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

NBA Mid-Season Fantasy Basketball Rankings: Top 25

By Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA (John Wall, Stephen Curry) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

NBA expert Seth Finkelstein's mid-season rankings for fantasy basketball. He ranks players' fantasy value for the second half of the 2015-16 NBA season.

What's up RotoBallers. Welcome to part one of my mid-season fantasy basketball rankings. The 2015-16 NBA season has kicked into high gear and we’ve seen some very exciting games thus far. Most notably, the Warriors started the season on a tear winning their first 24 games consecutively.

However, there are more budding stars in this league than the Splash Brothers out west and King in the east. Here are my top 25 players for the second half of the 2015-16 season. Stay tuned for 26-50.

Position Eligibility Based on Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball Player List

 

The Top 25: Mid-Season Fantasy Basketball Rankings

1. Stephen Curry (PG/SG, GS) - He's the best player in the game. He brings it every single night. He has the highest PER among players, 32.66, the best field goal percentage among guards, 51 percent, and leads the league in scoring with 30 points a game.

2. Russell Westbrook (PG, OKC) - This guy is a maniac and I love it. He's almost averaging a triple-double; 25 points, 7 rebounds, 10 assists, and he has 2.5 steals a game.

3. Kevin Durant (SF/PF, OKC) - I place him behind teammate Westbrook, due to his 4.5 assists a game. Plus (for selfish reasons), I prefer Westbrook as a player.

4. Kawhi Leonard (SG/SF, SA) - What a huge step Leonard took this year. He is averaging a carer high 20 points per game, and is fifth in PER. I'd also say he's the best defender in the league; his arms are so long that he disrupts so much of the other team's offensive flow. He also leads the league in defensive win shares with 3.6.

5. Anthony Davis (PF/C, NO) - Davis is averaging a double- double. I wish Alvin Gentry wasn't such a bad coach, though. If Gentry was somewhat competent, Davis's stats could be even better.

6. Draymond Green (SF/PF, GS) - He's the heart and soul of the Warriors. When he is fired up, so is his team. His stats this season are career highs; 15 ppg, eight rebounds, 7.6 assists, 47 percent shooting, and 40 percent from three! Remember when Bill Simmons called him out for his three point shooting? And he's a top five defensive player; fourth in the league in defensive win shares and defensive rating.

7. James Harden (SG/SF, HOU) -  He's second in the league in scoring, 27 points per game, dishes out 7 assists per game and brings in six boards. Him leading the league in turnovers, yet again, doesn't help his cause either.  If only he could play defense, and broke up with Khloe Kardashian...

8. LeBron James (SF/PF, CLE) - James's three point percentage is at his lowest since his rookie season, 29 percent, but he's LeBron. A great trade chip, and a huge intimidation factor when facing off against a fantasy team that boasts him.

9. DeMarcus Cousins (PF/C, SAC) - He's the best center in the league. If you think Andre Drummond is better, then look at their free throw percentage: Cousins, 74 percent, Drummond 36 percent. Besides that, Boogie is averaging a career high 26 points per game, to go along with 11 rebounds. He does need to stop shooting four 3-pointers a game. That is absurd.

10. Chris Paul (PG, LAC) - The Clips are 11-2 without Blake Griffin, thanks to Chris Paul. When Griffin was playing, Paul was averaging a 17 points, nine assists, and three rebounds. But without Griffin, Paul has been averaging 20 points per game, five rebounds, 11 assists, and two steals. He's stepped up his game and so have the Clippers. Too bad Paul and the rest of the Clips continually whine and whine.

11. Paul George (SG/SF/PF, IND) - After missing the majority of last season, PG-13 has came out firing. He's averaging a career high in points, 23.5, to go along with seven rebounds and three assists. He's also sixth in defensive win shares.

12. Jimmy Butler (SG/SF, CHI) - Without Butler, the Bulls would be dead. He has a career high in points, 22.5, and assists, 4.3. He also gets to the foul line a ton, attempting the third most in the league this year.

13. Paul Millsap (PF/C, ATL) - Millsap doesn't get enough credit. He's 10th in PER and is quietly having a career year. His stats (all career highs): 18.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.4 blocks. He's shooting 49 percent from the field. Millsap is also fifth in defensive win shares.

14.  Andre Drummond (PF/C, DET) - I couldn't place him any higher because of his horrid free throw shooting. As Dan Patrick said, shoot underhand or try something else at least. If Stan Van pulled a fan out of the crowd, he would hit more foul shots than Drummond. Besides that, he has been a monster all year.

15. DeMar DeRozan (SG/SF, TOR) - Yes, I have DeRozan this high and over teammate, Kyle Lowry. He leads the team in points, 23.3, also a career high. DeRozan is shooting 44.5 percent from the field. That's better than Lowry.

16. Kyle Lowry (PG, TOR) - Lowry is having himself a career year in points, 20.7, rebounds, 5, and field goal percentage, 41.9 percent. He and DeRozan have led the Raptors to the second spot in the Eastern Conference.

17. John Wall (PG, WAS) - Great stats and the only bright spot on the Wizards this season.

18. Pau Gasol (PF/C, CHI) - The 35-year-old is still looking spry as he averages 16 points, 11 boards, and two blocks.

19. Damian Lillard (PG, POR) - We knew his numbers would go up when Aldridge left. But his field goal percentage is a career low, 41.5 percent.

20. Klay Thompson (SG/SF, GS) - He started off slowly, but since Christmas he has been averaging 22 points a game, with 4.5 rebounds. In that span, he is shooting 45 percent from the field, including 40 percent from three point land.

21. Chris Bosh (PF/C, MIA) - Great move by Bosh staying in Miami and not going to Houston two offseason ago. Now he is the best player on the Heat and his stats show it.

22. Karl-Anthony Towns (PF/C, MIN) - The rookie has been phenomenal averaging close to a double-double, shooting 53 percent, to go along with two blocks.

23. Blake Griffin (PF/C, LAC) - The Clippers have gone 11-3 without Griffin. What does that say? Either way, the stats will be there. His injury bumps him down to here.

24. Dwight Howard (C, HOU) - Averaging a double-double, but to be on a team with James Harden and Ty Lawson, and have your record only be 23-22. That's a red flag. His missed games are pain, but he's a beast in the games he does play.

25. J.J. Redick (SG, LAC) - He is so close to being the sole member of the 50-50-90 club. He's shooting 49 percent from the field, 49.5 percent from three, and 88 percent from foul line. Only six players are in the 50-40-90 club. In the 1995-96 NBA season, Steve Kerr entered the 50-50-90 club, and today, is still the only one to achieve that remarkable feat. Need more reason for him to crack the top 25? He's averaging 16 a game and is eighth in made 3-pointers.

 

NBA & Fantasy Basketball Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-11" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

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

RANKINGS

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

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jaylen Warren

Records First Career Two-Touchdown Game in Week 9 Win Over Colts
Michael Pittman Jr.

Leads Colts With Nine Catches in Week 9 Loss at Pittsburgh
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Continues Historic Pace, Racks Up 129 Yards in Week 9 Win
Tory Horton

Catches Two Touchdowns in Week 9 Win at Washington
Sam Darnold

Nearly Flawless in Dominant Sunday Night Win at Washington
Jayden Daniels

Suffers Gruesome Left-Arm Injury on Sunday Night
Kyren Williams

Goes Over 100 Rushing Yards, Scores in Dominant Win Over Saints
Davante Adams

Continues Red-Zone Dominance in Week 9 Win
Dalton Kincaid

Leads Bills in Receiving Yards in Week 9 Win
Geno Smith

Throws Four Touchdown Passes in Week 9
DJ Moore

Scores Two Touchdowns, Involved in Several Ways Sunday
Kyle Monangai

Capitalizes on Expanded Role in Week 9
Matthew Stafford

Adds Four More Touchdowns in Sunday's Win
Brock Bowers

Snags Three Touchdown Passes in Grand Return
Brian Thomas Jr.

Injures Ankle in Victory Against Las Vegas
Puka Nacua

Injures Ribs Sunday, Could Have Returned
Rico Dowdle

Delivers Another Huge Showing in Lead-Back Role
Cooper Kupp

Ruled Out for Week 9
Colston Loveland

Scores Game-Winning Touchdown
Joe Flacco

has Career Game in Loss to Bears
Tee Higgins

Scores Twice in Loss
Kevin Porter Jr.

Suffers a Knee Injury, Out at Least Four Weeks
Quinn Hughes

Returns to Practice Sunday
Roman Josi

Moved to Injured Reserve
Max Scherzer

Doesn't Plan on Retiring
Michael King

Becomes Free Agent After Declining Mutual Option
Ayo Dosunmu

Sidelined for Rematch Versus the Knicks
Cole Smith

to Miss 3-6 Weeks
Walker Kessler

to Undergo Further Testing on Injured Shoulder
Ryan Reaves

Placed on Injured Reserve
NYI

Max Shabanov Not Close to Returning
Jusuf Nurkić

Jusuf Nurkic Getting the Start on Sunday Night
Ryan Kalkbrenner

Available Versus Utah
Tyson Foerster

Won't Play Sunday
LaMelo Ball

Won't Play on Sunday Night
Sean Couturier

Returns to Flyers Lineup Sunday
LaMelo Ball

Not Expected to Play on Sunday
Austin Cindric

is A Driver to Avoid for Phoenix DFS Lineups
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Named World Series MVP
Alex Bowman

Could Alex Bowman be A Sneaky Tournament Play for Phoenix?
Noah Gragson

Should DFS Players Roster Noah Gragson At Phoenix?
Erik Jones

Is Erik Jones Worth Rostering for DFS at Phoenix?
Connor McDavid

Records Three Assists in Saturday's Win
Michael McDowell

an Easy Recommendation for DFS at Phoenix
Vladimir Tarasenko

Ends Dry Spell With Three-Point Effort
Nick Suzuki

Collects Two More Apples
Timothy Liljegren

Sustains Upper-Body Injury
Nick Cousins

Injured on Saturday
Christopher Tanev

Leaves on Stretcher Saturday
Kevon Looney

Questionable Versus OKC
Chase Briscoe

Probably Won't Win the Title
Joey Logano

Could Play Spoiler in Championship Battle at Phoenix
Tyler Reddick

Seeking to End Winless Drought, but Probably Won't Have the Speed
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Looks to Protect Top-10 Points Finish at Phoenix
Brad Keselowski

Hasn't Been Fast at Phoenix With RFK Racing
Daniel Suarez

With Nothing at Stake, Expect Little From Daniel Suarez
Kyle Busch

Qualifies Well, but Will Probably Finish Worse Than he Starts
Chris Buescher

Ryan Preece has a Shot to Overtake Chris Buescher as RFK Racing's Lead Driver
Austin Dillon

Looks to Avoid Finishing Last in NASCAR Playoffs
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Might be a Worthy DFS Option
Jakob Poeltl

to Remain Sidelined Sunday
Walker Kessler

Out on Sunday
Mitchell Robinson

Listed as Questionable for Sunday
Dillon Brooks

to Miss Fourth Straight Game Sunday
Jalen Green

Unavailable Against Spurs
Norman Powell

Questionable to Suit Up Against Lakers
Jeremy Sochan

Remains Absent Sunday
De'Aaron Fox

Still Out Sunday
Daniel Gafford

Makes Season Debut With Minutes Restriction
D'Angelo Russell

Cleared to Play Saturday
Deandre Ayton

Listed as Probable for Sunday
Paul George

Unavailable Sunday
Joel Embiid

to Sit Out Sunday's Action
Connor Brown

Won't Play on Saturday
Dylan Strome

Ready to Return Saturday
Sean Couturier

Out on Saturday
Ilya Mikheyev

Set to Return Saturday
Warren Foegele

Kings Place Warren Foegele on Injured Reserve
TOR

Chris Tanev Cleared for Action
William Nylander

Remains Out Saturday
Shohei Ohtani

to Start Game 7 of World Series
Alejandro Kirk

X-Rays Come Back Negative on Alejandro Kirk's Hand
Alejandro Kirk

Goes for X-Rays After Being Hit on the Hand
Mackenzie Blackwood

Set for Season Debut Saturday
Gleyber Torres

Undergoes Sports-Hernia Surgery
Bo Bichette

Not Expecting to Need Offseason Knee Surgery
George Springer

Back in Leadoff Spot for Game 6 of World Series
David Onama

Set For UFC Vegas 110 Main Event
Steve Garcia

Returns At UFC Vegas 110
Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Set For Co-Main Event
Ante Delija

In Search For His Second UFC Win
Themba Gorimbo

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 110
Jeremiah Wells

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Yadier del Valle

Looks To Remain Undefeated
CFB

Arizona State Quarterback Sam Leavitt Out for the Season
Isaac Dulgarian

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Daniel Frunza

Looks For His First UFC Win
Charles Radtke

Looks To Bounce Back
Allan Nascimento

Set To Open Up UFC Vegas 110 Main Card
Cody Durden

In Dire Need Of Victory
George Springer

"Strong Possibility" That George Springer Returns in Game 6 of World Series
Bryce Miller

Not Expected to Need Elbow Surgery
Washington Nationals

Nationals Finalizing a Deal to Hire Blake Butera as Next Manager
CFB

Arch Manning Listed as Questionable for Vanderbilt Matchup
CFB

Arion Carter Listed as Questionable Ahead of Oklahoma Matchup
Minnesota Twins

Twins Name Derek Shelton as Their New Manager
CFB

Jordyn Tyson Questionable for Iowa State Matchup with Hamstring Injury
George Springer

Not in the Lineup for Game 4 of World Series