Fantasy Basketball: Top 10 PGs

SI Staff | Oct 21, 2010

Fantasy Basketball: Top 10 PGs /

Fantasy Basketball: Top 10 PGs

Chris Paul

2009-10 Key Stats: 18.7 ppg | 10.7 apg | 1.2 3PM | 2.1 spg Say all you want about injury concerns, Chris Paul is the best fantasy point guard in the game. The former Wake Forest star has averaged 75 games a season during his career, and when healthy, he can carry a fantasy team all by himself. His contributions in assists, steals and points are unrivaled, making him a worthy top-three selection.

Deron Williams

2009-10 Key Stats: 18.7 ppg | 10.5 apg | 1.3 3PM | 1.3 spg Deron Williams isn't in Paul's class, but he's put up at least 18 points and 10 assists the last three seasons, which is nothing to sneeze at. One thing to note, however, is that Williams lost his favorite pick-and-roll partner when Carlos Boozer signed with the Chicago Bulls this offseason. With Al Jefferson now on board, though, Williams' assists shouldn't suffer, and it's within the realm of possibility that Williams might even see a scoring uptick.

Stephen Curry

2009-10 Key Stats: 17.5 ppg | 2.1 3PM | 5.9 apg | 1.9 spg Don Nelson's departure from the Golden State Warriors may threaten Stephen Curry's numbers, but it's hard to bet against this talented, young star. A reduction in possessions per 48 minutes should better Curry's field-goal percentage, and a healthy Monta Ellis and new acquisition David Lee should help Curry become even more of a playmaker.

Jason Kidd

2009-10 Key Stats: 2.2 3PM | 9.1 apg | 5.6 rpg | 1.8 spg The NBA is without a doubt a young man's game, yet Jason Kidd continues to show that basketball IQ can be a fountain of youth. On a star-studded Mavericks squad Kidd should continue to rack up the assists. And as the third option, Kidd sees a ton of wide-open shots, which helped him set a career high in three-pointers per game last year. Expect this latter trend to continue.

Tyreke Evans

2009-10 Key Stats: 20.1 ppg | 5.8 apg | 5.3 rpg | 1.5 spg Tyreke Evans isn't a pure point guard, but you could do a lot worse than adding this shoot-first guard to your squad. In his rookie year, Evans became only the fourth player to average 20 points, five assists and five rebounds. Rumor has it that the former Memphis guard has been working on his jump shot all offseason, which should improve his sole weakness: 0.5 three-pointers a game.

Steve Nash

2009-10 Key Stats: 16.5 ppg | 11 apg | 1.5 3PM | 93.8% FT If you're unable to nab a Paul, Williams or Curry, have no fear. Nash is still a premier point guard. His percentages are pristine, and his only real downside is a lack of steals, a category you can find at a wealth of positions. With Stoudemire gone Nash may see his assists dip ever so slightly, but as Channing Frye proved, Nash can make a star out of anyone.

Rajon Rondo

2009-10 Key Stats: 13.7 ppg | 9.8 apg | 2.3 spg | 4.4 rpg Taking Rajon Rondo is a compromise. Assists are at a premium in fantasy basketball, and Rondo is a great source of them. But he can't make free throws or three-pointers, meaning you'll have to account for those deficiencies later in the draft. Rondo is still young, though (24), and if he ever learns to make free throws he'd be a steal in the second round.

Chauncey Billups

2009-10 Key Stats: 19.6 ppg | 5.6 apg | 2.2 3PM | 1.1 spg Chauncey Billups is a model of consistency. For the last 10 years he's played at least 70 games, shot above 80 percent from the free-throw line and made at least one three-pointer a game. On a Nuggets team sorely lacking firepower last year, Billups responded by averaging a career-high 19.6 ppg. His assists dropped accordingly, but the addition of Al Harrington should help Billups buoy those totals this year.

Monta Ellis

2009-10 Key Stats: 25.5 ppg | 5.3 apg | 2.2 spg | 1.2 3PM More of a shooting guard than a point guard, Monta Ellis should score in bunches for the Golden State Warriors this season. Add in 5.3 apg, 2.2 spg and 1.2 three-pointers made a game and you should have a recipe for a bona fide second rounder. Injury concerns (Ellis played in only 25 games in 08-09; he missed 18 games in 09-10) and an absurdly high turnover rate (3.8) have scared away many an owner, but let their loss be your gain. If you can nab Ellis in the third round you're getting a steal.

Russell Westbrook

2009-10 Key Stats: 16.1 ppg | 8 apg | 1.3 spg | 4.9 rpg Though he's likely a third or fourth rounder in most drafts, Russell Westbrook has the talent to be a top-five point guard. He can score on anyone in the league, he's a great rebounder for a guard and he plays alongside one of the best catch-and-shoot scorers in the league in Kevin Durant. Like Rajon Rondo, Westbrook has no shooting range. Luckily, though, there are ample three-point shooters available later in your draft.

Best Of The Rest:

Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images; Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images; Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images; Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images

This year's point guard class is deeper than ever. If you miss out on one of the elite playmakers you'd be wise to grab one of these gentlemen in the later rounds. If he's able to build upon his sensational rookie campaign in New Orleans, Darren Collison could be a top-10 point guard next year. Aaron Brooks combines great percentages with one of the deadliest three-point shots in the league, something that should continue now that Yao is back in Houston. Mo Williams will have the ball in his hands early and often for the Cleveland Cavaliers, making numbers like 17 ppg and 6 apg very possible. And in Los Angeles, Baron Davis is only two years removed from putting up 21.8 ppg, and he's shown he can stay healthy.

Published Oct 21, 2010

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