I will be updating and refining these rankings throughout the offseason as news develops, so check back often for player movement and draft position.  Please see FBD Fantasy Points Scoring and Ranking System for a clear explanation of a player’s FPS ranking score. The latest updated rankings for each position can be accessed through the “2010-2011 Draft Rankings” tab at the top of the FantasyBasketballDaily.com homepage. 

Updated July 30, 2010

Deron Williams (32.9 FPS, 51.5 eFG%, 80.1 FT%, 37 MPG) -  It’s a tough choice at the top of the PG board, but I’m going with Deron Williams.    Williams showed last season that he can do it all putting up per game season stats of 18.7pts/10.5ast /4.0reb/1.3stl/.2blk/3.3tov.  He took 3.4 threes per game hitting 37%.  His free throw rate was exceptional at 39.7, showing that he isn’t just a set jumpshooter and will attack when he gets the chance, even through contact.  His Jumper/Inside game breaks down to 69%/31%.    Probably the biggest knock on him this season is the loss of his pick and roll partner, Carlos Boozer.  Al Jefferson will try to fill the hole, but it is going to take some time to mesh with Williams, which may cause Williams’ turnovers to creep up a little from last year’s 3.3 a game.

Chris Paul (35.5 FPS, 53.4 eFG%, 84.7 FT%, 38 MPG) - Based strictly on the numbers, Paul was better than Williams last season, however this year Paul is unhappy and has recently requested a trade.  Paul also had some injury problems last season that cost him a good bit of time.   He could coast this season looking forward to his free agency jackpot in 2012.   If he gets moved to another team, I’ll probably move him to the top spot.  Paul’s line from last season:  18.7pts/4.2reb/10.7ast/2.1stl/.1blk/2.5tov.  He took 2.8 threes a game, hitting 41%.  Paul’s game is more perimeter oriented when compared to Williams, as evidenced by Paul’s Jumper/Inside stats of 80%/20%.  Paul also had a lower free throw rate of 29.8 which implies that his game is more non-contact jumpshooting than Deron’s.   He is better at creating his own shot though.  I don’t think you can go wrong with Williams or Paul.

Rajon Rondo (29.7 FPS, 51.7 eFG%, 62.1 FT%, 37 MPG) - Rondo is a much different player than the top two on the rankings and his final draft spot will probably depend a lot on whether you are in a H2H or Rotisserie league.   I placed him this high on the list due to his consistency and his ability to produce in several different categories on any given night.   Rondo’s 2009 line:  13.7pts/4.4reb/9.8ast/2.3stl/.1blk/3.0tov.  Rondo isn’t the scorer that the guys above him are, but he brings it every night and is a better rebounder and plays better defense with good steals.  Rondo has worked hard on his shooting, raising his effective field goal percentage (eFG%) to 51.7%, but his free throw shooting percentage of 62.1% is a still a killer for fantasy owners.  Rondo realizes his shooting limitations and has molded his Jumper/Inside figure to 48%/52% to reflect his better inside game.  He carries a 31.2 free throw rate which gets many attempts for your team at 62.1%.  An improvement in FT shooting would greatly help Rondo’s overall game.  If you want to build your team around scoring look elsewhere, but if you want to build your team around rebounding, assists and steals, Rondo could be your man.

Derrick Rose (30.0 FPS, 49.5 eFG%, 76.6 FT%, 37 MPG) -  This is probably a stretch, but I’m going with Derrick Rose here and hoping that he is finally healthy and ready to breakout in his third year on a good Bulls team.   He could move down depending on how things go in camp with Boozer.   Rose’s line from last year:  20.8pts/3.8reb/6.0ast/.7stl/.4blk/2.8tov.  Rose is more of a scorer with a Jumper/Inside breakdown of 68%/32% and a free throw rate of 24.6.  He isn’t very good with the three ball, taking only .8 attempts last season at a 27% success rate, but he’s been working on it this offseason and likes the results.  He would be deadly if he could just get his three point rate somewhere around 35%.   I think the thing that propels him this high is the arrival of Carlos Boozer.   Deron Williams and Boozer ran the pick and roll pretty well and I think Rose can have similar success which should boost his assists and scoring to something around 23 and 8.  Rose doesn’t hurt you in the shooting percentage categories, but he is a little weak in the steals category.  He’s an average rebounder for a PG.

Steve Nash (28.4 FPS, 57.0 eFG%, 93.8 FT%, 33 MPG) - I put Nash this high on the list based purely on his past production.   He’s 36 and I don’t know when his downhill slide is going to begin.  Losing Amare Stoudemire this season could hasten that decline as defenses may concentrate more on shutting Nash’s perimeter game down.   His shooting skills are at the top of the chart and his assists can carry a team.  His weaknesses are a lack of steals and a high turnover rate.  Last season’s stat line for Nash in Phoenix:  16.5pts/3.3reb/11.0ast/.5stl/.1blk/3.6tov.  He took 3.9 threes per game, hitting 43%.  He has a Jumper/Inside rating of 84%/16%, which pretty well describes his perimeter offensive game.  He is getting only about 33 minutes per game, mainly due to the emergence of Goran Dragic.  Nash could see his MPG dip under 30 this year to keep him fresh for the playoffs. 

Russell Westbrook (29.1 FPS, 42.8 eFG%, 78.0 FT%, 35 MPG) - Westbrook improved a great deal last season and should continue to get better at only 22 years old.  Russell Westbrook’s 2009-2010 per game line in Oklahoma City:  16.1pts/4.9reb/8.0ast/1.3stl/.4blk/3.3tov.  He isn’t a great shooter as evidenced by his 42.8 eFG%.  He does realize his shooting limitations and has distributed his Jumpers/Inside shots to a 60%/40% level.  He limited his three point shooting to only 1.3 attempts per game, hitting 22%.  He is good at getting to the line with a 36.4 free throw rate and once there he’s an average shooter at 78%.  Westbrook is a surprisingly good rebounder and decent in the steals category.  He does hurt you a little in the turnovers category, but you can’t complain too much when he still carries a 2.42 assist to turnover ratio.  Westbrook slots higher than Curry and Evans strictly on his experience and consistency in a stable team situation.

Stephen Curry  (29.0 FPS, 53.5 eFG%, 88.5 FT%, 36 MPG) - Curry was awesome in his rookie season posting a great 2009 line in Golden State:  17.5pts/4.5reb/5.9ast/1.9stl.2blk/3.1tov.  However, the line is misleading because in many of those games Golden State barely had enough players to field a team.  Curry and Ellis were asked to carry the team every night,  and their stats reflect this situation.  The real question for Curry is can he keep this production up now that Golden State has a better team around him?  Golden State has improved their team by bringing in a low post presence in David Lee.  It remains to be seen how much offense Lee will take away from Curry and Monta Ellis.  Curry is an excellent shooter with a eFG% of 53.5%, boosted mainly by his three point shooting where he took 4.8 attempts per game, hitting 44%.   I could definitely see moving Curry up as the season approaches.

Tyreke Evans (32.0 FPS, 47.3 eFG%, 74.8 FT%, 37 MPG) - Evans should probably be higher, but I think he suffers from the same thing as Curry –  last season he was basically the only thing going in Sacramento.  He jacked up 16 shots a game because the rest of the team was a mess.  The Kings have added Samuel Dalembert and DeMarcus Cousins to their collection of bigs, which already includes Carl Landry and Jason Thompson.  I could see the offense flowing more inside this season for the Kings.  Beno Udrih might run the point with Evans at SG, which may hurt Evans’ assist numbers.  Evans 2009 stats:  20.1pts/5.3reb/5.8ast/1.5stl/.4blk/3.0tov.  Evans is also a driver, which might not be such a great thing with all those big bodies now down low.  Evans Jumper/Inside game breaks down to 47%/53%.  His free throw rate is high at 39.9, but he’s a little below aveage once he gets to the line, making only 74.8%.  He doesn’t have much of a three point shot, taking only 2.0 per game last year, hitting just 25%.  Evans is a high risk, high reward player, but given how things could form in Sacramento, he might move up the rankings as the season approaches.

Gilbert Arenas (33.5 FPS, 46.2 eFG%, 73.9 FT%, 37 MPG) - The fate of many fantasy teams will ride with Arenas, are you a gambler?  Arenas was one of the top PG’s before his gun incident and it looked as though he was finally healthy.  At least he’s had plenty more time to rest those knees.  His line for 32 games:  22.6pts/4.2reb/7.2ast/1.3stl/.3blk/3.7tov.   Arenas still had his three point shot working with 5.7 attempts a game, hitting 35%.  His game was more perimeter oriented than it used to be with his Jumper/Inside rating sitting at 79%/21% last year.  Another factor that drops him down the list is the arrival of John Wall and Kirk Hinrich.   Arenas played 37 minutes a game last season, but he might not reach that level of opportunity with Wall around.  Wall is the future and it has yet to be seen how he is going to play on the floor along side Arenas.  Pay attention to this situaton as draft day approaches and adjust the rankings accordingly.

Chauncey Billups (28.2 FPS, 49.9 eFG%, 91.0 FT%, 34 MPG) - Billups’ true value is his veteran consistency and you pretty much know what to expect from him every year.   Not a bad point guard to take in middle rounds if you would rather draft big men with your early picks.  Last season’s line:  19.5pts/3.1reb/5.6ast/1.1stl/.1blk/2.4tov.   Billups is an excellent shooter and absolute gold at the free throw line.  His biggest strength and possibly most help for fantasy teams is his free throw shooting.  Billups has an incredible 53.2 free throw rate and he hits them at 91% when he gets to the line.  Last season, nearly a third of his scoring total came from his 6.4 free throws made per game.  If your league counts free throws made and free throw percentage, Billups should get a few bonus points in the rankings.

Jason Kidd (27.0 FPS, 55.4 eFG%, 80.8 FT%, 36 MPG) - Kidd is going to be 37 this season and I’m looking for his minutes to decrease.  Dallas has Rodrigue Beaubois and I’ve seen talk of him getting more minutes, maybe even starting.  Kidd’s primary weakness is his lack of scoring at barely double digits.  He can hit the three ball though, taking 5.2 per game last season and hitting 43% of them.  Kidd is still valuable, especially if you are in a H2H league.  Kidd’s 2009 line:  10.3pts/5.6reb/9.1ast/1.8stl/.4stl/2.4tov.  His line and game actually resemble Rajon Rondo’s.  If you want good rebounds, assists, threes and steals with low turnovers from your PG, Kidd still has it.  Just be sure to pad your scoring category with someone else to overcome Kidd’s deficiency. 

Baron Davis (28.6 FPS, 44.6 eFG%, 82.1 FT%, 34 MPG) - I’d like Baron Davis a lot more if he could just say no to the three point shot.   Hopefully, he is working on his addiction, as his three point attempts per game have declined from 6.4 in 2007 to 5.0 in 2008 to ‘only’ 3.9 last season.  His career average from three point land is 32%, but last year he could only manage 28%.  His stat line:  15.3pts/3.5reb/8.0ast/1.7stl/.6blk/2.8tov.   Davis isn’t a bad player, he’s just an inconsistent one, whether it be caused by his attitude or his declining skills.  He still a solid player, just be careful of his shooting percentages.

Aaron  Brooks (27.7 FPS, 51.1 eFG%, 82.2 FT%, 36 MPG) - Aaron Brooks had a great year and looks to be a solid starter for Houston.  His 2009 stat line:  19.6pts/2.6reb/5.3ast/.8stl/.2blk/2.8tov.  Scoring is Brooks’ best category and you have to wonder how that is going to be affected this year by the return of Yao Ming, a healthy Kevin Martin and a very competent backup in Kyle Lowery.  I’m not sure Houston will lean on Brooks as much this year for scoring.  If last year’s 19.6 points a game drops to somewhere around 15, his FPS score would take a big hit, as the rest of his stats are pretty average with only 2.6 rebounds and .8 steals per game.   His shooting averages are excellent and a big help to his rotisserie value.

Brandon Jennings (25.2 FPS, 43.1 eFG%, 81.7 FT%, 33 MPG) – Brandon Jennings has an odd game.  He is an excellent shooter from the perimeter, taking 4.7 threes per game and hitting 37%, but the rest of his shooting game is horrible with only a 37% overall field goal percentage.  If you can hit 37% from three point land, then you should really be able to shoot lights out from close in, right?  Well, it doesn’t seem to work that way with Jennings.  Last season it took him 15 shots a game to get his 15 points a game.  He has a Jumper/Inside split of 76%/24%, so at least he realizes where his strengths are.  He also doesn’t get to the free throw line, with a free throw rate of only 22.5.  He only managed to make 2.7 free throws a game last year.  His steals of 1.3 per game were nothing special and his 3.4 rebounds per game were pretty average as well.  His total line from 2009:  15.5pts/3.4reb/5.7ast/1.3stl/.2blk/2.4tov.   If you look at his game log from last season, he had some big nights like his 55 point game against a defenseless Golden State team (where he hit 7 of 8 from three), but he also littered the game log with many nights where he only put up 5 or 6 points. While he can have some big nights, Jennings might be more of a one trick pony than a lot of people think.

Rodney Stuckey (26.2 FPS, 41.3 eFG%, 83.3 FT%, 34 MPG) - Stuckey just isn’t a very good outside shooter and his assist numbers are low for a PG.  If he were either a better shooter or a better playmaker, his value would be greater.   He’s probably a better shooting guard than he is point guard, but he’s a good young player who put up a solid 2009 stat line in Detroit of:  16.6pts/3.8reb/4.8ast/1.4stl/.2blk/2.2tov.  Stuckey doesn’t have a three point shot, only taking 1.1 per game, hitting just 23%.   He drives to create his shot and has crafted a Jumper/Inside split of 64%/36%.  It should probably move toward a 50%/50% split to fully utilize his skills.  He does a decent job of getting to the line with a 32.4 free throw rate and he capitalizes once he gets to the line hitting 83.3%.  His only competition for minutes at the PG spot is likely Will Bynum, so he should get full opportunity to put up something close to last season’s stats.

John Wall (Rookie) - Honestly, I have no idea where to put John Wall this early in the summer.  I’m going to stick him here and come back to this one when training camp starts.   The main things to see about Wall are how many minutes he is going to get and who he is going to share the court with.  I think he has the skills to be this year’s Tyreke Evans or Stephen Curry.

Mo Williams (23.8 FPS, 53.5 eFG%, 89.4 FT%, 34 MPG) - The real question with Williams is how his game will evolve now that LeBron James has left town.  I think his stats should improve, especially his assists.   The Cavs are going to have to play as a team now and that requires a capable PG running the show and not a King at SF.  Williams can hold his own in the shooting department with a 53.5 eFG% while shooting 89.4% from the free throw line.  He took 5.4 threes per game last season, hitting 43%, comparable to his career three point percentage of 40%.  Williams is purely a perimeter player and has a Jumper/Inside profile of 88% jumpers and 12% inside shots.  As you would expect with this profile, he doesn’t get to the line very much with only a 23.2 free throw rate.  Williams will probably move up the rankings depending on what the Cavs put around  him.  I do hear they are considering an uptempo offense, which should help Williams.  And he’s from Alabama, so I have to cheer for a fellow alumni.

Andre Miller (22.9 FPS, 45.4 eFG%, 82.1 FT%, 31 PG) - Now we are starting to work our way down to the players who score in the lower 20’s in the FPS rankings.  Miller is your average wily veteran who doesn’t do anything flashy, but is solid across the board.  His 2009 stat line last season in Portland:  14.0pts/3.2reb/5.4ast/1.1stl/.1blk/2.1tov.   He doesn’t hit the three ball, taking only 1 per game and hitting 20%.  His eFG% is low at 45.4%, but his free throw shooting is excellent at 82.1%.  Much like Chauncey Billups, Miller seems to get to the free throw line more than average.  He posted a 43.2 free throw rate last year, scoring 3.9 of his 14 points per game from the line.   Not much upside with Miller, but there isn’t much downside either.

Tony Parker (22.6 FPS, 49.4 eFG%, 75.6 FT%, 31 MPG) - The biggest problem with Parker is his ability to stay healthy.  He only managed 31 minutes per game last season, which was only about 2 minutes less than his career average.  Parker has evolved into a two category player, points and assists, which comprise 86% of his FPS score.  His averages of 2.6 rebounds, .5 steals and 2.7 turnovers are not good.  His free throw shooting percentage is also weak at 75.6% last season.  Parker’s complete stat line in San Antonio:  16.0pts/2.4reb/5.7ast/.5stl/.1blk/2.7tov.

Devin Harris (26.7 FPS, 43.7 eFG%, 79.8 FT%, 35 MPG) - It looks like Harris is staying put in New Jersey, but he shouldn’t get too comfortable.  Even on a poor team desperate for someone to step up on offense, Harris just couldn’t do the job.  If Harris doesn’t pick it up this season, he could lose his starting spot.   Hopefully, the new Nets regime will better utilize his skillset.  Harris needs the ball driving to the basket.  He doesn’t have a jumpshot, and much like Baron Davis, he really needs to just say no to the three point shot.  He jacked up 3.4 a game last season, hitting just 28%.  His game is driving and contact.  Harris posted a 43.7 free throw rate and scored 4.8 of his 16.9 points from the free throw line.    There is upside with Harris, but there is also the real chance of a big downside. 

Jrue Holiday (14.9 FPS, 50.2 eFG%, 75.6 FT%, 24 MPG) - Holiday was a big surprise last year and the question is whether he can do it for a full season with a new coach and rookie Evan Turner working beside him.   Holiday’s stats:  8.0pts/2.6rebs/3.8ast/1.1stl/.2blk/2.1tov.  Remember these stats are only for 24 minutes a game, which is about a third less than the guys above him.  Holiday is a good shooter with a 50.2 eFG% and a 75.6 FT%.  He didn’t show much ability to get to the line with only a 16.5 free throw rate.  He has a decent three point shot attempting 2.2 per game, hitting 39%.  He’s due for a big jump in playing time, so check out what the 76′ers are going to give him as the season approaches.

Raymond Felton (22.8 FPS, 49.4 eFG%, 76.3 FT%, 33 MPG) - Raymond Felton is a pretty average basketball player, but thankfully he got traded to a system in New York that could make him well above average.   Working with Amare Stoudemire should help as well.  Felton is a solid shooter with a 49.4 eFG%.  He can hit the three, attempting 2.0 per game and hitting 39% of them.  He runs the offense capably, posting 5.6 assists last season while holding his turnovers to only 2.1 per game.  His full stats:  12.1pts/3.6reb/5.6ast/1.5stl/.3blk/2.1tov.  He plays good defense and can get some steals and his rebounding won’t kill you.  See what kind of role D’Antoni plans for him and adjust his ranking accordingly.

Jameer Nelson (20.3 FPS, 51.0 eFG%, 84.5 FT%, 29 MPG) - I’m giving Nelson a free pass for last season’s poor showing.  Maybe the shoulder injury was the cause, maybe not.  Nelson’s overall line for the year with the Magic was:  12.6pts/3.0reb/5.4ast/.7stl/0blk/2.1tov.   He’s a better player than that line would suggest.  He’s a good three point shooter taking 3.5 a game and hitting 38%.   He’s weak in the steals and rebounds categories and you would think he could average better than 5.4 assists on an Orlando team that is loaded with shooters.  Durability is a concern here with Nelson averaging only 28 minutes a game over his career.  I’m going to reserve the right to move Nelson as the season approaches depending on his health and role.

Mike Conley (20.8 FPS, 49.4 eFG%, 74.3 FT%, 32 MPG) - Memphis isn’t too happy with Conley and you probably shouldn’t be too happy to have him on your fantasy team either.  The Grizz having been experimenting with moving O.J. Mayo to point guard and if you remember, they tried last season to replace Conley with Allen Iverson.  Conley’s 2009 stat line in Memphis:  12.0pts/2.4reb/5.3ast/1.4stl/.2blk/2.1.    Conley does just enough to keep his job.  He can hit the three, taking 2.7 per game, hitting 39%.  He can get you some steals and about 5 assists per game while barely getting double digit scoring.  Jason Kidd can get away with low scoring, Conley can’t.

I’ve considered several other PG’s for the rankings and I’ll be writing them up once their playing situations become a little more clear.  If you don’t see a player here, he’s probably going to be included on the Shooting Guard list:

T. J. Ford, Rodrigue Beaubois, Steve Blake, Jose Calderon, Jarrett Jack, Kyle Lowery, Jonny Flynn, George Hill, Derek Fisher, Mike Bibby, Luke Ridnour, Jeff Teague, Darren Collison, Toney Douglas, Chris Duhon, Earl Watson, Beno Udrih,  Will Bynum, Shaun Livingston, Ramon Sessions, Mario Chalmers, Carlos Arroyo, C. J. Watson, Goran Dragic, Jordan Farmar, Lance Stephenson, D.J. Augustin.

Not much fantasy news in this NBA dead period, but here’s a few nuggets for the week:

Richard Jefferson – Re-signed with San Antonio, 4 years, $39 million.  He’ll probably be just as bad next season as he was this season.   He’s a late round roster filler.

Matt Barnes – Signed with LA Lakers, 2 years, $3.6 million.  Good cheap pickup by the Lakers.   Wesley Matthews gets 5years/$34 million and Barnes gets 2year/$3.6 million.  Something is wrong here.  Barnes probably killed his fantasy value with the move since he’ll almost certainly suffer a decrease in minutes and opportunity.

C.J. Watson – Signed with Chicago, 3 years, $10.2 million.  Another great pickup by the Bulls.  Watson is an offensive player and even had a 40 point game last season.  He can bring instant offense off the bench as Derrick Rose’s backup.   He’s good insurance/handcuff  if you have Rose on you fantasy squad.

Marquis Daniels – Re-signed with Boston, 1 year, $2.5 million.   He might get a few minutes, but those platoon minutes will likely come at the expense of Nate Robinson, making both players waiver wire material.

Kurt Thomas – Signed with the Bulls.  He’ll take Brad Miller’s spot backing up Joakim Noah and can probably be found on the waiver wire if Noah gets hurt. 

David Lee – Lee suffered a finger injury, but he should escape surgery and be ready to go in 4-6 weeks.

Yao Ming – Ming is sliding down my draft rankings a little.  I keep reading articles that are questioning his health and the recovery from last season’s foot injury.  Keep an eye on his health before determining his final draft ranking.

Jonny Flynn – Flynn is still dealing with last season’s hip injury and might slide down the PG rankings if he doesn’t make a full recovery.  Luke Ridnour has been brought in to compete for the starting PG spot and Ramon Sessions is also still hanging around to steal minutes. 

Carlos Arroyo  – Signed with the Miami Heat.  He will challenge Mario Chalmers for the PG spot.  Keep an eye on this battle before drafting either player.

Miami Heat - Miami is going to be a train wreck this season – and the wreck is going to be televised.  David Stern should appreciate the increased TV ratings.   I’m not sure the Miami 3 are going to be able to deal with the media pressure and the meltdown could be spectacular.

Fantasy Reading:
*WeaksideHelp.com reviews the fantasy value for Chris Bosh in Miami.
*GiveMeTheRock.com with three different articles previewing the fantasy situations in Memphis, Philadelphia and Golden State.
*Dime Magazine’s Top 10 Greatest Basketball Books of All Time.
*HoopsDaily.com breaks down the fantasy value of several players changing teams.
*NBAPlaybook.com with a good fantasy article on Richard Jefferson.
*SBNation, Ranking the 30 NBA GM’s.
*Hornets247.com, The Culture of Stacking.

This season I will be moving the original daily fantasy content posts from the FSH site to the Fantasy Basketball Daily site.  I’ll still have some link related posts, but a majority of the posts at FBD are going to be original content geared toward daily fantasy basketball action, pregame reports and nightly fantasy picks.   After running the FantasySportsHandicapping.com site for awhile, it became apparent that trying to handle three major sports at the same time just wasn’t going to be possible (at least not without a divorce and childcare).   At this point, I’ve cut back on baseball and football and decided to focus strictly on basketball since it is the sport I like the most.

I think you guys will enjoy the daily articles, especially if you are already playing daily cash games.  If you aren’t already playing, you should definitely check them out.  There are several daily fantasy sites such as FantasySportsLive.com, Fanduel.com and DraftZone.com that are really starting to grow and get some traffic, which makes for some juicy games. 

For all you guys who only play season long leagues, our content will still be a big help, especially when setting your daily or weekly rosters.   I’ll offer waiver wire pickup tips, injury information and playing time estimates in my daily posts, which should be a benefit to both daily and season long fantasy owners.  Just about all the content up until the season starts, such as draft rankings, news and position battles,  will be geared toward season long fantasy league owners.  I’ll make the switch to the daily cash game information once the season tips off.

If you guys have any other suggestions for articles or things you would like to see on the site, feel free to shoot me an email.

Ronnie Brewer – Signed with Chicago, 3 years, $12.5 million.  I think this is a great signing for the Bulls.  Brewer is a good player who can help you in just about every category.  He will probably be available very late in drafts, so plan on giving him a spot on your roster in the last couple of rounds.

J.J. Redick – Orlando matched the Bulls’ offer and signed Redick for 3 years, $19 million.  He will go back to fighting Vince Carter for minutes.  Redick really missed an opportunity to grab a starting gig in Chicago.   Unless Carter gets injured, I expect Redick will have the same fantasy value this season as he did last year.

Nate Robinson – Re-signed with the Celtics, 2 years, $9 million.  Robinson will likely have about the same fantasy value as he did last year.   He might see a little bump up with the departure of Tony Allen.  Also pay attention to what happens with free agent, Marquis Daniels.  If Daniels leaves, Robinson might soak up a few more minutes.

Luis Scola – Re-signed with Houston, 5 years, $47 million.  I really thought Scola had a shot at going to the Nets, but the Rockets decided to keep him and Kyle Lowery.  Scola should retain most of his fantasy value, although the comeback of Yao Ming has to be figured in when deciding where to draft Scola.

Lawrence Frank – Signed on with the Celtics to take the place of Tom Thibodeau.  Frank got the shaft last season in New Jersey and was blamed for their bad start.    We all know how the rest of the season turned out for NJ after Frank was made the scapegoat.  Frank is a young, talented coach who will do well with the Celtics.

New Jersey Nets – Is there any bigger disappointment this offseason than the Nets?  What were these guys thinking?  All that Russian money and Jay-Z swagger and they got totally shut out.  Johan Petro, Travis Outlaw and Jordan Farmar?  What exactly is that going to help?  They still have huge holes at SG, SF and PF.  Weren’t there some really decent players in free agency that could have filled at least one of those spots this year?  Even the lowly Knicks at least got Amare, what did the Nets get?

Al Harrington – Signed with Denver, 5 years, $34 million.  Harrington ends up in a good fantasy situation in Denver.  Kenyon Martin might not be ready to open the season and even if he is, he’ll need a lot of rest.  Harrington is a good shooting big man who can play SF, PF and some C if needed.  He can help you in the three point, scoring, rebounding and percentage categories.  The loser in this move might be the BirdMan, Chris Andersen, who is dealing with a finger surgery of his own.  He could lose minutes to the Harrington, Nene, Martin trio.

Luke Ridnour – Signed with Minnesota, 4 years, $16 million.  Jonny Flynn still has a hold on the starting PG spot in Minnesota so I’m not sure what kind of minutes Ridnour is looking at.  The Wolves also have Ramon Sessions, but the Ridnour signing seems to indicate that Sessions might be on his way out, maybe to Charlotte.  Ridnour seems to be capped out around 20-25 minutes a night.

Tony Allen – Signed with Memphis, 3 years, $10 million.  He’ll assume the same defensive type role for Memphis that he had with Boston.  Playing behind Mayo and Gay will probably limit his fantasy production and relegate him to the waiver wire.  The signing may also hurt what little fantasy value Sam Young might have had this season.

Kyle Lowery – Lowery signed with the Cavs, but the offer was quickly matched by Houston indicating that the Rockets have no intention of letting Lowery go anywhere.  He’ll retain the same fantasy value as last season backing up Aaron Brooks and occasionally Kevin Martin.  Lowery is a solid player though and deserves a shot at starting for an NBA team.

Raja Bell – Signed with Utah, 3 years, $10 million.  Bell should slide right into the spot vacated by Wesley Matthews.  I have some concern about Bell since he only played 6 games in the 2009-2010 season and has missed quite a bit of time recovering from wrist surgery.  He’s 34 and things just don’t heal as well at that age.  His two strengths are defense and long range shooting.  A wrist injury is a tricky thing for a shooter and if that wrist hasn’t  fully healed, or if it gets reinjured, his fantasy value craters to waiver wire level.  Keep an eye on how Bell is shooting the ball before targeting him in your draft.  He is a draft day gamble.  The Bell signing also indicates that Ronnie Brewer probably won’t be joining the Jazz.

Shaun Livingston – Signed with Charlotte, 2years, $7 million.  I’m not sure about this signing.  Livingston probably isn’t going to start and the Bobcats already have D.J. Augustin as a backup.  As always, the knee will be an issue with Livingston.   I still think Charlotte brings in an experienced PG, so see what develops and re-evaluate.

Rodrigue Beaubois – The hype machine is in full force on Roddy and he will definitely be overpriced on draft day.  I’ve seen reports of him starting, sending Shawn Marion to the bench.  Seriously?  I don’t see that happening, they already have Jason Terry coming off the bench.  I’m not buying the hype just yet.

Luther Head – He had his contract rescinded by the Hornets because they claim he failed his physical.  Actually, Bower made the signing, but he’s no longer there and the physical was just the excuse New Orleans used to weasel out of the deal.

Chris Paul – I’m starting to worry about Chris Paul for the upcoming fantasy season.  He isn’t happy in New Orleans right now and the team is just a mess.  Darren Collison is also making a push for some of Paul’s minutes.  I get the feeling Paul wants out of New Orleans and if he doesn’t get his way, he might not be fully committed this season.  I’m not saying that he won’t be one of the best PG’s on draft day, but rather he might not be fully worth what you have to pay to get him.

Ekpe Udoh – He had his wrist surgery and will miss six months.  Might be worth a grab if you are in a keeper league that lets you reserve injured players.

Joe Johnson – Interesting quote from AJC.com:  ”Despite the summer team’s issues with Drew’s offense, it’s already clear that the Hawks’ new coach is determined to move the team away from an isolation-heavy attack by getting everything moving.”   The concern with this quote is that isolation is Johnson’s primary game and taking the ball out of his hands and removing him from his comfort zone won’t help his fantasy value.  Currently, the ball stops moving when it reaches Johnson, which is the exact opposite of what a Princeton type offense is designed to do.  Forcing Joe to keep it moving might disrupt his game.   Philadelphia tried to move toward this type of offense last season and it was a miserable failure which killed the fantasy values of several 76′ers.  I think Johnson might be a little too hyped after his big free agent signing and you will probably have to reach higher to get him that what he will likely produce.

 Rumors:
Tracy McGrady to the Clippers.
Shaquille O’Neal to the Knicks.
Marvin Williams to the Cavs.
Matt Barnes to the Heat, Celtics.
Ronnie Brewer to the Celtics.
Brad Miller to the Rockets.
Shannon Brown to the Lakers.

Josh Childress – Signed with Phoenix, 5 years, $34 million.  Childress spent the last two summers playing with Greek team Olympiakos after spending the first part of his career with the Atlanta Hawks.  Childress ends up in a decent fantasy situation on a running Suns team, but he’ll likely be in a 6th man type of situation.  He is a good passer and should help your FG%.   The real question now is how many minutes Childress gets.  Nash and Richardson will man the backcourt, while newly acquired Hedo Turkoglu  will grab a majority of the minutes at SF.

Hedo Turkoglu – Turkoglu gets his wish to escape the Raptors and now moves to a team with an offensive system much more suited to his skills.  Turkoglu can be a ‘point-forward’ type player and his assist numbers should climb back up to where they were when he was with Orlando.  He should also get his scoring average back up in the 15-18 point per game level.  Turkoglu is going to be undervalued in fantasy drafts this year after a poor season with Toronto.

Al Jefferson – There is a deal in place to send Jefferson to the Utah Jazz, but the details are a little sketchy at this point and these things can sometimes fall apart just as the Chandler/Diaw/Calderon trade did yesterday.  Paul Millsap can’t be too happy with this pickup by the Jazz.  Either Millsap or Mehmet Okur are going to lose a big amount of minutes with the arrival of Jefferson.  Big Al’s fantasy value is somewhat uncertain since I’m not sure what kind of minutes he is going to be given.   He’s a poor defender and had a subpar fantasy season last year as he tried to recover from ACL surgery, but Utah would be a great spot to energize his game.

Darko Milicic – I guess Minnesota is serious about Darko.  The trade of Jefferson opens up fantasy minutes for Milicic, Beasley and Love.  Good luck with that move Timberwolves.

Udonis Haslem – It looks like Haslem is taking a paycut and staying with the Heat to try and grab a ring.   He can put up double-doubles consistently and can be effective from either the PF or C position.  The Heat’s chemistry will also be improved with Haslem’s character and work ethic.

Derek Fisher/Steve Blake – Well, Blake had some fantasy relevancy for about 3 days.  It looks like Fisher will return to the Lakers, sending Blake to a reserve role.  Leave him on the waiver wire to start the season.  Derek Fisher, on the other hand, will continue to start.  Fisher will also likely win this season’s ‘Bruce Bowen’ award for the least amount of fantasy production from an NBA starter.

Roy Hibbert – Hibbert’s knee injury turned out to be nothing more than a mild strain.  He’ll be back to basketball activities soon.

Ekpe Udoh – Will have wrist surgery and be out 4-6 months.  Tough break for the guy, but he wasn’t going to have much fantasy relevancy anyway.  At least Don Nelson won’t have any temptation to take minutes away from David Lee now.

Ben Wallace – Signed a two year deal to stay in Detroit.  He should continue to grab rebounds through his craftiness, even though he had some problems with the knees last season.  He’s a last round pick at best.

Jordan Farmar – Not sure what Farmar was thinking by going to New Jersey.  He’ll be stuck behind Devin Harris without much hope of seeing meaningful minutes.

Leandro Barbosa – Barbosa goes to Toronto as part of the Hedo Turkoglu exchange.  It’s probably a positive move for his fantasy value as he could step into the SG spot, moving a weak DeMar DeRozan to the bench.

Tyson Chandler – Traded to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Erick Dampier, Matt Carroll and Eduardo Najera.  Alexis Ajinca also goes to Dallas.   The move is not going to help Chandler’s fantasy value since he now has to split time with Brendan Haywood.   The move, along with his history of injuries, may make him undraftable.

Erick Dampier – The move from Dallas to Charlotte can only help Dampier’s fantasy value now that he escapes the timeshare with Brendan Haywood.  However, it’s possible that Dampier gets bought out and becomes a free agent.  If he stays with Charlotte and gets the starting spot, then Dampier is probably a decent number two center on most fantasy teams.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas – He’s going to follow LeBron to Miami where he will rotate with Udonis Haslem and Chris Bosh.  Ilgauskas’ fantasy glory days are long gone.

Quentin Richardson – Signed with Orlando.  Could get you some fantasy threes, but that’s about it.  Waiver wire material.

Rumors:
As far as I can tell, Jose Calderon is still with Toronto and Boris Diaw is still with Charlotte.
Al Harrington to the Nuggets or Mavericks.
Luke Ridnour to Minnesota.
Juwan Howard to Miami.
Raja Bell to the Lakers.
James Jones to San Antonio.
Tony Allen to Memphis.
Nate Robinson to the Celtics.
Brad Miller to Houston.

J.J. Redick – The Bulls extended an offer to Redick and now the Magic have seven days to match.  Chicago recently signed Kyle Korver, so Redick seems like a bit of redundant overkill.  I guess you can never have too many sharpshooters.  The real loser in a Redick signing would be Korver.

Kyle Korver – Signed with the Bulls.  He’ll get a shot at SG for the Bulls and the guy is a deadly shooter.  Fantasy owners will want to grab him for the threes.  If you are in a league that counts three point percentage, he can carry the category.

Johan Petro – Signed with the Nets.   Stuck behind Brook Lopez so he won’t be worth drafting.

Anthony Morrow – Signed an offer with the Nets.  Golden State has brought in Dorrell Wright, so they probably don’t plan on matching New Jersey’s offer.  Morrow is another three point sharpshooter, but he has Courtney Lee to contend with in NJ.  The Morrow signing doesn’t bode well for the fantasy value of Courtney Lee.  These two might be platooning, which is never a good fantasy situation.  See how the roster shakes out over the summer.

Ekpe Udoh – The arrival of David Lee probably seals Udoh’s fate as a fantasy non-factor.  Nelson will probably glue him to the bench.  Udoh is also dealing with a fairly serious wrist injury which has knocked him out of summer league.  I’ve seen a few reports which describe Udoh as needing ‘months’ to recover from the problem.

Anthony Randolph – Randolph is starting to climb my fantasy rankings.  I’ve seen some talk of him getting plugged into the starting lineup next to Amare.  The guy has talent but just never got a real shot under Don Nelson.   His final fantasy draft position will depend on how much responsibility D’Antoni gives him. 

Tyrus Thomas - Signed to stay in Charlotte and should at least have a similar fantasy value to last season.  Keep an eye on what the Bobcats do with Boris Diaw and Tyson Chandler.  If one of them leaves, Thomas will move up the draft rankings quickly.

Raymond Felton – He’s headed to New York where he should start at PG.  His value will see an uptick with the move.   It’s only a two year deal so look for Felton to play all out to try and secure a nice payoff in 2012.

D.J. Augustin – Surely the Bobcats aren’t going to move Augustin into the starting PG slot?  His fantasy value would skyrocket if it happens.  I expect the Bobcats will bring in an experienced PG sending Augustin back to his reserve role.

Toney Douglas – The real loser of the Felton signing is Toney Douglas.  Felton only got a two year deal, which probably implies that the Knicks will be looking to bring in someone like Tony Parker in the near future or Chris Paul in 2012.  Douglas needs a quick trade out of New York.

Roy Hibbert – Hibbert recently suffered a knee injury.  Not sure how serious it is, but keep an eye on it.

Luther Head – Signed with New Orleans.  He’s stuck behind Marcus Thornton and probably won’t get much of a chance to be a fantasy contributor.  His only real fantasy value is threes.

Michael Redd – I’ve seen reports that Redd isn’t expected to be ready until February at the earliest.  Don’t waste your time drafting him.

Wesley Matthews – Signed an offer sheet with Portland.   First, it’s a great personal move for Matthews.  He barely escaped the D-League so grabbing $34 million is a no brainer given his talent and skill level.   However, the move probably crushes Matthews’ fantasy value since he has to compete with Brandon Roy for time.  Matthews’ fantasy value would be much greater in Utah where he would probably be starting at SG.  See what role Matthews gets in Portland before drafting him.

Ronnie Brewer – If Matthews hits the jackpot in Portland, Utah could bring back Ronnie Brewer.  Brewer was traded to Memphis last season, but wasn’t offered a contract this season by the Grizz.  It would be a huge boost to Brewer’s fantasy value if he returned to the Jazz.

Dorrell Wright – Signed with Golden State.  Wright was a victim of the Miami housecleaning.   He’s a good shooter and there’s no better place for a shooter than Golden State.  He’s probably waiver wire material, but he could make a nice streamer in daily roster leagues.

Weekend Rumors:
Josh Childress to Cleveland.
Shaquille O’Neal to Atlanta.
Al Jefferson to Cleveland.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas to Miami.
Derek Fisher to Miami.
Louis Amundson to Denver.
Juwan Howard to Miami.
Isiah Thomas for the GM position with the Knicks.  You have got to be kidding me?

While the superstar movements are fun to watch, it’s the second and third tier movements that fascinate most fantasy basketball owners, so let’s take a quick look at the fantasy ripple effects of free agency so far:

Antawn Jamison – Poor Antawn.  No King, No Shaq and a hostile Cleveland fanbase.   I don’t think this is what he signed up for last season.  While it’s bad from a personal standpoint, it could be a goldmine for fantasy owners since he will likely have to carry that team now. 

LeBron James – Is he still the number one fantasy player?  Probably not.  I think you can slide Kevin Durant to the top of the fantasy basketball rankings.  James’ value will decline some in Miami since he has so much supporting help with Wade and Bosh.  He’s still going to blow up on some nights, but other nights will see certain defenses take him out while Wade and Bosh take up the slack.  Predicting those big nights is going to be difficult.

Hedo Turkoglu – Now that Bosh is gone, Turk could step it up and become more of a focal point for Toronto.  I’ve got him in the GiveMeTheRock.com keeper league and he’s evolved into a possible keeper for me.  We’ll see what Toronto does with the rest of free agency, but Turkoglu could be a real value pick in fantasy leagues this year.

Paul Millsap – Carlos Boozer finally vacates the Power Forward spot in Utah.  Millsap owners are about to be greatly rewarded for their patience.   I haven’t seen an update on Okur’s medical progress, but if he is slow to heal, the Jazz will have to lean heavily on Millsap.

Carlos Boozer – Boozer’s fantasy value is going to be tricky to predict.  The Bulls new coach, Tom Thibodeau is a defensive minded guy and I’m not sure what kind of offensive pace or strategy he is going to implement.  Keep an eye on it to get a feel for how Boozer is going to be used.  I don’t think Boozer will exceed last season’s fantasy production though.

Jermaine O’Neal – Looks like he ends up in Boston taking the spot of Kendrick Perkins who is out for most of the season.   He’ll be 32 this season, but he was surprisingly resilient last year playing 70 games at 28 mpg.  13 and 7 with a couple of blocks a night is decent for a later round center.

Michael Beasley – After the LeBron decision, Beasley ended up in Minnesota in a logjam of big men.  He could be an awesome 6th man type this season now that he has escaped the pressure of Miami.  Keep an eye on how Minnesota shuffles their roster in the offseason.

Mike Miller – He’s set to join Bosh, Wade and James in Miami.   He should get a ton of minutes and put up solid stats across the board doing a lot of the dirty work.  If other owners pass on Miller because they fear he’ll get shut out by the big three, just grab him and say thank you.

Drew Gooden – Gooden ended up in a pretty sweet fantasy spot in Milwaukee.  He could slide right in to the starting rotation and have a big year.  He’s a great value pick simply because other fantasy owners may only think of him as a journeyman role player.  He’s got a home now and he’s set to produce.

Mario Chalmers – Boston’s big three made Rajon Rondo better, so is Chalmers the next Rondo?  Probably not, but if you need assists on your fantasy team Chalmers might be your man.   I could probably put up 10 assists a game passing to D. Wade, James and Bosh.

Steve Blake – The Lakers signed Steve Blake and the future of Derek Fisher is somewhat in doubt.  If Fish moves on, Blake could slide into the starting rotation.   

Toney Douglas – The Knicks shipped Chris Duhon to Orlando so it looks like Douglas might get a real chance to do what Toney Douglas do.   He can play and makes a nice point guard sleeper this season, unless the Knicks do something stupid, like bring in Gilbert Arenas.

David Lee – JACKPOT!  The latest news has David Lee going to Golden State in exchange for Kalenna Azubuike, Anthony Randolph and Ronny Turiaf.   Is there a better fantasy situation to end up in than Golden State?

Terrence Williams – The Nets missed out on  LeBron, which may be a real benefit to Williams’ fantasy stock.  The guy has skills and should get a real shot to play full time this year.

Several guys who won’t see much change in value simply because they re-signed to their current teams:  Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Durant, Joe Johnson, Rudy Gay, Dirk Nowitzki and Brendan Haywood.

Several guys to keep an eye on who could soon see a big change in fantasy value:  David Lee, Luke Ridnour, Richard Jefferson, Al Jefferson, Raymond Felton, Al Horford and Shaquille O’Neal.

The move from Phoenix to New York is going to work out in one of two ways for Stoudemire’s value:.  First, he could end up being the best player on a poor Knicks team, which isn’t such a bad fantasy thing since real value can be found in these types of players since they are the focal point of the offense.  Many times the best player on a horrible team will have more fantasy value than the best player on a great team, just because he doesn’t have to share the ball.  If you don’t agree, then just consider the awesome fantasy stats that David Lee put up last season for the lowly Knicks.  Lee isn’t a slouch, but I don’t think he would have produced those same inflated stats if he was a member of a great Celtic or Laker team.  Most would agree that if Amare was switched out with Lee last season, Stoudemire would have produced even better than Lee and been considered a top fantasy pick.  If you are a Stoudemire fantasy fan, just hope that New York gets enough talent to at least get him the ball and keep the opposing defense honest.  If Amare ends up being the focal point of the Knicks offense and he’s surrounded by just enough talent to prevent the opposing teams from concentrating on him, I think his fantasy value could be equal to or greater than it was in Phoenix.

 The other side of the coin has Stoudemire’s value declining in a move to New York.  Several things could go really wrong here.  First, the Knicks could really screw up the rest of free agency and miss out on the top tier guys to put around Amare.  In Phoenix, he had Steve Nash passing him the ball, with Nash, Jason Richardson and Channing Frye drawing the defense out to the perimeter with their excellent outside shooting, leaving Amare with plenty of room to work inside.  In New York he has Chris Duhon passing him the ball.  Duhon isn’t terrible, but he isn’t Steve Nash.  Danilo Gallinari can shoot it with Richardson, so that might stay equal.  However, New York probably won’t keep David Lee and they have no real option to play along side Stoudemire to help him out.  Eddy Curry anyone?  Channing Frye could pull his man to the perimeter leaving Amare inside to do his thing, I doubt New York has the pieces to accomplish that.  Al Harrington, maybe.   Without help, Amare could find himself the object of constant double teams, which can really put a damper on fantasy production and decrease Stoudemire’s fantasy production from last season’s levels.

 Luckily, we don’t have to draft fantasy teams today.  While an argument can be made on both sides of Stoudemire’s new value, I think we’ll probably have to wait for awhile to see what kind of players New York obtains to work with Amare.

Last night’s draft had some interesting turns and implications for the fantasy basketball crowd, so let’s take a look at the fantasy values of the top 30 first round rookie draft picks:

John Wall (Washington) - No surprise that he went first to the Wizards.  Probably a bit  more of a surprise was a trade with the Bulls that will bring Kirk Hinrich to Washington.  Gilbert Arenas, Kirk Hinrich and John Wall competing for two spots is a curious situation.  The Wizards aren’t going to contend, so why stunt Wall’s growth?  Maybe Arenas is gone, who knows.  Wall will likely be the most fantasy relevant player out of the entire draft.  Keep an eye on how much time Washington expects to give him.

Evan Turner (Philadelphia) – I’m not  sure what kind of player Turner is going to be, but he was the most professional of last night’s draft.  He’s definitely someone that any franchise would be proud to have representing them.  He’s a Brandon Roy type player and should get time at SG, pushing everyone up a spot and possibly moving Elton Brand  to Center.  The pick probably pushes Spencer Hawes to the pine and makes Lou Williams a non-keeper in fantasy leagues.

Derrick Favors (New Jersey) – He’s only 18 years old and will likely split time with Yi Jianlian, which probably hurts the fantasy value of both.  With Yi’s health and attitude, Favors could be a nice fantasy gamble and someone you definitely want in a keeper league.

Wesley Johnson (Minnesota) – Johnson wins the award for best dressed at the draft with his plaid pants.  Not a look I could pull off, but he wore it well.  Johnson was a Syracuse teammate of Jonny Flynn, so maybe they can make something happen together.  Johnson is 23, five years older than Favors, so he might be expected to contribute outside shooting immediately.  Might be a good source of fantasy threes and he’s a good rebounder for his position.

DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento) – Cousins had his purple shirt on, which was either a remarkable coincidence or a tipoff that he knew where he was going the whole time.  I like Cousins and think he gets a bad rap because of his personality.  He’s just a quiet kid who doesn’t show much emotion and rarely smiles.  I think the media incorrectly portrays his quiet, somewhat shy personality as an attitude problem, when actually he’s just a bit introverted in contrast to your average NBA player personality.  He’s a gamble and could find it hard to get playing time competing with Carl Landry and Jason Thompson.  Summer league could be very important for Cousins upcoming season and he’s going to have to show a lot to be fantasy relevant to begin the season.  Let’s just hope they also assign a coach whose only job is to keep him away from Samuel Dalembert’s bad attitude.

Ekpe Udoh (Golden State) – Not sure I understand this one at all.  Golden State is pure offense with no defense and nobody on the team even knows how to play defense, so they decide to go out and draft a guy with no offensive game who can block a few shots.  One of these things is not like the others.  When you combine the GSW running game with Don Nelson’s aversion to playing rookies, unless you are Stephen Curry, Udoh may never get off the bench.  Seems like a wasted pick which doesn’t mesh with the team philosophy.  Udoh might get some fantasy blocks, but that is about it.

Greg Monroe (Detroit) – Detroit was happy to have Monroe fall to them at number 7.  I’m not sure why Golden State passed on him at 6 since he would have been a much better fit than Udoh.  Monroe should mesh well with Detroit and be fantasy relevant depending on his role.  Monroe has some nice offensive skills and can pass the ball effectively.  The future of Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince could also affect his fantasy value.

Al-Farouq Aminu (LA Clippers) – I couldn’t figure out if Aminu looked more like Spike Lee or Harry Carey with his oversized glasses.  The Clippers see Aminu as more of a SF than PF, which is good for Aminu since LAC  has Blake Griffin coming back to man the PF spot.   The Clippers haven’t gotten much size and rebounding from the SF spot, so Aminu might have a shot at grabbing some decent fantasy minutes.

Gordon Hayward (Utah) – I wish they would have had a live camera on Larry Bird and the Pacers draft room when Hayward’s name was announced.  Indiana wanted him badly and even had Reggie Miller texting him before the draft.  Utah’s selection of Hayward may say something about the future of Andrei Kirilenko.  I’ve heard that the Nets are interested in Kirilenko, so maybe Hayward is the backup plan for Kirilenko’s exit.  Hayward’s fantasy value will depend on his ability to hit the outside shot.   Hayward did however have the best looking ladies at his draft table, which is always a plus.

Paul George (Indiana) – George had a late surge in his draft stock but he ended up in a situation where he might get stuck behind Danny Granger.   George is an excellent athlete and Indiana could try to squeeze him into the SG spot.  If they do and he gets minutes he could put up some nice fantasy stats across the board.  His fantasy value will become more clear once Indiana shuffles it’s roster.

Cole Aldrich (Oklahoma City) – New Orleans selected Aldrich and shipped him to OKC along with Mo Peterson.   It’s a good thing for Aldrich, since he would have been stuck behind bigs David West and Emeka Okafor.  I love this move for OKC and they are building a monster of a team.  Aldrich is a tough kid who could end up getting some minutes in a weak OKC front court.  He’s definitely a good selection for keeper leagues.  The NO-OKC trade could hurt James Harden’s value with vet Mo Peterson taking some of his offensive duties.

Xavier Henry (Memphis) – With the selection of Henry and Greivis Vazquez, I get the feeling that Mike Conley’s future is in doubt.  I’ve also seen some reports of O.J. Mayo working on his PG skills.  Henry could fit nicely into the SG spot and earn some good fantasy minutes.  Vazquez is a big kid and might be able to guard some of the larger SG’s.  Rudy Gay may also be gone, which could allow Memphis to let Henry get some minutes at SF in a smallish lineup.  Henry is a good shooter and could provide three point help for fantasy owners.  Depending on the roster shuffle in Memphis, Henry could be a nice fantasy gamble.

Ed Davis (Toronto) – Selecting Davis to replace the departing Chris Bosh was the logical move by Toronto and an unexpected gift at the 13th spot.  Davis is a good rebounder, which Toronto badly needs with the weak Andrea Bargnani at Center.  Davis probably won’t be asked to score but he could be a huge help in the fantasy rebounding category.

Patrick Patterson (Houston) – Yao Ming is returning from a foot injury and the Rockets still have Luis Scola, Jordan Hill and Chuck Hayes, but if Scola moves on or Ming’s health fails, Patterson could get some minutes.  He’s a good rebounder and shotblocker.

Larry Sanders (Milwaukee) – He’s a good big that will give the Bucks some depth.  He might have been a reach at 15 and I don’t think he will have any fantasy value.  I think even Sanders was surprised at the pick since he didn’t bother showing up for the draft.

Luke Babbitt (Portland) – Babbitt was selected by Minnesota but was quickly shipped to Portland along with Ryan Gomes in exchange for Martell Webster.  Babbitt joins a logjam in Portland.  If  Webster couldn’t crack the rotation in Portland, then Babbitt doesn’t stand a chance.  His only fantasy value might be a few threes.

Richard Seraphin (Washington) – Seraphin was selected by Chicago and shipped to Washington.  No guarantee that Seraphin will come from oversees to play.  Even if he does, he’s a project and probably stuck behind Andray Blatche.  Not much fantasy value.

Eric Bledsoe (LA Clippers) – Bledsoe was selected by Oklahoma City and shipped to the Clippers for a future first round pick.  Bledsoe can play PG and SG and will backup Baron Davis and Eric Gordon.  Had John Wall not been the star at Kentucky, Bledsoe would have gotten more hype and been a higher lottery pick.   He is a nice target for keeper league fantasy players and a great future piece for the Clippers.

Avery Bradley (Boston) – Could Bradley be the replacement for a departing Ray Allen?  Although Bradley is more of a smallish PG type, he is a good jumpshooter and an excellent defender, which can also be said about Allen.  If Allen departs, Bradley could be in a nice fantasy situation.

James Anderson (San Antonio) – A pure draft night steal for the Spurs.  Anderson likely fell because he was hampered by an injury which caused him to miss working out for teams over the last month.  He should step right in and replace Roger Mason Jr. and Keith Bogans as a shooter off the bench.  Anderson is an absolute scorer for the fantasy points category.

Craig Brackins (New Orleans) – Brackins was selected by Oklahoma City and moved to New Orleans as part of the Cole Adrich deal.   He will likely get stuck behind David West unless he can slide down and play some SF.  I don’t see him having much fantasy value.

Elliot Williams (Portland) – He’ll be stuck behind Andre Miller, Brandon Roy and Jerryd Bayless.  He’s a talented and athletic scorer but probably a year or two away from any meaningful role.

Trevor Booker (Washington) – Booker was the first senior picked in the draft.  He was selected by Minnesota and sent to Washington.   He might get some garbage minutes this season, maybe.

Damion James (New Jersey) – Selected by the Atlanta Hawks and traded to the Nets, James is a tough guy who can play three positions, but primarily fits at the SF spot.  I’ve seen him compared to Bruce Bowen, which is death to his fantasy value.  The Nets will change rapidly, so James’ true value won’t be fully known for awhile.

Dominique Jones (Dallas) – Picked by Memphis and sent to Dallas where he will be buried behind Roddy Beaubois, Jason Kidd, JJ Barea.

Quincy Pondexter (New Orleans) – Selected by Oklahoma City and traded to New Orleans as part of the Cole Aldrich deal.   I actually think Pondexter has a better chance for minutes in New Orleans than Craig Brackins, who was picked 5 spots earlier.  Pondexter can score and rebound and could fill some minutes in the SF spot.

Jordan Crawford (Atlanta) – The player who gained fame as the guy who dunked on LeBron was selected by New Jersey and traded to Atlanta in the Damion James deal.  He’ll find difficulty getting minutes, but he could be a decent scorer off the bench, especially if Joe Johnson gets traded.  With Josh Childress possibly returning to Atlanta, Crawford has more chance of getting minutes with the Hawks than Damion James did.

Greivis Vazquez (Memphis) – Vazquez was the most excited draftee in the building and he is an easy player to cheer for.  He just has some undefinable quality that could make him one of those guys who blossoms late and continues to improve.  He lands in Memphis where he could have a chance to backup an inconsistent Mike Conley.  Keep an eye on Vazquez, he could be a sleeper.

Daniel Orton (Orlando) – A pure potential project pick by the Magic.   Orton will ride the pine behind Dwight Howard and Marcin Gortat.  He will have the opportunity to learn from the best in Dwight Howard and Patrick Ewing and makes a nice gamble in keeper leagues if you have a spot.

Lazar Haward (Minnesota) – Selected by Washington and sent to Minnesota.  He’s likely an end of the bench backup who won’t get enough minutes to be fantasy relevant.