It is only two weeks until the NBA season tips off with the Chicago Bulls hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 27.  Leading up to then, thousands of hardcore fans will be drafting their yearly fantasy basketball teams and doing the research to help them crush daily fantasy leagues in 2015.  Rotoballer is excited too, as we start to ramp up our own fantasy basketball coverage for the 2015-16 NBA season.

Between now and the start of the NBA season, we will be ranking players, digging for sleepers, sniffing out busts, and diving into draft day strategy, with new content online every day.

We will start off with the top of the draft board.  They say you can't win your league in the first two rounds of the draft, but you can lose it.  Today we are ranking the top 20 players in the NBA for fantasy, to help you make the most out of your high draft picks or large auction bids.  With our help, you can avoid losing your league in the first two rounds of your draft.

 

Top 20 NBA Players for 2015-2016 Season

1) Anthony Davis, PF, New Orleans Pelicans

A healthy Anthony Davis is without a doubt the best overall fantasy player to own this season. Last year, Davis showed us just how dominant his play can be in the fantasy world. His across the board contribution was something to behold, being the only player to finish the year top five in blocks and points, alongside elite contributions in both percentages and in rebounds.

 

2) James Harden, SG, Houston Rockets

There is nothing not to like here. Assuming his performance is on the same level as last year, there is no category Harden hurts you in. Amazing free throw percentage with huge volume, great scoring and threes.  Don't fear the beard on draft day.

 

3) Stephen Curry, PG, Golden State Warriors - Going with the reigning MVP third is no mistake. It is easy to get caught up in the dazzle of his shooting but for a first-round pick at PG his assists are low -- he averaged about 2.5 fewer assists per game than Chris Paul and John Wall, and 1.1 fewer than Russell Westbrook. However, the Warriors have found a system that works and expect every starter's numbers to get a little better having already mastered the system for an entire season. Curry will continue to pile up threes with a great field goal percentage for a long range threat.

 

4) Russell Westbrook, PG, Oklahoma City Thunder - Mr. Triple-Double himself. We don't expect Westbrook to replicate the monster year he had last year putting the Thunder on his back without Durant and Ibaka, but finishing top five in points, assists, and steals can’t be a fluke. Russell will continue to play superman basketball even with the return of his running mates, and the stat-sheet will reflect that. The Thunder are looking at what might be their last shot at a title with this group, so look forward to an extra aggressive Russell this season.

 

5) Kevin Durant, SF, Oklahoma City Thunder - Kevin Durant at fifth after two foot procedures is a risk, but this is a fantasy MVP level player. Two seasons ago, he was the best player in fantasy basketball.  He has played very little basketball since then, but if he can stay healthy, KD doesn't need a lot of help to win fantasy leagues.

 

6) LeBron James, SF, Cleveland Cavaliers - The King no longer stands alone. Lebron James is still the best basketball player on the planet, but his current situation does not bode well for his fantasy value. The more talent he has around him, the less he is required to do.  No question, Lebron James is among the fantasy elite, but it seems like he's no longer on his own planet.

 

7) Chris Paul, PG, Los Angeles Clippers - Chris Paul led the NBA in assists for the second straight season in 2014-15.  Although John Wall might come close again, expect Paul to continue his reign as the lead assist man. The Clippers shifting to feature DeAndre Jordan more in the offense will play a key role in Paul keeping his assist rate at over 10.0 a game. The Clippers added a lot of bench talent at every position except point guard, showing us that Paul will still be the captain of this ship.

 

8) DeMarcus Cousins, PF/C, Sacramento Kings- If you weren't paying attention (it was difficult to look at the Kings last season), it would've been very easy for you to miss the monster year DeMarcus Cousins had last season. His free throw woes seem to be behind him, and his main focus seems to be winning. Cousins is arguably the most skilled big in the NBA and this year expect those skills to be on full display in a Kings offense that has infused some new talent and has nowhere to go but up.

 

9) Damian Lillard PG, Portland Trail Blazers - Damian Lillard should be shooting up everyone's rankings. With Lamarcus Aldridge out of the picture (and all the rest of last year's starters for that matter), Lillard is the unquestioned number one option for his team. His field goal percentage will take a hit, but look for him to average the best counting stats of his career. There is no reason at all he couldn't lead the league in points this season.

 

10) John Wall, PG, Washington Wizards - John Wall rose to elite status among the guards last season. Averaging 10.0 assists a game last year, Wall will also be looking to bump his scoring up. To keep the Wizards among the top four in the Eastern Conference, they will need another All-Star year from Wall. The addition of Jared Dudley gives him another great target to hit on his drive and kicks.

 

11) Paul Millsap, PF, Atlanta Hawks - With Kyle Korver's injury and the departure of DeMarre Carroll, Millsap will be asked to do even more on offense, including attempting more three point shots.  Millsap will see a rise in points and threes this year, giving him a highly sought out distribution of at least one block, three, and steal.

 

12) Blake Griffin, PF, Los Angeles Clippers - Blake Griffin showed us all during the playoffs that his skill set is at an elite level. He displayed LeBron-lite mid range shooting and play making ability while Chris Paul was hurt.  Having Paul Pierce on the wing creates a lot more space than Matt Barnes, so look for Blake to be aggressive not only on his post ups but also a few more drive and kicks to the Clippers shooters.

 

13) Paul George, SF, Indiana Pacers - We only got a glimpse of what Paul George can do on the court last season. But his freak injury shouldn't really affect his game much. When a player comes back from something like that you just want to see if they are still aggressive, and George showed that in his return late last season. With a completely different offense, look for George to be aggressive from beyond the arc to provide some additional shooting for the team. We might also see some nice off the dribble moves when the Pacers elect to play small ball and play George at power forward.

 

14) Kawhi Leonard, SF, San Antonio Spurs - Many might think that with the addition of LaMarcus Aldridge, Kawhi Leonard could see his numbers drop. However, having the best mid range shooter in the NBA alongside you can almost never be a bad thing. Leonard's threes will get a nice bump this year with the additional spacing Aldridge will provide. And with Leonard taking even more of an increased role in the offense this year as the Spurs look to keep their older players fresh, look for his assist numbers to go up as well.

 

15) Rudy Gobert, C, Utah Jazz - Gobert didn't get a full season of starter minutes, but the sample he gave us last season was very impressive. In limited minutes, he was able to place among the league leaders in blocks, and as a full time starter this year nothing less than a monster season will be expected.

 

16) Jimmy Butler, SG, Chicago Bulls - As great of a coach as Tom Thibodeau was, the hiring of Fred Hoiberg as head coach will prove to be a very good thing for Jimmy Butler. An offensive minded coach will help the Bulls offense become more fluid and take advantage of their skilled big men. Look for Butler to get a bump in threes as well as a small bump in free throw attempts.  He should also get a chance to show off his passing skills leading the offense with Derrick Rose perpetually out.

 

17) Klay Thompson, SG, Golden State Warriors - Klay Thompson displayed a big jump in his defense last season. The next step in his career arc will be having those improvements show up in the stat sheet more consistently. If so, Thompson could also join the elusive group averaging at least one three, block, and steal while chipping in over twenty points a game this season.

 

18) Serge Ibaka, PF, Oklahoma City Thunder - Serge Ibaka saw an early exit to last season with a knee injury. Most of the time, this is a very bad sign for a big man, but we are talking about a truly special player in Serge Ibaka. He has been top five in the NBA in blocks for the last three years. He may get some general preventive rest here and there, but the Thunder know they need his defensive presence to make it back to the playoffs.

 

19) Draymond Green, PF, Golden State Warriors - Draymond Green is coming off signing a well-deserved new contract. He is definitely out to prove to the rest of the NBA that he is worth every penny of the Warriors investment. Another year in Steve Kerr's system should only improve the rainbow stat line we expect from Draymond, and also provide a bump in points this year.

 

20) DeAndre Jordan, C, Los Angeles Clippers - As one of the bigger splashes (and controversies) in free agency this past offseason, DeAndre Jordan’s goal has been to become a bigger part of a team's offense. As we have found out from countless articles this summer, Doc Rivers has stated that the team will work on more plays and sets that feature DeAndre to increase his role in the offense. This means one thing--more alleys. That means more points, and an increased field goal percentage. He is 20th because of his terrible free throw percentage, but other than that, he is a monster.

 

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