Big Boards: Basketball | Football | Baseball | Hockey
The Big Board takes into consideration past returns, current performance and expected future gains in determining who should be included among the top 50 fantasy basketball players. Essentially, the Big Board is a cheat sheet designed for a fantasy owner who is planning to participate in a draft today. Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Basketball default scoring settings are used as the baseline for the Big Board, which is updated on a regular basis.
| Big Board 50: Basketball | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Player | Stock | |
| 1 | LeBron James, Mia, SF | Traded 3pt for FG% while remaining best player on the planet. As durable as they come | |
| 2 | Kevin Durant, OKC, SF | Best scorer in NBA set career highs in FG%, 3pt, rpg and bpg. Made second biggest impact in FT% and still just 23 years old | |
| 3 | Chris Paul, LAC, PG | Positive contributor everywhere except blocks. Made biggest impact in steals by far. Small concern coming off thumb surgery | |
| 4 | Kevin Love, Min, FC | No one can match his reb/3pt/FT% combo. Hit 2.4 3pt and scored 27.5 ppg in the second half. The clear No. 1 center | |
| 5 | Russell Westbrook, OKC, PG | The TOs hurt but 3pts continue to improve. Expect assists to bump back up. Has increased his ppg and FG% each year in the league | |
| 6 | Dwyane Wade, Mia, G | Still a monster but played career low mpg as Heat concentrate most on postseason. Underwent knee surgery but should be good to go | |
| 7 | Al Jefferson, Uta, FC | Contributes everywhere while committing fewest TOs on a per-play basis in the league | |
| 8 | Deron Williams, BKN, PG | Assists and FG% dropped while TOs were career worst but expect a bounce back with improved teammates. Still a lot of upside | |
| 9 | Dirk Nowitzki, Dal, PF | Boring option but remains plenty safe even at advanced age. Made the single biggest impact in FT% | |
| 10 | Andrew Bynum, Phi, C | Huge upside as he becomes centerpiece of Philly’s offense. Will have to get better when facing double teams, and health remains key | |
| 11 | Josh Smith, Atl, F | Established career highs with 9.6 rpg and 18.8 ppg. Would finish as top-five player if he ever improved his FT shooting | |
| 12 | LaMarcus Aldridge, Por, FC | By far the team’s centerpiece now. Had hip surgery but should be fully recovered for 2012/13 | |
| 13 | Paul Millsap, Uta, PF | Contributor across the board other than 3pt. Finished seventh best on a per-game rank but may be tough to repeat | |
| 14 | Kyrie Irving, Cle, PG | Fantastic rookie season at age 19 and should only improve. Coming off hand surgery but sky’s the limit | |
| 15 | Dwight Howard, LAL, C | Value obviously depends greatly on H2H vs. roto format. Move to LA shouldn’t have major impact but health status big question mark | |
| 16 | Kobe Bryant, LAL, SG | Continues to produce, although his FG% has decreased in each of the past three seasons. Is up to 1,381 career games played | |
| 17 | Ty Lawson, Den, PG | Averaged 17.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 7.0 apg, 1.3 spg, 1.5 3pt with 50.1 FG% and 84.5 FT% in second half. Nuggets had second highest Pace in NBA | |
| 18 | James Harden, OKC, GF | Was more valuable than Kobe Bryant despite seeing nearly 7 fewer mpg. Will be playing with his eye toward a huge payday | |
| 19 | Marc Gasol, Mem, C | Numbers dropped after Zach Randolph returned but doesn’t hurt you anywhere except 3pt. | |
| 20 | Al Horford, Atl, FC | A consistently top fantasy player who was always durable until an injury ruined last season. Returned in playoffs so should be 100 percent | |
| 21 | Serge Ibaka, OKC, FC | Finished as the No. 11 fantasy player thanks entirely to a league-leading 3.7 bpg. Next highest was 2.2. Could see bump in minutes | |
| 22 | Pau Gasol, LAL, FC | Might lose a few boards playing next to Dwight Howard but otherwise could actually benefit. Remains elite fantasy option | |
| 23 | Brandon Jennings, Mil, PG | Made huge strides although continues to be a FG% drain (mainly due to just one horrific month). Draft him aggressively | |
| 24 | Carmelo Anthony, NYK, F | Injuries helped drag down numbers, and Lin gone is probably a good thing. Should rebound to his numbers after joining Knicks in 2010/11 | |
| 25 | DeMarcus Cousins, Sac, FC | Needs to finish better at the rim and stay out of foul trouble but potential through the roof. Just turned 22 years old | |
| 26 | Danny Granger, Ind, F | Has trended in the wrong direction each of the past three years but was top-30 fantasy player anyway. At a career crossroads | |
| 27 | Mike Conley, Mem, PG | Was 21st most valuable player on a per-game rank and had third biggest impact on steals, but that’s a tough cat to bank on repeating | |
| 28 | Rudy Gay, Mem, F | A reliable option but not much room for growth at this stage. Players with higher ceilings will go after him | |
| 29 | Goran Dragic, Pho, PG | Averaged 18.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 8.4 apg, 1.8 spg, 1.8 3pt with a 49.0 FG% and 83.9 FT% while starting and now takes over an uptempo Suns team | |
| 30 | John Wall, Was, PG | Went 3-for-42 on 3pt and commits too many TOs but just turned 22 and led all PGs by far with 0.9 bpg. Has top-15 upside w/ improved shooting | |
| 31 | Nicolas Batum, Por, GF | Doesn’t necessarily standout in any cat but performs well in all and should only continue to get better | |
| 32 | Paul Pierce, Bos, GF | Was 25th most valuable on per-game rank at age 34. Expect some decline, but he’s clearly got plenty left in the tank | |
| 33 | Andre Iguodala, Den, GF | Was top-35 player despite 12.4 ppg and 61.7 FT%. Goes from team that ranked 24th in Pace to 2nd. Move to Denver could be huge | |
| 34 | Kyle Lowry, Tor, PG | Was a top fantasy player before an injury effectively ended his season. Has elite skills but a change in scenery presents some unknown | |
| 35 | Paul George, Ind, GF | Became a full-time starter but was still given less than 30 mpg. Would be a monster if he saw more run | |
| 36 | Marcus Thornton, Sac, GF | Was actually on par with Derrick Rose in per-game value and while he plays for a team with many mouths to feed, Sac ranked 1st in Pace | |
| 37 | Ryan Anderson, NO, FC | Was 8th ranked per-game based entirely on big increase in minutes, but there’s major bust potential with move to New Orleans | |
| 38 | Greg Monroe, Det, C | Broke out as sophomore and should only get better from here on out. Is one of the better passing centers in the league | |
| 39 | Marcin Gortat , Pho, C | Finished with equivalent fantasy value to Kobe Bryant while C eligible and starting year injured. How much will Nash leaving affect him? | |
| 40 | Kevin Garnett, Bos, FC | Was somehow top-15 asset at age 35, and the move to C clearly helped his stats. But he’s at 1,380 career games played, so be cautious | |
| 41 | Joe Johnson, BKN, G | You know what you’re getting and should expect more of the same with his move to Brooklyn | |
| 42 | Stephen Curry, GSW, PG | Was No. 14 ranked player on per-game basis (in just 28:06 mpg!) but remains legit injury risk. Gamblers should reach higher than this | |
| 43 | David Lee, GSW, FC | Hasn’t duplicated elite numbers with Knicks since joining Warriors but remains plenty productive. Has to contend with Bogut now | |
| 44 | Blake Griffin, LAC, PF | Move him up in H2H but only Howard was bigger drain in FT%. Was ranked 80 th in 9-cat leagues. Double-double machine w/ room for growth | |
| 45 | Rajon Rondo, Bos, PG | Tough call. Led NBA in assists by far, averaged more rpg than any PG, is a threat to lead league in steals but total drain in 5 other cats | |
| 46 | Monta Ellis, Mil, G | Handled the ball less after trade to Bucks, so while ppg dropped, so did TOs. Expect both to approach more toward his norm this year | |
| 47 | Chris Bosh, Mia, FC | Even when healthy move to Miami has undoubtedly taken a hit on his fantasy value. This area feels about right | |
| 48 | Anthony Davis, NO, PF | Raw offensively but has ability to be a stud in defensive cats right away. This ranking could easily look tame in hindsight | |
| 49 | Steve Nash, LAL, PG | Finished second best in assists last year and now joins a loaded Lakers team. But won’t see much more than 30 mpg at age 38 | |
| 50 | Gerald Wallace, BKN, F | Been traded each of the past two years and remains an injury risk, but he’s awfully productive when on the court | |
| 51 | Eric Gordon, NO, SG | Injury ruined last season, and he also missed an average of 23 games the two prior years. Top-20 upside if he can stay healthy though | |
| 52 | Tony Parker, SA, PG | Career high 7.7 apg while always a perennial leader in FG% among PGs. Let’s hope his unfortunate offseason eye injury isn’t serious | |
| 53 | Amar'e Stoudemire, NYK, FC | Hugely disappointing season makes him a “last year’s bum” candidate, and he supposedly has rededicated himself this offseason | |
| 54 | Ersan Ilyasova, Mil, PF | Came out of nowhere to average 14.2 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 0.8 spg, 0.7 bpg and 1.0 3pt in 29 starts. Ensuing big contract should lead to big PT | |
| 55 | Manu Ginobili, SA, GF | Undoubtedly one of the best players in the league but got just 23:18 mpg and is now a year older. Risky at this stage | |
| 56 | Danilo Gallinari, Den, SF | Definite upside but also clearly proven to be an injury risk | |
| 57 | Joakim Noah, Chi, FC | If you need boards and blocks, he’s your man, but a lack of growth may reveal a capped upside | |
| 58 | Nene Hilario, Was, FC | Could be very productive as main frontcourt option in Washington but remains a major health risk | |
| 59 | Tim Duncan, SA, FC | Was still a top-50 player despite getting the fewest mpg of his career but in obvious decline phase | |
| 60 | Raymond Felton, NYK, G | Averaged career highs 17.1 ppg, 9.0 apg, 1.8 spg and 1.6 3pt last time he played in NY. Path to starting job and claims he’s in great shape | |
| 61 | Jeff Teague, Atl, PG | Nice asset first year as starter. Should continue to improve and be a bigger part of Atlanta’s offense with Joe Johnson gone | |
| 62 | Jrue Holiday, Phi, PG | Took a step back but remains vital part of team’s future along with Evan Turner. Assists should creep back up | |
| 63 | Roy Hibbert, Ind, C | Tied for fourth in bpg and continues to get better each year in league. A true breakout isn’t out of the question in 2012/13 | |
| 64 | Zach Randolph, Mem, FC | Was a top-30 player over the previous two years before injury ruined last season. Should be available at a nice price | |
| 65 | Tyson Chandler, NYK, C | Coming off a nice season but has an extensive injury history so must be downgraded | |
| 66 | Wesley Matthews, Por, GF | Solid across the board and even better when starting, something he should be locked into in 2012/13 | |
| 67 | Andrew Bogut, GSW, C | Can’t stay healthy and is a big FT% drain but other than that, he provides quite a bit. Golden State could be a really nice fit | |
| 68 | Jeremy Lin, Hou, PG | The biggest unknown. Was humongous TO drain yet upside obvious. Now changing teams. Contract should dictate a lot of playing time | |
| 69 | Arron Afflalo, Orl, SG | Averaged 18.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.4 apg and 1.6 3pt with a 52.1 FG% and 84.0 FT% over the final month. Will now be top dog on Orlando | |
| 70 | Carlos Boozer, Chi, FC | Played in every game in a season for the first time in his career but had lowest ppg, rpg and apg since his rookie season | |
| 71 | Kris Humphries, BKN, PF | After coming out of nowhere in 2010/11 was even better last season. Should again be among double-double leaders | |
| 72 | Luol Deng, Chi, SF | Should see a bounce back in FG% and could take on more scoring responsibility with Rose out. Appears to have avoided wrist surgery | |
| 73 | Tyreke Evans, Sac, GF | Has star upside but ranked as just 89th per-game player. Still needs to improve jump shot but upside remains (Sac #1 Pace) | |
| 74 | Anderson Varejao, Cle, FC | Possibly underselling him here as a top-50 player last year. Expect more blocks and fewer steals in 2012/13 | |
| 75 | Kevin Martin, Hou, SG | Was ranked 22nd per-game in 2010/2011, so don’t let him slip too far, even if Houston has many more options | |
| 76 | David West, Ind, PF | Points fell off but so did minutes in year 1 return from knee surgery. Should see increased PT but Indiana has many options | |
| 77 | Andrea Bargnani, Tor, FC | Averaged career low 1.1 3pt before calf injury ended season prematurely. Solid option but unlikely to ever live up to pedigree | |
| 78 | Klay Thompson, GSW, GF | Rookie averaged 18.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.1 spg and 2.1 3pt with a 90.6 FT% as a starter. Locked into role moving forward. Big potential | |
| 79 | Mo Williams, Uta, G | New starting PG in Utah. Sneaky 3pt and FT% help but usually a FG% drain | |
| 80 | Luis Scola, Pho, FC | Amnestied coming off down year but Suns happy to snatch him up as their new starting PF. Buy low opportunity exists in fantasy too | |
| 81 | Brook Lopez, BKN, C | Coming off injury ruined season but was top-60 player year before and rejoins a much-improved Nets lineup. Needs to rebound better | |
| 82 | Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Cha, SF | Needs to improve jump shot but should immediately get plenty of run for Bobcats | |
| 83 | Kenneth Faried, Den, PF | Averaged 11.6 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 0.9 spg and 1.1 bpg with a 58.4 FG% in modest minutes over final month as rookie. Al Harrington gone. Go get him | |
| 84 | Isaiah Thomas, Sac, PG | Got 14.8 ppg, 5.4 apg, 1.0 spg and 1.6 3pt with 47.7 FG% and 84.1 FT% in 27 starts. Last pick of 2011 draft already locked in as starter | |
| 85 | Michael Beasley, Pho, F | Huge disappointment last year but should regain role as starter in an uptempo Suns system. Something of a sleeper | |
| 86 | Jameer Nelson, Orl, PG | Has plenty of deficiencies but is getting paid well and virtually locked in a starting role that should see plenty of minutes | |
| 87 | Thaddeus Young, Phi, F | Remains in a reserve role for the time being but can provide plenty of value nevertheless | |
| 88 | J.R. Smith, NYK, GF | Was a top-70 player on a per-game rank after joining Knicks and could enter starting lineup in 2012/13. Target him if you need 3pt | |
| 89 | Evan Turner, Phi, GF | Thrived as starter (albeit in small sample) at SF and will be given every opportunity to succeed now that Andre Iguodala is gone | |
| 90 | DeAndre Jordan, LAC, C | Mostly a one-trick pony but very good at one trick. Made fourth biggest impact in blocks | |
| 91 | Ray Allen, Mia, SG | Was top-40 player on per-game rank but missed 20 games and is 37. Should see a lot of open jumpers but now bench player on Miami | |
| 92 | Jared Dudley, Pho, GF | Has been sneaky valuable but Suns have entirely new feel in 2012/13 | |
| 93 | Darren Collison, Dal, PG | New starting PG in Dallas. Expect more of the same from his production in Indiana | |
| 94 | Brandon Knight, Det, G | Not a prototypical PG but will be handed the keys to Detroit’s offense. He’s only going to get better | |
| 95 | Kemba Walker, Cha, PG | Averaged 14.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.9 apg, 1.0 spg, 0.5 bpg, and 1.4 3pt as starter, albeit with a 35.2 FG%. Expected to be major piece of offense | |
| 96 | Damian Lillard, Por, PG | Looks like immediate starter and impressed in Vegas Summer League. Opportunity sometimes trumps talent | |
| 97 | Elton Brand, Dal, FC | Was top-45 player but is now a backup on a new team in Dallas. Don’t draft the 33-year-old with injury history based on last year’s stats | |
| 98 | Jason Terry, Bos, G | Was top-65 player so may be undervalued here since starting hasn’t mattered in past. But joins a new team and is now 35 years old | |
| 99 | Lou Williams, Atl, G | Scored 14.9 ppg in just 26:18 mpg off bench and could start at SG now in Atlanta. Will have to compete with Devin Harris and Jeff Teague | |
| 100 | Samuel Dalembert, Mil, C | Always a help in boards and especially blocks and now locked in as Milwaukee’s starting center | |
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DROPPED OUT:
ON THE BUBBLE: JaVale McGee, Den, C; O.J. Mayo, Dal, SG; Al Harrington, Orl, FC; Derrick Rose, Chi, PG; Derrick Favors, Uta, FC; Avery Bradley, Bos, G; Wilson Chandler, Den, GF; Trevor Ariza, Was, GF; Bradley Beal, Was, SG; Dion Waiters, Cle, SG; Channing Frye, Pho, FC; Jose Calderon, Tor, PG; Emeka Okafor, Was, C; Hedo Turkoglu, Orl, F; Jason Richardson, Phi, GF; George Hill, Ind, G; Glen Davis, Orl, FC; Chris Kaman, Dal, FC; Andrei Kirilenko, Min, F; Harrison Barnes, GSW, SF; Gordon Hayward, Uta, GF; Nikola Pekovic, Min, C; Ricky Rubio, Min, PG
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