NBA Fantasy Basketball: Top 10 Point Guards of 2nd Half

Point guard is the deepest position in the NBA, with about half the teams being content with their starter. In the fantasy world, those in the middle tier of point guards are interchangeable in terms of fantasy production. That being said, those in the top tier of point guards stand out way above the rest and are major assets to both their team and the teams of all fantasy owners.

This slideshow will count down the 10 best fantasy point guards moving forward into the second half of the season.

10. Jeremy Lin: New York Knicks

Season Statistics as Starter: 22.4 PPG, 8.8 APG, 2.8 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 47.3 FG%  

Jeremy Lin has already transcended sports and is quickly cementing his place in American culture. Like everything else in American culture, every little detail is over-analyzed like Lin's poor game against the Miami Heat, which was also both teams' final game before the break. The poor game against Miami aside, Lin has performed like a top-10 fantasy point guard averaging 19.5 fantasy points over his 12 starts. 

With both Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony back from injuries, Lin's scoring production should go down because his two superstar teammates will require their fair share of touches. However, the decrease in scoring may also lead to a decrease in his turnover numbers because the team will be slightly less dependent on him offensively. This will hopefully allow Lin to play a little more inside himself, thus cutting turnovers. 

The reason Lin does not appear higher on this list is due to the fact that he has only started 12 games and is still somewhat of an unknown. We do not really know how Lin will perform over the rest of this condensed season when playing over 30 minutes between three to five times a week. Lin's inability to cut down on his turnovers is also a reason to be wary.

Lin is also a solid fantasy option because he is the starting point guard in Mike D'Antoni's upbeat offense. This system has allowed numerous point guards in the past—think Raymond Felton—to post career years. Simply put, D'Antoni's offense will assure that Lin's fantasy production remains high enough to be No. 10 on this list. 

9. Rajon Rondo: Boston Celtics

Season Statistics: 14.1 PPG, 9.6 APG, 4.8 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 47.4 FG%

Rajon Rondo is the unquestioned leader of the Boston Celtics' offensive attack. Anyone who watches a C’s game is quickly schooled up on how much Rondo means to that offense. His deftness and supreme passing ability act as the fuel for the Celtics' engine. When Rondo isn’t in the game the ball seems to get stuck more often and open shots are far more difficult to find.

Rondo’s downfall is his lack of scoring on a nightly basis; this is due to his poor jump shot. Rondo depends on getting to the rim for the majority of his scoring. The problem with this is that some teams are quite adept at taking that away from this Kentucky product.

Rondo makes up for his lack of scoring in assists. This season Rondo is averaging two more assists than his career average.

Rondo has averaged 18.4 fantasy points per outing, although this season he has been a streaky player. He's had exceptional games like his 40-point fantasy outburst against Chicago but produced only four points at Cleveland. 

8. John Wall: Washington Wizards

Season Statistics: 16.9 PPG, 7.8 APG, 5.1 RPB, 1.3 SPG, 42.5 FG%

John Wall is one of the few bright spots on an otherwise dark and dreary Washington Wizards team. After a slow start Wall has picked up his production and is really starting to show that he is going to be every bit the player he was projected to be when he came out of Kentucky.

Wall has played the second-most minutes at point guard this year throughout the league, trailing only Deron Williams. This demonstrates that Wall has been durable this year and the coaching staff has not been cautious with his minutes.

Wall has averaged 18.7 fantasy points a game.

I only see Wall playing better in the future; just look at his stat line over his last 10 games: 20.5 PPG, 9.6 APG, 4.5 RPG, on 49.9 percent shooting. Is this a stat line that Wall can maintain? I certainly think it is, especially in terms of scoring.

Washington needs their franchise cornerstone to score and if Wall can continue to get into the paint to get high-percentage shots, then I see his scoring remaining consistent with how he played throughout February. 

7. Kyle Lowry: Houston Rockets

Season Statistics: 15.9 PPG, 7.5 APG, 5.2 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 42 FG%

The Houston Rockets have been one of the biggest surprises in the NBA thus far, and Kyle Lowry is one of the biggest reasons for the Rockets' impressive first half. Lowry has been great filling up the stat sheet and has rewarded fantasy owners that scooped him up sooner rather than later. This season, Lowry is averaging five more points and three assists more than his career averages. 

Lowry has averaged 20.3 fantasy points per outing so far this year. I see Lowry continuing his breakout season throughout the second half of the season and into the playoffs. 

6. Tony Parker: San Antonio Spurs

Season Statistics: 19.4 PPG, 8.1 APG, 2.9 RPG, 1.1 SPG. 45.6 FG%

Tony Parker should be garnering some MVP talk due to his performance in the first half of the season. Parker is carrying a roster without a true scorer, due to Manu Ginobili's various injuries, to the second-best record in the West. Parker's scoring and assist numbers are up but his shooting percentage has dropped slightly. This is most likely due to the Spurs' dependency on him later in the shot clock. 

I think Parker is an amazing fantasy option even when Ginobili comes back from his oblique injury, which will hopefully be within a week. Parker does not wrangle many rebounds which slightly hurts his fantasy numbers. Rajon Rondo, for example, averages double the rebounds of the San Antonio Spurs point guard. 

Parker has averaged 19.1 fantasy points per night but that does not tell the whole story. In his last 10 games, Parker has averaged a whopping 24.5 fantasy points. 

5. Steve Nash: Phoenix Suns

Season Statistics: 13.9 PPG, 10.9 APG, 2.8 RPG, .7 SPG, 54 FG%

Steve Nash is one of the few players in NBA history that truly improved after his 30th birthday. Nash proudly owns two MVP awards and is still considered to be perhaps the best passer in the league. Without Nash the Phoenix Suns would be on the short list for worst team in the Western Conference.

There is some trade speculation but the Suns have said that they will not move Nash unless he requests a trade. Nash has yet to request a trade and will probably be in Phoenix for the rest of the season. 

Nash's fantasy strengths come from his league-leading assist total and his effective shooting. He averages 19.9 fantasy points a contest. Nash's level of production is definitely sustainable throughout the second half of the season in Phoenix. 

On the off chance Nash is moved, his production shouldn't change much. Anyone bringing Nash in would use him in the same role, and let's be honest—it isn't like he is playing with a great supporting cast in the desert. 

4. Deron Williams: New Jersey Nets

Season Statistics: 21.9 PPG, 8.3 APG, 3.5 RPG, 1.1 SPG, 40.8 FG%

Deron Williams is a superstar stuck on a bad team. Although the return of Brook Lopez, who is a good offensive player, may make the New Jersey Nets a slightly better team. The return of Lopez should also give Williams some much-needed relief to score the basketball. Williams is shooting five percent worse on the year due to the lack of scoring options, especially inside.

Williams has been considered one of the best point guards in the league for a few seasons now. This is for a good reason, as he is always a threat to score 20-plus points and dish 10 assists on any given night.

Williams should have not escaped past the middle of the second round in most leagues, so if you are lucky enough to own him you expect great production from him. Williams has not disappointed his owners this year as he has produced an average of 19.6 fantasy points a game. 

Deron's shooting percentage should improve with Lopez back in the lineup. With another good player in the lineup the Nets shouldn't need to run Williams into the ground every night to remain competitive. I predict that Williams will end the season averaging about 20.5 fantasy points a game. 

3. Russell Westbrook: Oklahoma City Thunder

Season Statistics: 23.5 PPG, 5.5 APG, 4.8 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 47 FG%

Russell Westbrook leads all point guards in the NBA with 23.5 points per game. Anyone who watches Westbrook play quickly realizes that this a point guard with a shooter's mentality. Westbrook is on the team leading the Western Conference and also lines up with another superstar in Kevin Durant. 

Westbrook is an outstanding fantasy option, as he averages 20.6 fantasy points. All of those fortunate enough to own Westbrook should realize how lucky they are to own the league's fifth-leading scorer. 

Westbrook should be able to continue to produce at his current level. One common critique of Westbrook is his inability to take care of the ball. Westbrook only averages one more assist than turnover, essentially making the two statistics a wash on a night-in, night-out basis. If Westbrook is able to limit his turnovers he just might be able to give No. 2 on this list a run for his money. 

#2- Derrick Rose PG Chicago Bulls

Season Statistics: 22.2 PPG, 7.7 APG, 3.4 RPG, .9 SPG, on 46.1 FG%

There is a reason Derrick Rose is the reigning MVP. Rose is a special talent and his talent carries over to the stat sheet, which gets us fantasy owners lots of points. Although Rose's scoring is down three points this year he still remains a top-two point guard in the NBA fantasy basketball universe. 

Rose has struggled with injuries in the early part of the season but has averaged 21.7 fantasy points in the games he has played. The sore back that hampered Rose has healed and he appears ready to lead the Chicago Bulls, who desperately need the top seed in the East to have a chance to get by Miami, to the NBA Finals.

1. Chris Paul: Los Angeles Clippers

Season Statistics: 19.5 PPG, 8.5 APG, 3.6 RPG, 2.2 PG, 49.6 FG%

Chris Paul has adjusted to being a Los Angeles Clipper very, very well. It is safe to say that the Clippers received the exact player they were trading for. Paul leads all point guards in terms of fantasy production with 23.7 points per game. This is due to Paul's versatility, high basketball IQ and low quantity of turnovers. 

Paul is an efficient shooter who, in crunch time, switches roles from playmaker to clutch shooter. Paul has been a sensation for both the Clippers and all fantasy owners who picked him in the first round.

This Wake Forest alum should be able to maintain his current level of production as his Clips contend for the Pacific division title.