RADIO
In light of the NBA All-Star game Starters being named we are going to look at the NBA Fantasy Basketball Starters from each conference. Today we are focusing on the Western Conference starters.
The real life NBA Western Conference All-Stars are James Harden, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins and Kevin Durant. Are they also fantasy All-Star starters?
Players have been selected based on their fantasy output and by the same position selection of two guard spots and three forwards. Just to note, these starters are selected solely on what they have accomplished so far this season and does not necessarily reflect their rest-of-season outlook. You can see the Eastern Conference Fantasy All-Stars starters here.
Upgrade To VIP: Win more with our NBA and DFS Premium Pass, get expert tools and advice from proven winners! Will Priester (@ChiefJustice06) from RotoGrinders joins the RotoBaller team in 2023-24 with his 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!
Western Conference Fantasy All-Star Starters
Guards
James Harden – 31.5 PTS, 9.0 AST, 4.8 REB, 1.8 STL, 0.6 BLK and 4.1 3PM
Houston Rockets guard James Harden has been putting up fantasy numbers that we expect from the fantasy stud he is. There have been zero issues with sharing the backcourt with Chris Paul as many worried his production would take a hit. They have found a way to co-exist and to complement each other which has The Beard having more open looks resulting in making a jump from 3.2 3-pointers made to an absurd 4.1 makes. Harden has as well improved his scoring to a league leading 31.5 PTS and has seen his turnovers drop from 5.7 a game to 4.4. These improvements make up for the dip in rebounds (8.1 to 4.8) and assists (11.2 to 9.0) from last season. Harden also gets the starting nod with his value at the free throw line. He makes 8.7 a game at 86.6%, that volume and accuracy is unmatched by anyone else. If it wasn’t for Harden missing some time due to injury, he would most likely be the front runner for MVP in fantasyland so far. Harden’s Elite fantasy line makes him the Western Conference’s first fantasy backcourt selection and owner’s can keep riding The Beard for a positive run the rest of the way.
Stephen Curry – 27.4 PTS, 6.5 AST, 5.2 REB, 1.7 STL and 4.2 3PM
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry is again amazing the fantasy world. He has been named the Captain of the real Western Conference Squad for a good reason. Curry is up to usual tricks of putting up efficient offensive numbers. He has upped his scoring from 25.3 per game to 27.4 and has seen improvements from the field (46.8% to 48.8%) and the free throw line (89.8% to 91.0%). With his insane accuracy, this gives him the nod in this line up over players like Russell Westbook and Damian Lillard, who are both having great fantasy seasons as well. Curry is an extremely fun player to own as when you check the box score there is not a better feeling then seeing him finish with eight, nine or 10 makes from deep for example. Reasons like this have Steph Curry rounding out the backcourt for the Western Conference in the fantasy world.
Forwards
Kevin Durant – 26.2 PTS, 6.9 REBS, 5.4 AST, 2.1 BLK, 0.8 STL and 2.5 3PM
Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant always seems to amaze us. Just when we thought we had seen it all out of the former MVP, KD decides to take on the responsibility of the primary rim protector for the NBA champs. With a staggering improvement from 1.6 swats to 2.1 a game, this puts him in a class of only 5 players with 2 or more a game this season and is the only player with 2 or more 3-pointers made and 2 or more blocks a game. Adding in Durant’s ability as a playmaker (5.4 assists per game) matched with his hustle on the glass (6.9 rebounds per game) makes him one of the best all around players in fantasy. Any owner who drafted this fantasy legend has to be head over heels this season to have him on their roster thus far.
Anthony Davis – 26.5 PTS, 10.6 REB, 2.3 AST, 2.1 BLK, 1.1 STL and 0.7 3PM
New Orleans Pelicans big man Anthony Davis is putting up an incredible year and gets our second forward slot. Every season Davis slips in drafts due to his past injury history and he is still a shaky player to own as he often takes trips to the locker room during games which makes owners stomach turn on a regular basis. AD has fit well alongside fellow big DeMarcus Cousin when it comes to fantasy basketball. Davis is putting up career highs in field goal percentage (55.7%), free throw percentage (81.9%) and 3-pointers made (0.7). Also with being only 1 of 3 players to be averaging 25 or more points and 10 or rebounds (Giannis Antetokounmpo and DeMarcus Cousins are the other two), owners are getting absurd double-doubles on a regular basis. Fantasy owners who had selected AD this season have been rewarded with the elite big man they hoped for.
Karl-Anthony Towns – 20.2 PTS, 12.0 REB, 2.3 AST, 1.6 BLKS, 0.9 STL and 1.5 3PM
Minnesota Timberwolves dominant big man, Karl-Anthony Towns gets the final spot on our Western Conference Fantasy All-Stars Starters team. KAT is putting together a stellar campaign and has such a valuable skill set from the center position. KAT is putting up careers highs in steals (0.9), 3-pointers made (1.5) and 3-point percentage (41.5%), remember this is a 7-footer putting up quality guard numbers in this group of stats. He also has put up a league leading 40 double-doubles this season! He beats out DeMarcus Cousins for the final spot with the much more impressive efficiency numbers of fewer turnovers per game (2.0 to 5.0) and a superior field goal percentage (54.1% to 47.0%). You also can’t argue that he is ranked number 1 overall on ESPN Fantasy Player Rater rankings for 9-category leagues. If owners had selected KAT anywhere in the top 5 this season, they have been rolling with one of the most durable and consistent players in fantasy.
More Fantasy Basketball Analysis
NBA DFS Premium Subscription
Get a free trial of our powerful NBA Premium Tools. Our famous DFS Cheat Sheets, and NBA Lineup Optimizer & Generator with daily matchup projections.
Win more. Try the most advanced lineup optimizer in daily fantasy basketball.
