X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

2020-21 Fantasy Basketball Draft Rankings: Guards

Justin Carter's 2020-2021 fantasy basketball draft rankings for guards. He analyzes them for potential sleepers and value picks, as well as overhyped players.

The fantasy basketball season is just around the corner, which means you're likely doing -- or soon will be doing -- fantasy drafts. And to do a draft, you need some solid rankings to use in your drafting!

That's why we here at RotoBaller put out our 20-21 rankings last week. But what are rankings without analysis? So, in a three-part series, I'll be looking at how each position shaped up in the rankings. Players who we have listed at multiple positions will appear in multiple articles.

We start today with guards. Let's see what insights we can reveal about the position by analyzing our ranks.

Upgrade To VIP: Win more with our NBA and DFS Premium Pass, get expert tools and advice from proven winners! Jamie Calandro and Dan Palyo lead the RotoBaller team in 2024-25 with exclusive DFS picks, Prop picks and more. Gain VIP access to our Lineup Optimizer, Research Station, DFS Cheat Sheets and VIP Chat Rooms. Go Premium, Win More!

 

Fantasy Basketball Guard Rankings

Note: These rankings are based off of our staff's H2H 9-cat rankings.

Overall Rank Player Team Positions
1 James Harden HOU PG,SG
3 Luka Doncic DAL PG,SG
7 Damian Lillard POR PG
8 Stephen Curry GSW PG,SG
9 Trae Young ATL PG
11 Kawhi Leonard LAC SG,SF
13 Bradley Beal WAS SG
14 Devin Booker PHO PG,SG
19 Jimmy Butler MIA SG,SF
20 Paul George LAC SG,SF
21 Donovan Mitchell UTH PG,SG
22 Kyrie Irving BKN PG,SG
23 Ben Simmons PHI PG,SF
25 Russell Westbrook HOU PG
28 Jamal Murray DEN PG,SG
29 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander OKC PG
31 Ja Morant MEM PG
32 Brandon Ingram NOP SG,SF
33 De'Aaron Fox SAC PG
35 Jrue Holiday MIL PG,SG
36 Zach LaVine CHI PG,SG
37 Chris Paul PHO PG
38 Khris Middleton MIL SG,SF
40 Fred VanVleet TOR PG
44 Kyle Lowry TOR PG
46 D'Angelo Russell MIN PG,SG
47 Gordon Hayward CHA SG,SF
48 Jaylen Brown BOS SG,SF
52 C.J. McCollum POR PG, SG
54 DeMar DeRozan SAS SG,SF
57 Lonzo Ball NOP PG
58 Buddy Hield SAC SG
66 Kemba Walker BOS PG
68 Dejounte Murray SAS PG
69 Marcus Smart BOS PG,SG
70 Devonte' Graham CHA PG
71 Malcolm Brogdon IND PG,SG
73 Victor Oladipo IND PG,SG
77 Ricky Rubio MIN PG
86 Josh Richardson DAL PG,SG,SF
88 John Wall WAS PG
90 Eric Bledsoe NOP PG,SG
91 Andrew Wiggins GSW SG,SF
92 Mike Conley UTH PG
93 Collin Sexton CLE PG
95 Bojan Bogdanovic UTH SG,SF
100 Derrick White SAS PG
101 Caris LeVert BKN SF,SG
103 Dennis Schroder LAL PG
104 Coby White CHI PG
106 Bogdan Bogdanovic ATL SG,SF
107 LaMelo Ball CHA PG,SG
108 Duncan Robinson MIA SG,SF
109 Evan Fournier ORL SG,SF
110 Markelle Fultz ORL PG,SG
111 Tyler Herro MIA SG
112 Anthony Edwards MIN PG,SG
115 Joe Harris BKN SG,SF
118 Goran Dragic MIA PG,SG
119 Norman Powell TOR SG, SF
120 Seth Curry PHI PG, SG
121 Terry Rozier CHA PG,SG
122 Donte DiVincenzo MIL SG
123 Spencer Dinwiddie BKN PG
131 Delon Wright DAL PG,SG
133 Lou Williams LAC PG,SG
134 Will Barton DEN SG,SF
135 Luke Kennard LAC SG
136 Kevin Huerter ATL SG
137 Joe Ingles UTH SG,SF
140 Malik Beasley MIN PG, SG
141 Derrick Rose DET PG
142 Jordan Clarkson UTH PG,SG
145 Tyrese Haliburton SAC PG,SG
146 Gary Trent Jr. POR SG,SF
149 Josh Hart NOP SG,SF
152 Cam Reddish ATL PG
154 Jeremy Lamb IND SG,SF
157 Terrence Ross ORL SG,SF
158 Tim Hardaway Jr. DAL SG,SF
159 Kendrick Nunn MIA PG
164 De'Anthony Melton MEM PG
165 Gary Harris DEN SG,SF
166 Darius Garland CLE PG
170 Elfrid Payton NYK PG
176 Killian Hayes DET PG,SG
179 Matisse Thybulle PHI SG
180 Eric Gordon HOU SG
182 Patrick Beverley LAC PG,SG
189 Jeff Teague BOS PG
193 Cole Anthony ORL PG,SG
194 J.J. Redick NOP SG
195 Kris Dunn ATL PG,SG
196 Malik Monk CHA SG,SF
197 Tomas Satoransky CHI PG, SG
199 Justin Holiday IND SF,SG
202 Trevor Ariza OKC SG,SF
206 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope LAL SG,SF
209 Deni Avdija WAS SG, SF
212 Terence Davis TOR SG
215 Kent Bazemore GSW SG,SF
217 Danny Green PHI SG,SF
220 Josh Okogie MIN SG
224 Monte Morris DEN PG
227 Rajon Rondo ATL PG
228 Lonnie Walker IV SAS SG
229 Shake Milton PHI SG

 

The James Harden Question

In a normal, ideal world, we all know what we're doing with the first overall pick in a fantasy basketball league: we're taking James Harden, who has led the NBA in scoring for three consecutive seasons and last year also added in 7.5 assists, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game, plus 4.4 threes per contest. Again, in a normal, ideal world, James Harden is the first pick. Full stop. Start planning who you rank second.

But, of course, we don't live in an ideal world, and Harden is currently not in training camp with Houston after demanding a trade.

This isn't something we're used to on the NBA side of things. In the NFL, we've recently seen plenty of examples of running backs holding out into the season for a better contract, but in the NBA, it doesn't happen very often. History suggests that one way or another, Harden will be suiting up for an NBA team on opening night.

But there's kind of a weird confluence of things happening here. Houston just traded for John Wall, reshaping the team's identity. They have a new coach and front office this year. They have a team owner who seems to care about money over anything else and could theoretically be the ultimate villain in this, refusing to trade Harden and fining him for not showing up, which could make Harden dig even deeper into his current stance.

And we have the trade demand, which is rumored to have been a "I only want to go to Brooklyn" demand. The Nets don't have a super appealing offer to give the Rockets at this point, so the two sides might end up being pretty far apart in potential talks, causing this to drag on.

Still, even with all of that, it seems likelier than not that Harden will be playing somewhere when the season tips, and while I don't have 100 percent confidence in taking him with the first overall pick, I still feel like he's the best option there, even if players like Karl-Anthony Towns and Luka Doncic are right at his heels. (In fact, I wouldn't even call it a bad move to take one of them over Harden due to this uncertainty!)

Update: Since writing the above analysis, James Harden has reported to Houston and has reportedly expanded his list of teams he'd accept a trade to. Still, plenty of uncertainty remains here.

 

Deciphering The Top Players

Harden and Doncic are the top guards, but things start to get interesting beyond that.

We have a trio of point guards at seven, eight, and nine: Damian Lillard, Stephen Curry, and Trae Young.

I'll say this about these three guys: our three-man rankings actually had two of us individually rank Young over Curry, but things were so close that the third person ranking Curry a few spots up after skewed the composite score to put Curry over Young. Which is to say: this is really close.

But I think these three guys represent something: three visions for what to do in your draft.

There's the safe player, which is Lillard, who was ranked highest by two-thirds of us. Lillard averaged a career-high 30 points per game last year, plus eight assists per contest. He shot over 40 percent from three for the first time. Lillard ascended to another level, and it's a safe bet that he's going to continue to pile up huge numbers this year. Lillard is the safest of these three players because we know we're getting a high-floor, high-ceiling player who can be a top-five fantasy player with ease.

Stephen Curry is the pick for someone who's willing to assume some risk for a high reward. Curry is two-years older than Lillard injury limited him to just five games last season, so you're betting that age and injury concerns don't hurt Curry's production. Because Curry is arguably the greatest shooter in NBA history and is capable of scoring just as many points as Lillard but with higher efficiency and more threes.

And then there's Trae Young, the pick for people who like the exciting, new thing. Young has a lot more downside than the other two, especially with the Hawks bringing in Danilo Gallinari, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Rajon Rondo, and Kris Dunn this offseason, crowding things and potentially taking possessions from Young. But those additions could also just open up the floor for him, boosting his efficiency and boosting his already high scoring average last season (29.6 points per game) to insane heights. Young's 34.9 usage rate last year probably has to drop a little though, right?

 

Top 100 Guys With The Most Downside

So, which guys that we ranked in our collective top 100 have the most downside? (In other words, who am I lower on than our other two rankers.)

Kyle Lowry - Toronto Raptors
RB ranking: 44, Justin ranking: 52

I'm not that much lower than the consensus on Lowry, but I just think there are enough warning signs that we're closing in on the downswing of Lowry's career for me to draft him in the top 50. He's shot below his career average two years in a row from both the field and from three, and while his scoring went up last year, a big part of that was a jump in usage rate in the post-Kawhi season. Concerns about the depth here should keep him on the floor plenty and keep his floor high, but he's going to lose some possessions to Fred VanVleet in the backcourt.

Marcus Smart - Boston Celtics
RB ranking: 69, Justin ranking: 80

Another player I'm close to consensus on, but just a little nervous. In Smart's case, it's because he's not a huge upside guy. His one year spike in shooting in 2018-19 vanished last season, so while he did average a career-high 12.9 points per game last year, it's hard to see much room for improvement in that number without added efficiency, which I don't see coming. Smart's a fine pick, but I'd rather have the upside of Devonte' Graham or Dejounte Murray around here.

Josh Richardson - Dallas Mavericks
RB ranking: 86, Justin ranking: 97

I just don't think I see the opportunity for Richardson. He averaged 11.7 shot attempts per game in Philly last year in a crowded lineup, but things aren't that much less crowded in Dallas: Luka Doncic will be a higher usage player than anyone in Philly was, Kristaps Porzingis will demand plenty of touches, and the Mavericks really like Tim Hardaway Jr. I just don't see the upside in Richardson that other people see.

 

Who Are Some Sleepers?

Who are guys outside of our top 150 that have the best chance of breaking in? (And which deep guys did I rank above our collective ranking?)

Darius Garland - Cleveland Cavaliers
RB ranking: 166, Justin ranking: 143

The Cavaliers should be pretty bad again, and what do bad teams usually do? Give lots of minutes to their young players! Garland had some efficiency and turnover issues last season, but hopefully with a year under his belt, he's able to string together some more consistent basketball. He shot 43 percent over his last 12 games, averaging 12.9 points and 5.1 assists per game. I'd expect an increase in usage this year from him.

Jeff Teague - Boston Celtics
RB ranking: 189, Justin ranking: 149

I'm high on Teague because I believe that sometimes, you should draft for immediate impact and let the waiver wire help you later. Kemba Walker will miss at least a few weeks -- if not more -- and veteran Jeff Teague will likely open the year as the starting point guard because of that. For the first month of the season, he'll be a cheap source of points and assists, plus he should provide decent efficiency stats and make a three per game.

Tomas Satoransky - Chicago Bulls
RB ranking: 197, Justin ranking: 173

Feels like people forgot about Satoransky, who started 64 of 65 games for the Bulls last season, averaging 9.9 points, 5.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. His shooting percentages dipped, but if he can get back to his 2018-19 level of shooting efficiency, Satoransky might end up playing more minutes with Kris Dunn gone and no notable backcourt additions.

Monte Morris - Denver Nuggets
RB ranking: 224, Justin ranking: 196

Predicting the Nuggets rotation after the addition of Facundo Campazzo is a little tricky, but Morris -- who averaged 22.4 minutes per game last year -- should still be on the floor a lot for this team. He's a good shooter whose primary value will be when he makes the occasional spot start for this team, but he'll help you with threes and steals even when he's coming off the bench.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy basketball mobile app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, lineup notifications & DFS articles. All free!

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jack Eichel

Unbothered by Lack of Extension
Sidney Crosby

Not Thinking About Leaving Pittsburgh
SJ

Michael Misa Signs Entry-Level Contract With Sharks
Rutger McGroarty

Nursing an Injury
Brock Purdy

"a Long Shot" to Play on Sunday
Aaron Rodgers

Dealing With Back Tightness
Dallas Goedert

Questionable for Week 2 at Chiefs
Anthony Rizzo

Retires
Cameron Champ

the Ultimate Wild Card at Procore
Cameron Young

Looks to Extend Momentum in Napa
Davis Thompson

Searching for a Spark at Procore
Sahith Theegala

Looking to Reignite Form at Procore
Mackenzie Hughes

Aims for Another Strong Showing at Procore
Luke Clanton

Brings Ball-Striking Upside to Napa
Seamus Power

Looking to Overcome Poor Course History at Procore
Joe Highsmith

Hoping to Find Form in Napa
Jadeveon Clowney

Visiting With the Cowboys on Wednesday
Masyn Winn

Will Require Offseason Knee Surgery
Kristaps Porzingis

Reportedly Still Not Completely Healthy
Kelly Oubre Jr.

Reportedly on the Trade Block
Andre Drummond

Future in Philadelphia in Doubt
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Helps Greece Reach Semis at EuroBasket
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Posts Historic Triple-Double
Joel Dahmen

Finishes Tied For 15 at Wyndham Championship
Bud Cauley

Finishes Tied for 33rd at BMW Championship
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied for Seventh at Tour Championship
J.J. Spaun

Finishes Tied for 25th at Tour Championship
Collin Morikawa

Finishes Tied for 19th at Tour Championship
Keith Mitchell

Misses Cut at Wyndham Championship
Ben Griffin

Finishes Tied for 10th at Tour Championship
Patrick Cantlay

Finishes Tied for Second at Tour Championship
Gary Woodland

Could Hang Around at Procore Championship
Ranger Suárez

Ranger Suarez Strikes Out 12, Earns 12th Win on Tuesday
Karl Vilips

Ready for Napa Valley This Weekend
Taylor Montgomery

Heating Up at the Right Time
Jackson Koivun

May Be a Little Rusty at Procore Championship
Doug Ghim

Looking to Rise Up at Napa Valley
Christian Watson

Agrees to One-Year Contract Extension
Josh Giddey

Re-Signs With Bulls for Four Years
Shakir Mukhamadullin

Joins Informal Skate
William Eklund

Skates With Sharks
Owen Power

Back at 100 Percent
Tyler Seguin

Cleared for Action
Mathew Barzal

Good to Go for Season Opener
Will Smith

Returns to Dodgers Lineup on Tuesday
Dustin Wolf

Signs Seven-Year Extension
Kyle Stowers

Dealing With Strained Side
Kyle Tucker

Placed on Injured List With Calf Strain
Jauan Jennings

Considered Day-to-Day, has a Chance to Play in Week 2
Jalen Carter

Receives One-Game Suspension, Will be Eligible for Week 2
Bo Bichette

Goes on Injured List With Knee Sprain
George Kittle

Placed on Injured Reserve
Tyreek Hill

Accused of Domestic Violence
Jauan Jennings

Avoids Serious Shoulder Injury
Garrett Crochet

Shuts Out the Athletics
Royce Lewis

Launches Two Homers Monday Night
NBA

Mason Jones Takes His Talents to Australia
NBA

Talen Horton-Tucker Joins Reigning EuroLeague Champions
New York Knicks

Malcolm Brogdon on Knicks' Radar
Andrew Wiggins

Attracting Interest From Lakers
Miami Heat

Heat Interested in Reunion With Precious Achiuwa
Tyler Glasnow

Fans 11 in Seven No-Hit Innings Monday
Slade Cecconi

Takes No-Hitter Into Eighth Inning Monday
Max Muncy

Batting Cleanup in Return to Dodgers
New York Knicks

Ben Simmons Reportedly Declined Knicks' Contract Offer
Younghoe Koo

Falcons Auditioning Kickers, Could Replace Younghoe Koo
Denver Broncos

Sean Payton Says Broncos Need to be Better With Run-Pass Balance
Tank Bigsby

Eagles Acquiring Tank Bigsby From Jaguars on Monday
George Kittle

Likely Out 3-5 Weeks, Could Land on Injured Reserve
Chase Burns

to be Activated on Friday
Brock Purdy

Dealing With Multiple Injuries, Could Miss Week 2
Tyler Glasnow

Cleared to Start on Monday
Logan O'Hoppe

Placed on Concussion Injured List
Christian Yelich

Returning on Monday
Elias Pettersson

Feeling "Good" Ahead of Season
NHL

Alex Formenton Rejoins Swiss Team
NHL

Grigori Denisenko Heads Back Home
CAR

Kevin Labanc Joins Hurricanes for Tryout
Ross Colton

Healthy for Start of Season
Daniel Palencia

Cubs Place Daniel Palencia on Injured List With Shoulder Strain
Pete Crow-Armstrong

Returning on Monday
Sean Murphy

Done for the Year With Hip Labral Tear
Alec Bohm

Lands on Injured List With Cyst in his Shoulder
Trea Turner

Going on Injured List, Phillies Hope to Have him Back for Playoffs
Brock Bowers

Considered Day-to-Day With Knee Injury
Jonathan Taylor

is "Good" After Taking a Hit to his Neck in Week 1
Caio Borralho

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Nassourdine Imavov

Extends Win Streak
Mauricio Ruffy

Gets Submitted
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Taps Out Mauricio Ruffy
Russell Wilson

Remains the Giants Starter
Paul Craig

Retires After UFC Paris Loss
Denny Hamlin

Earns his First Cup Victory at Gateway
Kyle Larson

Damage Ruins Kyle Larson's Chance At a Top Finish at Gateway
Christopher Bell

Scores his Third Top-10 Finish at Gateway
Joey Logano

Maintains his Perfect Top-Five Streak at Gateway
Ryan Blaney

Struggles and Recovers for a Top-Five Finish at Gateway
Modestas Bukauskas

Scores First-Round Knockout
Bolaji Oki

Suffers Second-Round TKO Loss
Xavier Worthy

Week-to-Week with Dislocated Shoulder
Mason Jones

Scores Comeback Win
Rhys McKee

Suffers Third-Round TKO Loss
Axel Sola

Successful In His UFC Debut
Robert Ruchała

Robert Ruchala Unsuccessful In His UFC Debut
William Gomis

Bounces Back In The Win Column
Derrick Henry

Scores Twice but has Costly Fumble on Sunday
Lamar Jackson

Shines With Three Total Touchdowns in Loss to Bills
Chase Elliott

Gets Lucky but Still Has Best Run at Gateway
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Wins Stage 2, but Was Let Down by Strategy
Tyler Reddick

Despite Bad Luck, Tyler Reddick Does What he Needed to Do
Chase Briscoe

Recovers from Incident with Daniel Suarez to Finish Second
William Byron

Late Caution Foils William Byron's Shot at Gateway Victory
Jayson Tatum

"Moving Around Way Better"
Ryan Blaney

Should Contend at Gateway
Denny Hamlin

Fastest in Qualifying, the Favorite to Win at Gateway
Christopher Bell

Looking for Redemption at Gateway
Joey Logano

Has Been Elite at Gateway
Austin Cindric

Should Be On Your Radar at Gateway
AJ Allmendinger

Could Be a Sleeper Again at Gateway
Tyler Reddick

Southern 500 Near-Miss Makes Tyler Reddick a Stronger Option for Gateway
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace a Likely Gateway Contender
Alex Bowman

a Long Shot to Advance in Playoffs
Austin Dillon

Richard Childress Racing Looks Slower at Gateway, Which Will Hurt Austin Dillon
Shane Van Gisbergen

Starts 18th in Gateway Debut
Jeremy Swayman

Ready to Get Back on Track
Connor McDavid

Aiming for More Goals
NJ

Luke Glendening Signs Tryout Deal With Devils
Dylan Harper

Hoping to be Ready for the Opener Versus Dallas
EDM

Derek Ryan Retires From Hockey
Connor Zary

Agrees to Three-Year Deal With Flames
Carey Price

Canadiens Trade Carey Price to Sharks
Caio Borralho

Set For A Title Eliminator Bout
Nassourdine Imavov

Looks To Earn A Title Shot
Mauricio Ruffy

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Set For UFC Paris Co-Main Event
Modestas Bukauskas

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Paul Craig

In Dire Need Of Victory
Mason Jones

Set for Main-Card Bout
Bolaji Oki

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Rhys McKee

Set To Open Up UFC Paris Main Card

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP