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 - Small Forwards

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 small forwards.

Editor's Note: Many of these players are eligible at other positions (or even play the vast majority of their NBA minutes at other positions -- see Draymond Green).  However, all qualify as SF in fantasy basketball and the author has elected to include them here since the SF position is where they generally have the most value in fantasy lineups.

 

First Tier Small Forwards - Fantasy Basketball Rankings

1. Kevin Durant, GSW

2. LeBron James, CLE

3. Kawhi Leonard, SAS

While it may be hard to believe that there is a small forward top tier that leaves Paul George and Draymond Green out in the cold; Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Kawhi Leonard have earned that island for just the three of them. They offer elite production across the board and, although there are a few question marks about what KD's move to Golden State means, any Manager should be happy to ride the production of these three for 2016-2017.

 

Second Tier Small Forwards - Fantasy Basketball Rankings

4. Paul George, IND

5. Draymond Green, GSW

6. Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL

7. Nicolas Batum, CHA

You can tell how loaded of a position small forward is because the guys that make up the second tier are All-Stars and Olympians in their own right. If they were to see this list while looking at their stat sheet, they would probably be wondering what they would have to do to be called a top three small forward considering that George, Green, Batum, and Antetokounmpo are all absolute monsters when it comes to all around production.

Very little separates these guys. The Greek Freak offers a little more in terms of versatile defensive production, George is an elite scorer with a nice stroke from deep, and Draymond Green is an overall statistical beast who shouldn't be affected much, if at all by KD's presence.

 

Third Tier Small Forwards - Fantasy Basketball Rankings

8. Carmelo Anthony, NYK

9. Khris Middleton, MIL

10. Trevor Ariza, HOU

11. Thaddeus Young, IND

12. Chandler Parsons, MEM

Now in the third tier we see some elite specialization. Melo is an annual contender for the scoring title without doing anything else at an elite rate, Ariza grabs a lot of steals and makes a lot of long range shots year after year, and Thaddeus Young is a vacuum in the paint. Middleton has always been a solid shooter and last year he reached big career highs at 18.2 points, 4.2 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.

Chandler Parsons is moving from Dallas to Memphis this year. He has a proven record of scoring and accurate shooting, and he is off and on with the rest of the statistical categories as he has averaged as high as 1.2 steals, 4.0 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game in the past.

 

Fourth Tier Small Forwards - Fantasy Basketball Rankings

13. Jae Crowder, BOS

14. Rudy Gay, SAC

15. Danilo Gallinari, DEN

16. DeMarre Carroll, TOR

We find some big statistical gaps in the fourth tier and we are now at the range in the position where you have to very carefully balance the scales of what statistical categories you are giving up by taking a chance on a player. Rudy Gay can score, steal, and rebound, but he has a checkered injury history and it is hard to be sure about to many people when they call Sacramento home.

Though Crowder gets the preseason nod above him, Rudy Gay is certainly the safest bet out of this group as long as he is on the floor. We all wish he wasn't with the Kings, and so does he.

 

Fifth Tier Small Forwards - Fantasy Basketball Rankings

17. Otto Porter Jr., WSH

18. Al-Farouq Aminu, POR

19. Luol Deng, LAL

20. Harrison Barnes, DAL

The guys in the fifth tier don't strongly specialize in a statistical category, the forwards in this 17-20 range have safe, balanced production across the board. They usually aren't lighting up any box score, but they consistently do a little bit of everything through the year.

No one can be sure how Harrison Barnes will be used in Dallas. He could do a lot more because he is talented and the Mavs may ask more of him, or he might regress because the defense isn't paying all of its attention to the Splash Brothers. Porter finally played a worthy amount of minutes this past year and showed the ability to steal, rebound, and shoot with a satisfying level of accuracy.

Aminu improved his three point percentage from 27.4% to 36.1% last season and finished the year with a solid PPG/RPG average of 10.2 and 6.1. His season is largely dependent on environment. Deng is very time tested and has been in the 15 points, 1.0 steal, 6.0 rebounds, and 34% from distance ballpark every year since 2004.

 

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

Jacob Wilson

Exits Early On Tuesday With Left Hand Contusion
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
Laken Tomlinson

Confident in Texans Offensive Line
J.K. Dobbins

the Starter in Denver?
JT Woods

Seahawks Release JT Woods
Darren Waller

Trade to Miami Becomes Official
Asante Samuel Jr.

Dolphins Interested in Asante Samuel Jr.
Nyheim Hines

Seeking Return to NFL
Dak Prescott

Expects to be Full-Go for Training Camp
Ajay Mitchell

Posts 16 Points in Summer League Win on Monday
Milwaukee Bucks

Vasilije Micic Waived by Bucks
Brice Sensabaugh

Logs 37 points in Summer League Win on Monday
Luis Garcia

Fans Four in Rehab Outing
GG Jackson II

Collects 27 Points in Summer League Loss
Ace Bailey

Scores 18 Points in Summer League Victory
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Kobe Bufkin

Cleared for Summer League Action
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Milwaukee Bucks

Vasilije Micic Agrees to Contract Buyout with Bucks
PGA

Sungjae Im Still a Liability at Scottish Open
James Wiseman

Pacers Bring Back James Wiseman
Ludvig Aberg

is a Solid Option at Scottish Open
Tyrese Haliburton

to Miss Entire 2025-26 Campaign
Paolo Banchero

Signs Historic Five-Year Extension with Magic
Anthony Santander

Hoping to Hit Soon
Luis Robert Jr.

Returning in Short Order
Alex Bregman

Could Return Later This Week
Ketel Marte

Day-to-Day with Groin Tightness
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Hunter Greene

Suffers Setback on Monday
Kyle Lowry

Staying With 76ers
Kyle Anderson

Lands in Utah
Kevin Love

Traded to Jazz in 3-Team Swap
Norman Powell

Traded to Miami
John Collins

Dealt to Clippers
J.J. Spaun

Finishes Tied For 14 at Travelers Championship
Xander Schauffele

Finishes Tied For 61 at Travelers Championship
Collin Morikawa

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Robert MacIntyre

Finishes Tied For 17 at Travelers Championship
Si Woo Kim

Finishes Tied For 11 at John Deere Classic
Viktor Hovland

Withdraws From Travelers Championship
Tommy Fleetwood

Finishes Tied For Second at Travelers Championship
Brian Campbell

Wins John Deere Classic
Bronny James Jr.

Scores 10 Points
Harrison Ingram

Limited on Sunday
Golden State Warriors

Isaiah Mobley Drops 16 Points
Ryan Rollins

Staying with Bucks
T.J. Watt

Pittsburgh Still Not Close on New Contract
Terry McLaurin

Still Not Pleased with Contract Situation
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Yu Darvish

to Make Season Debut on Monday
MLB

Nationals Fire Dave Martinez, Mike Rizzo
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
KaVontae Turpin

Arrested on Two Charges
Cole Ragans

to Begin Throwing on Monday
Theo Johnson

Prioritizing his Health this Offseason
Andrés Giménez

Andres Gimenez Hits 10-Day Injured List
Jermaine Burton

Continues to Show Growth
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
Cam Ward

"Not Expecting" to be handed Starting Job
Chase Claypool

Eager to Get Back on the Field
Wyatt Langford

Activated, Playing on Saturday
Jay Huff

on the Move to Indiana
Cam Whitmore

Wizards Acquire Cam Whitmore from the Rockets
LaJohntay Wester

Stands out on Special Teams
Clarke Schmidt

Likely to Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Nolan Arenado

Scratched from Saturday's Lineup
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Starting on Saturday
Corbin Carroll

Activated from 10-Day Injured List
Cincinnati Bengals

Shemar Stewart, Bengals Continue Contract Talks, No Progress Made
Ha-Seong Kim

Removed Early During Season Debut
ARI

Christian Fischer Retires From NHL at 28
NHL

Spencer Martin Moves to Russia
WAS

Anthony Beauvillier Re-Signs With Capitals for Two Years
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Sitting Out With Foot Issue
Isaiah Neyor

Impresses at Minicamp
Bo Bichette

Back in Blue Jays Lineup
Miles Sanders

Works With Starters During Mandatory Minicamp
Chimere Dike

Titans Could Move Chimere Dike Inside
Keandre Lambert-Smith

KeAndre Lambert-Smith not Guaranteed Roster Spot
Anthony Bradford

Working Hard to Win Back Starting Job
Clarke Schmidt

Placed on Injured List
José Soriano

Jose Soriano Throws Gem Against Braves
SJ

Sharks Claim Nick Leddy Off Waivers
SJ

Sharks Sign Dmitry Orlov to Two-Year, $13 Million Contract
CAR

Nikolaj Ehlers Joins Hurricanes on Six-Year Contract
COL

Brent Burns Inks One-Year Deal with Avalanche
STL

Blues Land Pius Suter on Two-Year Deal
Morgan Frost

Agrees to Two-Year Extension with Flames
WPG

Gustav Nyquist Moves to Winnipeg
Cody Glass

Devils Re-Sign Cody Glass to Two-Year Deal
PIT

Anthony Mantha Joins Penguins
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF