The NBA regular season is already a week old and fantasy trades and waiver wire pickups have already begun. General managers, like myself, are constantly tinkering with their lineups and reserves so as to maximize points on a nightly basis. To truly keep pace on the competition one must stock a roster with top-tier talent. In order to do this, eDraft will be providing a top ten list of guards, forwards and centers to assist you in maintaining that competitive edge. Continue to check in with us as reap the rewards.
We delve into our top-ten fantasy guards by ranking the cream of the crop among the backcourts stars in the Association. Keep in mind that multiple fantasy sites may have certain players as eligibles for more than one position. For the purpose of this ranking the mentioned players are being considered only as guards.
When it comes to drafting a forward it basically comes down to LeBron James, Kevin Durant and the rest of the field. Not to detract from the other star forwards, but James and Durant are heads and shoulders above the competition. It goes without saying that the first two ranking spots are taken up by these two; however, we lay out the next best eight forwards for your fantasy roster.
1 - LeBron James - Miami Heat
It’s tough to argue against LeBron as the top performing fantasy forward in so much as he is the best fantasy player period. There is absolutely no reason to think that there should be any drop off in James performance this season as he is just reaching his peak. A legitimate triple-double threat every game and a man who can stuff your fantasy stat sheet on any given night. Lebron is the clear cut choice as top fantasy forward.
2 - Kevin Durant - Oklahoma City Thunder
Durant is once again playing second fiddle here as he ranks behind only James for forwards. Even still, not at all a bad second choice here as Durant is still a fantasy stud. One really can’t go wrong with career averages of 26.6 ppg, 3.1 apg and 6.8 rpg and for a second forward off the board he is a huge contributor.
3. Kevin Love - Minnesota Timberwolves
Love managed only 18 games last season due to a recurring injury. This season he is healthy and anxious to show that he hasn’t lost anything off his game. If the first two games this season are any indication then Love is poised for a monstrous stat-stuffing season. While I don’t think that his lofty 27.5 ppg and 14.5 rpg averages are sustainable over a 82-game grind; he has shown that he is picking up from where he left off in his in MVP-type year of 2011-12.
4. Carmelo Anthony - New York Knicks
Folks around the league are saying that Anthony is going to have a real ‘up’ year as he is in a contract season. While for the most part this can be true for players, I don’t actually think that Anthony can get any better. I mean he is still a prolific scorer and can dominate a game like few others; however, I see Anthony as having reached his ceiling. Expect about the same out of Anthony, 26.5 ppg, 7 rpg and 2 apg.
5. Anthony Davis - New Orleans Pelicans
We go from a guy who has hit his ceiling to one that hasn’t yet scratched the surface on his talent. Davis is showing the confidence and maturity that one would expect from a seasoned pro, of course Davis has benefited greatly from his recent USA Dream Team Olympic experience. If Davis continues to progress the way that everyone thinks he will, he will one day be a top-three fantasy talent. Until that time he must be content with a top-five ranking.
6. Al Horford - Atlanta Hawks
Horford has been the model of consistency for the Atlanta Hawks over the past six seasons and this one should be no different. With back-to-back seasons under his belt of double-double averages, Horford should probably be ranked higher than sixth overall. One factor that is anchoring his value is the roster addition of Paul Millsap who could steal away some offensive touches in the post as well as some rebounds; any decrease in Horford’s averages would affect his fantasy value.
7. LaMarcus Aldridge - Portland Trailblazers
Despite some off season controversy regarding a supposed trade request, Aldridge is back with the Blazers and is looking as strong as ever. He remains a very solid and safe fantasy option at the forward spot with one drawback of not blocking too many shots for a 6’11” guy. Regardless, Aldridge is a near double-double guy who will average over 20 ppg and around 9.5 rpg.
8. Al Jefferson - Charlotte Bobcats
Jefferson left Utah this offseason and took the payday in Charlotte. This veteran will be counted on to be the low-post scoring option and he should see quite a few quality touches around the rim. Similarly to Aldridge, Jefferson is a near double-double guy who is more of a consistent fantasy option than an explosive one. Nonetheless having a guy you can count on for 18 ppg and 9 rpg isn’t altogether a bad thing.
9. Nikola Vucevic - Minnesota Timberwolves
This third-year player is another who has a very high ceiling. Vucevic landed in Orlando’s lap after the Dwight Howard debacle and the Magic couldn’t be any happier about it. Vucevic has blossomed into a legit scoring threat who isn’t afraid to get physical around the basket and fight for the those rebounds. Vucevic was one of only a handful of forwards who managed to maintain a double-double average throughout the season and there is no reason to think that he can’t duplicate his success this go round.
10. David Lee - Golden State Warriors
A healthy David Lee last season was one of the best fantasy plays all season long as he was a super-stud in most games and even when he had an off night he was still good for 20 & 10. The risk for Lee is his health as he isn’t so much injury prone as he is aggressive to the point of negligent towards his body. Lee seems to be a perfect fit in the Golden State system and Head Coach Mark Jackson loves to use him in kinds of offensive sets. Lee should have no problem in getting his 18 ppg and 10 rpg averages again this season.