The Fig Cap: Yeah, Bronny is pretty fly, huh?

BY THE DD BLOGGER FORMERLY KNOWN AS RON CHOW

A small forward is often referred to as a “swing man” in basketball. In the fantasy world, small forwards are often overlooked in favor of point guards and centers because of roster slot considerations. Those positions tend to have less top-tier talent to build a fantasy team around. Still, it is a certainty that a quality small forward is needed to make a run for a league championship. These types of players can “swing” the fantasy scales in your favor.

1. LeBron James, Cavaliers:  King James sits atop the small forward rankings and could arguably be taken with the first overall pick in fantasy drafts. LeBron is a triple double threat every time he steps onto the court and has the talent to drop 50 points any time he feels like being a little more selfish. LeBron is a stat stuffer and will delight fantasy owners with contributions across the board. Fantasy owners should however be wary if your league counts free throw percentage, King James shot a disappointing 69.8% from the stripe last year. Fatigue may come into play early in the season for LeBron due to the shortened off-season after playing for USA Basketball and a trip to the NBA Finals. It is hard to believe that King James will only be 23 years old in December; he will sit at the top of future small forward rankings for at least the next decade.

2. Josh Smith, Hawks: Despite another slow start, things worked out quite well for Smith last season. It will cost an early second, maybe even late first round pick to get him this year. Smith is a big-time shot blocker, and he swipes a lot of steals too. The underrated part of his game comes in his passing; he averaged 3.3 assists a game last year. Like LeBron, the free throw percentage is less than spectacular. He is on the verge of major stardom.

3. Andre Iguodala, 76ers: With the trade of Allen Iverson to Denver, Iguodala is the new face of the 76ers franchise. He set career highs last season in points (18.2 ppg) and assists (5.7 apg), and is locked and loaded to eclipse those personal marks this season. Iggy does not have a strong supporting cast in Philly and will be counted on again to be the focal point of the offence. He will be hard pressed to match the 50.0 FG% from his ’05-’06 season; last year’s 44.7% shooting seems more realistic. Iggy’s athleticism helps him contribute to fantasy teams on the defensive side of the ball where he is a strong rebounder (5.7 rpg) and a nimble thief (2.0 spg).  It pains Raptor fans when they remember that their team could have drafted Iguodala in the 2004 NBA Draft but instead took Rafael Araujo. Ugh.

4. Paul Pierce, Celtics: Three is not a crowd for Paul Pierce. Last season, maybe he felt like the lone warrior on the offense for the Celtics. Then he got injured and missed a lot of games. This year Pierce will be part of the new “Big Three” in the Eastern Conference along with new additions, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Pierce will have more room to operate with defenses no longer able to just key in on him. Pierce will be hard pressed to match his average last season in points (25.0 ppg) due a likely drop in field goal attempts; however he should enjoy a boost in FG% and 3-pt% with more open and betterlooks.  Pierce should easily exceed his assists output from last season with KG down low and Allen setting up behind the arc. His draft value might be at an all-time low as people wonder how the Big Three will divide up the shots, but bank on Pierce having a very solid year.

5. Rashard Lewis, Magic: Lewis signed a maximum contract this past off-season and joined the Orlando Magic. A highly sought-after free agent, he is an established scorer who has averaged at least 20 ppg in each of the past three seasons. As evident in his solid FG% and 3pt%, he can score from anywhere on the court. With the ability to hit over two 3-pointers per game last season, Rashard should easily lead all small forwards in three-pointers made this year. With opposing teams forced to focus on keeping Dwight Howard off the glass, Rashard will have opportunities for some easy rebounds.  Coming off a year marred by injuries that limited him to only 60 games played, fantasy owners that take him with a second round pick are definitely looking for him to be healthy this year.

6. Gerald Wallace, Bobcats: Wallace has been given the nickname “Crash” in homage to his style of play, but unfortunately also his history of injuries. Wallace plays hard all the time and his athleticism helps him stuff box scores. Injury woes for the Bobcats forced Wallace to play some power forward last year despite being undersized for that position. Last year, Crash set career highs in points (18.1 ppg) while shooting an efficient 50.2% from the field. Do you love hustle stats? Crash was a rare commodity in fantasy land last year averaging 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. Wallace will unlikely match last season’s offensive output with Jason Richardson joining the team, but the presence of Richardson should not interfere with his hustle stat output. Despite all the upside, consider yourself lucky if he participates in more than 70 games this year. 

7. Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets: ‘Melo was the second leading scorer last year and will challenge for the scoring title in the years to come. He has increased his scoring average each year in the league and has the upside of potentially averaging 30 points a game. He does most of his scoring from inside the three-point line, driving to the net effectively and getting to the line frequently.  Carmelo shoots a high percentage and is money from the free throw line. ‘Melo is a decent rebounder for a small forward. He missed 17 games last year but most of that was because he was suspended for his sucker punch in a game versus the Knicks; he missed only two games due to injuries. He has proven to be more durable than players listed above him here, but right now his game lacks the three-point range and the hustle stats to be considered a top five option at this position.

8. Caron Butler, Wizards: Caron comes off a career year where he excelled in his role as part of a potent trio in Washington. It’s a fantasy smorgasbord with Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison also top notch picks come draft night. Butler is a solid contributor in points and rebounds and shoots a very decent percentage. If your fantasy teams need steals, then Butler is your man, as he will nab more than two steals a game. Caron is not a great three-point shooter; he made only 18 out of 75 attempts last year. Buyer beware as Butler cannot shake the injury bug; last year he missed 19 games due to a broken hand and knee injury. He has never played 82 games in any season of his career.

9. Luol Deng, Bulls: Deng has increased his scoring and rebounding average with each passing year and last season broke out in style. His stellar play has made it very difficult for Bulls management to include him in any trade talks. He was the second leading scorer and rebounder for the Bulls last year after Ben Gordon and Ben Wallace respectively. Deng was actually second in the league last year in rebounding amongst all small forwards just behind Josh Smith. Perhaps Deng has realized that he is ineffective from 3-point range, attempting only seven 3-pointers for all of last year and hitting only one! Fewer three-point attempts helped contribute to his 50-plus FG%.  Deng played in all 82 games last season for the first time in his short career.

10. Josh Howard, Mavericks: Drafting Howard means having a player whose point production hovers just a little below the best, whose rebounding gives you an advantage because he is also eligible at shooting guard, and whose free throw percentage is clutch. His hustle stats are consistent enough to add to a successful fantasy team’s totals. For leagues that use turnovers as a category, Howard gains a little bit of extra value. Dallas should keep winning (in the regular season, at least), and Howard has been compared to Scottie Pippen. To reach that level of top second banana in the league, he will have to be a better distributor of the rock and average at least 20 points a game. He has the potential to be that rare breed of fantasy hoops stud.

The Best of the Rest

1. Ron Artest, Kings
2. Kevin Durant, SuperSonics
3. Danny Granger, Pacers
4. Corey Maggette, Clippers
5. Stephen Jackson, Warriors
6. Rudy Gay, Grizzlies
7. Richard Jefferson, Nets
8. Peja Stojakovic, Hornets
9. Andrei Kirlenko, Jazz
10. Tayshaun Prince, Pistons

Addendum

Other Positional Rankings:

Point Guard Rankings

Shooting Guard Rankings

Small Forward Rankings

Power Forward Rankings

Center Rankings