The point guard position is where you will primarily be hunting for dimes. There are options later in the draft, but most have warts and will only provide around 4 per game. Compare that to the elite ones, who will dish out 7-9 dimes per game, while providing excellent free throw percentages, tres, and steals. The early rounds will dictate your fantasy path, as the top five point guards will likely be selected in the first two rounds of drafts.
To see my per-game value projections for each player, click HERE. In the “Pos” box (which stands for position, not the other thing you were thinking), type in “pg” and the table will sort by just point guards.
1) Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
This Curry is always hot, but will likely be especially spicy this season, as Kevin Durant said Alibaba and Klay Thompson is recovering from ACL surgery. Could 2015 Steph make an encore appearance? It’s within the range of outcomes, but at age 30 and having missed 13 and 31 games the past two seasons….NUMEROLOGY!!!…..the chances are slim. Even with a low games projection of 66, Steph still rates as the numero uno point guard, as he will provide excellent percentages, close to five tres per game, some steals, and plenty of dimes.
2) Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers)
Dame Dolla! I really wanted to put him at #4, so I could just type out $$$$$$$$$$. It is what it is, though, and that it is that Lillard is too freaking good to be placed anywhere but here. You’re getting a ton of points, a menage a troi of tres, dimes, steals, excellent free throw percentage, and some boards. The field goal percentage isn’t great and he won’t provide many blocks, but he’s durable, as he’s never played fewer than 73 games in a season.
3) Kemba Walker (Boston Celtics)
Nants ingonyam bahithi Baba. Brad Stevens as Rafiki and Kemba as Simba. I was going to put Kyrie as Mufasa, but that doesn’t seem right. Scar? Kemba was/is a very good player. Stevens may make him…….can Tony the Tiger make an appearance?
4) Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks)
After this season, I predict that the city of Atlanta will extend the week by one. Monday. Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday. Friday. Saturday. Sunday. Traeday. Will that mess up scheduling, commerce, and basically everything? Sure, but we are an adaptable species. For example, the most logical measurement system is the metric one. Yet, for some reason, there exists feet, miles, and such. The rest of the world dealt with it, right?
5) Kyrie Irving (Brooklyn Nets)
When I hear or see Brooklyn, I think of three things: Biggie, my boy Larry Lar, and this……
Love that song. You may not agree with Kyrie’s perspectives on the world but it’s undeniable that he’s one of the best players in the game and possesses the nastiest dribble package in the league.
6) Russell Westbrook (Houston Rockets)
I think the pairing of Harden with Westbrook will be fine. Harden is a great spot up shooter when Russ has the ball, and Russ is deadly as a cutter when Harden is performing his act. In addition, with all the shooters that the Rockets can put on the floor, that gives more room for Russ to attack the rim, as there will be times when he will be on the floor as a solo act. Harden is the alpha and Russ knows that, or at least I think he does, so I don’t think that will be an issue. Is that hubris on my part? Possibly, but that’s what I think. Now, from a fantasy perspective, the high turnovers and low shooting percentages are so painful that drafting Russ requires a certain build. With that said, although the rebound numbers should come down, Russ will provide plenty of counting stats and will mess around more than a few times this season.
7) Kyle Lowry (Toronto Raptors)
Holiday and Lowry are my fantasy Yin and Yang. I like Jrue but am skeptical than most about the situation, whereas I’m not really a Lowry guy but the situation looks to be golden for him this year. With Kawhi Leonard in LA, there should be a huge spike in usage for Lowry. He’s getting up there in age and injury is always a concern, so keep that in mind.
8) Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 76ers)
Simmons puts you behind the eight ball in free throw percentage, turnovers, and tres. Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut, he provides blocks, steals, and has the potential to mess around on any given night. If he learns how to shoot, watch out.
9) Chris Paul (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Paul is getting so old that State Farm won’t even insure him. I accept PayPal, Venmo, and Bitcoin. When he’s on the court, though, he’s still a magician and will provide tres, dimes, and steals. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the future point guard in OKC, but his time is not now….at least not yet.
10) Eric Bledsoe (Milwaukee Bucks)
Eric played like crap in the playoffs and Bledsoe so we fantasy nerds could get a discount in this year’s drafts. What a nice guy.
11) De’Aaron Fox (Sacramento Kings)
Fox is one guy I keep looking at and getting a squirmy feeling that I’m way too low on him. The free throw shooting and lack of tres keep his overall value down, but I envision his ceiling outcomes coming to fruition a little too much for my comfort.
12) Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets)
He’s a shooting guard masquerading as a point guard, as the dimes are under a handful, but he’s been known to dish out 15 on any given night and his scoring ceiling is a fifty-burger. He’s only 21 years old, so there could be some upside left.
13) Mike Conley (Utah Jazz)
Conley is always overlooked and underappreciated. I have always loved Conley, from both a real-life and fantasy perspective, and think he enters a prime situation in Utah. Yet, I still may not be valuing him properly. Comes down to age and injury concern. As a result, I have his games played projection at 65. If he’s healthy, he will likely be in the top 10 of point guards at season’s end.
14) Terry Rozier (Charlotte Hornets)
BOO! It’s Scary Terry! He don’t look so scary. Psst, look over here. 41% shooting on 16.64 attempts? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. He’s the man in Charlotte now. His splits as a starter are significantly better than coming off the bench, so there’s that. He’s not going to provide many dimes, though, which sucks, and……he was a priority of Mitch Kupchak and Michael Jordan. If that ain’t the ultimate scary, then I don’t know what is.
15) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)
I love Shai’s game. He can conduct pick-and-roll action, break down defenders off the dribble, finish at the rim, and play good defense. The outside shot isn’t great, but isn’t turrable. He is the future for OKC, but with Chris Paul in town, the time may not be now. With that said, he should play alongside plenty and has upside if Paul succumbs to injury or gets traded.
16) Malcolm Brogdon (Indiana Pacers)
Not a sexy player, but will provide excellent percentages and chip in every category except for blocks. You could say that this Malcolm is definitely in the middle.
17) Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
I heart Luka. Sorry, DSJ. He can do it all and has the potential to mess around on nightly basis. The things that hold him down, though, are the high turnovers and really poor shooting efficiency.
18) Jeff Teague (Minnesota Timberwolves)
I’ve been drafting Teague late in almost every draft. The health is a concern and his lack of aggression on the offensive end can be frustrating, but Ryan Saunders may be able to fix that. Not the health part, but he did stay at a Holiday Inn. The good percentages and 7.5 dimes are so lovely where he’s going in drafts (FantasyPros shows him with an ADP of 90).
19) Ricky Rubio (Phoenix Suns)
After Rubio and Teague, no other point guard will come close to approaching the 7+ dimes per game. Rubio sets the Line of Demarcation for fantasy point guards, which fits perfectly because Rubio is from Spain and the actual Line of Demarcation was between Spanish and Portuguese territories.
20) Tomas Satoransky (Chicago Bulls)
Satoransky should get the bulk of minutes at point guard, as the Bulls are Dunn with Kris. He has the potential to mess around on any given night, but more often than not, will be but a solid contributer in all cats except for blocks, as LaVine and Markkanen will likely soak up most of the usage.
21) Delon Wright (Dallas Mavericks)
Luka Doncic is the actual point guard for the Mavericks, but Wright will play a lot due to his defensive prowess. He should be a nice source of steals and contribute a decent amount of boards and dimes.
22) D’Angelo Russell (Golden State Warriors)
The range of outcomes is wide for Russell. Curry could get hurt and he could turn into the number one option, or Russell snitches on someone and gets jumped off the team. Ha! I kid. I’ve never been the biggest Russell fan, so my persepctive is clouded, but I acknowledge that he landed in an ideal spot. The offensive system should cater to his skill set nicely. Now, the percentages aren’t great and the turnovers are elevated, but he should provide some decent counting stats.
23) D. J. Augustin (Orlando Magic)
A solid source of dimes and tres. This DJ will spin the tunes, but won’t get the crowd hopping up and down.
24) Patrick Beverley (Los Angeles Clippers)
The percentages aren’t great, but he will drain some tres, dish out some dimes, and chip in some blocks. You’d think the steals number would be higher, but he’s only at around 1.2 per game.
25) Spencer Dinwiddie (Brooklyn Nets)
One of the better scoring options this far down the ladder. Dinwiddie will provide tres and chip in some dimes. Don’t expect much else, though. The Nets are stacked in the backcourt and wings, but I still have him down for 28 mpg, as he should be the primary option for the second unit.
26) Fred VanVleet (Toronto Raptors)
Handcuffing is normally relegated for criminals, the bedroom, and fantasy football, but the Raptors point guard situation may be one of the few times to employ it for fantasy basketball. With Kawhi Leonard in LaLaLand, Kyle Lowry will see an increase in usage and be one of the primary options on offense. He’s getting older, though, and has some history with injuries, so VanVleet may be thrust into that role more often than not. In addition, VanVleet does have some stand-alone value, as he will run the second unit and play with Lowry at times.
27) Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies)
Ja is being given the keys to the Grizzlies offense, but I’m overly cautious when it comes to rookies. Check out the Historical Look at Rookies to see why. The turnovers are projected to be super high while the shooting percentage from the field will likely be low. Sure, he will have some highlight moments and provide some dimes, but it’s tough for me to imagine him being a top 100 player for fantasy.
28) Collin Sexton (Cleveland Cavaliers)
It wouldn’t shock me if Clarkson and Sexton went to the tatoo parlor together. Matching tats with matching stats! Which amounts to around three dimes, three boards, some tres, and not much else. If you have a field goal attempt category, then bump both these guys way up.
29) Reggie Jackson (Detroit Pistons)
As with most point guards in this range, Jackson is more of the score first, score second variety. He will chip in around four dimes and hit some tres, but won’t provide much else. I have him down for 27 mpg, as Derrick Rose is now in town and will cap any ceiling Jackson may have had in Imagination Land.
30) Goran Dragic (Miami Heat)
I remember when Goran was The Dragon. Seems so long ago. Now, he’s one of those dragons in Game of Thrones that got hit with a giant spear from miles away. When healthy, Dragic can provide some dimes, tres, and good percentages, but he’s now 32 years old and missed 46 games last season.
31) Derrick White (San Antonio Spurs)
I acknowledge that I could be completely off on White, as I have him projected for only 20 mpg. That’s how I see the Spurs rotation playing out, but White could start at shooting guard, which would obviously boost his minutes projection way up. I think White and Murray will play together in the backcourt at times, but that won’t be the primary tandem. Now, there’s a chance Murray succumbs to injury again, then White would benefit in that scenario. With that out of the way, White won’t provide tres, but provides the D stats.
32) Monte Morris (Denver Nuggets)
His overall value is heightened by the ridiculous assist-to-turnover ratio, as he was one of the best in the league last season. Morris won’t play enough minutes to be a fantasy starter, but he’s someone to keep an eye on if an injury strikes the Nuggets or Murray sits for a night.
33) Ish Smith (Washington Wizards)
Smith will see an uptick in value to start the season, as Isaiah Thomas will be out due to a finger injury. The free throw shooting isn’t great, but he can score and provide some dimes and steals. IT isn’t expected to be out long, though, so that boost should be short lived. I have him down for 24 mpg.
34) Dejounte Murray (San Antonio Spurs)
I’m a big fan of Murray, so it was devastating to see him go down last year. He will be the starter for Pop this season and will be an excellent source of boards, dimes, and steals. The main concern is the number of games he will play. The Spurs rest their players as is, and with Murray coming back from injury, I envision a conservative approach with his playing time. The one hole in Murray’s game is the shooting, as the free throw percentage is average and he doesn’t provide any tres. I’m a big believer in the Spurs coaching staff and think Murray will develop a three-point shot eventually, but I need to see it first.
35) Dennis Smith Jr. (New York Knicks)
I always get enamored by DSJ’s athleticism and YouTube clips. I need to stop going down that rabbit hole. Stevie Franchise Part Deux he is not. While he’s still young, there are just too many holes in his game for that dream to continuing existing. The shooting percentages are bad and the turnovers are high. Now, R. J. Barrett is in town, and he will don the alpha crown and soak up most of the usage.
36) Dennis Schroder (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Dennis will just be a menace to the fantasy values of Chris Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
37) Isaiah Thomas (Washington Wizards)
Health is the obvious concern for IT, and he’s already expected to miss the first few weeks of the season. When he’s on the court, though, he’s going to huck ’em and chuck ’em, so points, tres, and dimes should be plentiful for a cheap price.
38) T. J. McConnell (Indiana Pacers)
He has nice hair.
Keep in mind that these rankings are based on my projections, which derive overall value, so McConnell gets a boost from good field goal percentage and low turnovers. The counting stats are lacking, especially since I only have him projected for 14 mpg.
39) Derrick Rose (Detroit Pistons)
Every Rose has its thorns, and Derrick is no different, with health being the main one. Rose has shown that he can still be a professional getter of buckets and has even expanded his range to downtown. I also have him projected for over 4 dimes per game, which is rare in this area of the point guard ladder, but the low games played projection lowers him significantly.
40) Tyus Jones (Memphis Grizzlies)
Are people still in love with Tyus? I had some hope for him, but he seems pretty meh to me now. He does take care of the ball and will provide some dimes and steals, but the overall offensive package is lacking. He won’t have much value unless Ja struggles or gets injured.
41) George Hill (Milwaukee Bucks)
With Malcolm Brogdon no longer in Milwaukee, Hill would seem to be a main beneficiary. I’m not so sure, as the team may think Donte DiVincenzo and/or Sterling Brown are ready. Plus, Hill is 32 years old, so the team may want to save him for the playoffs. When he’s on the court, Hill will provide tres, steals, and take care of the ball.
42) Tyler Johnson (Phoenix Suns)
This Johnson has gone limp over the years, and now Ricky Rubio is taking most of the action. Johnson will still perform around 20 minutes per game, but the shooting efficiency will be poor. He will chip in some tres and dimes, though.
43) Cory Joseph (Sacramento Kings)
Will back up De’Aaron Fox and not F things up when he’s on the court.
44) Patty Mills (San Antonio Spurs)
Did you see what he did to the US of A in the World Cup? He was The General! Get it? Ok, fine. Anyways, Mills can shoot and score, but doesn’t get enough run to be fantasy viable. The Spurs like to rest players, though, so he is a stream candidate during the season.
45) Ryan Arcidiacono (Chicago Bulls)
He had some moments last season, but if the same is true this season, then something horrible happened in Chicago.
46) Shabazz Napier (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Shabazz can shoot and score, but the efficiency is poor. Over his career, he’s scored 32 points in a game twice and dished out 11 dimes once. He will back up Teague, so his value will be muted unless injury strikes.
47) Lonzo Ball (New Orleans Pelicans)
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Was he ever mighty? Maybe if he was AAA, instead of BBB, he would’ve had a chance. Lonzo is still young and is in the perfect situation for his skill set, as the Pelicans will place at a fast pace. The team is also loaded with players. With that said, the percentages are poor and he already has an extensive injury history in his young career. If healthy, he can smash this ranking, as he provides plenty of counting stats, even if he can’t improve on his shooting. BBBig if.
48) Quinn Cook (Los Angeles Lakers)
There are too many cooks in the kitchen for Quinn to make an impact for the Lakers. He’s a viable streamer for tres if he does get run on a particular night.
49) Elfrid Payton (New York Knicks)
Elf will back up DSJ, so the minutes should be sparse. In addition, Frank Ntilikina performed well in the World Cup, so there’s a chance he gets some more run. Now that I think about it, this is the Knicks we are talking about so Ntilikina will become an All-Star on another team. Elf will provide some dimes when he plays and grab some boards. Don’t expect much else.
50) Jalen Brunson (Dallas Mavericks)
Brunson is only 22 years old and has played one season in the NBA. He’s a solid player who can shoot from downtown and dish out dimes. Unfortunately, he’s buried on the depth chart. Someone to keep in mind if injury strikes the Mavs.
51) Aaron Holiday (Indiana Pacers)
The Pacers love him for the long-term. For now, he will be a key bench piece, as Malcolm Brogdon will likely soak up most of the point guard minutes.
52) Austin Rivers (Houston Rockets)
The percentages stink, but he’s a hero from downtown. The Rockets really are the perfect team for him.
53) Raul Neto (Philadelphia 76ers)
Neto is a career 37% shooting from downtown. Per-36, he dished out 7.1 dimes last season. Now, he’s not getting anywhere near those amount of minutes in Philly, as Ben Simmons is the point guard, but I have him down for 14 mpg.
54) Rajon Rondo (Los Angeles Lakers)
As a Lakers fan, I hope we never see Rondo on the court. But, I feel a dark presence in the Force and wouldn’t be surprised if he does get some run. Yuck. Rondo can provide some dimes, but the shooting isn’t great and he won’t provide many tres.
55) De’Anthony Melton (Memphis Grizzlies)
Melton is only 20 years old and can provide boards, dimes, and plenty of steals. Unfortunately, he has difficulty putting the round ball into the basket and is buried on the depth chart behind Morant and Jones.
56) Tim Frazier (Detroit Pistons)
The vet won’t see many minutes behind Smith and Rose. When he does play, he’s strictly a dimes guy. Nothing else.
57) Dante Exum (Utah Jazz)
Exum can’t stay healthy, as he missed significant portions of the past three seasons. I’m sad. The shooting from both the field and downtown aren’t great, but he’s an above average free throw shooter. At 6′ 6″, he can see over the top of most defenders and can dish out plenty of dimes. He won’t get much run this season, though, as Mike Conley is the captain of the ship and the team will likely take it easy with him due to his injury history, but hopefully he can stay healthy and continue to develop for the future.
58) Frank Jackson (New Orleans Pelicans)
I always think of Naked Gun when I write about Frank Jackson. I’m a strange man. Anyways, he’s a scorer and had his moments at times last season. Only 20 years old, Jackson could garner more playing time this season, since Lonzo Ball may not play the full allotment of games.
59) Matthew Dellavedova (Cleveland Cavaliers)
I’d like to find the parallel universe in which Dellavedova and Ellen Delle Donne get married, and she hyphens the two names. Ellen Delle Donne-Dellavedova. C’mon? I’m 60-deep in the point guards, so cut me some slack. Tres and dimes are what you get, but hopefully he goes Down Under, not down under under, so that Garland can get more run.
60) Darius Garland (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Garland has the potential to be the next great superstar, but we can’t crown him yet. The handle and shot are both very good, but the turnovers could be high and the D stats could be non-existent. I have him down for 18 mpg, and with Collin Sexton soaking up 32 mpg and Jordan Clarkson at 30 mpg, playing will be an issue, at least in the early going.
61) Coby White (Chicago Bulls)
White has the size, athleticism, shot, and creativity to be a star in the NBA. He’s streaky, though, and his defensive IQ is suspect. While he may become a star in the future, for this season, I don’t see him making too much of a contribution. Zach LaVine will get most of the SG minutes and Tomas Satoransky will soak up most of the PG minutes.
62) Devonte’ Graham (Charlotte Hornets)
There’s Scary Terry and Graham manning the point guard position in Charlotte. Kupchak and Jordan definitely have a type, as both are terribly inefficient shooters.
63) Emmanuel Mudiay (Utah Jazz)
Man, it feels like Mudiay has been in the league forever, yet he’s still only 22 years old. He’s buried on the depth chart, but if he does get run, dimes will be dished and bricks will be launched into the abyss.
64) Brandon Knight (Cleveland Cavaliers)
With Collin Sexton and Darius Garland ahead of him on the depth chart, there will be no holy war for this Knight.
65) Michael Carter-Williams (Orlando Magic)
MCW was Rookie of the Year in 2014. Crazy, right? Now he can’t supplant D. J. Augustin on the depth chart. That’s all you need to know. By the way, for those of you reading this, you are in a super deep league, or are in deep shit, or someone that deserves my respect and gratitude.
66) Kris Dunn (Chicago Bulls)
With Tomas Satoransky and Coby White ahead of him on the depth chart, Dunn Dunn DunnDunn.
67) Frank Ntilikina (New York Knicks)
Man, Ntilikina looked really good against the US in the World Cup. Hitting mid-range jumpers, playing D, and exuding tremendous confidence. Will Fizdale give him run or is his time done in NYC? He’s still only 20 years old. If the offensive game has indeed developed, Ntilikina could be a fantasy asset, as he will contribute the D.
68) Markelle Fultz (Orlando Magic)
So crazy what happened to him. His highlight tapes in high school and college were legendary. Then……WTF. He went from no doubt number one pick to trash at the swap meet.
