NBA.com's Fantasy Draft Kit
NBA.com has prepared a list of players by positions for fantasy game players. Keep in mind that this is not the "best players" ranking, as you can easily understand after seeing Andre Iguodala as league's 2nd best SG!!!
http://www.nba.com/fantasy/draft_kit/home.html
Point guards
1.Gilbert Arenas - WAS [PG]
2. Steve Nash - PHX [PG]
3. Jason Kidd - NJN [PG]
4. Chris Paul - NOH [PG]
5. Deron Williams - UTA [PG,SG]
6. Chauncey Billups - DET [PG]
7. Baron Davis - GSW [PG]
8. Kirk Hinrich - CHI [PG,SG]
9. Leandro Barbosa - PHX [PG,SG]
10. Mike Bibby - SAC [PG]
11. Andre Miller - PHI [PG]
12. Tony Parker - SAS [PG]
13. Mo Williams - MIL [PG,SG]
14. Raymond Felton - CHA [PG,SG]
With Brevin Knight out of the picture, the Bobcats are officially Felton’s team this year. Felton finished the 2006-07 campaign with solid averages of 14.0 points, 3.4 boards and 7.0 assists, but a shaky 38.4 shooting percentage from the floor and 33.0 percent from three. You want higher numbers than that from an elite fantasy point guard, but Felton is young and has room to improve. The arrival of Jason Richardson – easily the best finisher Felton has played with in the NBA – could help pad his assist totals.
Shooting guards
1. Kobe Bryant - LAL [SG]
2. Andre Iguodala - PHI [SG,SF]
3. Dwyane Wade - MIA [SG]
4. Vince Carter - NJN [SG]
5. Ray Allen - BOS [SG]
6. Michael Redd - MIL [SG,SF]
7. Allen Iverson - DEN [PG,SG]
8. Joe Johnson - ATL [SG]
9. Tracy McGrady - HOU [SG]
10. Brandon Roy - POR [SG]
11. Kevin Martin - SAC [SG]
12. Ben Gordon - CHI [SG]
13. Jason Terry - DAL [PG,SG]
14. Manu Ginobili - SAS [SG]
15. Ricky Davis - MIN [PG,SG]
16. Jason Richardson - CHA [SG,SF]
Richardson should be poised to bounce back in a major way this season, after a knee injury and the emergence of Monta Ellis combined to lead to a four-year low in his scoring average and field goal percentage. On the Bobcats, Richardson should be the unquestioned number one option on offense, which should allow his scoring average to approach or surpass the 23.2 ppg mark he set in 2005-06. The real bonus is that his new teammates, led by Emeka Okafor, Gerald Wallace and Raymond Felton, have enough offensive talent to keep defenses honest and not allow them to key on J-Rich. Richardson’s size and athleticism allow him to be a strong rebounding guard. Plus, his long-range shot (2.2 three-pointers per game) and scoring ability make him one of the better fantasy options at guard in the NBA.
Small forwards
1. Shawn Marion - PHX [SF,PF]
2. LeBron James - CLE [SF]
3. Josh Smith - ATL [SF,PF]
4. Paul Pierce - BOS [SG,SF]
5. Caron Butler - WAS [SF]
6. Rashard Lewis - ORL [SF]
7. Gerald Wallace - CHA [SF,PF]
Wallace followed up his breakout 2005-06 campaign with another strong effort last season, but injuries to his head and shoulder caused him to miss 10 games and play several others at less than full speed. The after-effects showed up mainly in his defensive numbers, where he only posted a still respectable 3.0 combined blocks and steals per game instead of the ridiculous 4.6 blocks and steals he averaged the year before. Despite the injuries, Wallace had the best offensive season of his career with new personal highs in points (18.1 ppg), assists (2.6 apg), and free throw percentage (69.1 percent) to go along with strong 50.2 percent shooting from the field and 7.2 rebounds per game. Wallace also has a new running mate in Jason Richardson, which should allow Wallace to have a bit more space to operate. As always, if he can stay healthy, Wallace should be one of the better roto options in the league…but that remains a big ‘if’.
28. Walter Herrmann - CHA [SF,PF]
Herrmann earned a fantasy name for himself by coming out of the blue to average almost 20.0 points and six boards with more than two treys per game during the last 12 games of last season. Herrmann served as an injury replacement at the time. Many people contend that he only saw minutes because the season was over and the Bobcats had to field a full team. But at the same time, he played so well that he may have earned himself some minutes this year. He is worth keeping an eye on and could be worth a late-round flyer if he is getting minutes in camp.
Power forwards
1. Kevin Garnett - BOS [PF]
2. Dirk Nowitzki - DAL [PF]
3. Chris Bosh - TOR [PF]
4. Tim Duncan - SAS [PF]
5. Al Jefferson - MIN [PF]
6. Carlos Boozer - UTA [PF]
7. Lamar Odom - LAL [PF]
8. Antawn Jamison - WAS [PF]
9. Jermaine O'Neal - IND [PF]
10. Zach Randolph - NYK [PF]
26. Sean May - CHA [PF]
May has played in the NBA for two years, but the “games played” line on his stat sheet hasn’t changed much since he left the North Carolina Tar Heels. He played in just 23 games during his rookie season and in 35 games last year, missing the rest due to an array of knee injuries. When on the floor, May has a terrific jump shot and an arsenal of low-post moves most forwards his age can only dream about. He’s worth a late-round flyer on potential alone, but his injury history is very hard to ignore.
Centers
1. Amare Stoudemire - PHX [C]
2. Pau Gasol - MEM [C]
3. Yao Ming - HOU [C]
4. Dwight Howard - ORL [C]
5. Marcus Camby - DEN [C]
6. Emeka Okafor - CHA [PF,C]
The mystifying disappearance of Primoz Brezec opened up the center position for Okafor, who started 35 games there in 2006-07. While maintaining his reputation as a defensive wall (2.65 bpg, 7.5 defensive rpg), Okafor took steps on the offensive end, averaging 14.1 points on a career-high 53.2 percent shooting. He still isn’t the best free throw shooter, but the offensive development elsewhere is a positive for fantasy teams. He can run the floor, which is a good thing because the Bobcats will have Gerald Wallace, Jason Richardson and Raymond Felton setting the pace. The team is thin up front, so Okafor should get plenty of minutes and chances to improve on his 11.3 (fifth in NBA) rebounds per game.
Also there is an offseason review.
Who’s Coming: Jason Richardson (GSW), Jared Dudley (22nd overall), Jermareo Davidson (36th overall)
Who’s Going: Brevin Knight (LAC), Jake Voskuhl (MIL)
We’re just not going to call MJ “stupid” for acquiring Jason Richardson, although that’s the adjective Stephen A. Smith used during the live coverage of the NBA Draft 2007.
When it comes to basketball, we think it’s safe to assume that Michael Jordan has forgotten more than we’ll ever know. With that in mind, we’ll call Jordan’s biggest move of the offseason “controversial” and admit that we’re curious to see how Sam Vincent will hand out playing time this season.
This is not meant to imply that Richardson isn’t a terrific player. He’s a dynamic scorer who can create his own shot, and he’s an excellent rebounder for a guard (better than five per game for his career, and nearly seven a game during last year’s playoff run). He and Gerald Wallace will form one of the better 2-3 combinations in the league. We’re just not sure what that leaves for Adam Morrison. However, it’s hard to imagine the third overall pick from 2006 being consigned to “bench scorer” duty at age 23.
Vincent’s decisions at the other positions should be easier. In the frontcourt, Emeka Okafor and Sean May will get as many minutes as their occasionally-brittle bodies can manage. Meanwhile, Primoz Brezec, second-year man Walter Herrmann and rookie Jared Dudley will see their share of time. Raymond Felton will take over the starting spot at the point with Brevin Knight gone. He has no obvious backup unless the team chooses to re-sign free agent Jeff McInnis.
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Originally Posted by Big Slam
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