1. LeBron James
2. Kevin Durant
3. Danny Granger
4. Andre Iguodala
5. Gerald Wallace
Notes: Nothing too shocking in the Top Five. LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Danny Granger are pretty much the consensus top 3 SF’s anywhere you look. Gerald “Crash” Wallace is a monster stat-stuffer when healthy, but he’s never missed less than 10 games in any season over his entire career.
6. Carmelo Anthony
7. Caron Butler
8. Rudy Gay
9. Josh Smith
10. Vince Carter
11. Tyrus Thomas
12. Rashard Lewis
13. Jason Richardson
14. Shawn Marion
15. Antawn Jamison
Notes: The potential Carmelo Anthony possesses merits him this high of ranking, but his drop in FG% really decreased his value last season. If he can fix that, then he’ll hop back into the Top 40. Rudy Gay should have a great bounce back season now that he’s not the #1 or #2 scoring option. He’s a player that doesn’t need plays drawn up for him to get his stats. Don’t be scared to take Gay in the third round this year. Same goes for Josh Smith. His bizarre drop in FT% plummeted his value. It is safe to target Josh Smith in the third round this year, possibly earlier in H2H leagues where punting FT% may be viable. Vince Carter’s value is certain to drop a little now that he’s not the big man on campus in Orlando.
16. Charlie Villanueva
17. J.R. Smith
18. Jeff Green
19. Wilson Chandler
20. Thaddeus Young
21. Paul Pierce
22. Stephen Jackson
23. John Salmons
24. Michael Beasley
25. Marvin Williams
Notes: Look for Jeff Green to get even more fiesty on defense, boosting his steals per game to 1.5 or more. Thaddeus Young already looked like a 10 year vet when you watched him play last year, but then you remember he is just 21 years old and in his 3rd year in the league. Don’t be surprised if you see a breakout year from Thaddeus, catapulting him into the Top 50. If Michael Beasley can set his personal troubles aside, then a sophomore breakout could be in the cards as well. A full year as a starter could really make him a fantasy stud.
26. Paul Millsap
27. Blake Griffin
28. Trevor Ariza
29. Boris Diaw
30. Michael Redd
31. Hedo Turkoglu
32. Jason Thompson
33. Luol Deng
34. Courtney Lee
35. Andrei Kirilenko
Notes: You don’t win leagues by drafting Paul Millsap anywhere near his ADP. You win leagues by drafting players like him late in the draft…last year. However, drafting a player like Courtney Lee will help you win your league. A 24 year old, 2nd year player who is joining a team that is looking for players to fill Vince Carter’s void. Take out your highlighter, highlight Lee, and don’t let him slip away. Remember two years ago when Luol Deng was the Bulls best player, and a top 20 fantasy player? It’s easy to forget, but good to keep in the back of your mind. If he can stay healthy, then he could easily return to fantasy stardom. He’s a good low risk, high reward player you can get around the 9th round of your draft.
36. Ron Artest
37. Ronnie Brewer
38. Lamar Odom
39. Richard Jefferson
40. Brandon Rush
41. Josh Howard
42. Tayshaun Prince
43. Francisco Garcia
44. Shane Battier
45. Jamario Moon
Notes: Ronnie Brewer should benefit nicely from the C.J. Miles injury. Look for a big first half from Ronnie. Francisco Garcia will be solid in Sacramento, but not until he returns from injury. Shane Battier should have a great year if he stays healthy, but he won’t benefit as much as most think from the Yao/T-Mac injuries. After all, his game isn’t about scoring, so it may actuall hurt his usually solid FG%, while not raising his points very much. Jamario Moon should fit in excellent in Cleveland. He won’t be asked to do a lot, which is when he excels the most.
46. Kelenna Azubuike
47. Carl Landry
48. Richard Hamilton
49. Danilo Gallinari
50. Mike Miller
Notes: I would not be surprised if we see a monster season from Carl Landry. He should get tons of minutes without Yao there. I’m looking for a 14 points, 8 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block with great percentages. Danilo Gallinari is another potential breakout player. He was a great stat stuffer in the limited minutes he got last year. He was also playing injured last year. Combine a healthy season and increase in minutes and you get a great sleeper.
