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
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Fantasy Basketball Tiered Rankings - Shooting Guards

The 2015-2016 NBA season ended on June 19th and the start of the 2016-2017 NBA regular season is a decent ways away on October 25th. Since the end of the NBA season rookies have been drafted, newcomers squared off and competed for roster spots in the NBA Summer League, and there was a mad dash to sign valuable free agents by every single team in the league.

So here we stand, looking at the beginning of a new Fantasy Basketball season on the distant horizon, wondering what to make of all the roster changes and power shifts.

To make sure that none of us are caught off guard and unprepared because of distractions in the sports world like the NFL and the World Series, let's rank the top 20 players for Fantasy Basketball by all five positions and break down the top 20 by tiers of value.

Today, we focus on our 2016-17 tiered fantasy basketball rankings for NBA shooting guards.

 

First Tier Shooting Guards - Fantasy Basketball Rankings

1. James Harden, HOU

2. Klay Thompson, GSW

3. Jimmy Butler, CHI

4. Gordon Hayward, UTA

5. Victor Oladipo, OKC

Truth be told, as a producer of statistics, James Harden really is in a tier of his own. Thompson, Butler, Hayward, and Oladipo are so close together in value that it just makes sense to say that these five make up the top tier of shooting guards. There isn't a statistical category that James Harden doesn't constantly fill up. Klay Thompson finished last season 12th in the NBA in scoring; however by averaging just 0.8 steals, 2.1 assists, and 3.8 rebounds, he is a a pure scorer who is deadly from distance at 42.5%. Anyone drafting should be wary, Kevin Durant's presence in the Bay could have a big negative impact on Thompson's total scoring.

Jimmy Butler is ranked over Gordon Hayward tentatively. Hayward is the main man in Utah while Butler is now sharing the floor with Dwyane Wade. Butler can do everything but shoot well and Hayward is a solid well-rounded player who can shoot a little better.

There is a big question mark with Oladipo. How will he share the floor with Russell Westbrook? The good news is that in his three NBA seasons Oladipo has gone from shooting 32.7% from long range to about 35%, so he may be able to take on a fine role as OKC's wing. Since his big draw comes in his defense, that means we can breathe easy knowing he isn't risking losing assist value.

 

Second Tier Shooting Guards - Fantasy Basketball Rankings

6. DeMar DeRozan, TOR

7. Monta Ellis, IND

8. Dwyane Wade, CHI

9. Bradley Beal, WSH

10. Andrew Wiggins, MIN

The five shooting guards that make up the second tier are in a very sweet spot in terms of value. The range of DeRozan to Wiggins offers elite value right before you get into the messy 11-14 range where you really have to play with category checks and balances. Ellis is a poor shooter who grabs a monster number of steals with serviceable assists. Dwayne Wade is also a poor shooting yet versatile wing who is incredibly time-tested, but is also in a new city and is sharing the floor with another elite shooting guard.

Bradley Beal has a nice niche carved out next to John Wall in D.C. For the last three seasons he has averaged 16.6 points, 1.05 steals, and 1.8 three pointers per game while shooting 40% from distance. Don't expect him to fill up assists or rebounds though, there are plenty of other Wizards taking them all for themselves.

Wiggins typically just scores a lot. He grabbed a steal per game last year, but you can find that at a much lower ADP. He doesn't even shoot well at just 30% from distance, so his value comes almost solely from his 20 points per game. Good thing the Wolves added another floor general in Kris Dunn.

 

Third Tier Shooting Guards - Fantasy Basketball Rankings

11. Avery Bradley, BOS

12. J.J. Redick, LAC

13. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, DET

14. Evan Fournier, ORL

If you are ever needing to fill a specific category that has anything to do with scoring, the third tier of shooting guards is a nice place to look. These players may be a little more one dimensional than James Harden and Jimmy Butler, but there is safety in buying their forte.

Bradley can score, shoot, and steal; but can't offer any assists or rebounds. J.J. Redick is very possibly the best shooter in the world not named Curry or Thompson, as he shot 47.5% from 3PT land, but he is useless in every other category. Pope can't shoot, but he scores, plays good defense, and has improved nicely as a rebounder. Fournier has played more minutes per game every year and continues to shoot his way to his points with 40% from distance and 15.4 points per game last season. He was also able to grab 1.2 steals per game last year since he finally eclipsed 30 minutes per contest.

 

Fourth Tier Shooting Guards - Fantasy Basketball Rankings

15. Will Barton, DEN

16. J.R. Smith, CLE

17. Gary Harris, DEN

Barton, Smith, and Harris are ranked in the fourth tier because their statistical fortes are a little less reliable or just not as important to look for. Barton seems to have found his true home in Denver. He played in all 82 games last season and scored a career high 14.4 points, shot a career high 34.5% from distance, and grabbed 5.8 rebounds per game which adds a lot of value to him as a specialized wing. Also, in the 110 games he's played in Denver, he has averaged a steal per game.

J.R. Smith is purely a "Three and D" player, but he is a safe bet for it since he's done that consistently each season since 2006. Harris still has a lot of upside as a 21-year old. Last season he played 19 more minutes per game and averaged 12.3 points, improved his 3PT% from 20.4% to 35.4%, and nabbed 1.3 steals per game. If he continues to develop more long range accuracy and continues to pester passes, he could take a big leap in value.

 

Fifth Tier Shooting Guards - Fantasy Basketball Rankings

18. Rodney Hood, UTA

19. Devin Booker, PHO

20. Evan Turner, POR

Hood and Booker are in the fifth tier because they mostly just shoot and score, but they also are young enough that they have the potential to have big breakout seasons, especially in scoring. Evan Turner made it into the top 20 because of what he can outside of his low-volume scoring and poor accuracy from long range.

In 32.2 minutes per game last year Hood averaged 14.5 points, shot 36% from distance, and improved to 2.7 assists per game. Hood's height also allows him to grab some boards and he took 3.4 per game last year. Booker didn't get much floor time to start the year but in the last three months he started all 33 games that he played in and averaged 35.5 minutes, 18.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. This is all as the notoriously dead-eye shooter was on a cold streak at just 29.8% from long range.

In the 163 games that Evan Turner played for Boston in the last two seasons he averaged 10 points, 1.0 steal, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game. At just 26.2% for 3PT FG, he doesn't offer what most wings offer. Though with a six season track record of above average rebounding and passing, he can offer what a lot of other shooting guards can't.

 

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Scottie Scheffler

The Untouchable Favorite At CJ Cup
Tom Kim

A Popular Name To Avoid At TPC Craig Ranch
Austin Eckroat

Looking To Find Success Again At TPC Craig Ranch
Ben Kohles

Finishes Tied For 59 At Corales Puntacana Championship
Joel Dahmen

Finishes Tied For Second At Corales Puntacana Championship
Beau Hossler

Finishes Tied For 60 At Valero Texas Open
Doug Ghim

Finishes Tied For 18 At the Valero Texas Open
Jordan Spieth

Finishes Tied For 18 At RBC Heritage
Kurt Kitayama

Misses The Cut At Valero Texas Open
Si Woo Kim

Finishes Tied For Eighth At RBC Heritage
George Kirby

"Feeling Great", Could Throw Again On Sunday
Tyler Fitzgerald

Returning To Starting Nine
Josh Lowe

Progressing Well, Could Play In Rehab Games On Saturday
Shane McClanahan

Begins "Throwing-Like" Activities
Patrik Laine

Remains Day-To-Day
Gabriel Vilardi

On Track To Return Wednesday
Brandon Hagel

Ruled Out For Game 5
Marcus Johansson

Returns To Action Tuesday
Cole Ragans

Won't Start On Wednesday
Dylan Moore

Placed On 10-Day Injured List With Hip Inflammation
Jonas Siegenthaler

Considered A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Brett Pesce

A Game-Time Call Tuesday
Yordan Alvarez

Back In Tuesday's Lineup
Frederik Andersen

Unavailable Tuesday
Aaron Nesmith

Upgraded To Available
Las Vegas Raiders

Jack Bech A Strong Candidate To Be An Immediate Starter
Las Vegas Raiders

Zamir White Competing For Depth Role
New York Jets

Mason Taylor To Immediately Be Atop Jets Tight End Depth Chart
Bennedict Mathurin

Cleared For Game 5
Buffalo Bills

Dalton Kincaid Setting Up As Post-Hype Sleeper In 2025?
Denver Broncos

Dre Greenlaw Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Seattle Seahawks

Sam Darnold To Take Over 90% Of The Snaps
Tennessee Titans

Titans In No Rush To Trade Will Levis
Daulton Varsho

Reinstated From Injured List And Starting On Tuesday
Minnesota Vikings

J.J. McCarthy Says He Knows He's Ready To Start For Vikings
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Picking Up Fifth-Year Option On Dax Hill
Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers Apply Unrestricted Free-Agent Tender To J.K. Dobbins
Seattle Seahawks

Jaren Hall Cut Loose By Seahawks
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs Compare Josh Simmons To Christian Darrisaw, Rashawn Slater
Denver Broncos

Pat Bryant Compared To Michael Thomas
Denver Broncos

RJ Harvey Could Do It All For Broncos
Carolina Panthers

Tetairoa McMillan Likely To Man The X Spot For Panthers
Green Bay Packers

Packers, Jaire Alexander Continue To Discuss Potential Reunion
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Discussed George Pickens With Steelers
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs To Pick Up Fifth-Year Option On Trent McDuffie, George Karlaftis
Washington Commanders

Matt Gays Signs One-Year Deal With Commanders
San Francisco 49ers

George Kittle Signs Four-Year Extension With 49ers
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Records Third Consecutive Double-Double
Brandin Podziemski

Hits Six Treys During 26-Point Performance
Jimmy Butler III

Leads Warriors In Scoring Monday Night
Jarrett Allen

Has Double-Double, Six Steals In Blowout Win
Brandon Boston Jr.

Recovering From Ankle Surgery
Kelly Olynyk

Undergoes Heel Procedure
Aaron Nesmith

Probable For Tuesday's Action
Nathan MacKinnon

Has Two Points In Losing Effort
Martin Necas

Records Two Assists In Game 5 Loss
Mikko Rantanen

Tallies Three Points In Monday's Win
Wyatt Johnston

Leads Stars To Game 5 Victory
Sergei Bobrovsky

Returns To Winning Ways
Anton Lundell

Earns Two Points Monday
Ryan Gerard

Going For A Texas Trifecta Of Sorts
Brandon Hagel

Departs Loss Early
Joe Highsmith

Hoping To Make More Putts In Texas
Eric Cole

Expecting Big Things In Texas
Brian Campbell

May Go Under The Radar At CJ Cup
Riley Greene

Homers Twice On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

Exits Monday's Win Early
Los Angeles Chargers

Tre Harris Expected To Fill X Role For Chargers
Jimmy Butler III

Officially Active For Game 4
Isaiah Stewart

Uncertain For Game 5
Michael Porter Jr.

Expected To Play In Game 5
Brandon Nimmo

Has Career Game
Russell Westbrook

Questionable For Tuesday Night
Tyler Glasnow

Going On The Injured List
Jaylen Brown

Back On The Injury Report
Jrue Holiday

Out Again On Tuesday Night
Bennedict Mathurin

Questionable For Game 5
Damian Lillard

May Not Play Next Season
Luis Arraez

Expected To Return On Tuesday
Johnathan Kovacevic

To Remain Out Tuesday
Brenden Dillon

Unavailable Tuesday
Luke Hughes

Not Ready To Return For Game 5
Darius Garland

Remains Out On Monday
Ross Colton

Remains Out On Monday
Oskar Bäck

Oskar Back Returns To Stars Lineup Monday
Miro Heiskanen

To Miss Game 5
Jordan Westburg

Placed On Injured List
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go For Game 4
William Byron

Ends With A Strong Top-Five Finish At Talladega
Ryan Blaney

Bad Luck Continues With Talladega Crash
Kyle Larson

Has A Career-Best Performance At Talladega
Ian Machado Garry

Gets Back On Track With UFC Kansas City Win
Brad Keselowski

Talladega Run Ends Early After Crashing
Carlos Prates

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Zhang Mingyang

Still Undefeated In The UFC
Anthony Smith

Retires After UFC Kansas City Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous Decision Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous-Decision Loss
David Onama

Extends Win Streak At UFC Kansas City
Michel Pereira

Drops Decision At UFC Kansas City
Abus Magomedov

Extends His Win Streak
Nicolas Dalby

Gets Finished For The First Time
Randy Brown

Gets Back In The Win Column
Ikram Aliskerov

Gets First-Round TKO Finish At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Gets TKO'd At UFC Kansas City
Chase Elliott

Recovers from Speeding Penalty to Finish Fifth
Joey Logano

Finishes Last at Talladega After Disqualification for Missing Spoiler Brace
Ryan Preece

Loses Talladega Race First in Photo Finish Then in Post-Race Inspection
NASCAR

Poor Toyota Strategy Arguably Cost Bubba Wallace Winning Chances at Talladega
Christopher Bell

Unhurt After Hard Contact with Inside Retaining Wall
Joe Ryan

Posts Stellar Outing
Jaylen Brown

Available For Game 4
Nick Lodolo

Throws Seven Scoreless Innings
Tyler Glasnow

Removed Early On Sunday
Darius Garland

Questionable For Game 4
Jaden Ivey

Making Progress
Tarik Skubal

Racks Up 11 Strikeouts
Luke Weaver

In Line To Get The Bulk Of Save Opportunities Moving Forward
Devin Williams

Removed From Closer Role
Chase Elliott

Is One OF The Top Overall DFS Picks Of The Week
Joey Logano

Could Joey Logano Finish A Race With A Top Finish At Talladega?
NASCAR

DFS Players Should Like Bubba Wallace For Talladega This Week
Christopher Bell

Should DFS Players Roster Christopher Bell At Talladega?
Austin Cindric

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Talladega DFS Lineups?
Shane Van Gisbergen

Is A Solid, Safe, DFS Choice For Talladega Lineups
Austin Dillon

Is Austin Dillon A Viable DFS Play At Talladega This Week?
Josh Berry

Qualifies Too High At Talladega To Be Worth Rostering In DFS
Michael McDowell

Should DFS Players Take A Shot On Michael McDowell At Talladega?
Noah Gragson

Could Be A Sneaky DFS Play For Talladega
Denny Hamlin

Probably Qualified Too Well for DFS Consideration
Kyle Larson

Increasingly Undervalued Due to His Crashing, but Still a Great DFS Option
Austin Hays

Smacks Two Homers On Saturday
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF