Alex Burns' 2022-23 Fantasy Basketball Rankings and Draft Analysis

I know what you're probably thinking."Fantasy basketball rankings in September? We haven't even begun training camp. Does he have nothing better to do with his time?" While I do find myself suffering from significant boredom during the NBA offseason, I want to clarify one thing: It is NEVER too early to begin discussing fantasy hoops.

Savvy fantasy basketball managers will use this time to prepare while the masses are focused on fantasy football. Talk about getting a leg up on the competition!

Now that we're on the same page, I'm proud to release my early draft rankings for the upcoming season! After carefully analyzing every offseason report, trade, free agency signing, and summer league performance to date, these rankings should at least give you a glimpse into how I view the current fantasy basketball landscape. In addition, I will highlight a couple of guys that I'm either higher or lower on than the current consensus (Yahoo!). Enough with the talk. Let's get right into it. Below is the first installment of my Top 150 9-Category draft rankings for the 2022-2023 fantasy basketball season.

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9-Category Head-to-Head Rankings

Rank	Player Name	Team	Position	ECR	vs. ECR
1	Nikola Jokic	DEN	PF,C	1	0
2	Joel Embiid	PHI	PF,C	3	1
3	Kevin Durant	BKN	SF,PF	4	1
4	Giannis Antetokounmpo	MIL	PF,C	2	-2
5	Luka Doncic	DAL	PG,SG	5	0
6	Damian Lillard	POR	PG	13	7
7	Jayson Tatum	BOS	SF,PF	6	-1
8	Stephen Curry	GSW	PG,SG	10	2
9	LaMelo Ball	CHA	PG,SG	11	2
10	Tyrese Haliburton	IND	PG,SG	12	2
11	James Harden	PHI	PG,SG	7	-4
12	Karl-Anthony Towns	MIN	C	8	-4
13	Trae Young	ATL	PG	9	-4
14	Kawhi Leonard	LAC	SG,SF,PF	29	15
15	Devin Booker	PHO	SG,SF,PG	14	-1
16	Cade Cunningham	DET	PG,SG	34	18
17	Ja Morant	MEM	PG	22	5
18	Anthony Edwards	MIN	SG,SF	21	3
19	Anthony Davis	LAL	PF,C	16	-3
20	LeBron James	LAL	PG,SG,SF,PF	15	-5
21	Paul George	LAC	SF,PF,SG	18	-3
22	Kyrie Irving	BKN	PG,SG	19	-3
23	Fred VanVleet	TOR	PG,SG	24	1
24	Dejounte Murray	ATL	PG,SG	23	-1
25	Jimmy Butler	MIA	SF,PF,SG	27	2
26	Rudy Gobert	MIN	C	28	2
27	Shai Gilgeous-Alexander	OKC	PG,SG	37	10
28	Bam Adebayo	MIA	PF,C	17	-11
29	Chris Paul	PHO	PG	32	3
30	Bradley Beal	WAS	SG,SF	30	0
31	Pascal Siakam	TOR	PF,C	35	4
32	Donovan Mitchell	CLE	PG,SG	25	-7
33	Domantas Sabonis	SAC	PF,C	20	-13
34	Jrue Holiday	MIL	PG,SG	42	8
35	Khris Middleton	MIL	SF,PF,SG	43	8
36	DeMar DeRozan	CHI	SF,PF,SG	33	-3
37	Kristaps Porzingis	WAS	PF,C	38	1
38	Myles Turner	IND	PF,C	41	3
39	Nikola Vucevic	CHI	C	36	-3
40	Zach LaVine	CHI	SG,SF	40	0
41	Deandre Ayton	PHO	C	31	-10
42	Jaylen Brown	BOS	SG,SF	44	2
43	Jarrett Allen	CLE	C	39	-4
44	Darius Garland	CLE	PG,SG	26	-18
45	Evan Mobley	CLE	C,PF	46	1
46	Robert Williams III	BOS	C,PF	57	11
47	Mikal Bridges	PHO	SG,SF	55	8
48	Zion Williamson	NOR	PF	47	-1
49	Scottie Barnes	TOR	SF,PF	50	1
50	Brandon Ingram	NOR	SF,PF	51	1
51	OG Anunoby	TOR	SF,PF	56	5
52	John Collins	ATL	PF,C	52	0
53	Tyrese Maxey	PHI	PG,SG	58	5
54	De'Aaron Fox	SAC	PG	49	-5
55	Michael Porter Jr.	DEN	SF,PF	61	6
56	CJ McCollum	NOR	PG,SG	53	-3
57	Jamal Murray	DEN	PG,SG	75	18
58	Ben Simmons	BKN	PG	60	2
59	Terry Rozier	CHA	PG,SG	45	-14
60	Klay Thompson	GSW	SG,SF	87	27
61	Brandon Clarke	MEM	SF,PF,C	81	20
62	Jakob Poeltl	SAS	C	63	1
63	Jonas Valanciunas	NOR	C	48	-15
64	Jusuf Nurkic	POR	C	66	2
65	Desmond Bane	MEM	PG,SG,SF	54	-11
66	Jalen Green	HOU	SG	72	6
67	D'Angelo Russell	MIN	PG,SG	67	0
68	Tobias Harris	PHI	SF,PF	59	-9
69	Robert Covington	LAC	PF,C,SF	101	32
70	Paolo Banchero	ORL	PF	86	16
71	Tyler Herro	MIA	PG,SG	73	2
72	Mitchell Robinson	NYK	C	82	10
73	Keegan Murray	SAC	PF	96	23
74	Jordan Poole	GSW	PG,SG	62	-12
75	Christian Wood	DAL	PF,C	68	-7
76	Wendell Carter Jr.	ORL	C	65	-11
77	Josh Giddey	OKC	PG,SG	69	-8
78	Keldon Johnson	SAS	SF,PF	71	-7
79	Alperen Sengun	HOU	C	76	-3
80	Herbert Jones	NOR	SF	109	29
81	Jalen Smith	IND	PF,C	136	55
82	Lauri Markkanen	UTH	PF,C	89	7
83	Franz Wagner	ORL	SG,SF	104	21
84	Bobby Portis Jr.	MIL	PF,C	100	16
85	Marcus Smart	BOS	PG,SG	78	-7
86	RJ Barrett	NYK	SG,SF	105	19
87	Kyle Lowry	MIA	PG	88	1
88	Saddiq Bey	DET	SF	79	-9
89	Tre Jones	SAS	PG	160	71
90	Kyle Kuzma	WAS	SF,PF	91	1
91	Julius Randle	NYK	PF,C	64	-27
92	Mike Conley	UTH	PG	102	10
93	P.J. Washington	CHA	PF,C	83	-10
94	Brook Lopez	MIL	C	112	18
95	Clint Capela	ATL	C	70	-25
96	Jaren Jackson Jr.	MEM	PF,C	103	7
97	Devin Vassell	SAS	SG,SF	98	1
98	Lonzo Ball	CHI	PG,SG	107	9
99	Jerami Grant	POR	SF,PF	74	-25
100	Mo Bamba	ORL	C	124	24
101	Draymond Green	GSW	PF,C	77	-24
102	Walker Kessler	UTH	C	168	66
103	Buddy Hield	IND	SG,SF	84	-19
104	Isaiah Jackson	IND	PF	165	61
105	Malcolm Brogdon	BOS	PG,SG	108	3
106	Isaiah Stewart	DET	PF,C	106	0
107	Andrew Wiggins	GSW	SG,SF	93	-14
108	Bogdan Bogdanovic	ATL	SF,PF,SG	110	2
109	Harrison Barnes	SAC	SF,PF	97	-12
110	Josh Hart	POR	SG,SF	123	13
111	Collin Sexton	UTH	PG,SG	92	-19
112	Gary Trent Jr.	TOR	SG,SF	85	-27
113	Ivica Zubac	LAC	C	95	-18
114	Jalen Brunson	NYK	PG,SG	80	-34
115	Al Horford	BOS	PF,C	94	-21
116	Cameron Johnson	PHO	SF,PF	116	0
117	Jaden McDaniels	MIN	PF,SF	128	11
118	Jabari Smith Jr.	HOU	PF	111	-7
119	Onyeka Okongwu	ATL	PF,C	129	10
120	Kelly Olynyk	DET	PF,C	177	57
121	Jaden Ivey	DET	PG	164	43
122	Dorian Finney-Smith	DAL	SF,PF	122	0
123	Jarred Vanderbilt	UTH	PF,C	127	4
124	Patrick Williams	CHI	SF,PF	143	19
125	Bones Hyland	DEN	PG,SG	144	19
126	Nic Claxton	BKN	C,PF	114	-12
127	James Wiseman	GSW	C	183	56
128	Gordon Hayward	CHA	SG,SF	90	-38
129	Spencer Dinwiddie	DAL	PG,SG	117	-12
130	Derrick White	BOS	PG,SG	119	-11
131	Evan Fournier	NYK	SG,SF	181	50
132	De'Anthony Melton	PHI	PG,SG	125	-7
133	Richaun Holmes	SAC	PF,C	137	4
134	Anfernee Simons	POR	PG,SG	133	-1
135	Caris LeVert	CLE	SG,SF	155	20
136	Russell Westbrook III	LAL	PG	161	25
137	Bojan Bogdanovic	UTH	SF,PF	120	-17
138	Kelly Oubre Jr.	CHA	SG,SF,PF	131	-7
139	Jordan Clarkson	UTH	PG,SG	135	-4
140	Norman Powell	LAC	SG,SF	113	-27
141	De'Andre Hunter	ATL	SF,PF	142	1
142	Ziaire Williams	MEM	SF,SG	218	76
143	Alex Caruso	CHI	PG,SG	166	23
144	Kevin Porter Jr.	HOU	SG,SF,PG	99	-45
145	John Wall	LAC	PG	199	54
146	Davion Mitchell	SAC	SG,PG	216	70
147	T.J. McConnell	IND	PG,SG	202	55
148	Kyle Anderson	MIN	SF,PF	145	-3
149	Nerlens Noel	DET	PF,C	207	58
150	Jalen Suggs	ORL	PG,SG	115	-35
151	Royce O'Neale	BKN	SF,PF	146	-5
152	Jae'Sean Tate	HOU	SF,PF	134	-18
153	Chris Boucher	TOR	PF,C	178	25
154	Cole Anthony	ORL	PG	121	-33
155	Obi Toppin	NYK	SF,PF	170	15
156	Bennedict Mathurin	IND	SF	172	16
157	Reggie Jackson	LAC	PG,SG	139	-18
158	Joe Ingles	MIL	SG,SF,PF	263	105
159	Day'Ron Sharpe	BKN	PF,C	266	107
160	Joe Harris	BKN	SG,SF	200	40
161	Jalen Duren	DET	C	192	31
162	Tyus Jones	MEM	PG	186	24
163	Duncan Robinson	MIA	SG,SF	231	68
164	Devonte' Graham	NOR	PG,SG	190	26
165	Chuma Okeke	ORL	PF	162	-3
166	Aaron Gordon	DEN	SF,PF	126	-40
167	Isaiah Hartenstein	NYK	PF,C	156	-11
168	Jonathan Isaac	ORL	SF,PF	167	-1
169	Marvin Bagley III	DET	PF,C	157	-12
170	Derrick Rose	NYK	PG,SG	215	45
171	Will Barton	WAS	SG,SF	138	-33
172	Malik Beasley	UTH	PG,SG,SF	214	42
173	Zach Collins	SAS	PF,C	236	63
174	Isaiah Livers	DET	SF,PF	243	69
175	Daniel Gafford	WAS	C,PF	130	-45
176	Kevin Huerter	SAC	SG,SF	141	-35
177	Tim Hardaway Jr.	DAL	SG,SF	173	-4
178	Dillon Brooks	MEM	SG,SF	132	-46
179	Talen Horton-Tucker	UTH	SG,SF	212	33
180	Pat Connaughton	MIL	SG,SF	189	9
181	Mason Plumlee	CHA	PF,C	153	-28
182	Cam Thomas	BKN	SG	257	75
183	Maxi Kleber	DAL	PF,C	204	21
184	Isaiah Roby	SAS	C,PF	229	45
185	Joshua Primo	SAS	SG	255	70
186	Andre Drummond	CHI	C	150	-36
187	Dennis Schroder	FA	PG	185	-2
188	Larry Nance Jr.	NOR	PF,C	191	3
189	Monte Morris	WAS	PG,SG	118	-71
190	Marcus Morris Sr.	LAC	PF,C,SF	219	29
191	Thomas Bryant	LAL	C	149	-42
192	Thaddeus Young	TOR	PF,C,SF	259	67
193	Matisse Thybulle	PHI	SG,SF	147	-46
194	Nickeil Alexander-Walker	UTH	SG,SF,PG	253	59
195	Eric Bledsoe	FA	PG,SG	300	105
196	Derrick Favors	OKC	C,PF	292	96
197	Montrezl Harrell	PHI	PF,C	196	-1
198	Aleksej Pokusevski	OKC	SF,PF	151	-47
199	Steven Adams	MEM	C	140	-59
200	Danilo Gallinari	BOS	SF,PF	269	69
201	Jae Crowder	PHO	SF,PF	176	-25
202	T.J. Warren	BKN	SF,PF	211	9
203	Victor Oladipo	MIA	SG,SF	193	-10
204	Donte DiVincenzo	GSW	PG,SG	228	24
205	Terrence Ross	ORL	SG,SF	260	55
206	Rui Hachimura	WAS	SF,PF	234	28
207	Seth Curry	BKN	PG,SG	154	-53
208	Isaac Okoro	CLE	SG,SF	209	1
209	Moses Moody	GSW	SF,SG	224	15
210	Luguentz Dort	OKC	SG,SF	148	-62
211	Ricky Rubio	CLE	PG	256	45
212	Josh Richardson	SAS	SG,SF	197	-15
213	Facundo Campazzo	DEN	PG	287	74
214	Justin Holiday	ATL	SG,SF	245	31
215	Lonnie Walker IV	LAL	SG,SF	222	7
216	Jose Alvarado	NOR	PG	241	25
217	Daniel Theis	IND	PF,C	281	64
218	Khem Birch	TOR	PF,C	271	53
219	Otto Porter Jr.	TOR	SF,PF	182	-37
220	Xavier Tillman	MEM	PF,C	225	5
221	Killian Hayes	DET	PG,SG	174	-47
222	Goran Dragic	CHI	PG,SG	276	54
223	Davis Bertans	DAL	PF,C	275	52
224	Serge Ibaka	MIL	PF,C	297	73
225	Alec Burks	DET	SG,SF	233	8
226	Blake Griffin	FA	PF,C	304	78
227	Cam Reddish	NYK	SG,SF	250	23
228	Kevin Love	CLE	PF,C	163	-65
229	Darius Bazley	OKC	SF,PF	175	-54
230	Chris Duarte	IND	SG	158	-72
231	Hassan Whiteside	FA	PF,C	272	41
232	Coby White	CHI	PG,SG	238	6
233	Juan Toscano-Anderson	LAL	SF,PF	265	32
234	Jonathan Kuminga	GSW	SF,PF	201	-33
235	Markelle Fultz	ORL	PG,SG	152	-83
236	Cody Zeller	FA	C	319	83
237	Kendrick Nunn	LAL	PG,SG	195	-42
238	Tomas Satoransky	FA	PG,SG	313	75
239	Moses Brown	CLE	C	291	52
240	Rudy Gay	UTH	SF,PF	308	68
241	Carmelo Anthony	FA	SF,PF	317	76
242	LaMarcus Aldridge	FA	PF,C	296	54
243	Nicolas Batum	LAC	SF,PF,SG	240	-3
244	Jeremy Lamb	FA	SG,SF	320	76
245	Immanuel Quickley	NYK	PG	169	-76
246	Malachi Flynn	TOR	PG	284	38
247	Delon Wright	WAS	PG,SG	206	-41
248	Dwight Howard	FA	C	328	80
249	Eric Gordon	HOU	SG,SF	249	0
250	Terance Mann	LAC	SF,SG	237	-13
251	Ayo Dosunmu	CHI	PG,SG	213	-38
252	Paul Millsap	FA	PF,C	329	77
253	Precious Achiuwa	TOR	SF,PF,C	208	-45
254	Luke Kennard	LAC	SG,SF	227	-27
255	Cameron Payne	PHO	PG,SG	203	-52
256	Tristan Thompson	FA	PF,C	337	81
257	KJ Martin Jr.	HOU	SF,PF	258	1
258	Naz Reid	MIN	C	247	-11
259	Reggie Bullock	DAL	SG,SF	171	-88
260	Jaxson Hayes	NOR	C	180	-80
261	Dewayne Dedmon	MIA	C	251	-10
262	Dwight Powell	DAL	PF,C	246	-16
263	DeAndre Jordan	DEN	C	315	52
264	Theo Maledon	OKC	PG	279	15
265	Josh Jackson	TOR	SG,SF	322	57
266	Patrick Beverley	LAL	PG,SG	184	-82
267	P.J. Tucker	PHI	PF,C,SF	223	-44
268	Kevon Looney	GSW	PF,C	179	-89
269	Nemanja Bjelica	FA	PF	369	100
270	Doug McDermott	SAS	SF,PF	267	-3
271	Dario Saric	PHO	PF,C	288	17
272	Lou Williams	FA	PG,SG	333	61
273	Elfrid Payton	FA	PG	359	86
274	Bruce Brown Jr.	BKN	SG,SF	159	-115
275	Shake Milton	PHI	PG,SG	306	31
276	Trevor Ariza	FA	SG,SF,PF	373	97
277	Trevor Keels	NYK	SF	347	70
278	Ty Jerome	OKC	PG,SG	340	62
279	Shaedon Sharpe	POR	SG	298	19
280	TyTy Washington Jr.	HOU	PG	301	21
281	Jeremy Sochan	SAS	PF	277	-4
282	Johnny Davis	WAS	SG	299	17
283	Ousmane Dieng	OKC	F	334	51
284	Jalen McDaniels	CHA	PF,C	248	-36
285	Jalen Williams	OKC	SG	270	-15
286	Dyson Daniels	NOR	G	282	-4
287	Mark Williams	CHA	C	239	-48
288	AJ Griffin	ATL	SF	311	23
289	Tari Eason	HOU	SF	232	-57
290	Ochai Agbaji	UTH	G	285	-5
291	Jake LaRavia	MEM	PF	343	52
292	Malaki Branham	SAS	SG	302	10
293	Christian Braun	DEN	SG	382	89
294	David Roddy	MEM	PF	383	89
295	MarJon Beauchamp	MIL	F	338	43
296	Blake Wesley	SAS	SG	384	88
297	Nikola Jovic	MIA	SF	351	54
298	Wendell Moore Jr.	MIN	F	350	52
299	Dalen Terry	CHI	PG	345	46
300	Patrick Baldwin Jr.	GSW	G	387	87
301	Peyton Watson	DEN	SF	367	66
302	Andrew Nembhard	IND	PG	388	86
303	Caleb Houstan	ORL	G	389	86
304	Christian Koloko	TOR	PF	390	86
305	Jaylin Williams	OKC	C	352	47
306	Max Christie	LAL	SG	392	86
307	Gabriele Procida	DET	SG	393	86
308	Jaden Hardy	DAL	G	335	27
309	Kennedy Chandler	MEM	PG	394	85
310	Khalifa Diop	CLE	C	396	86
311	Bryce McGowens	CHA	SG	397	86
312	E.J. Liddell	NOR	PF	399	87
313	Moussa Diabate	LAC	PF	400	87
314	Ryan Rollins	GSW	SG	401	87
315	Josh Minott	MIN	PF	403	88
316	Ismael Kamagate	DEN	C	404	88
317	Vince Williams Jr.	MEM	F	405	88
318	Kendall Brown	IND	SF	407	89
319	Isaiah Mobley	CLE	F	408	89
320	Matteo Spagnolo	MIN	PG	410	90
321	Tyrese Martin	ATL	G	411	90
322	Karlo Matkovic	FA	PF	412	90
323	JD Davison	BOS	PG	413	90
324	Yannick Nzosa	WAS	C	414	90
325	Gui Santos	GSW	SF	416	91
326	Luke Travers	CLE	SG	417	91
327	Jabari Walker	POR	PF	418	91
328	Hugo Besson	MIL	PG	420	92
329	Danny Green	MEM	SG,SF	290	-39
330	Kemba Walker	FA	PG	294	-36
331	Enes Freedom	FA	C	327	-4
332	Miles Bridges	CHA	SF,PF	254	-78
333	Damian Jones	LAL	C	242	-91
334	Jericho Sims	NYK	C,PF	339	5
335	Austin Reaves	LAL	SG	278	-57
336	Gary Payton II	POR	PG,SG	217	-119
337	Cody Martin	CHA	SG,SF	198	-139
338	Malik Monk	SAC	PG,SG	230	-108
339	Caleb Martin	MIA	G	221	-118
340	Max Strus	MIA	SG,SF	244	-96
341	Nassir Little	POR	SF	205	-136
342	Josh Christopher	HOU	SG	235	-107
343	Grayson Allen	MIL	SG,SF	194	-149
344	Grant Williams	BOS	SF,PF	220	-124
345	Quentin Grimes	NYK	SG	226	-119
346	Deni Avdija	WAS	SG,SF,PF	210	-136
347	Trey Murphy III	NOR	SG,SF	252	-95
348	Jeremiah Robinson-Earl	OKC	SF,PF	273	-75
349	Jaylen Nowell	MIN	SG	312	-37
350	John Konchar	MEM	SG,PG	348	-2
351	Terence Davis II	SAC	SG,SF	331	-20
352	Tre Mann	OKC	SG,PG	274	-78
353	Jeff Green	DEN	SF,PF	314	-39
354	Taurean Prince	MIN	SF,PF	305	-49
355	Drew Eubanks	POR	PF,C	286	-69
356	Gabe Vincent	MIA	PG,SG	261	-95
357	Gary Harris	ORL	SG,SF	307	-50
358	Josh Green	DAL	SG,SF	346	-12
359	Payton Pritchard	BOS	PG	309	-50
360	Paul Reed	PHI	SF,PF	289	-71
361	Kentavious Caldwell-Pope	DEN	PG,SG,SF	188	-173
362	JaVale McGee	DAL	C	187	-175
363	Chet Holmgren	OKC	PF
364	Usman Garuba	HOU	PF	310	-54
365	Zeke Nnaji	DEN	PF,C	323	-42
366	Patty Mills	BKN	PG	293	-73
367	Corey Kispert	WAS	SG,SF	268	-99
368	Chimezie Metu	SAC	PF,C	283	-85
369	Trendon Watford	POR	SF,PF	262	-107
370	JaMychal Green	GSW	PF,C	264	-106
371	Trey Lyles	SAC	PF,C	295	-76
372	Udoka Azubuike	UTH	C	318	-54
373	Omer Yurtseven	MIA	C	316	-57
374	Goga Bitadze	IND	C	303	-71
375	Oshae Brissett	IND	SF,PF	280	-95
376	Landry Shamet	PHO	PG,SG	321	-55
377	Jordan McLaughlin	MIN	PG	325	-52
378	Bismack Biyombo	PHO	C	341	-37
379	Georges Niang	PHI	SF,PF	326	-53
380	Garrison Mathews	HOU	SG,SF	330	-50
381	Aaron Nesmith	IND	SG,SF	342	-39
382	Jared Butler	UTH	SG	336	-46
383	Kenrich Williams	OKC	SF,PF	357	-26
384	Torrey Craig	PHO	SG,SF	354	-30
385	Moritz Wagner	ORL	PF,C	364	-21
386	George Hill	MIL	PG,SG	375	-11
387	Mike Muscala	OKC	PF,C	377	-10
388	Wesley Matthews	MIL	SG,SF	380	-8
389	Jalen Johnson	ATL	SF	324	-65
390	Willy Hernangomez	NOR	C	365	-25
391	James Bouknight	CHA	SG	349	-42
392	Justise Winslow	POR	PF,PG,SF	332	-60
393	Simone Fontecchio	UTH	F	374	-19

 

My Guys - Players I'm Higher On

I am higher than the Yahoo! consensus on the following players

Robert Covington (PF, LAC) - Yahoo Ranking: 106, Alex Ranking: 69

All aboard! I am proud to say that I am officially back on the RoCo train in fantasy this season. Sure, there have been a few rough patches along the way, but it's tough to ignore his production with the Clippers last year. After being acquired in February, he went on to post 10.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 1.2 blocks in 23 games. The best part? He did it with uber efficiency, finishing with 50%/45%/85% shooting splits.

The Clippers were so impressed they even extended him for two years, $24 million back in May as a result. His skillset should fit in nicely alongside Kawhi Leonard and Paul George and we all know he doesn't need a ton of playing time to produce fantasy-friendly numbers. After all, his production with the Clippers last season came in only 22 minutes a night.

His propensity to stretch the floor and rack up defensive stats should easily allow him to flirt with top 75 numbers this season. Don't forget, Covington finished as a top 75 guy back in 2020-21 on the following numbers: 8.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.2 blocks on 40%/38%/80% shooting splits.

Brandon Clarke (PF, MEM) - Yahoo Ranking: 97, Alex Ranking: 61

Alright, I'm going to say it. When I think of Clarke in fantasy this season, I get strong 2020 Richaun Holmes vibes. Believe it or not, Holmes finished the 2020 season as the 33rd best player in per-game value and the 30th best player in overall value. His stats? 14.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 0.6 steals, and 1.6 blocks on 63.7% from the field and 79.4% from the charity stripe.

Now, before labeling me a loon for comparing him to Clarke, hear me out. At the beginning of July, it was announced that fellow Grizzlies' big man, Jaren Jackson Jr., would be out 4-6 months after undergoing surgery to repair a stress fracture in his foot. This is significant for two reasons: 1) Jackson Jr. has missed 126 total games over his first three seasons. If you think the Grizzlies are going to rush him back, you're on crazy pills. 2) Clarke's game was ascending towards the end of the season. After seeing 19.5 minutes a night during the regular season, his playing time was increased to 24.7 mpg during the playoffs, where he averaged 12.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.8 blocks, and 0.8 steals on 61% from the field.

His subpar free throw shooting (70% career) and lack of a three-point game does hurt his value, but he should be given the green light for Memphis right out of the gate. While I'm not predicting a top 30 season for Clarke, he certainly has the upside to achieve it.

Walker Kessler (C - UTA) - Yahoo Ranking: 220, Alex Ranking: 102

Are you ready for the Jazz's current centers based on their official depth chart? Here it goes. Walker Kessler, Cody Zeller, Udoka Azubuike, and wait for it, Rudy Gay. Sure, newcomers like Lauri Markkanen, Kelly Olynyk, and Jarred Vanderbilt can play the five, but it's not their natural position. Kessler on the other hand is a Bonafide big man. Standing at 7-1 with a 7-4 wingspan, he's one of the most accomplished shot blockers to come out of college in years. Just look at what he was able to do last year at Auburn:

• Led the nation with 4.6 blocks per game
• Averaged 10 blocks per 100 possessions
• Finished with more total blocked shots than all but 13 Division I schools

So, yeah. Even if you cut his blocks in half, he would still find himself in elite territory. The aforementioned Zeller could definitely take some minutes away but playing him over Kessler serves the rebuilding Jazz zero purpose. Additionally, he does shoot the ball poorly from the free throw line (57% FT at Auburn) and has yet to incorporate a three-point shot into his repertoire.

There is hope, however, as his defensive ability will make up for his shortcomings offensively. Remember, Nerlens Noel finished 71 in per game value and 51 in overall value back in 2020-2021 on the backs of 5.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 2.2 blocks, and 0 threes on 61% FG and 71% from the line. Do we really believe Kessler can't put up similar numbers? Of course not. All in all, it's rare to find a player of Kessler's fantasy upside available this late in drafts. Make sure to take advantage on draft day.

Tre Jones (PG - SAS) - Yahoo Ranking: 125, Alex Ranking: 89

Much like the aforementioned Utah Jazz, the San Antonio Spurs have a similar goal this season: to finish with the worst record imaginable in order to draft prodigy Victor Wembanyama number one overall next summer. This means there will be plenty of opportunities for fantasy production up for grabs. We already know that Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell are good bets to take steps forward this season, but what about Tre Jones?

Jones was limited to 16.6 minutes per game last season mainly due to the emergence of Dejounte Murray as a ball-dominant usage hog at point guard. When Murray was out of the lineup, however, he gave us a glimpse into his fantasy upside. In 14 games without Murray, Jones averaged 12.3 points, 7.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 0.9 steals on 51.5% FG in just under 30 minutes a night.

Pretty solid, right? It gets better. After Derrick White was sent to Boston at the trade deadline, it opened up even more room for Jones to produce. In eight games without Murray or White, Jones' numbers increased to 14.1 points, 9.1 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.1 steals on 50% FG in over 33 minutes per game.

Outside of a crazy move, Jones remains the only true point guard on the Spurs roster heading into the season, and as the projected starter, he should easily see over 30 minutes a night. With a current ADP of 122 via Hashtagbasketball.com, Jones looks like the biggest steal in fantasy at the moment.

 

Stay Away - Players I'm Lower On

I am lower than the Yahoo! consensus on the following players

John Wall (PG - LAC) - Yahoo Ranking: 126, Alex Ranking: 145

I get it. John Wall was one of the most electric point guards of the last decade. He was a perennial early pick during his time with the Washington Wizards and we are all rooting for him in some way, shape, or form. I am, however, staying far away from him in fantasy hoops this season. Aside from the fact that he hasn't played in an NBA game in nearly two-and-a-half years, Wall wasn't particularly good from a fantasy perspective during his last healthy stint with the Houston Rockets either.

In 40 games with the Rockets back in the 2020-2021 season, Wall put up 20.6 points, 6.9 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 3.5 turnovers. While that doesn't seem terrible on paper, his shooting splits tell a different story. He shot a career-low 40% from the field, 31% from three, and 75% from the charity stripe. That, combined with his high turnovers, led him to finish 169 in per-game value according to BasketballMonster.com. Believe it or not, those 40 games in Houston allowed Wall to see the highest usage percentage of his entire career (31.9%) as he only shared the court with James Harden for seven games before the latter was sent to Brooklyn.

Now with the Clippers, Wall finds himself at best the 3rd option on offense. He is projected to start, but unlike his time in Houston, there are quality options behind him in Reggie Jackson and Terance Mann. With that being the case, would it really be surprising to see the Clippers ease him into game action after the long layoff and multiple knee injuries? After all, a healthy Clippers team is built to contend for championships. That, along with his high turnovers, ugly shooting splits, and injury history serves as too many risks for me to feel comfortable rostering him at his current cost.

Julius Randle (PF - NYK) - Yahoo Ranking: 67, Alex Ranking: 91

Did you know that Julius Randle wasn't a top 100 fantasy basketball player last season? After finishing inside the top 20 during the 2021 season, he regressed mightily and finished 101 in total value and 127 in per-game value. So how in the world does a player put up similar numbers but finish as a much worse fantasy asset? One word: efficiency.

Last season, Randle saw his FG% drop just under 5% despite taking more than one less shot attempt per game. His 41% from the field is easily the worst shooting season of his career, excluding his rookie season, where played for a total of 14 minutes. It was more of the same with his three-point stroke as well. Even though he hoisted up one less three-point attempt per game, his percentage dropped by more than 11%.

Lastly, his assists dropped from 6.0 in 2021 down to 5.1 in 2022. While that may not seem like a massive difference on paper, an extra 0.9 assists per game would turn out to be 65 more attributed to Randle's season total. Without a doubt that would have moved him up a few spots in the total value rankings.

All that to say, '2021 Julius Randle' is looking more and more like a one-hit-wonder type of season rather than something we should expect going forward. With the addition of Jalen Brunson and the emergence of Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes, and Obi Toppin, Randle will have a tough time finding the elite usage (29.1%) he saw two seasons ago.

As a result, we should expect his numbers to decline. It's important to note, however, that a decline in usage should typically lead to increased efficiency. While I don't believe Randle will finish 127 in value this season, ranking him inside the top 70 is a bold strategy. With a current ADP of 56.5, let someone else bite the bullet.

Buddy Hield (SG - IND) - Yahoo Ranking: 88, Alex Ranking: 103

It was a tale of two teams for Buddy Hield last season. After shooting just 38% from the field in 55 games with the Kings, he was traded to the Pacers at the trade deadline, where he drastically improved his numbers across the board. Check out his numbers across 26 games with his new team: 18.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.0 steals, and 3.1 threes in just under 36 minutes per game.

On one hand, it makes sense to project similar numbers for him this season. On the other, it's clear that Indiana will have a lot more competition for minutes in the backcourt this season. Aside from the fact that Chris Duarte and Hield shared the court only seven times last season, the Pacers added shooting guard Bennedict Mathurin in the first round and picked up the team option for third-year wing Oshae Brissett.

Not to mention a healthy T.J. McConnell and newly acquired Aaron Nesmith remain on the roster. All that to say, Hield should start to begin the year and should flirt with 30 minutes a night. I'm just not so convinced we should expect similar production this season with all the mouths to feed.

His current Yahoo! ADP of 83 and 7th round value seems a bit too rich at the moment when guys like Ben Simmons, Franz Wagner, and Devin Vassell remain on the board.

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