2009-10 NBA Fantasy Preview: Top 15 Point Guards

It’s funny because no one can even remember what Cleveland gave up to acquire Mo Williams.

But it turned out to be one of the best off season acquisitions as Williams became an all star and led Cleveland to the best regular season record in the East.

Williams is a dangerous outside shooter and when you play alongside Lebron James, every fantasy stat tends to improve on some level.

Williams should benefit from the addition of Anthony Parker, but his minutes might take a dip as Mike Brown will probably rest him more this season in preparation for the playoffs.

Since his early season injury, Ellis never fully recovered, declining in almost every category from the 2007-08 season.

Ellis though is a supreme offensive talent and should have a strong comeback year, as he is fully healthy and plays in an offensive minded system in Golden State.

Ellis arguably has the quickest first step of any player on this list and shoots an excellent percentage because of his ability to get into the lane.

Look for Ellis’s assist numbers to increase as he is slated to start the season as point guard and you can expect his numbers to improve all over the board.

Before his injury, Nelson was well on his way to being one of the most improved players in the NBA and was a prime factor in the resurgence of the Orlando Magic.

Nelson had a career year last year and improved his scoring by six points while still managing to shoot over 50%.

Nelson has an explosive step which allows him to get to the basket easily but also kept defenses honest throughout the year with a much improved long distance shot.

Nelson should be even better this year, with Vince Carter joining him in the starting lineup and he could be a steal for owners in later rounds.

It was tough to predict where Gilbert Arenas should fall on this list.

When healthy few can argue that he should be a top five point guard and perhaps even a top 15 overall pick, but when was the last time he was healthy?

Though Arenas has played 15 games in the past two years, he claims to be fully healthy and has never had more talent around him than the upcoming year.

Arenas is a volume shooter who can dominate a weekly fantasy matchup at any given time.

He is a smart play-maker who often times setting up his teammates when he gets lane penetration. When Arenas is hot it's very difficult for opposing defenses to apply simple one-on-one pressure against him.

He’s the ultimate high risk-high reward player for owners this year.

Once the premier selection in any point guard class, Kidd used to be a triple-double threat every time he stepped onto the floor.

Though Kidd’s numbers have begun to decline over the years nobody can argue about his all around production from the PG spot.

Even Though Kidd’s scoring dropped consistently for the past seven years his rebounding totals remain very strong while still netting high assist numbers. Kidd is a savvy offensive point guard who takes what the defense gives him and finds ways to set up easy baskets for his teammates.

While his career is declining the Mavs still believe they have a shot next year and know that Kidd will have to be an integral part of the offense for any thoughts about a championship.

Before a tough injury midway in the season, Parker was enjoying one of his best campaigns. He provided owners with great offensive production at the point while shooting over 50%.

Early on in the season Parker displayed his offensive potential with a career high 55 points and is one of the best players in the NBA at scoring inside the paint.

Parker provides owners production in the scoring category as well as above average rebounding numbers to boot.

Parker is a great option in later rounds if you missed out on the top tier and should benefit from the addition of Richard Jefferson on the wing.

Perhaps the best shooter on this list, Calderon is as efficient as they come, leading the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (a very important stat in the fantasy world).

Though Calderon won’t win you any defensive categories, as an offensive point guard he has very few holes and shoots a great percentage from both long range and the charity stripe.

Calderon always provides owners with top assist numbers, much of it due to the fact he plays on the shooting happy Raptors.

When Calderon wants to he uses a deceptive first step and can get into the lane which gives him the opportunity to score in the paint or set up teammates behind the arc.

The addition of Turkoglu should increase Calderon’s overall efficiency and expect a raise in both assist and FG%.

Perhaps no player on this list improved so dramatically from day one to the end of the season than Westbrook.

Westbrook is a phenomenal athlete and should get even better playing in a young but dynamic Thunder offense.

Though Westbrook is still improving his shooting range his uncanny ability to get to the basket along with his aggressive offensive mentality allows him to get easy scores.

Westbrook is also one of the best rebounding Point guards on this list, especially on the offensive glass, and should see an increase in that category next year.

Having a true shooting guard in James Harden should take some of the pressure of Westbrook and help his turnover totals to drop. Once Westbrook develops a three point shot, the sky is the limit for this explosive point guard.

Rose met, and even exceeded, expectations in his rookie year and should be ready to break out next season with another year under his belt.

An explosive athlete with game breaking speed, Rose can change the outcome of a game at any point.

Rose can get into the lane anytime he wants and finishes well on the break.

Rose also provides owners with very good rebounding numbers from the point guard slot and his ability to get into the paint allows his FG% to remain considerably high.

Expect Rose’s scoring to increase substantially as he takes a greater role in the offense and the retutn of a healthy Luol Deng should get him higher percentage shots as well

Many people tend to forget the role Rondo plays in the much publicized “Big Three” of Boston, but Rondo’s all around play has fantasy owners very pleased.

Rondo won’t win any scoring titles but he is an excellent rebounder for his position and is a triple double threat every single time he steps onto the floor.

Rondo has a developing mid range jump shot which if improved can be a valuable weapon to his arsenal. Rondo is also a very smart play-maker, especially on the break, where he can set up teammates for easy buckets without feeling any pressure.

Rondo is also one of the top defensive players on this list using his lightning quick hands to intercept passes and disrupt opposing point guards.

All that’s separating Rondo from the Top Five on this list is an outside shot, but at 23 there’s loads of time.

As a floor leader Chauncey Billups is one of the games best in controlling the game, as a fantasy player Billups keeps owners happy with solid averages all over the board.

Billups is as consistent as they come and playing in a very talented offense such as Denver’s will only increase his fantasy value.

Billups can post up smaller point guards and shoot over them, or use his long distance range to keep them honest outside the three point line.

Billups is a dependable option on any fantasy roster and owners will love the fact that he's only missed 19 games in the past four years.

Expect Billups to slightly improve on his assist and FG% totals with a full year of comfort in Denver.

Harris is slowly emerging as arguably the most talented offensive point guard on this list with a career year in 2008-09 where he averaged over 20 points for the lowly Nets and even hit the 40 point mark a few times.

With a lightning first step and strong mid range game Harris is a nightmare for opposing teams. Harris is a strong point guard and can get into the lane easily to either set up his teammates or create off the dribble.

Harris is also a strong rebounder and should improve on the glass in the coming year with added strength from the offseason.

With Vince Carter being shipped out of town owners should expect Harris to have a career year all over the board and join the elite class of point guards.

Nash’s stats have declined over the last few years and playing in the Suns offensive system has certainly not helped his aging body.

But with the familiar focus back on offense, Nash should have a great comeback year with the Suns leading the NBA in scoring again.

Nash has an excellent outside shot and will often pull up for a three pointer on a fast break. Nash's true fantasy values lie in his incredible court vision which has been bordering legendary over the past couple years and it shouldn't be any different this year.

Nash has always been a great guy for assists, but playing in an up tempo system will also provide owners with great shooting percentages as well as 3PTM.

Williams is a savvy point guard who controls the flow of the game with his intelligent passing and underrated offensive skills.

Williams, possibly the best dribbler on this list, can get separation at any point in the game to set up his devastating jumpshot.

Williams is also the strongest point guard on this list which makes him almost impossible to defend when he either backs down opposing guards or drives into the lane.

Williams is a supreme playmaker for the Jazz often times threading the needle in order to set up easy scores. His court vision in combination with his scoring make him a dangerous weapon in the fantasy world for next season.

There might not be a more poised point guard in the NBA than Williams and with Boozer possibly leaving the Jazz this year, Williams will become a true number one scoring option in addition and could see his excellent all around numbers improve slightly.

Simply put Chris Paul is the gold standard when it comes to measuring point guards. Paul is a true triple-double threat on the floor and is arguably the number one fantasy player in any league.

Paul really has no weaknesses on the court. He’s got the quickness and strength to get into the lane anytime he wants. He has excellent basketball intelligence, which results in the top assist numbers in the game.

Paul is arguably the best rebounder on this list and is excellent when finishing a break.

What makes Paul such a tantalizing fantasy player is the fact that he averages over 2.5 steals a game which shoots his value through the roof as Paul can single handedly win a steal category for the week by himself for owners.

Paul is a tremendous athlete who has improved every year, and could have an even better year with Okafor on board.