September 6, 2017

Jake Finnen ranks the top fantasy basketball point guards into tiers. Follow our 2017-18 fantasy basketball rankings series as we approach the NBA season.

You can almost smell October 17th, but unfortunately we've still got another month of hot takes, off-season news, and Twitter arguments so ridiculous that even I have been left speechless. With that, the point guard conversation has been one of the main topics of frustration this summer. While saying Russ is better than Steph is all good and fun, when it comes to fantasy, production reigns king and you already know who the top point guard option is.

That being said, here is a small breakdown of the tiers. Tier 1 are the nightly superstars capable of breaking records on any given night. The ones that will contribute and have the potential to explode in multiple categories. Tier 2 are superstars that will produce every night, but might not break necks in the box score. They will get the job done, but will not exceed expectations on a frequent basis. Tier 3 are the players that are able to contribute against any opponent, but will fall short in some situations. Whether they struggle in late games or against tough opponents, these players will need to be used in more generous circumstances rather than every night.

All positional eligibility is based on Fantrax league defaults, and will include anyone who qualifies at the position.  As a result, players ranked here may not qualify at the position on all other sites.  All of the initial position tiers are coming from different writers -- so don't come complaining to us if there's no consistency between them.  Just relax, enjoy, and hate on each set of rankings separately.

Fantasy Basketball Tiered Point Guard Rankings

Tier 1

1. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder - Google stats and Russell Westbrook's face comes up. It doesn't, but it should. The man is production. He managed to average a triple-double with Andre Roberson as his guy on the wing. "Oh, but Paul George is gonna take away from his production." Right. I forgot that the last thing Russ needed was another superstar to play with...

2. John Wall, Washington Wizards - I heard whispers about John Wall as a dark horse MVP late last season. While it was completely outlandish, the man produces unlike other point guards. While his offensive stats are modest, he's consistent, contributes in defensive stats, and his speed means automatic hustle stats. He is in a great situation as the heart of his team and will benefit from the weaker assist.

3. Chris Paul, Houston Rockets - Rolling alongside James Harden with a Mike D'Antoni offense.  That's it. I shouldn't have to say anything else and I will invoke the fifth amendment to show how serious I am.

4. Kyrie Irving, Boston Celtics - Kyrie Irving wanted to be the leader, now he's got his chance. I am going to sit back and watch the dribbling and playmaking unfold. Kyrie will not become this phenomenal passer out of nowhere, but I do see him being points leader by the end of the season. The Celtics may not win every game they play this season, but Irving is going to produce. He has no choice.

5. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors - Money from the three, contributes on D, not as good as some but all about consistency. That was fun.

6. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers - I probably should have saved the rhyming for the rapper but it would just be disrespectful. If Jusuf Nurkic can stay healthy, it opens up Lillard's ability to catch and shoot and produce off cuts. Even if Nurkic is healthy, Lillard will still be rolling alongside compadre C.J. McCollum as one of the league's top offensive threats.

7. James Harden, Houston Rockets - James Harden won't be playing anything close to the same role he had last year. It might not be 11 assists per game but Harden style of play can't help but produce.

Tier 2

8. Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets - This might seem generous, but Walker is a consistent scorer can find shooters. The Hornets are going to surge in the weakened conference and Walker is going to repeat as an All-Star.

9. Ricky Rubio, Utah Jazz - The one thing that held Ricky Rubio back was his scoring. Check his post All-Star break stats. He made 124 shots in the last 24 games while only making 137 through 51 games. You can blame the weaker opponents late in the season, but he was shooting with a confidence I have never seen him play with. Rubio is going to have a career year and his defense is going to improve in Utah. Prepare yourselves.

10. Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors - Kyle Lowry can explode in multiple categories, but can tend to get overshadowed by teammate DeMar DeRozan. He is consistency as far as his playing goes but has disappeared on a few occasions. It might be rare, but it still happens. Lowry is still a top option and has a weak conference to give his stats a slight boost.

11. Isaiah Thomas, Cleveland Cavaliers - WARNING: Isaiah Thomas might be injured and unable to play for a while, but in a vacuum, he is an ideal situation. If he is healthy, he is going to be able to produce and have LeBron James as support. I mean, what point guard wouldn't want to play with LeBron James?  HA.

12. Dennis Schroder, Atlanta Hawks - The Hawks might have a really bad team, but Schroder is going to be a bright spot that has proven he can work with whatever he has. He still needs to improve on defense but as far as offense goes, Schroder is a three-ball away from being one of the league's top producers.

13. C.J. McCollum, Portland Trail Blazers - C.J. McCollum doesn't produce in every category, but he scores enough to make up for it. McCollum is consistent and has shown playmaking ability but sacrifices most of his assists to Lillard who is the primary ball handler. McCollum will benefit from a healthy Trail Blazers team and should continue to improve his scoring.

14. Jeff Teague, Minnesota Timberwolves - What isn't fun about his new Timberwolves team? Teague might have not been enough support to put the Pacers over the Cavaliers, but with Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns and possibilities are endless. I can already tell Teague is going to be my favorite DFS point guard.

15. Eric Bledsoe, Pheonix Suns - You could say he is wasting away in Pheonix but that would mean overlooking his pretty incredible numbers. He only played in 66 games last season but posted very solid fantasy numbers when he played. If he ends up on a contender, he is going to be one of the most productive point guards. He is severely inhibited by his situation but is still a top talent.

16. Mike Conley, Memphis Grizzlies - The Grizzlies are rebuilding and Conley will have Marc Gasol at his disposal. It might just be Conley and Gasol but fantasy owners are going to benefit from unreal usage numbers. If you though Conley was snubbed an All-Star last season (which he wasn't), you sure are going to be mad this year now that Conley is going to have to carry the team nightly.

17. Goran Dragic, Miami Heat - Dragic is about as consistent as they come. He might not blow the roof off the building but you can always count on him to produce. Great vision combined with a hair-trigger shot allows him to be a constant threat. You play the pass, he scores. You play the ball, he passes. A smart player that can be the perfect part of a fantasy team in every format.

18. Jrue Holiday, New Orleans Pelicans - The Pelicans are slowly going to mesh and it will be impossible for Jrue Holiday not to benefit from his frontcourt. Holiday is great when in isolation, but with spacing he is near unstoppable. If you cannot stop him on the initial drive, he will find DeMarcus Cousins or Anthony Davis. It's just science.

Tier 3

19. Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic - Elfrid Payton was flirting with nightly triple-doubles late in the season and he started finding his rhythm on offense. He contributes across the board and defensively, but will need to improve his scoring before he can move up. He is the perfect benchmark for the third tier.

20. Avery Bradley, Detroit Pistons - How fun. A shooting guard. Anyway, Avery Bradley is going to be a main source of offense for the Pistons and will continue his role as one of the best backcourt rebounders. He will be on a completely new team and his production is going to reach heights that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope never could.

21. Lou Williams, Loa Angeles Clippers - His time in Houston was well spent he is in a fantastic situation. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan are an ideal frontcourt and he is going to be the primary threat in the backcourt. Lou Williams is going to score. A lot.

22. Jeremy Lin, Brooklyn Nets - Most people are probably thinking D'Angelo Russell will take the reigns as the primary point guard, but Jeremy Lin is still producing when healthy. Even during his short time on the court last season he produced against tough opponents and excelled. If Lin stays healthy he is going to produce like he always has, especially with this newly crafted Nets team, as funky as it may look on paper.

23. George Hill, Sacramento Kings - Like Lin, Hill is going to be in a interesting situation. He is playing with unproven young guys and established veterans. Hill spent most of his time last season injured, but when healthy he proved to be a valuable asset. As long as he stays healthy, he is a solid option.

24. Derrick Rose, Cleveland Cavaliers - Derrick Rose has a solid stint for the Knicks, although most fans will tell you he was a shell of his former self. While that may be true, Rose was still an efficient scorer in isolation and was forced into a heavy workload for the Knicks. If Isaiah Thomas is out, Rose will be the starter and he is going to be playing with LeBron James. In no way is that going to hurt Rose's production.

25. Reggie Jackson, Detroit Pistons - Reggie Jackson has a better situation for next year but still needs to work on his consistency. He is going to benefit from having a year as starting point guard under his belt, but will need to prove himself against quality defenders before he becomes an every night option.

26. Jordan Clarkson, Los Angeles Lakers - While everyone is looking at Lonzo Ball, Clarkson is going to be doing all the scoring. Clarkson has the scoring ability to carry a team and is willing to find teammates. Last year the Lakers turned into a bit of a trainwreck after a strong start. Clarkson was a big part of that and it will continue. He is a clear standout in the Laker backcourt and will continue to shine alongside a playmaking point guard. Not saying that point guard will produce but it certainly will not hurt Clarkson.

27. Zach Lavine, Chicago Bulls - Zach Lavine was a major source of production before his injury and Chicago is going to highlight his strengths and weaknesses. He is going to be a high-usage candidate for the Bulls and his production will be hindered by the Bulls.

28. Austin Rivers, Los Angeles Clippers - Remember that kid that always got to play because his dad got to coach? Well, that's a fantasy goldmine that has the potential to be extremely valuable. That being said it's Austin Rivers and he could flop every night. Wait to see if he get's a starters workload before gambling.

29. Malcolm Brogdon, Milwaukee Bucks - Another gamble but the previous rookie of the year contributes across the board. He still had to fight with Dellavedova at times for the starter spot but overall the job is Brogdon's to lose. His team has too many weapons for him not to benefit.

30. Victor Oladipo, Indiana Pacers - Weirdly enough Oladipo is again in a scneario where he is going to be the main source of production. Myles Turner might be best all-around player with his athleticism, but Oladipo is going to lead the charge in the backcourt. This young team might turn some heads in the highlight reel but do not expect too many wins in Indiana.

More 2017-18 Fantasy Basketball Analysis