Fantasy Basketball 2019: Early-Round Rankings and NBA Mock Draft Analysis
The NBA preseason has already started. Regular-season clashes will be here before you know it.
If your fantasy basketball homework hasn't tipped off, now is the time to start cramming.
We'll help get the ball rolling by running through our top-five player rankings at each position and analyzing a recent mock draft from fantasy experts, both for the head-to-head format.
Positional Rankings
Point Guard
1. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
2. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
3. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
4. Russell Westbrook, Houston Rockets
5. De'Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings
Shooting Guard
1. James Harden, Houston Rockets
2. Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards
3. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
4. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
5. Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat
Small Forward
1. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
2. Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers
3. Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers
4. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
5. Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks
Power Forward
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
2. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
3. John Collins, Atlanta Hawks
4. Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors
5. Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
Center
1. Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
2. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
3. Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons
4. Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
5. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Mock Draft Analysis
Ten ESPN experts recently joined up for a mock draft of a head-to-head points league. Most of the picks went to form, but there were a few nice finds and a couple of curious selections.
Let's take a closer look at a few notable picks.
Best Value: Trae Young at No. 35
So...did the mock drafters stop watching at last season's All-Star break?
We get it...it takes more than two months to earn superstar privileges. But didn't Trae Young's supernova sprint through the stretch run feel like a young player taking a massive leap?
If people need more convincing, that's fine. Just know there's likely at least one owner in your league who wouldn't allow Young to slide to being the eighth point guard off the board, as he did in this mock.
His post-All-Star averages were absurd: 24.7 points, 9.2 assists and 4.7 rebounds. He averaged more than two triples and just under one steal per game and shot 87.8 percent from the free-throw line.
His 2019-20 ceiling is high enough where he could be your team's top fantasy performer. Getting that type of potential in the middle of the fourth round feels larcenous.
Biggest Reach: Darius Garland at No. 60
Darius Garland has a shot at fantasy relevance as a rookie. He has deep range on his three-ball, and he's comfortable pulling up off the dribble.
He's worth a later-round dart for sure. ESPN's Austin Tedesco took him with the final pick of the sixth round.
We'll let Tedesco explain:
"Maybe don't take Darius Garland in the sixth round—and maybe don't try to drop a player into your queue when it's your turn to draft, either—but there's still a lot to like here. Garland loves the most important shot in the NBA. He can create out of the pick-and-roll. He'll play big minutes.
"I have no idea if he'll even moderately succeed at all of his hypothetical skills as an NBA rookie, which is why I didn't intend to take him this early."
Forget fantasy, Garland is one of the bigger mysteries in this rookie class. He was injured early in his fifth game at Vanderbilt and never returned. He roasted the likes of Winthrop and Liberty, which indicates exactly nothing regarding how he'll fare against big-league defenders.
Oh, and he's an awkward fit alongside new backcourt mate Collin Sexton, as neither has great size nor a clear penchant for playmaking. Maybe a gamble on Garland eventually pays off, but as Tedesco said, this is too early to take that chance.
Most Intriguing: Zion Williamson at No. 22
As an NBA rookie, Zion Williamson is everything the New Orleans Pelicans could want. He's a highlight waiting to happen, an easy sell to an energetic fanbase and the type of player who seems to combine blue-chip talent with a blue-collar work ethic.
As a fantasy prospect, Williamson is...that's a great question.
At Duke, he did almost everything. Save for his 64.0 free-throw percentage, all of his categories were either elite or at least above-average.
But in New Orleans, he'll have more help than the typical No. 1 pick—Pelicans executive vice president David Griffin had a stellar summer—and possibly limited room to work with. The team's pool of shooters looked shallow before Darius Miller, a career 38.2 percent sniper, ruptured his Achilles.
Then again, the extra assistance might help maximize Williamson's efficiency. And as much as New Orleans has tried not to overwhelm him with expectations, this franchise would surely let him lead if he proves he's ready. Alvin Gentry's uptempo system will generate tons of offensive opportunities, Williamson has some expert passers around him, and he might be the closest thing this roster has to a go-to scorer.
Williamson won't bust, but there's still a wide cavern between his best- and worst-case scenarios.
