Fantasy Basketball Preview: Small Forwards

Moving right along in my very early fantasy basketball series, I at long last have my personal rankings of the small forwards in terms of relative fantasy value. I'm entering a busy period in my job right now, so the next part of my series (the power forward rankings) may take a while.As difficult as it was to rank the shooting guards, I struggled mightily with this list (well, for every spot after #1). The league is absolutely stacked with talent at the small forward position, and this whole list is full of very good fantasy options. This list is certainly debatable, and I would love to hear what you readers have to say about the small forward situation in the NBA. The Top 10 LeBron James (Cleveland) - Who else? The reigning MVP is a fantasy beast, providing huge scoring and a wealth of other skills. 7 boards, 7 assists, a steal or two, a block, and about a trey and a half are incredible supplementary stats owners can expect to go with the dynamic scoring, and his supposed Achilles heel of free throw shooting was a respectable 78% last season. A top 3 pick in any format. Danny Granger (Indiana) - An incredibly versatile fantasy player who has improved by leaps and bound each season. A huge scorer (25.8 point per game in 08-09) with ridiculous range (2.7 treys on 40.4% 3-point shooting lasts season) that offers a bit of everything. 5.1 boards, 1.5 blocks, and 1 steal per game combined with good shooting percentages and that dependable scoring makes Granger a solid player to build your fantasy team around. Can also play shooting guard. Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City) - A natural scorer with a sweet shot from long range (42.2% from 3-point range last season). Durant averaged over 25 points per contest last season, and his 6.5 rebounds per game was a big improvement from the 4.4 he averaged in his rookie season. Just barely below Granger in the fantasy totem pole, but a superb all-around fantasy player who just needs to cut down on his turnovers (3 per game last season).Like Granger, he can also play shooting guard. Paul Pierce (Boston) - Big-time scoring and play-making ability make Pierce a very useful fantasy baller. Pierce is good for at least 5 rebounds per game, and he's a reliable boost for all shooting percentages and threes (1.7 per game over his career). An all-around contributor who can also play shooting guard. Carmelo Anthony (Denver) - One of the best scorers in the NBA (24.2 points per game over his career) and a solid rebounding option at small forward (6.8 boards per contest last season and 7.4 rebounds the year before). Anthony is also good for a steal, a trey, and 3 assists per game, although he is fairly turnover-prone (3.1 TO's per game over his career). Caron Butler (Washington) - Butler is coming off an excellent fantasy season in which he combined big scoring with useful contributions in every other category. With Gilbert Arenas returning from injury, Butler's numbers may go down a bit, but he'll still contribute more steals and assists than most small forwards, and his career average of 6 boards is very solid for a small forward. He did average 3.1 turnovers last season, but Arenas' return should mean that that number will go down this season. Stephen Jackson (Golden State) - Another player coming off of a monster season, Jackson brought it all last season, with 20.7 points, 6.5 dimes, 5.1 rebounds, 1.8 threes, 1.5 steals, and an 82.6% free throw percentage last season. The assists will probably be a bit lower this season, but he'll still be a very good all-around fantasy player. However, Jackson is not going to shoot very well from the field (career 41.8%), and his HUGE flaw last season was his whopping 3.9 turnovers per game. Gerald Wallace (Charlotte) - One of the best rebounders in the SF group with 7.8 per game last season, Wallace has a fairly multi-faceted game. Wallace can score pretty well (his 16.7 points per game last season was a drop from the 19.4 he averaged the previous season), shoots well from the field, and has improved his free throw shooting considerably (80.4% last season). 1.7 steals and just shy of a block per game last season made up for the lack of three point shooting, and Wallace is less turnover-prone than many of the others on this list (1.8 TO's per game over his career). Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia) - Iguodala is a good scorer with decent range who averages 5.7 boards per game over his career. A good source of steals and assists, Iguodala's two weaknesses are his turnovers (2.7 per game last season) and his free throw percentage (72.4% last season). Still, Iguodala has plenty to offer in the other 7 fantasy-relevant categories. Josh Smith (Atlanta) - The athletic Smith has excellent defensive numbers (1.2 steals and 2.4 swats per game over his career), cleans the glass better than most small forwards (7.4 rebounds per contest over his career), and scores fairly well. He was able to cut down on his turnovers last season, which is good news for fantasy owners, but his scoring decreased and he remains a lousy free throw shooter (he shot an atrocious 58.8% from the line last season). Solid Options Jason Richardson (Phoenix) - Big scorer who can also contribute threes (1.8 per game over his career) and steals. Could see big improvements over last season with a bigger role and a return to a faster paced offense. Can also play shooting guard. Luol Deng (Chicago) - When healthy, Deng is capable of 18 points per game and 6 or 7 rebounds. Deng shoots for a high field goal percentage, and he's good for a steal per game when at full health. Unfortunately, Deng has been incredibly injury-prone the past two seasons, and his progress has been stagnant as a result. Not much of a three-point threat, but a better rebounder than most small forwards. Rudy Gay (Memphis) - A good source of points and a little of everything else. The 5.5 boards, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 treys per game last season were unspectacular but useful fantasy contributions, and, while he doesn't excel at anything other than scoring, he is good in some areas and poor in none. A good player who won't hurt you in any category. Richard Jefferson (San Antonio) - Big-time scorer who will see a somewhat reduced role in San Antonio. Has developed solid three-point shooting and can contribute 4-5 rebounds per game. Josh Howard (Dallas) - Mails in some games, but a big-time scorer who can hit threes. Usually good for a trey and a steal per game, but will compete with Shawn Marion for minutes. Can also play shooting guard. Ron Artest (Los Angeles Lakers) - Adds steals and threes to stellar scoring and a decent combination of boards and dimes. Poor shooting percentage is a flaw, and he'll compete with Lamar Odom for minutes. Can also play shooting guard. Shawn Marion (Dallas) - Defensive specialist who gets his share of double-doubles. Scoring has declined, but a great rebounding option at small forward. Can also play power forward. Hedo Turkoglu (Toronto) - Sharpshooter and play-maker who should be able to rebound better for his size. Solid scorer who poses match-up problems. Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers) - Artest's arrival will cut into Odom's minutes, but the combo forward should continue to post double-doubles regularly and shoot well from the floor. Solid play-maker for a forward. Andrei Kirilenko (Utah) - Far from his high-scoring heyday, Kirilenko still fills up the defensive stats and has unique play-making ability. If Carlos Boozer leaves (which is likely), Kirilenko's value will rise significantly. Others To Consider Tayshaun Prince (DET), Corey Maggette (GS), Trevor Ariza (HOU), Shane Battier (HOU), Al Thornton (LAC), Michael Beasley (MIA), Ryan Gomes (MIN), James Posey (NOK), Wilson Chandler (NY), Andres Nocioni (SAC)