Give Me The Rock
this is fantasy basketball
Here is part four of our week-long rundown of top 10 fantasy players at each position going into the year. Check out the Four Fingers Draft Guide if you really want to see the rest of the top 40 list.
Onto some of the league’s sexiest men… err… I mean best power forwards
1. Dirk Nowitzki
Unlike a lot of the PFs on the list, Dirk’s center-eligibility is long in the rear view mirror. Still, Nowitzki consistently puts up first-round numbers for fantasy owners who have to “settle” for a guy who is just a lonely power forward. He may not be the sexiest name to draft these days, but it’s easy to forget how good his all-around game is – Dirk brings 25 points and 8.5 boards with excellent percentages and the ability to hit the long range shot. It might not be the most exciting pick, but don’t hesitate to draft Nowitzki after the top of the first round guys are gone.
2. Chris Bosh
One of the biggest names playing for a max contract in the magical summer of 2010, it’s probable that Chris Bosh responds to the pressure this year with his best season yet. Among fantasy’s biggest positive impact free throw shooters—especially valuable in a big man—over the last four years he’s also consistently posted in the neighborhood of 22 points on 49 FG%, 10 boards, 2.5 assists, 1 block and nearly 1 steal per game. Look for him to take a small step forward in his age-25 season thanks to the arrival of Hedo Turkoglu and the maturation of Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon’s games.
3. Pau Gasol
One great thing about drafting the 29 year old Gasol is that you know exactly what you’re going to get from him: 18.9 points, 9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1 block with great percentages. Those numbers were good for 11th on the GMTR 9-cat rater last year there is no reason to think they can’t be just as good this year. Oh right… maybe you’re worried about how the return of Andrew Bynum is going to affect Gasol? From October 28 to January 31 with Bynum in the lineup, Gasol averaged 17.2 points, 8.8 boards and a block a game. And you don’t think Bynum is going to stay healthy all year, do you?
4. Antawn Jamison
Jamison may be on the down side of his career, but he continues to produce at both forward slots for fantasy owners. The return of Gilbert Arenas may lighten his scoring load by a few points a game, but Jamison is a consistent enough contributor of points, rebounds and treys that he’s an early round value with or without Arenas (as he has shown in the past). If you can put up with getting a pathetic amount of block numbers from your power forward, Jamison can be the focal point your Carlos Boozer/Al Harrington team of big men who don’t block shots.
5. David West
The only thing wrong with David West’s game is that he doesn’t play center, as the big man averaged 21 points, 8.5 rebounds and 88% from the line last season. Ok, a few more blocks would be nice, but not everyone can be Amar’e Stoudemire. New Hornet Emeka Okafor may take a few more shots away from West than Tyson Chandler did, but the 29 year old is at the peak of his career and should go by the 3rd round in most league formats.
6. David Lee
The Knicks’ apathy for David Lee is more than offset by fantasy owners’ hard-on for the man. Pound-for-pound, Lee is one of the best rebounders in the NBA – he averaged 11.7 boards and led the league in double-doubles last season. He also brings great percentages from the floor, decent steals, and a nice smile. Bonus points for being center eligible in nearly all leagues. At 26 years old, he should just be entering his prime. Just remember if you draft Lee, please masturbate to your fantasy team in private.
7. Troy Murphy
Hands down the best power forward with center-eligibly if you’re going small ball (take that, Al Harrington). Last year, Murphy took his game to the next level, at least in terms of rebounding and threes while keeping his turnovers low. No, he’s not going to shoot 45% from behind the arc again this year, but expect his counting stats to stay at a level similar to last season because the Pacers decided that standing pat on their crappy roster was their best move this off season. On the downside, Murphy will likely miss at least 8-10 games based on a historical injury-prone 61 games played average across his nine year NBA career. Since he’s not really a big name player and has not averaged above 15 PPG since – uh, ever – you will definitely be able to get him at a discount in drafts (say 3rd or 4th round). Not bad considering he finished last season as a top 20 player.
8. LaMarcus Aldridge
With all eyes on Greg Oden the past couple of years, it was easy to miss Lamarcus Aldridge turning into all-star caliber forward. Aldridge is a great offensive player who can score from anywhere inside the three point line. The addition of free agent point guard Andre Miller and the fact that he’s still only 24 years old means Aldridge will almost certainly see even more improvement in his game this season. Now if he would only work on the defense a little. He should be gone by the 3rd-4th round in most leagues.
9. Kevin Garnett
The way people have been avoiding KG in drafts, you think he was trying to give people syphilis. Of course it’s understandable – Garnett has gotten downright mediocre compared to the perennial first pick we were used to earlier in his career. Plus he’s coming off an injury-plagued season in 2008-09 and the Celtics brought in Rasheed Wallace to reduce the wear and tear on KG during the regular season. However, Sheeds arrival could work in The Big Ticket’s favor at least in terms of staying healthy and on the court. Given 30 minutes a game, expect something around 16/8 with a block and very good percentages. If KG falls past the 4th round, it could end up being one of the big steals of a draft.
10. Rashard Lewis
Regardless of which forward spot he lines up at, Rashard is going to keep doing what Rashard does: splash three-balls. Since getting ridiculously overpaid in a sign-and-trade to join the Magic two seasons ago to spread the floor for Dwight Howard, Lewis has led the NBA in three-pointers made with 2.8 per game. Aside from that talent, his stat line looks pretty vanilla, yet he doesn’t hurt you in any category and contributes in all of them. Look for more of the same from Lewis as he continues to age well in what will be his 12th season of trying to erase the crying-in-the-green-room-on-draft-night image from our collective minds. Suspended 10 games to start the season, his value is higher in H2H leagues with playoffs than in roto-style leagues that rely on category totals.
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For the rest of our top 40 list of power forwards (as well as the rankings of the other positions, positional tiers, and cheat sheets), you’ll have to check out the Four Fingers Draft Guide. Where else can you read a collect of poems written by us about Stan Van Gundy.
Tags: Antawn Jamison, Chris Bosh, David Lee, David West, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, LaMarcus Aldridge, Pau Gasol, Rashard Lewis, Troy Murphy
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