Fantasy Basketball Faceoff: Anthony Davis vs. Karl-Anthony Towns

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Here's a look at whether fantasy basketball owners would be better off selecting New Orleans Pelicans PF/C Anthony Davis or Minnesota Timberwolves C Karl-Anthony Towns in 2016 drafts:

2015 Stats

The Case for Davis

Davis was the consensus No. 1 fantasy pick in 2015, and despite the injury that sidelined him down the stretch, it only killed his value come playoff time. His per-36 averages were almost identical to his 2014-15 numbers and he only played seven fewer games on the whole.

The Pelicans do not have much in the way of firepower, either. Shooting guard Tyreke Evans will miss the start of the season due to knee surgery and the rest of the supporting cast comes via PG Jrue Holiday, SF Solomon Hill and maybe rookie SG Buddy Hield. This ensures that Davis will be the cog of the entire team, on both ends of the floor.

Davis may not be taken in the first few picks of the draft, but he will still be a first-round selection. It wasn't that long ago that Davis was seen as the class of the league; his injury history has over-corrected his course in reference to his perceived fantasy value.

Best-Case Scenario: Davis misses only a few games, all due to rest, and puts together his finest year - eclipsing averages in every category. His ceiling is the most valuable fantasy option and if he's healthy, he will have a ton of chances in garbage time to wreak havoc.

Worst-Case Scenario: He's not healthy. Either his shoulder injury returns or some other ailment adds to the narrative that he's injury-prone and results in him missing half the season or more.

The Case for Towns

Far and away the best rookie in 2015-16, Towns started all 82 games with the Timberwolves. He also shot 81.1 percent from the free-throw line and 54 percent from the field, both of which surpassed any mark Davis has set.

Towns lived up to the hype of being a first overall draft pick and was absolutely worth his fantasy ADP of 50.7, according to FantasyPros. Big men are so often prone to injury that Towns' durability plus his growing talent at the professional level mean he will absolutely be drafted in the first round.

While Towns' numbers were not entirely on par with Davis' averages, he was pretty close. Considering a bulk of his stats were better than what Davis posted in his own rookie season, growth would cement Towns as an elite early selection in all formats.

Best-Case Scenario: Towns' growth and chemistry with SG Andrew Wiggins is exponential. En route to a surprising Timberwolves playoff berth, Towns follows up his rookie-of-the-year campaign with substantial increases in every stat category, averaging 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game.

Worst-Case Scenario: After a fast start, he regresses in efficiency and seemingly forgets how to shoot free throws. He sees reductions in every stat category from his rookie season, making every pundit wonder if his success was a fluke.

Verdict

While both represent incredible upside, Towns has fewer blemishes or risks associated with his value. Towns may only have one season under his belt, but he was drafted first overall in 2015 because this level of success was the expectation. Granted, immediate success is not guaranteed to first overall picks, just look at Anthony Bennett.

Assuming both are healthy for the entire season, Davis might get the slight edge, but Towns doesn't have that red flag. Even though Davis was taken first in many drafts in 2015, the fact remains that he hasn't been able to stay on the court while Towns has. If it's one or the other, it should be Towns.