After each month of the NBA season we will compile our NBA All-Fantasy teams comprised of the top fantasy performers at each position along with a few honorable mentions that might break into the starting lineup next month.
We will start first in the Eastern Conference where I’ll give you a starting five as well as a couple honourable mention spots that came close but ultimately fell just short of cracking the starting lineup. All rankings are based on eDraft’s fantasy stats and are based on a cumulative total for the month which is not necessarily indicative of individual fantasy point per game averages.
Alright let’s take a look at who were the best of the best during the month of February. As the season winds down the top-performers are typically the league’s best players; however, every now and then some lesser knowns string together a solid month of play to crack the roster.
John Wall G - Washington Wizards
Wall continues to play his heart out for the Wizards and because of this the team can boast of an over .500 record to this point in the season. Statistically Wall didn’t do anything in February that he hasn’t been doing consistently all season long. He raised his season scoring average and assist averages by less than one per game. He did finish out the month with averages of 20.6 ppg, 9.1 apg, 3.7 rpg and 2.2 steals per contest to go along with five double-doubles. Consistency has been Wall’s mark this season and he should definitely continue his strong play into March.
Kyrie Irving G - Cleveland Cavaliers
The scuttlebut in Cleveland has already begun as to what Irving may or may not due once he hits the open market. Never mind the fact that the Cavs have him for at least another season under their control; the early speculation has Irving bolting at first chance. Similarly to Wall, Irving’s February was in-line with his season performances. His averages of 20.8 ppg, 7.2 apg, 4.5 rpg and 1.5 steals per game are consistent with his season averages. A nice bonus for those who routinely have Irving in their fantasy lineup was a triple-double he registered against Utah in the last game of the month.
Josh Smith F - Detroit Pistons
Smith had himself a very good February, so good was it in fact that he managed to sneak by LeBron James for February fantasy supremacy. Smith’s season to date has been good, albeit unspectacular. He goes about his business nightly and receives little fanfare, except of course for his early season woeful shooting performance. Smith will never be the explosive scorer that he self-professes to be, rather he contributes in a well-rounded manner with rebounding and assist averages that are solid indeed. For the month of February Smith averaged 18.9 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 4.6 apg, 1.5 blocks per and 1.5 steals per game. March sees Smith off to a slow start, so perhaps he burnt himself out a bit during his February hot-spell.
Carmelo Anthony F - New York Knicks
The circus that is the New York Knicks continues to showcase Anthony in the center stage. This is of course with good reason, he remains the lone player worth watching on the roster. Tim Hardaway Jr. is a nice prospect, but at this point his potential outweighs his current performances. Anthony did have himself a spectacular February as he averaged 31.5 ppg, 8 rpg and 2.8 apg. He had three forty point-plus nights and managed to register four double-doubles as well. Anthony remains a solid fantasy must start and nothing is going to change that so long as he continues to suit up night in and night out for the woeful Knicks.
Joakim Noah C - Chicago Bulls
Noah is doing everything possible to keep his Bulls as Eastern Conference contenders. He led the squad to a 10-4 record in February by posting averages of 13.2 ppg, 11.8 rpg and 5.8 apg. He registered seven double-doubles and two triple-doubles during the month as well. How many centers will give you anything close to triple-doubles by using assists? Answer: about none. Noah is a uncaged beast out there at times and his style of play is conducive to all around stats and frequent injury. Unfortunately it is the later that fantasy general managers must concern themselves with now as Noah is once again battling a thumb injury as he heads into March.
Honourable Mentions
DeMar DeRozan SG - Toronto Raptors
If I told you last season that at this point today the Raptors would have traded away Rudy Gay and would be holding down the third spot in the Conference you would have laughed. It is a reality nonetheless as DeRozan and his running mate Kyle Lowry are making magic in T.O. DeRozan had a very productive February as he averaged 26.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg and 5.0 apg during a stretch that saw the Raps go 8-5 on the month.
Kyle Lowry G - Toronto Raptors
As mentioned, Lowry played a huge part in the Raptors success. Lowry’s February numbers closely resembled his season averages; however, no one is going to scoff at 17.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 8.3 apg for the month. Lowry also had four double-doubles in the month and narrowly missed out on registering his second triple-double of the season. The pairing of Lowry and DeRozan has made for some team chemistry and success while vaulting both into the realm of fantasy relevance.