Bruski 150: Final Update
When Meyers Leonard came out of Illinois he had a draft profile that read like every other profile you've read about an athletic kid with the odds against him. He wasn't a great shooter and he wasn't extraordinarily physical -- not to mention he had confidence issues according to Draft Express -- and he appeared to be on his way to a non-descript career in Portland battling it out with guys like Joel Freeland.
Fast forward to today and the over-exuberant rookie has morphed into a 7-foot version of Klay Thompson, if only Thompson were much slower and way goofier. He shoots threes now and lots of them for a big man. In just 15.4 mpg last season he uncorked two per contest, making 42 percent of them. His 51.0/42.0/93.8% shooting line from last season was utterly confounding. Yes, he got his feet set and was wide open on a ton of those looks, but this is Meyers Leonard we're talking about here not Steph Curry.
Even though it happened over the course of nearly 1,000 NBA minutes, it had to be a fluke.
But then the story really gained momentum as Leonard was one of the few Trail Blazers to show up in their playoff loss to the Grizzlies. He hit a mind-bending 76.9 percent of his shots from beyond the arc and showed some defensive chops while he was at it. LaMarcus Aldridge's solo plane ride home after a playoff loss would foreshadow the disbanding of a popular and seemingly tight-knit Blazers squad.
So why isn't he getting more attention in fantasy drafts this season? I have no freaking clue. Teammate C.J. McCollum has gotten all of the fantasy headlines and deservedly so -- he'll be electric on many nights. But he will struggle with the realities of being a volume shooter on a bad team, and that's before we assume he can distance himself from early-career injuries and not let his defensive stats slip any further. Meanwhile, Leonard has quietly been out there doing it all. So far this preseason he's rebounding (6.43 per game in 24.7 mpg), shooting the ball plenty (7.3 FGAs per game), hitting at a great clip (47.1 FG%, 48.3 3P%) and he's even averaging a combined 1.57 steals and blocks per game. As a cherry on top he's handing out 1.43 assists.
Yes, it's preseason, but this Blazers team isn't going to be in a lot of high-intensity playoff type matchups. They're going to play in a lot of sloppy contests, but all of that is besides the point -- Terry Stotts and the organization clearly view him as a foundational piece for this season and he's going to get starter's minutes. Hell, they're running the world's slowest pindowns for him so he can get open jumpers because he's one of their best shooters.
It's been a while since his numbers were something else, something other than what they are right now.
He is about to get very, very popular in fantasy circles. The only question is if fantasy owners can make like real Portland hipsters and scuttle the corporate rock for some unadulterated Meyers Legend.
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This is the same exact list that I will use in upcoming big money competitions including the National Fantasy Basketball Championship among others. Last year it was good enough to bring home third place in the NFBKC's Hall of Fame League, which has the highest price point for entry.
Longtime readers will know that I don’t play it safe here. I’m not worried about standing out from other sites’ rankings or even our own. This is about throwing my best punch and not being concerned about looking crazy when I do it. As a result, I’ve had some high profile wins on player projections and a few high profile losses, too. I haven’t seen any fantasy expert rankings in a while but when I have seen them they’ve put me at or near the top. Hopefully for all of us that trend will continue. Lastly, be sure to read the ground rules – they are key to using this list correctly.
One other note that's different from prior years: I had the opportunity to interview beat writers, TV and radio folks in every NBA city on my podcast and we have turned up tons of great nuggets. It's been exhausting, but I feel so much more connected to the situations on the ground than I ever have. If you are looking at a tough decision you may choose to listen to a particular team's cast and see if you get the info you're looking for. You can find the complete list of them right here and subscribe to them here.
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Here is a look back at last year’s B150 from this summer.
B150 RANKS UPDATED AS OF: OCTOBER 27, 2:02 AM ET
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The ground rules….
This is a Roto list. It’s not a head-to-head list or a points league list. It’s not a list to account for playoff formats. Frankly I’d prefer it to not even include 9-cat rankings because it’s terrible to penalize better players for handling the ball a lot. But because we all play 9-cat I include my ranks for 9-cat and the associated Average Draft Positions (ADP), as well. While I’m banging on 9-cat leagues I’ll bang on playoff leagues, too. Why go through the nightly grind of the NBA season to have the ever-growing problem of shutdowns determine your league.
Though this is a top-150 list (including 50 more honorable mentions at the end), each player in the top 350 or so has been hand-projected for each category. Those projections have been scrutinized in every context that might affect the final outcome. A proprietary blend of methodologies – both quantitative and qualitative – is used to weave the resulting numbers into these rankings.
This is a year-long list. By ranking a player (for example) No. 33, I am predicting they will finish as the 33rd ranked player at the end of the year, cumulatively. In that respect, it is vital owners know that I am not intending for them to draft players in this order.
Again, owners need to consider their specific marketplace and determine where they would like to draft players based on ADP, strength of their league and the like. Just because I rank a guy way ahead of his ADP, or if the ADP doesn’t exist because the guy isn’t getting drafted enough – it doesn’t mean you grab him where I rank him.
ADPs are pulled from ESPN for 8-cat and Yahoo for 9-cat.
These are pure values that don’t account for any punting or specialized team builds you might want to look at. If you want to adjust for punting or a specific type of team build you’ll need to do that on your own. For what it's worth I seek balance when building a team whether it's Roto or H2H.
So without further ado, I give you the Bruski 150:
8C | ADP | NAME | TEAM | POS | NOTES | 9-C | ADP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | Anthony Davis | NOR | F/C | The preseason gave credibility to an even bigger jump. He can run away from Curry with anything over 72 games. | 1 | 1 |
2 | 2 | Stephen Curry | GSW | G | Curry won't be far behind Davis but he'll need to stay healthy in order to do it. | 2 | 2 |
3 | 4 | Kevin Durant | OKC | F | Durant and Harden form their own tier behind the Big 2. Durant has another gear he can hit if Donovan clicks. | 3 | 5 |
4 | 4 | James Harden | HOU | G/F | Still super-elite value and a nice consolation prize of getting an earlier pick on the way back in Round 2. | 5 | 4 |
5 | 8 | Chris Paul | LAC | G | CP3 and Westbrook form a 3rd tier below the top-4. Though age is a concern, he's the safe play vs. WB's upside. | 4 | 6 |
6 | 6 | Russell Westbrook | OKC | G | Like Durant, if the Donovan offense really clicks he could bridge the gap between he and Harden. | 10 | 6 |
7 | 7 | DeMarcus Cousins | SAC | F/C | LeBron actually projects a tad higher than Cousins, but there's something about players with unexplored ceilings. | 13 | 8 |
8 | 5 | LeBron James | CLE | F | If the King can start going to the rack, then he could flirt with a top-5 rank. | 7 | 5 |
9 | 12 | John Wall | WAS | G | The new pace-and-space Wizards help preserve his fantasy standing, though it's a big dropoff in value starting here. | 18 | 16 |
10 | 13 | Kawhi Leonard | SAS | G/F | If you want to go Leonard over Wall the upside equation makes sense. Still, a lot of mouths to feed in San Antonio. | 6 | 10 |
11 | 9 | Damian Lillard | POR | G | Lillard could also go ahead of Wall, but he's due to miss some games and the struggle for Portland should be real. | 15 | 14 |
12 | 11 | Klay Thompson | GSW | G/F | Klay is in the running for the most boring pick of the first two rounds. Not a lot can go wrong here. | 11 | 13 |
13 | 13 | Paul George | IND | G/F | He looks phenomenal and the uptempo offense appears to be his to joyride. | 14 | 20 |
14 | 19 | Rudy Gobert | UTA | C | The hype machine killed his profit margin, but owners can draft him with confidence despite a limited track record. | 9 | 19 |
15 | 15 | Jimmy Butler | CHI | G/F | Another victim of summer hype, the only hope to clear this mark is that he truly gets the car keys from Rose. | 12 | 14 |
16 | 18 | Serge Ibaka | OKC | F/C | Less is more with him, as extra offensive responsibilites stole both his efficiency and his energy on defense. | 8 | 19 |
17 | 25 | Gordon Hayward | UTA | G/F | Captain America looks like he put on 15 pounds of muscle after doing the same thing a year ago. | 29 | 40 |
18 | 23 | Marc Gasol | MEM | C | Owners should be happy getting him on the turn between Round 2 and 3. | 19 | 26 |
19 | 26 | Eric Bledsoe | PHO | G | Durability issues are far off in the rear view mirror, and if that continues he gets to test his bounds this season. | 50 | 34 |
20 | 44 | Reggie Jackson | DET | G | Sources in DET believe he's going to be the Pistons' workhorse; they have 80 million reasons to see that through. | 58 | 68 |
21 | 33 | Jeff Teague | ATL | G | A do wonder if Schroder can push him at all, but the Hawks' depth has been reduced and Teague should be fine. | 35 | 42 |
22 | 38 | Kyrie Irving | CLE | G | A fluid rank and one of my favorite risks of the third round with his Round 1 upside. In the 4th it's highway robbery. | 21 | 24 |
23 | 51 | Isaiah Thomas | BOS | G | There are a lot of mouths to feed in Boston, but the Pizza Guy has All Star upside in a best-case scenario. | 40 | 76 |
24 | 30 | Nerlens Noel | PHI | F/C | We could see an historic season in terms of defensive stats, with a small side of what-if he does anything on 'O.' | 20 | 31 |
25 | 26 | Draymond Green | GSW | F | Green is a weird case of being underhyped after a best-case season for the world champs. | 17 | 28 |
26 | 31 | Rudy Gay | SAC | F | There is risk that newfound depth in Sac could erode his value, but his efficiency and effectiveness should hold up. | 28 | 40 |
27 | 31 | Kyle Lowry | TOR | G | His weight loss is both dramatic and unsettling since he's a bully-baller. Still, no need to overthink this one. | 32 | 28 |
28 | 85 | Gorgui Dieng | MIN | F/C | A lot of interference about his role but whether it's merit or Wolves attrition he'll be ready for another step forward. | 22 | 98 |
29 | 61 | Kemba Walker | CHA | G | With better talent on offense he won't be forced into so many ISO and late-clock situations. | 25 | 61 |
30 | 25 | Nikola Vucevic | ORL | F/C | When picking nits here, you just hope that he doesn't let up on defense. Skiles won't hesitate to shave some mpg. | 24 | 23 |
31 | 119 | Meyers Leonard | POR | F/C | Get to know the name. One of the most unique players to come through the NBA in a while. | 34 | 104 |
32 | 24 | Paul Millsap | ATL | F/C | He looks good so far, but I wouldn't fault you for bumping him down a tad due to some mileage issues. | 33 | 19 |
33 | 58 | Danny Green | SAS | G/F | Green has spent years earning Pop's trust and this is the year he spreads his wings and goes. | 16 | 58 |
34 | 35 | Victor Oladipo | ORL | G | His defensive chops insulate him from some of that Skiles risk, and he's positioned to outperform his ADP. | 51 | 36 |
35 | 43 | Goran Dragic | MIA | G | The preseason wasn't great, but this rank assumes they work out the kinks and they can keep a top-25 pace. | 41 | 54 |
36 | 55 | Mike Conley | MEM | G | The injury concerns are mitigated by the bonus of the contract year, though that can be a double-edged sword. | 42 | 33 |
37 | 33 | Kevin Love | CLE | F/C | Looking at a Bosh-like leap next to LeBron in Year 2, and the hope is that CLE wants to establish him early. | 27 | 24 |
38 | 82 | Ricky Rubio | MIN | G | A lot of value to be had here. Yes there are injury concerns, but the absent preseason isn't a game-changer. | 63 | 77 |
39 | 47 | Al Horford | ATL | F/C | Little Al is definitely shooting some treys this year. The big man threes thing isn't as big as some make it seem. | 23 | 15 |
40 | 16 | Carmelo Anthony | NYK | F | For his part, Melo looks good. It's just that all of his indicators point down and that's before any implosion risk. | 47 | 12 |
41 | 32 | Hassan Whiteside | MIA | C | Perhaps the most unsettling pick of the early rounds and for good reason. But barring major variance, he goes here. | 26 | 33 |
42 | 53 | Karl-Anthony Towns | MIN | C | KAT has been stoking the hype machine with flashes of brilliance. A good balance of risk and reward in Round 4-5. | 49 | 61 |
43 | 62 | Khris Middleton | MIL | G/F | Last week he plunged into the late mid-rounds and folks that jumped on it got a sweet bargain. | 30 | 71 |
44 | 35 | Chris Bosh | MIA | F/C | Though he's starting to get up there in mileage, his situation in Miami is cushy and we haven't seen any slippage. | 38 | 37 |
45 | 64 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | MIL | F | No large-scale jump from beyond the arc in the preseason. The hype machine cooled off enough to allow for profit. | 56 | 62 |
46 | 42 | Nicolas Batum | CHA | G/F | If he came out and said he was going to fire away he could beat this rank by a round or two. Who knows if he will. | 53 | 62 |
47 | 54 | Jonas Valanciunas | TOR | C | Folks in Canada seem to be in agreement that Dwane Casey is going to play him in the fourth quarter. | 36 | 63 |
48 | 46 | Kenneth Faried | DEN | F/C | Michael Malone has already pointed him in the right direction and he should recover the two steps back he took. | 46 | 55 |
49 | 39 | DeAndre Jordan | LAC | C | Real hard to win by punting in Roto leagues, but this is where he ranks if you're going to take the plunge. | 31 | 30 |
50 | 55 | Brandon Knight | PHO | G | Ankle concerns and questions over fit should keep owners drafting him in the fifth round only. | 73 | 54 |
8C | ADP | NAME | TEAM | POS | NOTES | 9-C | ADP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
51 | 31 | Andre Drummond | DET | F/C | A cut below DeAndre, but I like what I've seen in terms of athleticism and footwork early. | 45 | 36 |
52 | 15 | Blake Griffin | LAC | F/C | The Clippers' new depth and a game that's heading away from the hoop are all contributors to his fantasy dip. | 61 | 19 |
53 | 28 | Pau Gasol | CHI | F/C | Tom Thibodeau ain't walking through that door and the Bulls are loaded in the frontcourt. | 44 | 30 |
54 | 96 | Robert Covington | PHI | G/F | Ranked for 2-3 weeks off with the knee. So yes, absent that he'd have been higher on surprisingly stable indicators. | 57 | 88 |
55 | 58 | Greg Monroe | MIL | F/C | The risk for Monroe is that all of his teammates take a step forward at the same time. That'd shave some value off. | 70 | 56 |
56 | 39 | Brook Lopez | BKN | C | I'm not too keen on this pick just because the Nets don't have much to play for and he's an injury risk. | 39 | 33 |
57 | 93 | Marcin Gortat | WAS | C | The ADP data is likely old or wrong here. He's going in Rounds 5-7 and the late hype is eating into profits. | 37 | 54 |
58 | 46 | Andrew Wiggins | MIN | G/F | I'm tempted to go higher and he has really let loose from deep. His big mpg from last year will be hard to duplicate. | 79 | 59 |
59 | 20 | LaMarcus Aldridge | SAS | F/C | Vying to be one of the most overdrafted players in the top half of drafts. Folks know the Spurs are loaded, right? | 43 | 17 |
60 | 84 | Nikola Mirotic | CHI | F | This ADP data is likely old or wrong. In competitive leagues he's going in Round 6 or thereabouts. | 48 | 72 |
61 | 76 | Danilo Gallinari | DEN | F | Defensive stats really cap his upside. Michael Malone loves himself some defense but that calculus isn't changing. | 55 | 67 |
62 | 85 | Michael Carter-Williams | MIL | G | All he has to do is stay in his lane and this is where he lands. Of course, that's not a given. | 113 | 81 |
63 | 89 | Thaddeus Young | BKN | F | Young is going to get all he can eat for the most part. One just hopes this isn't one of his bad years at the stripe. | 69 | 86 |
64 | 69 | Dwyane Wade | MIA | G | A risk reward pick that has a bit of profit margin in competitive leagues. In casual leagues that won't be true. | 98 | 66 |
65 | 62 | Kobe Bryant | LAL | G/F | One of the harder guys to rank this season. In Round 8 I think the upside equation starts to make sense. | 124 | 67 |
66 | 64 | DeMar DeRozan | TOR | G/F | Has the physical tools to make a jump possible, but he's running out of time. Also a trade candidate. | 89 | 62 |
67 | 40 | Monta Ellis | IND | G | In competitive leagues he's going in the 50-65 range and that might be a fit depending on your needs. | 92 | 59 |
68 | 105 | Eric Gordon | NOR | G | Somebody has to take the shots in New Orleans and despite his injury risk, it's a contract year. | 94 | 102 |
69 | 67 | Tobias Harris | ORL | F | The hype from last year's showing and the big contract have eaten into his value. Still, don't be afraid to get him. | 66 | 50 |
70 | 77 | Markieff Morris | PHO | F/C | Sources in PHO say the team is handling the drama well and that's a good recipe for value, despite obvious risk. | 85 | 95 |
71 | 80 | Trevor Ariza | HOU | G/F | A quiet value that should benefit from even more spot-up opportunities next to Harden and Lawson. | 59 | 47 |
72 | 50 | Derrick Favors | UTA | F/C | Being overdrafted as leftover hype from prior years continues to carry over. Fits the same mold as Ellis, Harris. | 71 | 46 |
73 | 74 | DeMarre Carroll | TOR | F | Carroll has picked up right where he left off in Atlanta and makes for a fine mid-round selection. | 52 | 61 |
74 | 119 | Darren Collison | SAC | G | George Karl is going to have a hard time taking him off the floor. A perfect storm for fantasy profit. | 81 | 132 |
75 | 69 | Tim Duncan | SAS | F/C | Will this be the year that Tim Duncan doesn't blow away his ADP? I'm ready to get worked yet again. | 62 | 48 |
76 | 74 | George Hill | IND | G | Hill has some hidden upside in the event one of his high usage teammates gets hurt; he can handle the slack. | 72 | 73 |
77 | 85 | Ryan Anderson | NOR | F/C | The uptempo offense and injuries piling up around him have pushed him up the charts. | 54 | 97 |
78 | 39 | Chandler Parsons | DAL | F | This ADP data is likely old or wrong. He has some upside hidden in all that risk. | 77 | 68 |
79 | 117 | Al-Farouq Aminu | POR | F | The hamstring injury has really cooled off any hype. As long as news doesn't worsen, he's a nice late-round target. | 75 | 118 |
80 | 120 | Marcus Smart | BOS | G | Smart will take a step forward, surroundings will keep both the hype and the value in check. Good stopgap late. | 83 | 122 |
81 | 71 | Kyle Korver | ATL | G/F | A safer play in the late mid-rounds and if all goes well he proves us wrong again. | 65 | 54 |
82 | 56 | Al Jefferson | CHA | F/C | The contract year is tantalizing but not everybody can be Tim Duncan. | 60 | 38 |
83 | 101 | Jrue Holiday | NOR | G | He exceeded his mpg limit on Friday and injuries to teammates may force more minutes than planned a week ago. | 82 | 66 |
84 | 113 | Otto Porter Jr | WAS | F | Porter won't be the splashy beneficiary of the newfound pace in WAS, but he might be the most important piece. | 74 | 138 |
85 | 104 | Terrence Jones | HOU | F | Jones looked good physically on Friday and in competitive leagues he's going earlier than this. | 67 | 95 |
86 | 116 | Jeremy Lin | CHA | G | If only he didn't have a history of lower mpgs and injury risk, as I'd love to rank him higher. | 123 | 136 |
87 | 80 | CJ McCollum | POR | G | A Beal-like conundrum, with efficiency a very real concern on a team trending down and CJM poised to fire away. | 105 | 115 |
88 | 59 | Bradley Beal | WAS | G | Same story, different year. The lack of defensive stats and troubles with efficiency weigh him down. | 95 | 84 |
89 | 92 | Wesley Matthews | DAL | G/F | If you're going to bet on a guy dealing with an Achilles' injury, this is the guy you bet on. | 76 | 84 |
90 | 140 | Dennis Schroder | ATL | G | Schroder looks sharp out there and he checks all the boxes as a fantasy sleeper. | 138 | 140 |
91 | 94 | Jordan Clarkson | LAL | G | Fresh news about his shoulder aside, Clarkson isn't a fluke and sources peg him as the Lakers' mpg leader. | 100 | 124 |
92 | 90 | JR Smith | CLE | G/F | Viewing him as an early-season play may better direct your draft strategy with Smith. | 68 | 114 |
93 | 108 | PJ Tucker | PHO | G/F | I haven't dinged him for his absentee preseason splashed with threats of an emerging T.J. Warren. But I might. | 80 | 139 |
94 | 74 | Zach Randolph | MEM | F/C | Z-Bo will plod, grit and grind his way to a respectable late-round rank. | 106 | 66 |
95 | 140 | Timofey Mozgov | CLE | C | Knee concerns have kept him from being targeted in drafts, not to mention crowding in the frontcourt. Undervalued. | 88 | 117 |
96 | 69 | Dirk Nowitzki | DAL | F/C | In competitve leagues his ADP is more in line with this rank, and in that case he carries some fun/hopeful upside. | 78 | 44 |
97 | 140 | Rodney Hood | UTA | G/F | Hood and Burks are going to both enjoy plenty of action and opportunity. As ADP shows, Hood's the target. | 87 | 147 |
98 | N/A | Kyle O'Quinn | NYK | F/C | KOQ is back! I'd love to rank him higher but last year's slide can't totally be ignored. Early returns are good though. | 84 | 141 |
99 | 119 | Alec Burks | UTA | G | Burks has some deficiencies in his fantasy game and like Hood, he'll take another step forward next year too. | 117 | 135 |
100 | 109 | Deron Williams | DAL | G | I wouldn't hold my breath waiting on a re-birth, but Dallas was his original goal and lesser expectations might help. | 130 | 87 |
8C | ADP | NAME | TEAM | POS | NOTES | 9-C | ADP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
101 | 107 | Joakim Noah | CHI | F/C | A victim of the frontcourt depth in Chicago, you're basically targeting him as a low-upside backup big. | 101 | 83 |
102 | 54 | Ty Lawson | HOU | G | I think he'll be able to mesh with Harden, but there's no way around the usage hit. | 118 | 75 |
103 | 96 | Elfrid Payton | ORL | G | Has plenty of upside as on 'D' to please Skiles, even if his play on that end was somewhat overstated last year. | 163 | 71 |
104 | 59 | Jarrett Jack | BKN | G | The ADP data is old or wrong here. Owners should view him as a stop-gap solution at point guard late in drafts. | 175 | 119 |
105 | N/A | Brandan Wright | MEM | F/C | Wright is set to take the backup big minutes in Memphis, and he needs just 20-25 of them to be on the radar. | 64 | 150 |
106 | 72 | JJ Redick | LAC | G | The added depth for the Clippers tempers expectations for the sharpshooter. | 86 | 84 |
107 | 118 | Lou Williams | LAL | G | A nice under-the-radar target late, perfect for teams needing low-end producers while waiting out early injuries. | 93 | 134 |
108 | 140 | John Henson | MIL | F/C | Henson is a part of the Bucks' core and it's hard to see them not bumping his minutes up this season. | 96 | 140 |
109 | 116 | Joe Johnson | BKN | G/F | Iso Joe will plod his way to this rank, assuming the wheels don't start to fall off for he or his team. | 119 | 103 |
110 | N/A | Kelly Olynyk | BOS | C | As you can see he's going undrafted. He might float on and off the wire, but Sully is trending way down/maybe out. | 112 | 135 |
111 | N/A | Tyler Zeller | BOS | F/C | Like Olynyk, but more of an efficient plodder in fantasy terms. Rankings don't necessarily equate to draft strategy. | 90 | 140 |
112 | 90 | Emmanuel Mudiay | DEN | G | Yes he has the chance to cash in; but has a lot of ways his upside can be capped. Efficiency the biggest one. | 281 | 101 |
113 | 52 | Tyreke Evans | NOR | G | Assuming he sticks to the timetable, there is some stashability here but don't go crazy. ADP data is old. | 155 | 85 |
114 | 96 | Enes Kanter | OKC | C | Kanter's big contract is a nice safety blanket for those needing a big man late in drafts. | 122 | 92 |
115 | 105 | Tyson Chandler | PHO | C | Chandler could actually smoke this rank if all goes well but Len is just one reason Phoenix may ease off the gas. | 91 | 76 |
116 | 112 | Jerian Grant | NYK | G | Calderon may get it together, but he's profiling like a real liability on the floor. Grant will be nipping at his heels. | 128 | 142 |
117 | 112 | Harrison Barnes | GSW | F | Barnes may take a step forward, but even a sizable step will be thwarted by the GSW depth. | 99 | 122 |
118 | 140 | Gerald Green | MIA | G/F | He's in the middle of a patented hot streak, which will have a corresponding chill, but the Heat need his shooting. | 144 | 137 |
119 | 116 | Jeff Green | MEM | G/F | Another plodder. | 115 | 135 |
120 | 140 | Alex Len | PHO | C | The talent is there, but his ankles are serious concerns and he has yet to prove he can handle a big load. | 103 | 143 |
121 | 119 | Josh Smith | LAC | F | Smith will garner a lot of jokes but he has really found his stride as a backup in the NBA. | 192 | 134 |
122 | 121 | Ersan Ilyasova | DET | F | No history of big minutes and the Pistons are in the rumor mill surrounding a Markieff Morris trade. | 104 | 95 |
123 | 86 | Robin Lopez | NYK | C | The undisclosed, and apparently minor injury doesn't wear well during a slow preseason. Last year he looked hurt. | 111 | 95 |
124 | 59 | Derrick Rose | CHI | G | His efficiency has evaporated and there isn't a cushion of defensive stats to keep him from plummeting. | 232 | 77 |
125 | N/A | Will Barton | DEN | G/F | Barton's sneaky fantasy value has to survive the crowd in Denver, which also limits his upside. | 132 | |
126 | N/A | Joffrey Lauvergne | DEN | F/C | I've been on the train since last year and I want him to go bigger for selfish reasons, but next year may be the year. | 147 | 142 |
127 | 63 | Dwight Howard | HOU | F/C | Whether it's risk of days off, regular old injury risk, declining minutes or declining number; this is where he lands. | 203 | 62 |
128 | 116 | Frank Kaminsky | CHA | C | Frank the Tank has bounced around in terms of early reports on his playing time. Tough road to value this year. | 108 | 136 |
129 | 113 | Mo Williams | CLE | G | His rank is buoyed by his early responsibilities for however long Kyrie Irving is out. | 179 | 139 |
130 | 140 | Brandon Bass | LAL | F/C | Bass will quietly return late-round value unless he totally gives way to Randle. Mpg goals not outlandish. | 110 | 136 |
131 | N/A | Kosta Koufos | SAC | F/C | Koufos has looked awesome and he's in his prime. Hard to get too excited but in a deep league he has upside. | 102 | 150 |
132 | 110 | Roy Hibbert | LAL | C | Hibbert looks fit and fiery but a renaissance is unlikely. Not sure the ADP can be beat by more than a round or two. | 137 | 102 |
133 | N/A | Jae Crowder | BOS | F | A deep league target that will eke his way into late-round value. | 97 | 113 |
134 | 110 | Wilson Chandler | DEN | G/F | One would hope his contract would allow him to separate from his teammates, but there's a decent crowd. | 125 | 106 |
135 | 112 | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | DET | G | From what I've seen he added some tools to the game but fantasy stat set deficiencies dampen any excitement. | 127 | 121 |
136 | 113 | Avery Bradley | BOS | G | I like his potential to take a step forward but the logjam in Boston is real and it's spectacular. | 131 | 125 |
137 | 140 | Marcus Morris | DET | F | A deep league target, his best chance of being productive is at the beginning of the year before Stanley gets rolling. | 121 | 144 |
138 | N/A | Courtney Lee | MEM | G/F | Somebody needs to get in his ear and continously remind him he's a good shooter that should shoot more. | 114 | 148 |
139 | 120 | Evan Turner | BOS | G/F | Turner is going to have a hard time staying on rosters in standard leagues this season. In deep leagues he works. | 204 | 139 |
140 | 109 | Ed Davis | POR | F/C | Keep an eye on Vonleh news, as the kid looks good but might be held back early in the year. Boss would benefit. | 107 | 125 |
141 | 117 | Kevin Martin | MIN | G/F | Older players on young teams aren't typically great late targets, but the hope would be for a patented hot streak. | 135 | 95 |
142 | 115 | Trey Burke | UTA | G | Reports on Burke have been positive, but there are a lot of ball-handlers in Utah to ruin his upside. | 156 | 128 |
143 | 140 | Corey Brewer | HOU | G/F | Brewer will go on a two-week run that gets everybody all riled up but he's a consistent, easier projection. | 146 | 140 |
144 | 111 | Stanley Johnson | DET | F | He did everything a rookie could do to rise up the ranks. Reasonable projections leave him here, with some upside. | 150 | 126 |
145 | Shane Larkin | BKN | G | A pick-and-roll player miscast in NY, he is being encouraged to run PnR and plays behind Jarrett Jack. | 158 | ||
146 | 121 | Jusuf Nurkic | DEN | C | Can you work it? Jusuf Nurkic? Put that thang down flip it and reverse it? | 152 | 122 |
147 | 115 | Willie Cauley-Stein | SAC | C | Some preseason indicators have chilled hope for a poor man's Davis/Noel explosion on defense. Plenty of upside. | 116 | 138 |
148 | Mike Muscala | ATL | C | Musky, as the TV crew likes to call him, has a fantasy friendly blend of stats and doesn't need many minutes. | 109 | ||
149 | 97 | D'Angelo Russell | LAL | G | The Lakers' veteran additions ruined the chance for a Lillard-like helping of minutes. Efficiency, D stats are issues. | 249 | 102 |
150 | 105 | Julius Randle | LAL | F | Superstar potential but defensive stats aren't great and he'll need to be a big points and boards guy to go off. | 211 | 124 |
HONORABLE MENTION
Julius Randle |
Andrew Bogut |
Luol Deng |
Mason Plumlee |
Taj Gibson |
David Lee |
Tiago Splitter |
Zaza Pachulia |
Ian Mahinmi |
Kristaps Porzingis |
Amir Johnson |
Cody Zeller |
Tony Parker |
Shabazz Muhammad |
Patrick Patterson |
Nikola Jokic |
Kris Humphries |
Norris Cole |
OJ Mayo |
Donatas Motiejunas |
Aaron Brooks |
Mario Hezonja |
Jamal Crawford |
Jared Sullinger |
Tony Wroten |
Nemanja Bjelica |
Jeremy Lamb |
Jabari Parker |
Jodie Meeks |
Josh McRoberts |
Marco Belinelli |
Jahlil Okafor |
TJ McConnell |
Tony Allen |
Zach LaVine |
Myles Turner |
James Johnson |
Ben McLemore |
Arron Afflalo |
Paul Pierce |
Tristan Thompson |
Marvin Williams |
Justin Anderson |
Jose Calderon |
Matt Barnes |
Dwight Powell |
David West |
Bojan Bogdanovic |
Aaron Gordon |
Greivis Vasquez |
Rajon Rondo |
