Fantasy Basketball Nba Position Rankings

As in comedy, all things fantasy basketball come in fives. In finishing my positional previews I now give you my list of the Top 50 point guards. There is very little surprise as to who sits at the top of the list. That honor goes to the potential number one overall pick -- Chris Paul. Thanks to his high assist and steal totals, Paul once again finished with fantasy MVP honors in '08-'09.

There is a premium price to pay for point guards this year. Only 14 players dished more than 500 total assists last season, two of whom are not eligible at the point. On the defensive side of the ball, 20 players posted more than 100 steals -- half were point guards. On the court they're leaders. Off the court they're freaks. Actually, I have no proof of that. What I do have is a list!

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The power forward position is the deepest of all positions. Much like I mentioned how many of the the best power forwards are eligible at center, many small forwards and centers have dual eligibility at power forward. The range of ability consists of some of the league's best rebounders, scorers, three-point specialists, and efficient shooters. Some fantasy owners load up on power forwards and slot them into their center and utility positions. This position runs so deep, so deep that 50 players may not be enough to cover each and every fantasy relevant power forward. The depth leaves great value toward the end of drafts, but there's no reason to sleep on the players atop the draft board.

Again, I followed Fleaflicker's fantasy basketball positional eligibility. The rankings are based on standard, 8-category head-to-head (H2H) scoring: points, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals, three-pointers, field-goal percentage, and free-throw percentage.

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Kevin Durant is not playing around anymore. Last season he joined the ranks of the elite fantasy ballers. Now he's hoping to make that final leap toward the top tier, which is the resting place of LeBron James and Chris Paul.

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Historically, the small forward position has been designated for slashers and swingmen who are smaller and not as physically imposing as their frontcourt counterparts. They're easy enough to identify. LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Paul Pierce are all small forwards. Brian Scalabrine, on the other hand, is a power forward. I suppose the true definition of a small forward is someone who, for the most part, measures at least 6-feet, 5-inches and encompasses a more versatile skill set -- a player who can dribble, pass, shoot, and rebound.

Three of the most versatile and all-around NBA talents in the game are eligible at the small forward position. The top of the list is headlined by King James, the first or second pick in all fantasy drafts -- depending on who you ask. The rankings themselves are considered to be a little top-heavy. You'll find some value toward the end of the list, but it's at the top where the bread and butter is.

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The center position is often considered the thinnest position. Possibly because most leagues require you to start at least two centers, or maybe it's because once you get past the first 12 or 15 centers you start seeing players queued up who have some serious deficiencies in their game. The one saving grace is that many of the league's top power forwards are also eligible at center.

You'll often hear guys strategize about getting out of the draft with a few centers who can rebound, block shots, and shoot a high percentage from the field while doing limited damage to their team's free-throw percentage. That's not so easy to do, however. The strategy here is to find a center who has limited free-throw attempts. If you're drafting Dwight Howard you have to be careful of his 59.4 FT% since he gets to the line 10.8 times per game. On the other hand Andris Biedrins' 55.1 FT% is manageable because he got to the line just 3.5 times per game last season.

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