inside. He has incredible speed, solid court-vision and he's been the prioritized scorer. |
9 | Chris Paul | OKC | 4 | Paul's offense will be needed even more if Steven Adams needs to sit for another game. Paul's health has been an issue over the last couple of years, but for now, consider him a top scoring option. |
10 | D'Angelo Russell | GSW | 4 | INJ: Russell is dealing with an Ankle injury and there's a chance he'll have to miss his first game of the week. He shifts to PG with Stephen Curry sidelined for the next few months with a broken Hand. |
11 | Jeff Teague | MIN | 4 | Teague's defense is horrible, but his ability to still get in the lane, use his tear-drop and hit knockdown three's keeps his production up. Expect more scoring to start his week w/o Karl-Anthony Towns . |
12 | Kyle Lowry | TOR | 3 | Lowry has had to do a bit more when it comes to attacking the lane without having Kawhi Leonard by his side, but he's done a good job keeping his assists up and finding bailout shooters on the perimeter. |
13 | Kemba Walker | BOS | 3 | Walker is the prioritized scorer on Boston and he's picked up right where Irving left off. He fits in nicely with the Celtics despite them having a lot of shooters. |
14 | Eric Bledsoe | MIL | 4 | The Bucks are very deep and even though he isn't high on the priority list for scoring, he'll still get enough playing time to produce a good amount of dimes and help with boards. |
15 | Dennis Schroder | OKC | 4 | Schroder has been leading the Thunder's second unit and will continue to serve as the change of pace guard and get plenty of playing time. His quickness will continue to get utilized. |
16 | Dejounte Murray | SAS | 3 | Murray has incredible ball-handling skills and even though the Spurs have a lot of guards, expect him to still be the third scoring weapon for them and he'll help out a good amount with grabbing boards. |
17 | Russell Westbrook | HOU | 3 | There's a chance Westbrook misses his first game of the week. The Rockets may give him a rest game. Don't ever put anything past the Rockets. More usage for James Harden if Westbrook sits. |
18 | Ricky Rubio | PHX | 3 | With Deandre Ayton still out of the picture, Rubio will get more time to create and drive. Devin Booker is such a threat all over the court that teams seem to forget about Rubio's driving ability. |
19 | Lonzo Ball | NO | 3 | Ball will give a steady dose of multi-category production. He's a better driver than jump shooter. He's improved his shooting since last year. He makes at least two three-pointers per game. |
20 | Isaiah Thomas | WSH | 3 | Thomas will prioritize scoring over playmaking and now that he's healthy, he'll look to drive and draw contact. He'll still help with assists, but being on a very depleted team, he's prioritized. |
Shooting Guard
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | James Harden | HOU | 3 | Harden takes the top spot even without the full slate. Russell Westbrook being in the mix hasn't taken him off the mountain top. He's still the Rockets top scorer and Westbrook is likely getting a game off. |
2 | Khris Middleton | MIL | 4 | Middleton remains the second scoring option and as I watch him in games, it continues to amaze me that opposing teams haven't figured out to keep him away from the top of the key aka his sweet spot. |
3 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | OKC | 4 | Gilgeous-Alexander has filled up the stat sheet and has gained more minutes and shots because of his commitment on both sides of the ball. He's good at fighting through screens and will help with steals. |
4 | Bradley Beal | WSH | 3 | Beal will continue to be far and away the top scoring option for the Wizards and one of the most lethal scorers in the league. Even if Beal isn't hitting his shots, his minutes or shot-total won't be threatened. |
5 | Jimmy Butler | MIA | 3 | Butler is back in full force and is a big reason for the Heat's hot start, along with Kendrick Nunn . Butler will be the top scoring option for the team, but will grab plenty of boards and steals as well. |
6 | Jeremy Lamb | IND | 4 | Until Victor Oladipo is ready to return to the court, Lamb will continue seeing a ton of shots. He's a committed rebounder and will help with steals on the perimeter. The Pacers bigs being hurt benefits Lamb. |
7 | CJ McCollum | POR | 4 | McCollum will continue to be utilized more with the Blazers front court not the healthiest right now. He'll work the elbow on offense and see a lot of shots in the area between the paint and arc. |
8 | Devin Booker | PHX | 3 | Booker will get time at both guard spots and he'll help out big time with scoring (as always) and with dishing assists. Teams will continue to try to isolate Booker so he passes off. |
9 | Andrew Wiggins | MIN | 4 | Wiggins has had a productive start to the season and without Towns to start the week, he'll be even more prioritized in the offense and he'll help a bit with boards and dimes as well. |
10 | Josh Richardson | PHI | 4 | Richardson has gotten used to not being a top option on a decimated team like he was in Miami and with Embiid missing the first game of the week, expect him to have more shots. |
11 | Evan Fournier | ORL | 4 | Fournier's role is solidified despite the Magic making frequent changes at point guard. He'll find ways to get open and even shift to other parts of the arc through screens, faking out defenders in the process. |
12 | Damion Lee | GSW | 4 | Lee will be seeing a lot more minutes with Russell shifting to PG while Stephen Curry is out and as strange as this is, he can even be the team's go-to shooter if Russell sits the first game of the week. |
13 | Zach LaVine | CHI | 3 | LaVine is the Bulls top scorer, but he'll also help run the point as well while the Bulls figure out who to give the most minutes to at PG. LaVine will never have a shortage of shots. |
14 | Jrue Holiday | NO | 3 | Holiday was a bit banged up to start the season and has to get his rhythm back. He'll start filling up the stat sheet a bit more moving forward and help with assists as well. |
15 | DeMar DeRozan | SAS | 3 | The Spurs front court hasn't been that impactful to start the season, but you can always rely on DeRozan to give a strong defensive effort. Besides getting a lot of shots, expect consistent boards & steals. |
16 | Dillon Brooks | MEM | 4 | Brooks has carved out a nice role for himself. The Grizzlies don't have a ton of depth and he'll be needed to not only hit open jumpers, but he'll also get time to run the point. |
17 | Josh Okogie | MIN | 4 | Okogie has been productive and is getting enough minutes that we can trust that he's solidly in the 'Wolves rotation. He'll help out with boards and steals on the defensive side of the ball. |
18 | Fred VanVleet | TOR | 3 | I was worried that VanVleet would spend this season camping out at the arc, but he's been a multi-category producer and even though he's the off-guard, he'll still get a handful of minutes running the point. |
19 | Jaylen Brown | BOS | 3 | INJ: Brown has been sick and has missed his last two games. His first game of the week is on Tuesday and we'll have to wait and see if he's fully recovered. |
20 | Josh Hart | NO | 3 | Hart coming off the bench has been very beneficial for his production. He's taken advantage of minutes given to him and can play multiple spots on the floor and even with Holiday healthy, he'll get shots. |
Small Forward
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | LeBron James | LAL | 3 | Even though he doesn't have the short slate and Kyle Kuzma is back, James takes the top spot because of deep multi-category production. The Lakers NEED to let him run the point the majority of games. |
2 | Tobias Harris | PHI | 4 | Expect Harris to see a high volume of shots to start his full slate without having to worry about Embiid. His slashing will be needed and he can't just camp out at the arc most of the game. |
3 | Danilo Gallinari | OKC | 4 | Gallinari will be a match up problem for a decent amount of SF's because of his size. He loves shooting from downtown, but the size advantage will also help him grab long boards. |
4 | Jonathan Isaac | ORL | 4 | Isaac has shown vast improvement in his game and he fits nicely at both guard spots. Expect scoring from the high-post and he'll be able to work his way in the lane and draw plenty of contact. |
5 | Brandon Ingram | NO | 3 | Ingram had been dealing with a Head injury, but he shouldn't have to miss any of his three games this week. Don't forget, he'll also get time to run the point and that will help his assists. |
6 | Miles Bridges | CHA | 4 | Bridges is a good slasher with incredible leaping ability. He'll use his long arms to grab steals on the perimeter and loose balls in the lane. Expect him to thrive being a mid-range scorer and blocking shots. |
7 | Rodney Hood | POR | 4 | INJ: Hood had been battling a Knee injury, but he should be able to play in his full slate of games this week. |
8 | Glenn Robinson III | GSW | 4 | The Warriors are very injured right now to the point where their lineup is unrecognizable. Robinson has battled health issues on and off during his career, but he'll be getting a lot of minutes with others hurt. |
9 | Ersan Ilyasova | MIL | 4 | Ilyasova is able to take advantage of sleepy defenders by immediately crashing the boards after he takes shots. He's a strong mid and long-range scorer and his spot is solidified in the Bucks rotation. |
10 | DeAndre Bembry | ATL | 4 | Bembry has come through and his experience in the league over a lot of other Hawks players who are just starting out will keep him in the rotation and he works hard on both sides of the ball. |
11 | Jae Crowder | MEM | 4 | From the start of the season, Crowder was in a good spot because the Grizzlies lack depth at SF and with Jaren Jackson Jr. banged up, expect Crowder to get more shots from mid and long-range. |
12 | Kelly Oubre Jr. | PHX | 3 | Oubre has taken advantage of Ayton being suspended and he's the Suns second scoring weapon. His defense will always keep him on the court and owners can expect consistent boards and blocks. |
13 | R.J. Barrett | NY | 3 | Barrett has been better than expected and while the Knicks are a mess as a whole, he's been able to play multiple positions and be a multi-category producer. He's not afraid to drive the lane. |
14 | Gordon Hayward | BOS | 3 | Hayward is in a familiar role as he was last season but with Marcus Morris off the team and the depth at big man a lot lighter, it has opened up the Celtics rotation a bit more and Hayward has benefitted. |
15 | Kawhi Leonard | LAC | 2 | Leonard would be much higher on this list, but he drew the short slate of the week and he's instantly made the Clippers 10 times better on both ends of the floor and this is all without Paul George . |
16 | Taurean Prince | BKN | 3 | Like Crowder, Prince has taken advantage of the Nets opening at SF and he'll get a healthy amount of shots and time with the ball because he sacrifices his body on the drive and makes an impact defensively. |
17 | OG Anunoby | TOR | 3 | Anunoby has shown major growth this season. Everyone forgot about him because he suffered from Appendicitis during the Raptors memorable playoff run. He's very sound defensively. |
18 | Tyler Herro | MIA | 3 | Herro continues to impress with his early-season aggresivness. He'll attack the lane and hit deep three's. His shooting motion is quick and it makes his shots harder to contest. Expect help with steals. |
19 | Rudy Gay | SAS | 3 | Gay is still very much in the Spurs rotation and he is able to hit jumpers from the elbow and than grab boards on both sides of the ball. He continues to show and improved post-game as well. |
20 | Will Barton | DEN | 3 | INJ: Barton is dealing with an injured Toe and his status for the week is unclear. He may need to miss another game or two. |
Power Forward
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | MIL | 4 | The MVP with a full slate is always good news and the Greek Freak should be the top producer in fantasy for week three of the season. He'll continue filling up the stat sheet in all areas except three's. |
2 | Anthony Davis | LAL | 3 | As we all continue to hold our breath everytime Davis takes a fall and needs to visit the locker room, he's been able to stay on the court and cut in the lane with ease. He has a good connection with LeBron. |
3 | Kevin Love | CLE | 3 | Love has been able to not only stay on the court, but he's produced double-doubles in all but one game this season. The other Cavs big men are low-post specific players and that will benefit Love. |
4 | John Collins | ATL | 4 | INJ: Collins has been dealing with an Ankle injury, but he can still be ready to play his full slate of games. |
5 | Al Horford | PHI | 4 | Horford will see more shots and time with the ball to start the week for the Sixers with Embiid suspended for the first game of the week. Expect him to be lining up in the post more than hanging at the arc. |
6 | P.J. Washington | CHA | 4 | Washington has been impressive to start his career. He can hit long-range shots and he'll follow them up to grab boards. He doesn't have much competition at the position as the Hornets will rely on youth. |
7 | Aaron Gordon | ORL | 4 | Gordon's role could be compromised a bit if Isaac continues to make a strong impact. Markelle Fultz being more of a driver could relegate Gordon to the arc a bit more. Gordon must use his strong attack more. |
8 | Pascal Siakam | TOR | 3 | Siakam would be higher on this list if he had the full slate and he's had a very strong start to the season. The Raptors will continue relying on him more with no Leonard on the team this season. |
9 | Kristaps Porzingis | DAL | 3 | Porzingis looks like a solid fit in Dallas and he has a clear connection with Doncic and he'll spend a lot of time at the arc stretching the floor. Expect most boards to come on the defensive side of the ball. |
10 | Jayson Tatum | BOS | 3 | Tatum is the prioritized scoring big-man for the Celtics and he'll get plenty of shots, but more importantly, plenty of time to create with the ball and he'll help with boards and steals. |
11 | Robert Covington | MIN | 4 | Covington will be utilized more to start the week for the Timberwolves with Towns still suspended. Covington will need to utilize his post-game more in his first game of the week and not just stay at the arc. |
12 | T.J. Warren | IND | 4 | Myles Turner will miss some time with a sprained Ankle and Warren should be able to grab more minutes at both SF and PF. Warren's rebounding numbers should go up this week being more in the post. |
13 | Eric Paschall | GSW | 4 | It's uncertain whether or not Draymond Green will miss the entire week, but we do know that he'll miss a couple of game this week and Paschall will be ina position to log a lot of minutes for the hurt Warriors. |
14 | Lauri Markkanen | CHI | 3 | Markkanen will continue to be the Bulls second scoring option and he compliments Wendell Carter Jr. very nicely. He hasn't been as impactful defensively. He must crash the boards a bit harder on both sides. |
15 | Julius Randle | NY | 3 | Randle has been hard to keep out of the paint and because of how raw Mitchell Robinson is, his mid-range game will be needed. The Knicks have a ton of forwards, but Randle won't lose minutes. |
16 | LaMarcus Aldridge | SAS | 3 | Aldridge hasn't made the biggest impact to start the season and am surprised by that considering the Spurs don't have as much depth up front. Aldridge had to play two positions at once a ton last year. |
17 | Jaren Jackson Jr. | MEM | 4 | INJ: Jackson has been dealing with a sore Knee and there's a good chance he'll have to miss his first game of the week. Brandon Clarke should see a few more minutes. |
18 | Justise Winslow | MIA | 3 | INJ: Winslow has missed his last two games with a Back injury. If he plays, he'll fill up the stat sheet and even get time to serve as the Heat's playmaker. Status currently uncertain for him to play three games. |
19 | P.J. Tucker | HOU | 3 | The Rockets lack of depth and defense will continue to benefit Tucker. He'll see a good amount of high-percentage jumpers and he'll help grab boards and steals on the other side of the ball. |
20 | Serge Ibaka | TOR | 3 | Ibaka still gets a good amount of minutes in the Raptors rotation. He'll help out on the glass and by blocking shots. He'll score in double figures more often than not and will attack the lane more this season. |
Center
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Karl-Anthony Towns | MIN | 4 | Towns will miss his first game of the week after getting suspended for getting into a fight with Joel Embiid , but he's been the most productive Center and with other injuries at the position, he stays on top. |
2 | Andre Drummond | DET | 3 | Drummond has dominated the glass as he's always done and is getting more looks in the paint with Blake Griffin still hurt. He's had four games in which he's grabbed at least 20 boards. |
3 | Joel Embiid | PHI | 4 | Embiid will miss his first game of the week after getting suspended for getting into a fight with Karl-Anthony Towns . Al Horford 's usage will go up and Ben Simmons will get even more time time with the ball. |
4 | Nikola Vucevic | ORL | 4 | Vucevic will be more impactful on the glass moving forward. It's good seeing that he's not relying on his long-range game as much this season. He's mainly sticking to his post game and is hard to box out. |
5 | Domantas Sabonis | IND | 4 | INJ: Sabonis is dealing with a Calf injury and he may need to miss his first game of the week. |
6 | Hassan Whiteside | POR | 4 | INJ: Whiteside had been dealing with a small Knee injury, but he should be ready to go for his first game of the week. |
7 | Cody Zeller | CHA | 4 | Zeller has logged double-doubles in all but one game this season. He's been one of the biggest surprises of the year and doesn't have competition at the position that can do what he's done. |
8 | Nikola Jokic | DEN | 3 | Jokic will produce from all over the court and he'd be higher on the list if he had the full slate. He's the Nuggets top scoring option and will help a ton with boards, dimes and steals consistently. |
9 | Jonas Valanciunas | MEM | 4 | Valanciunas has taken advantage of the Grizzlies lack of big men and he continues to show that he doesn't need a ton of minutes in order to be productive from the points and boards standpoint. |
10 | Willie Cauley-Stein | GSW | 4 | Cauley-Stein recently returned to the court after spraining his Foot prior to the start of the season and with Green out for a few games, expect his minutes, points and boards to go up this week. |
11 | Steven Adams | OKC | 4 | INJ: Adams missed his last two games with an injured Knee and his status for the week is uncertain. |
12 | Tristan Thompson | CLE | 3 | Thompson has stuck to his low-post game and it's resulted in solid production from inside scoring and rebounding and he's been blocking nearly two shots per game. He's prioritized over Larry Nance Jr. |
13 | Bam Adebayo | MIA | 3 | Adebayo has been a huge factor for the Heat's early season success. He's quick and it's hard to stop him once he hits the lane. The Heat have other big men that are more shot-happy from the arc. |
14 | Thomas Bryant | WSH | 3 | Bryant continues to take advantage of the Wizards lack of front court and owners should expect frequent double-doubles. Bryant does have a long range game that he'll use at times to draw out big defenders. |
15 | Clint Capela | HOU | 3 | Capela has been very helpful with boards, blocks and steals, but scoring will be a bit harder because of the scoring power the Rockets have in their back court. With Westbrook resting, expect more Capela. |
16 | Brook Lopez | MIL | 4 | New season, same story with Lopez. He's a strong shooter from beyond the arc, but doesn't make the impact he should be making on the glass. Why have a 7'1 Center who camps out at the arc? |
17 | Wendell Carter Jr. | CHI | 3 | Carter has been able to stay healthy and he doesn't need a lot of minutes to produce. He has the paint all to himself for the most part as Markkanen spends more time at the arc. |
18 | Aron Baynes | PHX | 3 | Baynes has taken full advantage of Ayton being suspended and he finds himself open at the arc a ton. He's made two three-pointers per game, and he'll help a bit on the glass as well. |
19 | Dwight Howard | LAL | 3 | Howard hasn't made as much of an impact on the offensive side of the ball. He's playing just enough minutes to be considered solidly in the rotation. He has two double-doubles, but has blocked a lot of shots. |
20 | Jarrett Allen | BKN | 3 | Like Howard, Allen is very raw offensively and is in a timeshare with DeAndre Jordan . He's been very helpful though grabbing 9.7 boards per game and blocking shots. View scoring for Allen as a bonus. |