Oct 26 2011
Top 100 Players | Point Guards | Shooting Guards | Small Forwards | Power Forwards | CentersHere's our first attempt at ranking the top 100 players for standard fantasy NBA leagues.
Players are ranked in terms of overall value in an eight-category (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, FT%, FG% and three pointers made) rotisserie-style league. Allowances have been made for positional scarcity -- players who qualify at center are worth a bit more. Injuries and concerns over playing time are also considered.
For added fun, this season we're also factoring in the NBA Lockout. That means Wilson Chandler and J.R. Smith - both of whom signed deals to play this season in China - don't make the top 100, veterans like Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan get a slight downgrade on the chance that a compressed 2011-12 regular season will mean more back-to-backs, and guys with notoriously poor conditioning habits (I'm looking at you, Boris Diaw) drop even further.
It also means that unsigned free agents - notably Jason Richardson and David West - are particularly hard to rank, and might be better to avoid in early fantasy drafts.
The Top 50
1. Kevin Durant: SF/Thunder - Concern over how Durant and Russell Westbrook shared the ball during the playoffs is overblown. Durant's potential is not. Scary thought: he's still years away from his physical prime. He's just going to get better.2. LeBron James: SF/Heat - Sure, James' individual numbers suffered a bit from sharing shot opportunities with the other Heatles. He was still the most valuable player in most fantasy formats last season.
3. Chris Paul: PG/Hornets - Knee issues make CP3 the riskiest pick among the true fantasy basketball elites, but when he's healthy, he's as good as anyone.
4. Derrick Rose: PG/Bulls - Marked improvement in his outside shot made Rose a top-five player - and the league MVP - last season. Have to wonder if his numbers will be as great if he isn't picking up the slack for injured teammates as much...
5. Russell Westbrook: PG/Thunder - Don't worry over-much about his growing pains during the playoffs… he's just 22, and didn't even run the point in college.
6. Dwyane Wade: SG/Heat - Continues to be one of the top all-around performers in fantasy basketball; Wade is a surprisingly good shot-blocker for a guard (1.1 bpg in 2010-11).
7. Stephen Curry: PG/Warriors - The arrival of Mark Jackson could signal a major change in Golden State's system, but Curry is a special talent who should thrive no matter what offense the Warriors opt to run.
8. Kevin Love: PF/Timberwolves - Rebounding machine who could take another leap forward this season, now that the Timberwolves are abandoning Kurt Rambis' god-awful version of the triangle offense.
9. Tyreke Evans: SG/Kings - Glad the Kings seem to be ending the "Evans at the point" experiment; I think he has a chance to become a truly elite "shooting guard that initiates the offense sometimes" a la Dwyane Wade or Kobe Bryant.
10. Kobe Bryant: SG/Lakers - He's clearly on the down side of his career - but Kobe's down side is a lot better than most players' prime. How will the switch to Mike Brown affect his play?
11. LaMarcus Aldridge: PF/Trail Blazers - Last year's numbers got a boost because Portland was hit by so many injuries at the center position. What happens if Greg Oden actually plays?
12. Carmelo Anthony: SF/Knicks - Melo shot more threes as a Knick than he ever did as a Nugget - and hit over 42 percent of them after the big trade.
13. Monta Ellis: SG/Warriors - Lots of questions about Ellis' short-term future. Will he be traded? Will Mark Jackson look to change his role?
14. Dwight Howard: C/Magic - Howard's value increases in H2H formats and nine-category leagues, where his dismal free-throw shooting isn't as big a liability.
15. Amare Stoudemire: C/Knicks - It's still unclear how much Anthony's arrival at Madison Square Garden will impact STAT's stats.
16. Deron Williams: PG/Nets - When healthy, D-Will is just a hair behind Paul, Rose and Westbrook in terms of overall fantasy value.
17. Josh Smith: PF/Hawks - Still one of the league's elite shot-blockers, but his numbers in that category have decreased significantly from his career bests.
18. Danny Granger: SF/Pacers - One of the league's top players when healthy, but always seems to be slowed by nagging injuries. Name surfaces in a lot of trade rumors, but we think he's staying put in Indy.
19. Manu Ginobili: SG/Spurs - Be wary of Ginobili and other veterans if the lockout compresses the 2011-12 schedule; more back-to-backs could mean more time off.
20. Dirk Nowitzki: PF/Mavericks - Tremendously valuable in scoring and percentage categories, but doesn't board particularly well or shoot as many threes as he did in the past.
21. Kevin Martin: SG/Rockets - Martin's reputation as an injury risk is well-earned, but he did play in 80 games last season (after averaging 53 per season in the previous three).
22. Pau Gasol: PF/Lakers - Gasol continues to improve; he's now finished with a double-digit rebounding average in two straight seasons, and he shot over 80 percent from the line in 2010-11.
23. Jrue Holiday: PG/Sixers - This should be the season that Holiday joins the ranks of the elite fantasy guards; he could lead the league in steals.
24. Al Horford: C/Hawks - Posted career-bests in scoring and assists last season, but we'd like to see his rebounding average in the double figures.
25. Al Jefferson: C/Jazz - Took a little time to get acclimated in Utah, but was one of the league's better bigs in the second half of 2010-11.
26. Chauncey Billups: PG/Knicks - Billups three-point shooting lends itself well to Mike D'Antoni's offense, though he may be a bit old to
27. Steve Nash: PG/Suns - Still a top assist man, still has outstanding percentages… but he has to slow down eventually, doesn't he?
28. Paul Pierce: SF/Celtics - A top talent, but Boston's stars have long been willing to sacrifice individual numbers for team goals… Jeff Green's presence for an entire season (assuming he re-signs) could impact Pierce's numbers.
29. Paul Millsap: PF/Jazz - Has always produced when given the opportunity, but where does he play? Does he have the foot-speed and agility to be a full-time small forward?
30. Marc Gasol: C/Grizzlies - That trade that brought Marc to Memphis and sent his brother Pau to the Lakers doesn't look so lopsided now, does it?
31. Dorell Wright: SF/Warriors - Emerged as a top three-point threat last season, though the coaching change and arrival of Klay Thompson could impact Wright's numbers.
32. John Wall: PG/Wizards - Put together a very impressive rookie campaign despite a series of nagging injuries. But should probably still be considered a significant risk in the turnover category.
33. Zach Randolph: PF/Grizzlies - Z-Bo was, at times, the best player in the 2011 Playoffs. But can we really trust one of the league's most noted off-court knuckleheads to build on that success?
34. David Lee: PF/Warriors - Lee wasn't an ideal fit for Golden State's guard-centric offense last season, but still managed to produce pretty solid numbers. Those could improve if new coach Mark Jackson opts to get his big men more involved this season.
35. Rajon Rondo: PG/Celtics - Rondo started the season like an MVP candidate, but his production took a nose dive after the Celtics traded Kendrick Perkins. Look for a return to pre-trade levels this season, but don't forget; Rondo still can't shoot.
36. Mike Conley: PG/Grizzlies - For years, it seemed the Grizzlies were desperate for someone other than Conley to win the starting point guard job. But last season, he stepped up and helped lead the team on an impressive playoff run. How are you enjoying job security, Mike?
37. James Harden: SG/Thunder - Such a good passer, he basically gives the Thunder a second point guard on the floor and enables Russell Westbrook to look for his shot.
38. Kevin Garnett: PF/Celtics - Have to assume Doc Rivers will watch KG's minutes very carefully, especially if the reconfigured season features more back-to-backs.
39. Brook Lopez: C/Nets - Went into last season billed as the league's top young center, but a horrid year on the boards has cooled that buzz considerably.
40. Tony Parker: PG/Spurs - Before last season, it seemed Parker was on his way out. But after the trade of George Hill, he seems a larger part of the Spurs' short-term plans than he has in years.
41. Serge Ibaka: PF/Thunder - Rapidly becoming a force on the low block at both ends of the floor - and at 22 years old, still has plenty of room to improve.
42. Luol Deng: SF/Bulls - Adding the three-pointer to his offensive repertoire made Deng a more valuable fantasy option in 2010-11. His 115 made threes more than tripled his previous career high.
43. Chris Bosh: PF/Heat - Dwyane Wade and LeBron James didn't show much of a dip in production, but Bosh's numbers took a dive in Miami.
44. Eric Gordon: SG/Clippers - Developing into an ideal complement to Blake Griffin; should be the Clippers' second option.
45. Gerald Wallace: SF/Trail Blazers - "Crash" continues to be one of the league's top box score fillers when he's able to stay healthy. And his inability to stay healthy makes him a perfect Trail Blazer.
46. Ray Allen: SG/Celtics - Clearly on the down side of his career, but Allen still has one of the prettiest jumpers in the league, and no one is better at running off screens.
47. Kyle Lowry: PG/Rockets - Put up very impressive numbers after taking over the starting job, but has never been able to stay healthy for an extended period of time.
48. Nene Hilario: C/free agent - Where will he play this season? His value could fluctuate wildly depending on where he signs.
49. Wesley Matthews: SG/Trail Blazers - Has the potential to put up big numbers, but how much time will he give up to Brandon Roy?
50. Andray Blatche: PF/Wizards - Should be an excellent complement to John Wall, if he can keep his head on straight.
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