- Admin
- #1
The Big Board takes into consideration past returns, current performance and expected future gains in determining who should be included among the top 50 fantasy basketball*players. Essentially, the Big Board is a cheat sheet designed for a fantasy owner who is planning to participate in a draft today. Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Basketball default scoring settings are used as the baseline for the Big Board.
Note: "vs. ECR" compares my rank to the Expert Consensus Rank (ECR) as compiled by FantasyPros.
ON THE BUBBLE: Giannis Antetokounmpo, F, Milwaukee; DeAndre Jordan, C, Los Angeles; Jeff Teague, PG, Atlanta; Khris Middleton, GF. Milwaukee; George Hill, G, Indiana; Rajon Rondo, PG, Sacramento; Dwight Howard, FC, Houston; Tyreke Evans, G, New Orleans; Danilo Gallinari, SF, Denver; Otto Porter, SF, Washington; Kristaps Porzingis, PF, New York; Tobias Harris, F, Orlando; Thaddeus Young, F, Brooklyn; Jonas Valanciunas, C, Toronto; Jae Crowder, F, Boston; Trevor Ariza, GF, Houston; Will Barton, GF, Denver; J.J. Redick, SG, Los Angeles; Tim Duncan, FC, San Antonio; Kent Bazemore, GF, Atlanta
*
Follow Dalton Del Don on Twitter.*
| Big Board 50: Basketball | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Pos. | vs. ECR | Stock |
| 1. Stephen Curry (GSW) | G | +1 | There’s some concern with injury, but Curry has been the top fantasy player by such a wide margin this season, it’s impossible not to rank him here. He remains on pace to shatter the three-point record. |
| 2. Anthony Davis (NOR) | F | -1 | He’s still been a top-five player in what’s been a disappointing campaign and plenty of upside remains. Durability is still a concern though. |
| 3. Kevin Durant (OKC) | F | +4 | Any worries about him being able to return to his previous top form have officially been put to rest. |
| 4. James Harden (HOU) | G | -1 | He’s averaging a career-high 4.6 tpg and a career-low in 3pt%, but the end result remains highly valuable nevertheless. No player has helped in FT% more than Harden this season. |
| 5. Kawhi Leonard (SAS) | G | +6 | He has a legitimate MVP case and is one of the three most valuable assets in the NBA. |
| 6. Russell Westbrook (OKC) | G | -2 | He leads the league in Usage Rate and is averaging career-highs in apg (9.5) and spg (2.4). It’s nitpicking among the top tier, as Westbrook has an argument to be No. 2. |
| 7. LeBron James (CLE) | F | -1 | He remains elite despite struggling mightily with his shot outside the paint this season. James’ Usage Rate may go down with Kyrie Irving now back. |
| 8. Chris Paul (LAC) | G | -3 | He remains as steady as ever, helping lead the Clippers to a nine-game winning streak with Blake Griffin on the shelf. |
| 9. Paul George (IND) | F | +14 | He’s looked mostly great returning from a devastating injury, although George suffered through a brutal shooting slump, as the Pacers rely solely on him on offense. |
| 10. Draymond Green (GSW) | F | +15 | Easily leads the NBA in triple-doubles and continues to get better, especially with his outside shot. Green is the real deal and would be an easy first round pick in drafts held today. |
| 11. Jimmy Butler (CHI) | G | +2 | He’s been a top-10 player despite owning the No. 46 Usage Rate in the league this year, which isn’t easy to do. Butler is here to stay as a top fantasy option. |
| 12. DeMarcus Cousins (SAC) | F | -4 | Has introduced a three-point shot into his game, although that’s resulted in a lower FG%. Cousins has the second-highest Usage Rate in the NBA. |
| 13. Damian Lillard (POR) | G | -4 | He’s really shouldered the load on a depleted Portland team, leading the NBA in field goal attempts per game. |
| 14. John Wall (WAS) | G | -4 | Averaging career-highs in ppg (19.7), spg (2.1) and 3pt (1.5), Wall has played well despite fighting through many injuries, although his 4.5 tpg are also the most of his career. |
| 15. Kyle Lowry (TOR) | G | +7 | He’s lived up to all the talk about him getting into the best shape of his career. Hopefully Lowry can stay healthy. |
| 16. Kyrie Irving (CLE) | G | +16 | Hasn’t been the smoothest return, but Irving’s minutes restriction has been removed, and he’ll only get better from here on out. |
| 17. Klay Thompson (GSW) | G | -5 | After a slow start that likely had to do with a back injury, Thompson has been on fire, averaging 30.2 points over his past six games. He’s on pace to hit 262 threes this season. |
| 18. Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN) | C | +61 | The rookie ranks right around this mark so far this season, and there’s no reason not to expect him to be even better moving forward. |
| 19. Carmelo Anthony (NYK) | F | -2 | He’s averaging his fewest ppg (21.7) in more than a decade, but Anthony should get better from here on out coming off surgery. He’s getting 23.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg and 5.5 apg over his past four contests. |
| 20. Paul Millsap (ATL) | F | -6 | Continues to be rock solid if not flashy. Millsap has actually had more fantasy value than LeBron James so far this season. |
| 21. Al Horford (ATL) | C | He’s hitting 1.0 3pt per game after never getting more than 0.1 in any of his previous eight years in the league. | |
| 22. Hassan Whiteside (MIA) | C | +22 | There’s health concerns here, but Whiteside has blocked 3.8 shots per game this season. The next highest is 2.5. |
| 23. Rudy Gobert (UTH) | C | -3 | Gobert is back from his knee injury and should be a top fantasy option from here on out. |
| 24. Kemba Walker (CHA) | G | +19 | He’s averaging career highs pretty much across the board, as Walker is in the midst of making “the leap.” |
| 25. Chris Bosh (MIA) | F | +6 | He’s been a top-15 player over the past month, which isn’t easy to do considering the Heat have the second-lowest Pace in the NBA this season. |
| 26. Derrick Favors (UTH) | F | +13 | Has been a top-20 player on a per-game basis, but Favors continues to miss time with a back injury. He should return soon though. |
| 27. Nikola Vucevic (ORL) | F | -3 | More of the same from Vucevic, who continues to be one of the more valuable commodities at center. |
| 28. Brook Lopez (BKN) | C | +8 | Lopez is attempting the most shots per game in his eight-year career. |
| 29. Pau Gasol (CHI) | F | -2 | Despite a crowded Chicago frontcourt and advanced age, Gasol has remained an extremely valuable commodity. |
| 30. Marc Gasol (MEM) | C | -15 | Gasol has been a disappointment so far this season, but there’s little reason not to expect him going back to being the valuable player he usually is moving forward. |
| 31. C.J. McCollum (POR) | G | +63 | He’s fully lived up to the hype and taken advantage of a big increase in opportunity in Portland, as McCollum has quickly become one of the biggest steals of this year’s drafts. |
| 32. Serge Ibaka (OKC) | F | -13 | His bpg has now dropped for a fourth straight season, but Ibaka remains a steady option. |
| 33. Greg Monroe (MIL) | C | +14 | Monroe’s move to Milwaukee has benefited his fantasy value. |
| 34. Kevin Love (CLE) | F | -8 | Love has been mired in a shooting slump, and his Usage Rate figures to decline with the healthy return of Kyrie Irving. |
| 35. Nicolas Batum (CHA) | G | +10 | The move to Charlotte has been a huge boost to his value, especially coming off a down year. |
| 36. Rudy Gay (SAC) | F | -3 | He’s committing fewer turnovers than at any point in his career (1.7) and is benefitting from the Kings leading the league in Pace. |
| 37. Reggie Jackson (DET) | G | +5 | Jackson has thrived since taking over a much bigger role since joining Detroit. |
| 38. Blake Griffin (LAC) | F | -22 | Griffin is tough to rank right now, as he’d obviously be higher if healthy, and there’s also no clear timetable for his return. |
| 39. Andre Drummond (DET) | C | -9 | No player has hurt FT% more than Drummond this season, but he’s been a borderline top-50 player regardless. If you’re punting free throws, then he’s been a top-three fantasy asset. |
| 40. DeMar DeRozan (TOR) | G | +22 | He’s been a top-10 scorer in the league this season despite Toronto sporting the fourth lowest Pace in the NBA. |
| 41. Marcin Gortat (WAS) | C | +30 | He picked it up after a somewhat slow start but is dealing with a knee injury that may cost him games in the short term. |
| 42. Brandon Knight (PHO) | G | +6 | Has been a slight disappointment, but Knight should see a major increase in Usage Rate with Eric Bledsoe out for the season. |
| 43. Gordon Hayward (UTH) | G | -15 | Hayward has a higher Usage Rate than Jimmy Butler and Klay Thompson, but it’s an uphill battle for him playing on a Utah team that has the lowest Pace in the NBA. |
| 44. Isaiah Thomas (BOS) | G | +9 | He has a top-five Usage Rate in the league on a team with a Pace that ranks third overall. |
| 45. Nerlens Noel (PHI) | F | -10 | Noel was a bust early on, but he’s averaged 11.1 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 1.6 spg and 2.0 bpg while shooting 64.4 percent from the field over the past month, when he’s been a top-30 player. |
| 46. LaMarcus Aldridge (SAS) | F | -28 | Struggled early after joining a new team that lowered his Usage Rate, but it’s safe to consider Aldridge a top-50 option moving forward. |
| 47. Ricky Rubio (MIN) | G | +21 | He’s somehow been a top-35 player despite shooting 33.3% from the floor over the past month, which is really tough to do. |
| 48. Mike Conley (MEM) | G | -10 | Conley’s shooting percentage has been down, and he’s now dealing with an Achilles injury. |
| 49. Dirk Nowitzki (DAL) | F | +10 | The 37-year-old sure seemed like a prime guy to fade, but Nowitzki has been a top-30 fantasy player so far. |
| 50. Victor Oladipo (ORL) | G | -13 | He’s a former No. 2 overall pick who’s been a top-50 player over the past two weeks. Oladipo is 23 years old and has the upside to be a top-25 option moving forward. |
ON THE BUBBLE: Giannis Antetokounmpo, F, Milwaukee; DeAndre Jordan, C, Los Angeles; Jeff Teague, PG, Atlanta; Khris Middleton, GF. Milwaukee; George Hill, G, Indiana; Rajon Rondo, PG, Sacramento; Dwight Howard, FC, Houston; Tyreke Evans, G, New Orleans; Danilo Gallinari, SF, Denver; Otto Porter, SF, Washington; Kristaps Porzingis, PF, New York; Tobias Harris, F, Orlando; Thaddeus Young, F, Brooklyn; Jonas Valanciunas, C, Toronto; Jae Crowder, F, Boston; Trevor Ariza, GF, Houston; Will Barton, GF, Denver; J.J. Redick, SG, Los Angeles; Tim Duncan, FC, San Antonio; Kent Bazemore, GF, Atlanta
*
Follow Dalton Del Don on Twitter.*