Why Danny Granger Is Worth a Top 10 Pick

If you have the 10th pick in your fantasy basketball draft and are wondering who to take as you watch all the big name players you wanted fly off the draft board  I have your answer.  Take Danny Granger.

Who is Danny Granger you may ask?  He is a 4th year Guard-Forward form New Mexico who is starting at Small Forward for the Jermaine O'Neal-less Indiana Pacers.  With out Jermaine O'Neal there will be lots more options for Granger to score, like he showed after the All-Star break last year when O'Neal was hurt.  Another reason Granger is going to explode this year is new teammate T.J. Ford.  He will give Granger more looks than he got last year and get some chemistry from a point guard, unlike Jamaal Tinsley who can't seem to keep himself out of the trainers room.  But anyways check this out:

These are Granger's post all star stats expanded into a full season: 

.450 FG% .850 FT% 221 3PTM 1894 PTS 550 REB 197 AST 115 STL 82 BLK 172 TO

These are the stats of a comparable star:

.459 FG% .840 FT% 150 3PTM 2323 PTS 517 REB 441 AST 151 STL 40 BLK 257 TO

Who's numbers are those that are so close to Granger's?  Kobe Bryant's.

Now I am not suggesting you should take him with the #1 or #2 pick over Kobe, but you will probably be considering this next year. Granger is eligible at the G, SG, SF, and F positions which also makes him more valuable than one position players such as Caron Butler and Kevin Garnett.  He will be an all-star starter this year (if the fans vote for him) and should be your number one pick.

Look, he might not be a big name, flashy player, or get in the news all the time, heck when I typed in his name to get a photo on Bleacher Report there were no results, but he is a solid top 10 option who is being drafted on average #14 in Yahoo leagues and #17 at mock draft central.  Now, I think he is a steal at 14 and 17 just because of his potential, and his post all-star break numbers.