Fantasy Basketball 2016: Early-Round Rankings and NBA Mock Draft Analysis
The NBA preseason is a time to watch for players who could be in for surprising or disappointing seasons. Oftentimes, those spikes or drops in impact have a significant effect on fantasy basketball leagues.
Does the fact that Hassan Whiteside is averaging 28.6 points, 19.2 rebounds and 4.9 blocks per 36 minutes on 71.4 percent shooting in the preseason matter? Are Chris Paul's 4.8 turnovers per 36 minutes and 29.4 percent shooting from the field causes for concern?
That's for you to decide. But let's try to come up with a fantasy top 50 board heading into the regular season, then analyze a mock draft from one major outlet.
Top 50 Ranking
| 1 | Russell Westbrook | PG | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2 | Stephen Curry | PG/SG | Golden State Warriors |
| 3 | James Harden | PG/SG | Houston Rockets |
| 4 | Kawhi Leonard | SF | San Antonio Spurs |
| 5 | LeBron James | SF/PF | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 6 | Kevin Durant | SF | Golden State Warriors |
| 7 | Chris Paul | PG | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 8 | Karl-Anthony Towns | C | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 9 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | SG/SF/PF | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 10 | Anthony Davis | PF | New Orleans Pelicans |
| 11 | DeMarcus Cousins | C | Sacramento Kings |
| 12 | Hassan Whiteside | PF/C | Miami Heat |
| 13 | John Wall | PG | Washington Wizards |
| 14 | Damian Lillard | PG | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 15 | Paul George | SF | Indiana Pacers |
| 16 | Kyle Lowry | PG | Toronto Raptors |
| 17 | Blake Griffin | PF | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 18 | Eric Bledsoe | PG | Phoenix Suns |
| 19 | Paul Millsap | PF | Atlanta Hawks |
| 20 | Draymond Green | SF/PF | Golden State Warriors |
| 21 | Jimmy Butler | SG/SF | Chicago Bulls |
| 22 | Isaiah Thomas | PG | Boston Celtics |
| 23 | Kyrie Irving | PG | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 24 | Marc Gasol | C | Memphis Grizzlies |
| 25 | Kemba Walker | PG | Charlotte Hornets |
| 26 | Brook Lopez | C | Brooklyn Nets |
| 27 | Carmelo Anthony | SF | New York Knicks |
| 28 | Andre Drummond | C | Detroit Pistons |
| 29 | Nicolas Batum | SG/SF | Charlotte Hornets |
| 30 | LaMarcus Aldridge | PF | San Antonio Spurs |
| 31 | Kristaps Porzingis | PF | New York Knicks |
| 32 | Pau Gasol | PF/C | San Antonio Spurs |
| 33 | Victor Oladipo | SG | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 34 | C.J. McCollum | PG/SG | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 35 | DeAndre Jordan | C | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 36 | Derrick Favors | PF | Utah Jazz |
| 37 | Nikola Vucevic | C | Orlando Magic |
| 38 | Rudy Gobert | C | Utah Jazz |
| 39 | Klay Thompson | SG | Golden State Warriors |
| 40 | DeMar DeRozan | SG | Toronto Raptors |
| 41 | Dwight Howard | C | Atlanta Hawks |
| 42 | Al Horford | C | Boston Celtics |
| 43 | Goran Dragic | PG | Miami Heat |
| 44 | Kevin Love | PF | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 45 | Dennis Schroder | PG | Atlanta Hawks |
| 46 | Dirk Nowitzki | PF | Dallas Mavericks |
| 47 | Nikola Jokic | PF/C | Denver Nuggets |
| 48 | Reggie Jackson | PG | Detroit Pistons |
| 49 | Evan Fournier | SG/SF | Orlando Magic |
| 50 | Gordon Hayward | SG/SF | Utah Jazz |
No. 18: PG Eric Bledsoe (Phoenix Suns)
"If healthy" is always the key caveat with the Phoenix Suns' Eric Bledsoe. He has missed an average of more than 20 games per season in his six-year career, and he's coming off a 31-game season marred by his third significant knee injury since entering the league.
But the athletic 6'1" point guard is one of the most underrated players in the league when he's on the floor. Specifically in fantasy, he's one of the better floor generals in the scoring, rebounding, stealing, blocking, and shooting efficiency categories.
Detractors of Bledsoe's fantasy upside will point to the presence of Devin Booker and Brandon Knight as a reason to doubt the 26-year-old's offensive volume for the 2016-17 season. However, most of the rest of the roster is either young or prefers to stay out of the way on the offensive end.
If you're willing to take a calculated risk on Bledsoe's health, you could be in for a significant reward.
No. 21: SG/SF Jimmy Butler (Chicago Bulls)
Jimmy Butler's fantasy stock has gone on a roller-coaster ride this offseason. When the Chicago Bulls traded Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks, Butler went from a second- or third-tier star to a potential fantasy superstar. As Today's Fastbreak's Kelly Scaletta noted, Butler averaged 27.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game when Rose wasn't playing in 2015-16.
Then Chicago signed Rajon Rondo, a notorious ball-stopping point guard who will surely decrease Butler's assist totals. Then the Bulls won the Dwyane Wade sweepstakes, which should cut into Butler's scoring load.
Butler's stock is somewhat down right now, but there's still a lot to like about his potential. Rondo and Wade have had plenty of injury issues in recent years, which means Jimmy Buckets could end up having to carry a larger offensive load than expected.
Also, the presence of Rondo and Wade could help Butler become the defensive-oriented player he was a couple of years ago. That might mean more rebounds, steals and blocks for the 27-year-old swingman, as well as fewer turnovers.
Mock Draft Analysis
Ten of ESPN.com's employees got together to work on a 13-round mock draft that was published Tuesday. Utilizing a rotisserie scoring system, many of the selections were excellent, while others were questionable.
Featured below is one pick I found to be a major reach and another that seemed like a huge steal.
Too High: SG Victor Oladipo (Oklahoma City Thunder)
ESPN.com's Tom Carpenter selected Victor Oladipo 19th overall with Isaiah Thomas, Blake Griffin and Butler still on the board. I understand there's some intrigue with how he might fit in with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but that just seems way too high.
It's tough to be a true fantasy stud when playing alongside a contender for the top fantasy basketball player in the league, and that's no different for Oladipo. Russell Westbrook is going to go bananas in a lot of the main volume categories by dominating the ball, partially because of his amazing skill and partially because he'll be out to prove he can succeed as an unquestioned No. 1 option.
Oladipo will be the second option on offense, but a distant second. Somewhere in the vicinity of 16 to 17 points and four to five assists per game seems reasonable for the fourth-year guard in 2016-17. There's not a whole lot of shooting ability in the Thunder's main lineups, so his efficiency should stay mediocre.
I think Oladipo's biggest improvements next season will come on the defensive end, but that kind of improvement often doesn't transfer well to the fantasy basketball world.
Too Low: C Nikola Vucevic (Orlando Magic)
After a long slide, ESPN.com's Joe Kaiser finally tabbed Nikola Vucevic with the No. 57 overall selection. Concerns about the Orlando Magic's crowded frontcourt were likely the reason for the young center's slide.
Those concerns are legitimate, but Vucevic's upside if someone gets traded (maybe himself?) is tremendous. He averaged 20.9 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per 36 minutes last season on 51 percent shooting, all excellent totals for a center. If Vucevic goes somewhere else or another Magic big man gets traded, he may well approach 36 minutes per game.
Even if Vucevic's minutes do stay somewhat limited, though, he should be the primary offensive option on a team that doesn't have much scoring firepower. He definitely has that working for him.
But really, Orlando's big-man slots are so crowded that it would be shocking if no one gets moved before the trade deadline.
