Suns' Preseason Fantasy Basketball Player Rankings
This season's fantasy basketball pre-rankings came out this week on Yahoo Fantasy Sports, arguably the web's most popular destination for fantasy sports. We're not overly concerned with non-Suns players who made the list, so let's get into the details of where your favorite Phoenix Sun was ranked.
Steve Nash - PG
Nash is in elite company, but wasn't the top rated fantasy point guard for the 2007-2008 season; that honor is given to the Wizards' Gilbert Arenas. Coming in as the #2 rated fantasy PG, Nash will lead the Suns to the playoffs again and do his best to pad all his fantasy owners' stats. The #2 ranking is quite good for Steve, especially considering his age and the level of competition at the position. Rounding out the Top 5 point guards are: Dwyane Wade, Jason Kidd and Chris Paul.
Leandro Barbosa - PG
While there's no doubting that Barbosa is emerging as a force to be reckoned with, he'll still be the 6th (or 7th) man on the playoff-bound Suns roster. Despite the fact he's not even a starter for the Suns, Yahoo ranks Barbosa as the 10th best point guard...wow! I would probably be more inclined to pick Deron Williams (#11) or Brandon Roy (#12), but Barbosa does deserve to be ranked ahead of most of the league's other starting point guards.
Raja Bell - SG
Fantasy basketball is about stats, but that's not Raja's game. Bell is more interested in playing defense and team ball on the way to a win, rather than trying to pad his stats for fantasy owners. Because of his team oriented approach, it's not too surprising to find Bell listed as the #32 best shooting guard. Raja Bell is a good pick, but probably not until the 6th round or later.
Shawn Marion - SF/PF
Marion is a versatile forward who's listed as both a small forward and a power forward by Yahoo; this makes him an extremely valuable commodity, since he can be used wherever you need the most help (w/ your roster). As long as Marion stays with the Suns (trade rumors are abound), you can expect him to keep putting up the same numbers that have helped Shawn be the #1 rated fantasy basketball player by Yahoo (2005 & 2006 seasons). This year, Yahoo puts Marion as the #2 rated SF (behind Kevin Garnett). Garnett and Marion are also rated 1 & 2 overall as power forwards. As far as an overall contributor to your stats (across the board), Marion is a no-brainer. Shawn has been consistent in FG%, FT%, 3-PT, steals, blocks, points and he usually ranks in the top 5 (rebounding).
Boris Diaw - PF/C
Of the Suns' player rankings, Diaw could end up the furthest from his projected ranking unless he recaptures the hustle & tenacity that he displayed in the 2005-2006 playoffs. Boris could be a moderate bust (like last year) or he could be a great pickup for a team needing a steady backup center or power forward. Right now, Diaw is rated the #25 PF by Yahoo and the #24 C. Like Marion, Diaw can be used to fill holes at two positions and he should put up somewhat decent numbers. If Grant Hill steps in and plays well (in limited minutes), I think Diaw is one player who's going to take a hit (fantasy-wise).
Amare Stoudemire - C
Much to this writer's surprise, Amare comes in as the only Suns player to be ranked #1 in his category (center). I can't argue with the rankings, I just think there are a few other centers who, if healthy, will put up comparable numbers. Those players include Yao Ming (#2), Tim Duncan (#3), Chris Bosh (#6), Carlos Boozer (#7), Al Jefferson (#8), and Dwight Howard (#10) among others. Give Amare credit though - he's put in a lot of extra time this offseason (while not doing cover shoots) working on his game, including a 3-pt shot. If he focuses a bit more on defense and records an extra steal or block each game, he'll put up great fantasy numbers. Stoudemire played almost exclusively at center last year and I expect to see the same again this year; he may change up w/ Diaw every once in awhile, but probably not enough to become eligible as a PF.
As a general rule, you can't go wrong picking (any) Suns player to start on your fantasy roster. With Steve Nash running the show, every player will get opportunities to put up better than average numbers. It's possible that the Phoenix-trio (Nash, Marion & STAT) will all go in the 1st round of most fantasy drafts; hopefully you'll be one of the lucky ones!
On a personal note... I've been playing Yahoo's fantasy basketball since 2003 (Hoop's World before that) and am a big fan. Their systems are easy to use and the league's are pretty fair. I'd probably suggest signing up for a competitive league though, so you know you're getting a full set of owners who are interested in playing out the season.
I hope to see you out there (w/ your own team)!
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