Fantasy Basketball 2014: Top Player Rankings and Sleepers to Watch
It may be simplifying things a bit, but the way to win in fantasy basketball is by landing a couple of top-notch superstars and then finding some effective sleepers to fill out the rest of the roster.
Ideally, you will take care of the superstars in the first few rounds, which means the strategy comes into play later with potential sleepers on the board. Your fantasy basketball championship may be decided by those very picks.
With that in mind, here is a look at some updated rankings for the top players in the league as well as more detailed analysis on a few sleepers to watch on draft day. A player is considered a sleeper if he's ranked No. 40 or below in Yahoo Sports' player rankings.
| 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 |
Small Forward: Chandler Parsons, Dallas Mavericks
There were a number of big-name free agents who switched teams this offseason (none bigger than LeBron James), but picking up Chandler Parsons was a quiet move that could pay dividends for the Dallas Mavericks and fantasy owners alike.
If you draft Parsons, you know you are going to get three-point shooting. He is a career 37 percent shooter from behind the arc, which is a major reason why he averaged 16.6 points a game last year for the Houston Rockets.
He should also fill in nicely as the third option for the Mavericks behind Dirk Nowitzki and Monta Ellis, which is a role he's used to from his time in Houston behind James Harden and Dwight Howard. Opposing defenses always have to pay attention to Nowitzki, so there should be a number of open looks for Parsons.
What’s more, he can absolutely stuff the stat sheet, as he proved with nightly averages of 16.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, four assists, 1.2 steals and 1.8 made three-pointers last year.
Parsons is only 26 years old, so we could even see some improvement this season. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban certainly thinks that will be the case, via Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com:
"I think he’ll be far better. I think he’ll have the opportunity to showcase a lot more of his talent. He’s a good passer, he can drive the ball, he was top two or three in terms of finishing using floaters at the bucket. He doesn’t get to the foul line enough, but that’s something we’re going to work on with him.
"
If Parsons does get better, fantasy owners better keep their eyes on him.
Point Guard: Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics
Much like Derrick Rose, the primary question with Rajon Rondo is always going to be his health. After all, he only played in 30 games last season and 38 games in 2012-13 and already had some issues with his hand this offseason.
Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe passed along some good news on that front, though:
When Rondo was on the floor last season, he averaged 11.7 points, 9.8 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. The fact that you could get a point guard who can put up impressive rebounding numbers in the middle rounds is potentially huge for a fantasy team that needs production across the board.
Rondo is the clear main piece on a young Boston Celtics team, so the ball will be in his hands all year, which will lead to plenty of points and assists.
There is also the chance that Rondo is traded in the middle of the season to a potentially better team than Boston, which could theoretically improve his assist totals if he is passing to better players.
Power Forward: David West, Indiana Pacers
Someone is going to have to put up numbers for the Indiana Pacers after Lance Stephenson bolted for Charlotte and Paul George went down with a gruesome leg injury this summer.
If the Roy Hibbert who showed up during the stretch run of last season and the playoffs dons a Pacers uniform again, the onus will fall on David West’s veteran shoulders.
It is certainly worrisome from a team and fantasy standpoint that there will be such a heavy workload for a 34-year-old, but he has been durable throughout his career. In fact, West played in 70 or more games in eight different seasons and has been a workhorse during his three years in Indiana.
Last season, West averaged 14 points, 6.8 rebounds and 48.8 percent shooting from the field. He is never going to be an explosive player who puts up huge numbers, but he will be a reliable first option in Indiana.
You could do much worse than that when drafting in the middle rounds.
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