Fantasy Basketball 2017: Early-Round Rankings and NBA Mock Draft Analysis
The NBA season kicks off in under two weeks, and with that likely comes the impending pressure of fantasy basketball drafts.
With star movement putting the league in a confusing state of flux, it's hard to know exactly where players stand from a fantasy perspective.
Does Russell Westbrook get downgraded now that Paul George and Carmelo Anthony have arrived? What about James Harden and Chris Paul; can they coexist or will their numbers be dragged down?
Here's a look at some positional rankings for the upcoming season.
Positional Rankings
Point Guard
1. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
2. James Harden, Houston Rockets
3. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
4. John Wall, Washington Wizards
5. Kyrie Irving, Boston Celtics
6. Chris Paul, Houston Rockets
7. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
8. Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets
9. Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
10. Goran Dragic, Miami Heat
Shooting Guard
1. James Harden, Houston Rockets
2. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
3. Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
4. Kyrie Irving, Boston Celtics
5. Jimmy Butler, Minnesota Timberwolves
6. Gordon Hayward, Boston Celtics
7. C.J. McCollum, Portland Trail Blazers
8. Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
9. Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards
10. DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors
Small Forward
1. Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
3. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
4. Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
5. Paul George, Oklahoma City Thunder
6. Jimmy Butler, Minnesota Timberwolves
7. Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
8. Gordon Hayward, Boston Celtics
9. Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
10. DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors
Power Forward
1. Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
3. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
4. Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
5. DeMarcus Cousins, New Orleans Pelicans
6. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
7. Paul George, Oklahoma City Thunder
8. Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
9. Kristaps Porzingis, New York Knicks
10. Joel Embiid, Philadephia 76ers
Center
1. Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
2. Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
3. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
4. DeMarcus Cousins, New Orleans Pelicans
5. Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
6. Hassan Whiteside, Miami Heat
7. Kristaps Porzingis, New York Knicks
8. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
9. Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers
10. Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies
3-Round Mock Draft
1. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
2. James Harden, Houston Rockets
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
4. Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors
5. Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
6. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
7. Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
8. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
9. Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
10. John Wall, Washington Wizards
11. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
12. DeMarcus Cousins, New Orleans Pelicans
13. Kyrie Irving, Boston Celtics
14. Chris Paul, Houston Rockets
15. Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
16. Paul George, Oklahoma City Thunder
17. Hassan Whiteside, Miami Heat
18. Damian Lillard, Portland Trial Blazers
19. Jimmy Butler, Minnesota Timberwolves
20. C.J. McCollum, Portland Trail Blazers
21. Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets
22. Kristaps Porzingis, New York Knicks
23. Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
24. Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers
25. Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
26. DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors
27. Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards
28. Mike Conley, Memphis Grizzlies
29. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
30. Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
Should Westbrook or Harden Still Be Going over Antetokounmpo?
This might be the most pressing question heading into fantasy drafts. Westbrook and Harden were the no-doubt class of fantasy last year, setting a host of records while propping up mediocre supporting casts into the playoffs.
That's no longer the case. Westbrook now has two co-stars in Paul George and Carmelo Anthony, while the arrival of Chris Paul should take some ball-handling duties away from Harden. All of that could open the door for Giannis Antetokounmpo to step into the spotlight as the biggest stat filler in the sport.
Antetokounmpo averaged 22.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.6 steals per game last season. All career highs. His numbers have been on a precipitous path upward, and there's no reason to expect he'll slow down at age 22.
With Harden and Westbrook likely taking a step back, this might be the year we all regret taking them over Antetokounmpo.
Is LeBron a Sleeper?
The departure of Kyrie Irving and injury status of Isaiah Thomas leaves an offensive void for the Cavaliers, who will likely foist that responsibility on LeBron James.
The three-time league MVP now looks like a real contender for his fourth, and he almost quietly set career highs for rebounds and assists last season.
If James' indestructible body stays healthy, we could be looking at a 28-9-9 stat line—something that would probably put him ahead of Westbrook and Harden on the final player rankings.
