Fantasy Basketball 2014: Latest Rankings for Top Players and Sleepers
Unless you cheer for the San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland Cavaliers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Chicago Bulls or Los Angeles Clippers, there’s a very good chance your team isn’t winning the NBA title this season.
However, your fantasy basketball team is just as likely to win the championship as anyone else in your league if you draft well and do your research in advance.
With that in mind, here is a look at the latest rankings for the top players before we dig into a few sleepers to keep an eye on during your draft. A player is considered a sleeper if they were ranked No. 40 or below in Yahoo Sports' player rankings page.
| 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 | Russell Westbrook | Oklahoma City Thunder | PG |
| 8 | Blake Griffin | Los Angeles Clippers | PF |
| 9 | Serge Ibaka | Oklahoma City Thunder | PF |
| 10 | Carmelo Anthony | New York Knicks | SF |
| 11 | LaMarcus Aldridge | Portland Trail Blazers | PF |
| 12 | Kevin Love | Cleveland Cavaliers | PF |
| 13 | John Wall | Washington Wizards | PG |
| 14 | Al Jefferson | Charlotte Hornets | C |
| 15 | Chris Bosh | Miami Heat | C |
| 16 | Kevin Durant | Oklahoma City Thunder | SF |
| 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 |
Potential Sleepers
Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls Point Guard
It may seem strange to call a former league MVP a sleeper, but even casual NBA fans know that Derrick Rose has basically been out of commission for two years. After multiple knee surgeries and a lot of time off, there are questions regarding his health and whether he can ever truly get back to the level he was at before his first serious injury.
There is an important thing to keep in mind with Rose if you plan on drafting him: Only do it at the right price in an auction draft or in the middle rounds in a snake draft.
Some risk-reward analysis has to be done here, and landing a former MVP for a bargain price sounds much better than taking the league’s biggest health risk in the first round.
At his best (2010-11), Rose was a shoot-first point guard who averaged 25 points a night to go along with 7.7 assists and 4.1 rebounds a game. He attacked the rim with a reckless abandon and was nearly impossible to keep from getting to the basket. Even 80 percent of those numbers would be a huge boost to your fantasy team.
For what it's worth, Rose has looked like his old self at times in the preseason, as Bleacher Report’s Ethan Skolnick noted:
Rose’s supporting cast in Chicago could also improve his value because opposing defenses can no longer simply focus on him like they did two years ago. Between Joakim Noah, Pau Gasol, Taj Gibson, Jimmy Butler and even Doug McDermott, there are a number of players who can make plays.
Rose should get cleaner looks with no double teams and could see an uptick in his assist totals with talented teammates surrounding him.
Kenneth Faried, Denver Nuggets Power Forward
There may not have been a more impressive player at the 2014 FIBA World Cup than Kenneth Faried, which could be a boost to his confidence moving into the NBA season.
There is a very real chance that Faried is just beginning to hit his stride as a professional player as he enters his fourth season in the league. Between the World Cup and his unbelievable second half last year, Faried is showing signs of potential superstardom.
For that fact alone, he is worth a mid-round flier.
Faried posted nightly averages of 18.8 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 0.7 blocks while shooting 54.6 percent from the field when J.J. Hickson was hurt in the second half of last season. Hickson still hasn’t fully recovered from ACL surgery, so the opportunity will be there for Faried.
Make sure he has an opportunity on your fantasy team as well.
Lance Stephenson, Charlotte Hornets Shooting Guard
Lance Stephenson put up nightly averages of 13.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 49.1 percent shooting from the field and 35.2 percent shooting from behind the three-point line last year as a member of the Indiana Pacers.
However, he may be playing with something of a chip on his shoulder this season with the Charlotte Hornets after he couldn’t come to terms on a new contract with Indiana. He discussed the move, via Candace Buckner of IndyStar.com:
"They didn't have [anything] else. They had no more money or anything. That was basically it right there. [As] soon as I said no to that offer, they went and signed CJ [Miles]. I figured they thought I had no chance of coming back, they just went on and signed [Miles]. ... I felt like it was a wrap after that.
"
Paul George was the bona fide No. 1 option in that Pacers offense, in which guys like David West, Roy Hibbert and even George Hill took plenty of shots. Stephenson was certainly a valuable member of that group, especially on defense, but his fantasy value may improve in Charlotte.
Al Jefferson is the star down low, but the opportunity is there for Stephenson to be more of a focal point of the offense.
That will lead to more shots, more points and more trips to the free-throw line, which are all important in fantasy basketball. What’s more, the fact that Stephenson is playing with Jefferson will likely help his assist numbers if he can set the big man up with good looks.
Stephenson does a little bit of everything on the floor, and stat-sheet stuffers like that can make the difference between a fantasy title and an average season.
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