Fantasy rankings: Power forward
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These rankings reflect standard scoring formats, taking into account a player's expected production in the following categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, 3-point shots made, field-goal percentage, free-throw percentage, and turnovers.
Position Rankings
PG | SG | SF | PF | C | Top 150
Tier 1
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | MIL |
| 2 | Kevin Durant | GSW |
| 3 | Anthony Davis | NOP |
| 4 | LeBron James | CLE |
| 5 | DeMarcus Cousins | NOP |
In theory, the Pelicans' frontcourt should be able to coexist while providing exceptional fantasy production for owners. Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry will stagger the rotation so one of his twin towers is always on the floor, allowing both Davis and Cousins to average north of 25 points and 11 rebounds.
When Davis gets his 12 minutes of rest each game, Cousins and Rajon Rondo will renew their devastating two-man attack last seen in 2015-16. When Cousins sits, Davis will operate in a similar manner. In any case, Cousins' presence on offense won't impact Davis' ability to tally game-changing defensive numbers, and Cousins' superior 3-point shooting (35.1 percent over past two seasons) and passing will ease some of the spacing concerns when they share the court.
Tier 2
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Paul George | OKC |
| 7 | Nikola Jokic | DEN |
| 8 | Draymond Green | GSW |
| 9 | Hassan Whiteside | MIA |
| 10 | Myles Turner | IND |
| 11 | Blake Griffin | LAC |
| 12 | Paul Millsap | DEN |
| 13 | Kevin Love | CLE |
| 14 | Kristaps Porzingis | NYK |
| 15 | Joel Embiid | PHI |
| 16 | Carmelo Anthony | OKC |
| 17 | Andre Drummond | DET |
| 18 | Al Horford | BOS |
With a move to the Thunder, Anthony finds himself as the second or third option within his team's offense for the first time in his career. As such, his scoring output could dip below 20 points per game for the first time in his career, as he won't be afforded anywhere near the 19.9 shot attempts per night through his Knicks tenure. If he truly buys into his new role in Oklahoma City - carrying the offense with bench units, hitting the glass, and playing focused defense - he'll remain one of the top-20 forwards in the game.
Tier 3
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | Serge Ibaka | TOR |
| 20 | Harrison Barnes | DAL |
| 21 | LaMarcus Aldridge | SAS |
| 22 | Nikola Vucevic | ORL |
| 23 | Tobias Harris | DET |
| 24 | Dwight Howard | CHA |
| 25 | Julius Randle | LAL |
| 26 | Ben Simmons | PHI |
| 27 | Danilo Gallinari | LAC |
| 28 | Wilson Chandler | DEN |
| 29 | Clint Capela | HOU |
| 30 | Jae Crowder | CLE |
| 31 | Pau Gasol | SAS |
| 32 | Dario Saric | PHI |
| 33 | Robert Covington | PHI |
| 34 | Marcus Morris | BOS |
| 35 | Willie Cauley-Stein | SAC |
| 36 | Dirk Nowitzki | DAL |
| 37 | James Johnson | MIA |
| 38 | Rudy Gay | SAS |
| 39 | Nerlens Noel | DAL |
Cauley-Stein and Noel are on the right trajectory for double-double averages this season, and both can bring contributions in steals and blocks if given a full starter's workload. The question is whether their aging frontcourt teammates - Zach Randolph and Nowitzki - will continue to log serious minutes as well. If Z-Bo and Dirk start to slip, Cauley-Stein and Noel have the potential to leapfrog similarly built players like Marcin Gortat, Dwight Howard, and Clint Capela in terms of present-day fantasy value.
Tier 4
| RANK | PLAYER | TEAM |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | Zach Randolph | SAC |
| 41 | Markieff Morris | WAS |
| 42 | Ersan Ilyasova | ATL |
| 43 | Gorgui Dieng | MIN |
| 44 | Brandon Ingram | LAL |
| 45 | Marvin Williams | CHA |
| 46 | Aaron Gordon | ORL |
| 47 | Nikola Mirotic | CHI |
| 48 | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson | BKN |
| 49 | Justise Winslow | MIA |
| 50 | Ryan Anderson | HOU |
Dieng has quietly averaged at least one steal and one block in each of the past three seasons, but his production in other key growth areas has stagnated. Coach Tom Thibodeau brought in former Bulls big man Taj Gibson to provide minutes at power forward, too. He'll often be the fifth offensive option on the court, but Dieng's defense keeps him relevant in category leagues.
Honorable mentions: Thaddeus Young (IND), Al-Farouq Aminu (POR) Derrick Favors (UTH), JaMychal Green (MEM), Greg Monroe (MIL), Trevor Booker (BKN), Mason Plumlee (DEN), Marquese Chriss (PHO)
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)