Fantasy Basketball: Small Forward Rankings

Small forward has gotten deeper the last couple years - which is great. It means you can find value in the later rounds - which hasn't always been the case. It's still a little top-heavy (for the truly elite options), but there are late round options if you need to scramble...

Let's discuss.

The elite:
1. James Harden
2. Kevin Durant
3. LeBron James
4. Carmelo Anthony

Any of these 4 should make you very happy.

Pretty damn good:
5. Kawhi Leonard
6. Jimmy Butler
7. Klay Thompson

Not quite elite, but right there. No complaints in this section whatsoever.

Risk/reward:
8. Paul George
9. Draymond Green
10. Rudy Gay

I'm not sure what to make of these guys - so I don't own them anywhere. Paul George could be first round value, or drop significantly. I'm not sure he's fully recovered from his devastating injury. Draymond Green has a great situation, but isn't a proven commodity. Rudy Gay gets numbers, but has efficiency/turnover problems.

Underrated:
11. Gordon Hayward
12. Tobias Harris
13. Andrew Wiggins
14. DeMar DeRozan

If you're looking for value, here it is. Many good SFs available in the middle rounds, but this is my favourite section. Hayward and Harris are very reliable - and don't get a lot of hype. Wiggins could break out in a major way this year (ranking might be too low), and DeMar's injury slowed his growth down last season. DD could have a huge year.

Solid value:
15. Kyle Korver
16. Trevor Ariza
17. Nicolas Batum

I'll say solid but unspectacular. All vets, all have great track records. All have strange usage situations, but you'll know they'll find a way to produce in any context.

Uncertainty:
18. Chandler Parsons
19. Giannis Antetokounmpo
20. Danilo Gallinari
21. Nikola Mirotic

I wasn't high on Chandler Parsons last season (for good reason), but I actually think the pendulum has swung the other way this season. He's cheap this year, and that means value. I love the Greek Freak, but he's still more project than player. When will he start to refine his game? I keep reading that Gallo looks good, but he's a perpetual injury risk. Mirotic was one of the best rookies in the league last year, but how much usage will he get?

Roll the dice:
22. DeMarre Carroll
23. Danny Green
24. Khris Middleton
25. Robert Covington

DeMarre is an excellent defensive player, and an overhyped offensive player. Danny Green's role changes game to game. Middleton is on a Bucks team of strange rotations. Anything goes for the wild & wacky 76ers, so it's hard to know what Covington's role will be...

Honourable mention:
Kobe Bryant
Jabari Parker
Thaddeus Young
Wes Matthews
Arron Afflalo
Donatas Motiejunas

Kobe has small forward eligibility, but how much will he play? How healthy will Jabari Parker be? When does the decline start for Thaddeus? How much usage will he get? Is Wes Matthews healthy? What kind of role in the offense will Afflalo have on the Knicks? Can Donatas Motiejunas expand his game more this season?

Small forward is deeper than usual this season. Lots of great value in the middle rounds (and beyond).

This might be the year to let LeBron go to somebody else...

Bobman