With the NBA season just around the corner it’s time to take a look at the best fantasy players for this season. With most fantasy drafts set to take place this week it’s important to dissect the players and break down the pre-season rankings for each position.
Today we’re going to explore the top fantasy point guards in the NBA. This is obviously an important decision for your fantasy team as your main source of assists and steals will come from this position. However, a strong point guard can also provide you with additional points and rebounds. This makes your point guard one of the most important players on your fantasy team.
Like nearly all positions in fantasy sports, the point guard slot is very top heavy in the NBA. The top ranked point guards are vastly superior to the ones in the middle of the pack and towards the bottom, so securing one of the top point guards is crucial to fantasy success.
15. Jason Kidd: PG, Dallas Mavericks
2011-12 Projections: 8.3 PPG, 8.1 APG, 4.7 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Fresh off his first championship Jason Kidd finds himself still in the running with a group of point guards that are much younger than himself. Still, Kidd has a plethora of talent around him on the Mavericks roster, which should leave him plenty of opportunities for impressive statistics. Kidd has never been a great scorer, but he provides plenty of assists and rebounds while shooting a relatively high percentage. Kidd has also improved his three point shooting over the past few seasons, which is something else that has improved his value.
14. Ty Lawson: PG, Denver Nuggets
2011-12 Projections: 14.2 PPG, 7.0 APG, 3.2 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 0.1 BPG
After trading away Carmelo Anthony last season the Denver Nuggets still managed to surprise almost everyone by reaching the playoffs and giving the Oklahoma City Thunder a tough series. This season will be more difficult for them since they won’t have their superstar, but players like Lawson will look to pick up the slack. With Chauncey Billups and Raymond Felton gone Lawson should get the majority of the minutes at PG for the Nuggets, although he will still split time with veteran Andre Miller.
13. Kyle Lowry: PG, Houston Rockets
2011-12 Projections: 14.0 PPG, 6.9 APG, 4.5 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Lowry’s breakout season in 2010-11 may be hard to replicate this year, but there’s certainly no doubt he will be a strong fantasy PG candidate. Lowry has solid numbers across the board, but still needs some work on his shooting percentage and three point shot. Still, Lowry has managed to squeeze nearly 15 points and seven assists a game out of a lineup that isn’t exactly overflowing with talent. Lowry will be a good point guard pick in one of the later rounds of the draft.
12. Raymond Felton: PG, Portland Trail Blazers
2011-12 Projections: 14.5 PPG, 7.4 APG, 3.6 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG
The Portland Trail Blazers are commonly under the radar considering they play up in the rain-soaked Pacific Northwest. Regardless, they have put together a solid roster full of playoff-caliber talent. Raymond Felton should be a strong fantasy point guard this season when you consider the talent around him. Felton will have players like Wesley Matthews, Gerald Wallace, Jamal Crawford and LaMarcus Aldridge drawing the attention of the defense, leaving him more scoring options. That collection of talent will also prove useful when Felton is looking to find teammates for easy assists.
11. Steve Nash: PG, Phoenix Suns
2011-12 Projections: 14.7 PPG, 10.6 APG, 3.2 RPG, 0.6 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Nash has been one of the top fantasy point guards for nearly a decade. Obviously with age his numbers have begun to go down hill, but he’s still a viable option as a backup guard. The Suns don’t have a ton of talent around him, leaving Nash with the majority of the offensive burden on his shoulders. The signing of Shannon Brown might also offer Nash some easy assists on fastbreak opportunities. While Nash may not be the point guard that he once was, he’s still a solid addition to your fantasy roster.