The 2024-25 NBA season is quickly approaching, so along with my latest scores and category rankings dropping, let’s dig into my position-by-position, starting with the point guards.
NOTE: Only some players will have analysis when listed in the levels below. Players with multi-position eligibility will only appear in the position portion where they played the most minutes last season or are projected to play this season.
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There are different flavors of point guards to target – the high point + help guys in the first three rounds and who are efficient, rebound well and/or generate more shares. With the league so guard-centric, it pays to prioritize grabbing a high-usage point guard early because assists become scarce after Tier 4. Of course, you can choose to punt assist and target the scoring-first type guards who can help you lean. into other categories of interest.
Level 1: The elites
1. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
2. Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
These two MVP candidates are head and shoulders above other PGs. Luka is a 30-point triple-double threat every night and made strides in hitting free throws and increasing his steal percentage last year. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a flawless fantasy PG as he checks every box for statistical production. He is one of the best blocking guards and is as efficient as they come. Both should be top five picks in every format.
Level 2: 20 & 10 potential
1. Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers
2. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
3. James Harden, Los Angeles Clippers
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Haliburton is the favorite to lead the league in assists, and his efficiency, defense and scoring put him near elite status. The only things covering his ceiling are injuries and, occasionally, Pascal Siakam.
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Trae Young was the only player to average at least 25 points and 10 assists last season. With Dejounte Murray gone and Atlanta stuck in neutral, Young will put up big numbers in his seventh season.
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James Harden is one of the best lifters of the offseason. The departure of Paul George and the health of Kawhi Leonard put Harden in a position to thrive in fantasy. Harden should return to a much more aggressive offensive approach. Age aside, he’s a late first, early second round pick.
Level 3: Star-studded caliber anchors
1. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
2. LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets
3. Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks
4. Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
5. De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings
6. Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
7. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
8. Fred VanVleet, Houston Rockets
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Stephen Curry has a safe floor at 26-5-5 and remains a category winner in 3s and free throw percentage.
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LaMelo Ball carries considerable injury risk, but he has one of the highest ceilings at this level. He finally agreed wear ankletsso getting a healthy LaMelo in the mid-to-late second could be good value.
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Lillard’s first season with the Bucks did not go well, and his ADP sits near the tail end of the second round. He finished as a top-20 player in three of his last four seasons, averaging at least 24/4/7 during that span. Similar to Curry, he can anchor 3s and FT%. Some improved efficiency from the field will bring him directly to his best expectations.
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Don’t worry about Brunson’s role or usage; he is the alpha of a championship contender. His heavy minutes and production make him a top-30 player.
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Tyrese Maxey will likely fall to the third round, and that’s perfect. Adding Paul George should help his effectiveness and he could flirt with being the next 50/40/90 guy.
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Fumble alert for Cade Cunningham. He never finished in the top 80 per game, but with a retooled roster and a more competent coaching staff, Cunningham will have his best season yet. The top-50 season is coming!
Level 4: PGs with something to prove
1. Dejounte Murray, New Orleans Pelicans
2. Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
3. Immanuel Quickley, Toronto Raptors
4. Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
5. Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers
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Dejounte Murray is in the driver’s seat of a fairly stacked NO lineup. I was consistent with my opinions about him, and he offers a safe floor calculating statistics-wise.
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Few have more to prove this season than Ja Morant and I’d roll the dice on him before the fourth round. He’s a great stat for point-ties, but fits well with a top-turn or top-free-throw in sectional formats.
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Another explosive candidate is Immanuel Quickley. In 25 games with Scottie Barnes in the lineup, he averaged 17/4/6 with 41/42/82 shooting splits. He is locked in for a career year as the full-time starter in a fantasy-friendly coaching scheme.
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I drafted Jamal Murray if he went down, but I’m worried about his health. He looked terrible in the NBA Finals and the Paris Olympics, so hopefully, he’ll be 100% before the start of the season.
Level 5: Slept on PGs
1. D’Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers
2. Jrue Holiday, Boston Celtics
3. Jalen Suggs, Orlando Magic
4. Coby White, Chicago Bulls
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D’Lo has been a top 60 player in three straight seasons, and his ADP is still in the late 70s. He is a value.
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Jalen Suggs made strides in his third NBA season, raising his 3-point percentage to 39.7% and capturing All-Defensive second-team honors. Markelle Fultz is gone, so he steps into the PG duties for an ascending Magic squad. He’s on track to post a career high in assists, and factoring in the 3s and stock potential, he’s underrated.
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I have Coby White cracked as the Bulls’ starting PG, but we’ll see what Billy Donovan has pre-training camp. White enjoyed a breakout campaign last year and is one of the few players Chicago plans to build around for the future. He’s a solid target if you throw shares or FG%.
Level 6: PGs with ADPs near 100
1. Terry Rozier, Miami Heat
2. Chris Paul, San Antonio Spurs
3. Marcus Smart, Memphis Grizzlies
4. Tyus Jones, Phoenix Suns
5. Keyonte George, Utah Jazz
6. Mike Conley, Minnesota Timberwolves
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Chris Paul and Wemby? I’m with it. I think we’ll see Paul’s steals increase to 1.5 per game with 30 minutes and you know what he provides from an assist perspective. Low-level double-double appeal around pick 100.
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It’s obvious that Keyonte George has the highest upside among players around pick 100. His inefficiencies hurt his value, but going into Year 2, I expect some growth as he starts from day one.
Level 7: A mix of the old and new PGs
1. Russell Westbrook III, Denver Nuggets
2. Dyson Daniels, Atlanta Hawks
3. Malcolm Brogdon, Washington Wizards
4. Dennis Schroder, Brooklyn Nets
5. Ben Simmons, Brooklyn Nets
6. Scott Henderson, Portland Trail Blazers
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I kind of like Russ in Denver. They need a two-guard, and Nikola Jokić’s request for his services means something. Will he be effective? No, but he’s fine for point ties and useful in category ties for the tally stats or if you’re throwing performance categories or 3s.
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Early depth charts have Dyson Daniels backing up Trae Young at point guard, so while I like him as a sleeper, his usage and role is undefined. There isn’t a lot of guard depth, so I pencil him in as a late-rounder who can rebound well for guard, get dimes and steals. His shot looked good in Paris, but I don’t expect a huge increase in efficiency.
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I will not draft Ben Simmons, and good luck to anyone who does. He will either be a steal at his ADP or a complete failure.
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I’m probably too low on Scoot, given what he can do from a scoring and assist perspective, but the shooting splits will be hard to stomach. He also doesn’t offer much for stocks and 3s. I’m able to move him up a few levels for point ties, but he’s still a late guy.
Level 8: Valuable backup PGs
1. Payton Pritchard, Boston Celtics
2. Miles McBride, New York Knicks
3. De’Anthony Melton, Golden State Warriors
4. Delon Wright, Milwaukee Bucks
5. TJ McConnell, Indiana Pacers
6. Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs
7. Kevin Porter Jr., Los Angeles Clippers
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Payton Pritchard is thought to have the sixth-man role locked up until Kristaps Porziņģis returns. He’s averaged over 11/4/4 when playing 20-29 minutes over his career, so there’s late-round appeal here. Pritchard is a guy who goes up my sketch boards.
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Deuce McBride provides solid Brunson insurance. The four-year pro had extensions late in the 2023-24 season where he went for fantasy managers. He averaged 17/3/4 as a starter last year.
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Spurs rookie Stephon Castle is in an ideal position to learn from the Point God, and if CP3 goes down, Castle is next. With great size (6-foot-6) for the PG position and exceptional defensive instincts, he will be fantastically important at points throughout the season.