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| Will CP3 help the Clippers own L.A.? |
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| Can D-Rose repeat as MVP? |
Point Guards:
Many leagues place a lot of value on assists. Usually two points per. This can add a lot of value to a player whom, if you were a real GM, you probably wouldn’t want to build a team around. But in the world of fantasy this can turn a real life dud into an almost-stud. An example, try Jose Calderon. Plays for a non-contender with little upside and not surrounded by a lot of talent. Not the first place you are looking for a 3rd/4th guard or a flex player. But, if you look at his stats from last year (9.8 ppg/8.9 apg/3 rpg/1.2spg/2.1tpg) you can expect around 29 fantasy points per start. So if in the late mid to late rounds of your draft you find yourself increasingly tempted to jump on the uncertainties of Kyrie Irving, take a look around and make sure that a 25-30 point lock, such as Calderon, isn’t hanging around too.
Superstars-
Derek Rose: The reigning MVP will have a lot to live up to and I expect him to deliver. Perhaps he only replicates last season, but something tells me he finds another gear and improves his shot. At worst he takes a minor step back, which is still a step ahead of most of the league.
Chris Paul: Will the duo of Paul and Griffin turn L.A. into Lob City? Will he stay in one peace? Paul could be poised to have his best season yet and turns the Clippers into an instant contender. He had a great season last year while not surrounded by much. Now he has talent around him. Enough said.
Deron Williams: A 20ppg/10apg player no matter who he is playing with, even if he is with the soon to be Brooklyn Nets. And who knows, Dwight may be on his way up the coast as well.
Russell Westbrook: Sources say there may be some alpha dog issues in the OKC locker room. The stat sheet will agree.
Automatics-
Rajon Rondo- Trade rumors aside, Rondo is an assist machine and will pull down a handful of triple-doubles this year. An underrated fantasy player and in my opinion, should be the first Celtic off the board.
Steve Nash- Despite his age, Steve Nash is still one of the leagues top point guards. He led the league in assists last year. He might not do that again, but he’ll be close for a few more years. Oh, and he also scores about 15 per game.
John Wall- It can be easy to label Wall for a breakout season, but I still think he has a year or two to go before that happens. When it does though it will be a near-MVP caliber leap. You can consider him an Automatic 20 ppg/9 apg candidate in his sophomore campaign.
Stephen Curry- 18-6-4-2. Points, assists, boards and steals, every night for two years straight. The trend will continue and Curry has the potential for a 20-6-5 season.
Breakouts/Fantasy Grenades-
Ty Lawson- Denver is hardly going to miss a beat after the Carmelo trade thanks to Lawson’s rise this year. I expect at least 15 and 7, if not more.
Brandon Jennings- If Brandon Jennings is going to rise to the next level, this is going to be the year we start to see it.
Mike Conely- Conely finally showed signs of being a quality point guard last year and led a promising young Grizzlies team to a second round game 7. His stats have improved each of his four years in the league. Who’s to say they don’t again.
Rodney Stuckey- Stuckey feuded with his coaches a bit last year, but with a new contract I expect the bickering to settle and his stats to rise.
Tyreke Evans- It’s unsure of if Tyreke will be starting at PG or SG this year. Regardless, he’s going to be starting. After taking a step back in his sophomore season, I expect Evans to have his best season yet this year on what could be a talented young Kings team.
Mr. Consistent-
Jason Kidd- Though he hasn’t aged quite as well as Steve Nash, Kidd is a stat sheet stuffer who can still pull down a triple double. Expect 8 ppg/8 apg out of him this season
Tony Parker- As long as he stays healthy, I expect Parker to continue to float around 17 and 7.
Jrue Holiday- Holiday made a big leap from his rookie to sophomore season. A lot of that can be contributed to more minutes though. I say he sticks around the 14/7/4 area for one more year before breaking out next year.
Devin Harris- The mid-season adjustment was a tad shaky for Harris and it showed in his stats. Now that he is grounded though, expect him to drop 17 and 8.
Raymond Felton- He flourished in Mike D’Antoni’s system but now he is in Portland. Hopefully he doesn’t fall victim to any curses and blows out a knee. With Brandon Roy retiring, I expect Felton to match his production in NYC.
Jose Calerdon- A sneaky good fantasy player as stated in our Point Guard introduction.
Purgatory-
Kyle Lowry- Lowry saw increased minutes in Houston last season and it showed in his stats. Hopefully he can show some consistency and continue the 13/6/4 production.
Darren Collison- Hopefully Collison can take advantage of David West’s arrival. West is a solid low-post shooter and could add an assist or two to Collison’s average.
Tony Douglas/Baron Davis- Tony has shown some promise his first two years. But if a healthy Baron shows up in NYC there won’t be enough minutes to go around for the both of them to shine.
Jameer Nelson- Nelson has been a solid fantasy guard the past couple of years but at the same time, he has also hit a wall of sorts. With Dwight Howard possibly on the move I sense a potential drop in production from Nelson, who may find himself and his teammates unmotivated.
Beno Udrih- Beno has shown he can fill the stat sheet when given the minutes. He’s on a new team now and his production will rely on how his minutes are split with Brandon Jennings.
Too Soon To Tell-
Kyrie Irving- The number one pick from the 2011 draft will have a lot of pressure on him to produce but not much help from the talent surrounding him. Considering he is a part of what seems to be a weak draft class, I’ll be sold on Irving when I see him get a few games under his belt.
Ricky Rubio/Luke Ridnhour/JJ Barea- Perhaps David Kahn needed just one more point guard. Perhaps he is going to start an all-point guard team. Or maybe he saw Barea guard LeBron in the finals and mistook him for a small forward. Regardless, it will be interesting to see how the minutes are dished out in Minnesota this year. From the looks of the preseason though, Rubio is looking like the leading candidate.
Jimmer Fredette- Similar to the Rubio situation, I find it hard to figure out where Jimmer will find minutes in Sacramento.
Gilbert Arenas- He wasn’t very effective last year and Orlando gave him the amnesty. Perhaps a change of scenery gives Gil a boost.
Andre Miller- With Ty Lawson in charge, Miller’s production is an unknown.
Mid-Season Upside-
Jarrett Jack- A solid player who may have just landed in the perfect situation in New Orleans. With Chris Paul gone Jack will be running the show. It may take a few weeks to get going, but paired with Eric Gordon, Jack could be a surprise player this year.
Norris Cole- He won’t have the starting job this season. But word from the Heat camp is that he has impressed thus far. With Mario Chalmers lacking consistency, if Cole can prove his worth, he may find his way to a starting role next to LeBron, Wade and Bosh. Assist please.
Jeff Teague- Teague really turned it on in the playoffs this past year and probably landed the starting give in Atlanta. That being said, I say it takes him a bit to find a regular season groove.
Avery Bradley- No, there is no chance that he finds a way to steal minutes from Rondo, but if the trade rumors turn into reality and Boston starts its rebuilding process. Bradley could benefit from a starting gig mid-season.
Kemba Walker- D.J. Augustin was the starter last season and I expect him to start this year as well. I have a feeling thought the MJ is hot on Kemba and wants to see him take the reigns ASAP.
Mo Williams/Eric Bledsoe- Chris Paul heading to the Clips was bad news for both Williams and Bledsoe. But, if Paul goes down with an injury one of these two will gain some playing time on a loaded and talented young team.
Jerryd Bayless- Bayless has shown flashes of talent in the past and if Jose Calderon were to get injured, Bayless could wind up putting up big numbers in Toronto.
Mid-Season Downside-
Ramon Sessions- He’ll be battling for the starting gig with Kyrie Irving at the start of the year. By the end of it he will have handed the spot over to the top pick in the draft.
Mario Chalmers- He just got an extension, but if he doesn’t produce he has to worry about the rookie Norris Cole taking minutes off the bench.
D.J. Augustin- If Kemba shows up to play, D.J. will lose.
Washed Up-
Derek Fisher- A name you recognize but a name you should avoid.
Mike Bibby- Hobbling for a ring.
Kirk Hinrich- Aging vet recovering from an injury. Expect him to come back slowly.
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