ETB’s 2008-09 Fantasy Basketball Rankings Bazaar, Vol. 1, Issue 2 - Hoopsters 21-40

- The Season's Over -

ETB’s 2008-09 Fantasy Basketball Rankings Bazaar, Vol. 1, Issue 2 - Hoopsters 21-40

October 15, 2008

Carlos Boozer and Pau Gasol Photo Credit: Icon SMI

21 Carlos Boozer, Utah, PF/C: It’s steady as she goes for Boozer, who you can pencil in for another 20-10 season with an excellent FG% and decent assists. The FT% hurts though, and you want more blocks from your top center.

22 Yao Ming, Hou, C: I’ll be tempted to take him a tad sooner, but I can’t in good conscience recommend any of you take that risk. A healthy Yao Ming is the best center in fantasy basketball and absolutely dominates in both percentages with high-volume, efficient scoring.

23 Rudy Gay, Mem, G/F/PF: Gay has the tools to be a fantasy force of nature and can contribute literally everywhere. If the 22-year-old takes another big step forward in his third season Rudy will be a borderline first-rounder next year.

24 Andre Iguodala, Phi, G/F: With Elton Brand anchored down low look for Iguodala’s FG% to rise sharply. That combined with his all-world combination of steals, assists, points and boards could make young Iggy a fixture in the top 20 in the fantasy rankings.

25 Rashard Lewis, Orl, SF: Rashard’s season rankings are always a slightly more impressive than his actual contributions and his scoring declined in Orlando, but you can’t argue with the great threes, low TOs and decent steals totals.

26 Joe Johnson, Atl, SG: After one and a half disappointing seasons Johnson came on strong down the stretch last year as addition of Mike Bibby helped take some pressure off of Big Joe. The absence of Childress could mean more shots will be there, but ATL’s youngsters are growing up and will need to be fed the ball.

27 Tim Duncan, SA, PF/C: I like to go with guys who have big upside at this point in the draft, but every team needs a center they can rely on and Duncan is as steady as they come. You know you’re going to get 20/10/3 with 2 blocks, good FG% and bad FT% - unless this the year the inevitable physical decline sets in.

28 Paul Pierce, Bos, G/F: The strong points, boards and assists are nice, but as a member of the Big Three Pierce’s numbers look more like a very good fantasy swingman than an elite option.

29 Kevin Martin, Sac, SG: You have to love the efficiency of K-Mart, perhaps the most underrated player in the NBA today. The guy is a natural scorer who keeps getting better in the volume cats while keeping his TOs low and percentages high.

30 Pau Gasol, LAL, PF/C: Gasol became a roto stud in LA last season, especially in the FG% department with 59% shooting from the field. It remains to be see how he’ll perform alongside Andrew Bynum, but his looks will likely decrease and his block totals declined last season.

Hoopsters 31-40 after the jump…

31 Jason Richardson, Cha, G/F: It was his show in Charlotte last season and J-Rich responded with his best season as a pro. His 243 three-pointers paced the league and there were plenty of contributions elsewhere. The poor shooting percentages are a bit of a downer.

32 David West, NO, PF: West continues to improve every season, adding 1.3 blocks per game to the arsenal last season. He’s not going to blow you away anywhere, but West is a rock-solid option at PF.

33 Andrew Bynum, LAL, C: Let’s not forget that Bynum led the league in FG% and was perhaps one of the very best fantasy centers in the league when he went down last season. There is some uncertainty here though: early reports suggest he will start the season as a sixth man. His inability to recover quickly from the injury is also a concern, but this kid won’t turn 21 until later this month and has nowhere to go but up if he stays on the floor.

34 Marcus Camby, LAC, C: Camby is already dinged up entering his 13th season and has moved to an unfamiliar situation with an established center. How will he play alongside Kaman? Can the Clippers go for long stretches with both on the floor? Last season’s good health aside, he’s also made of glass. I’m in no rush to scoop this guy up.

35 Chauncey Billups, Det, PG: He didn’t show many signs of decline last season, even improving dramatically on his FG%. Still, at 32 there’s a chance Billups could wear down. He will also be sharing more minutes than ever with fantasy stud-in-waiting Rodney Stuckey and the Pistons will want to keep Chauncey fresh for the postseason.

36 Carmelo Anthony, Den, SF: Carmelo’s decent percentages on a very high volume of shots are probably a little undervalued in fantasy circles. Still his TOs are sky high though and Melo won’t do much for you outside of scoring with average boards, steals and assists.

37 Antawn Jamison, Was, F: It’s looking like Antawn will be healthy for opening day, but keep an eye on his status. With Arenas out Jamison should be ask to shoulder the scoring load in Washington but he doesn’t bring much besides the obvious and the shooting percentages aren’t ideal.

38 Ron Artest, Hou, G/F: Ron Ron has the ability to rocket up this list if he just plays the kind of aggressive, hard-nosed defense he’s known for. It’s a crap shoot though: Artest could lead the league in steals or he could get suspended at any moment. The FT% can also kill you.

39 Brandon Roy, Por, G: So far Brandon Roy has been more impressive on the court than in fantasy lineups, but he’ll give you a great combination of points, assists and boards with a little of everything else sprinkled in. Looks may be more difficult to come by this season in Portland with so many emerging talents.

40 Corey Maggette, GS, G/F: There’s a decent chance that Maggette will have the most positive impact on FT% of any fantasy player in the league this season. The guy is like a runaway freight train on his way to the basket and he should thrive in Don Nelson’s up-tempo offense. The scoring will be there, but what else does he do for you?