Fantasy Basketball 2014: Top Player Rankings and 1st-Round Mock Draft
There is one major reason why you shouldn’t be so worried about your latest fantasy football loss—fantasy basketball season is right around the corner.
If you want some cliffnotes before your draft, you’ve come to the right place. Here is a look at the top 20 overall players and their respective positions.
Keep in mind that Kevin Durant would be higher if he was not suffering from a fracture in his right foot. Not only will he be out for the start of the season (in all likelihood), but he will need some time to get back to 100 percent once he does return to the floor. The defending MVP is special and still cracks the list, but he likely would have been No. 1 without the injury.
| 1 | LeBron James | Cleveland Cavaliers | SF |
| 2 | Anthony Davis | New Orleans Pelicans | PF/C |
| 3 | Chris Paul | Los Angeles Clippers | PG |
| 4 | Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors | PG |
| 5 | James Harden | Houston Rockets | SG |
| 6 | DeMarcus Cousins | Sacramento Kings | C |
| 7 | Kevin Durant | Oklahoma City Thunder | SF |
| 8 | Russell Westbrook | Oklahoma City Thunder | PG |
| 9 | Blake Griffin | Los Angeles Clippers | PF |
| 10 | Serge Ibaka | Oklahoma City Thunder | PF |
| 11 | Carmelo Anthony | New York Knicks | SF |
| 12 | LaMarcus Aldridge | Portland Trail Blazers | PF |
| 13 | Kevin Love | Cleveland Cavaliers | PF |
| 14 | John Wall | Washington Wizards | PG |
| 15 | Al Jefferson | Charlotte Hornets | C |
| 16 | Chris Bosh | Miami Heat | C |
| 17 | Kawhi Leonard | San Antonio Spurs | SF |
| 18 | Dirk Nowitzki | Dallas Mavericks | PF |
| 19 | Kyle Lowry | Toronto Raptors | PG |
| 20 | Damian Lillard | Portland Trail Blazers | PG |
Here is a look at a first-round mock draft as well, assuming a 10-team league, before we dig into some intriguing players to watch this season. This won't look exactly like the top-player rankings because of factors like positional depth.
| 1 | LeBron James |
| 2 | Anthony Davis |
| 3 | Kevin Durant |
| 4 | Chris Paul |
| 5 | James Harden |
| 6 | Carmelo Anthony |
| 7 | Stephen Curry |
| 8 | DeMarcus Cousins |
| 9 | Russell Westbrook |
| 10 | Blake Griffin |
Intriguing Fantasy Players to Watch
Kevin Love
Kevin Love was fantasy basketball gold during his Minnesota days as the clear star on the team, the go-to option on offense and a rebounding machine. He was one of the best players in the NBA (and still is), regardless of whether his team made the playoffs or not.
However, that role as the alpha dog is about to change. He joins a Cleveland Cavaliers squad that features LeBron James as the league’s best player and Kyrie Irving as the point guard with the ball in his hands.
The reason Love is such an intriguing fantasy option is because of the give and take in this scenario.
For one, it is impossible to see Love getting as many shots in Cleveland as he did in Minnesota. However, he will likely be more open with opposing defenders focusing on James and Irving, so the field-goal percentage should improve. Would you rather have more shots for your fantasy player or better looks?
What’s more, Love will still be a star rebounder, but James and Anderson Varejao are also solid on the boards. Love will probably grab fewer rebounds this season based on that fact alone.
Chris Haynes of The Plain Dealer (Cleveland) gave fans an inside peek during the preseason at how this Cleveland offense is supposed to look both in reality and in the fantasy realm for Love:
If that’s the case all season, then there is absolutely no reason to worry about Love’s overall production.
DeMarcus Cousins has always been an impressive NBA player, but it is time for him to break out after a dominating performance at the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
We are admittedly a bit higher on Cousins than a lot of others, but he was that impressive in Spain. Considering his overall numbers last season (nightly averages of 22.7 points, 11.7 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks) and the confidence boost the summer could provide, Cousins is primed for a big year.
Sacramento will rely on Cousins throughout the year, so those numbers should stay impressive.
Team USA ran the floor throughout the World Cup, which opened up Cousins’ game and athleticism. The question now is whether he will implement that approach with the Sacramento Kings, but the thought here is that he will. After all, when you are successful doing something, why wouldn’t you continue doing it?
Cousins’ defense also appears to be much better, which wasn’t always the case. Cousins suggested as much during the Kings' media day, per Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee.
“I feel like I added a lot to my game, especially defensively," Cousins said. "I have the confidence to know I really can do it on the defensive end as well as the offensive end. I learned a lot from it, it was an incredible experience.”
Rebounding, scoring and field-goal percentage will not be a problem for Cousins. If he can add more blocks this season on the defensive end, he will be an absolute fantasy superstar this season.
This is the year Cousins puts it all together and dominates at the NBA level. Make sure your fantasy team doesn’t miss out.
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