2014-15 Fantasy Basketball: Top 150 9-Cat Rankings
With only a couple days left until the 2014-15 NBA season kicks off, it’s always nice to gander at the latest up-to-date rankings before you head into your fantasy basketball drafts. Hence, the reason TheFantasyFix is dropping Top-150 9-cat rankings for our readers at this time as factors like depth chart changes, injuries, minute allotments, preseason play, etc. have all been accounted for. Before we get into the festivities, first let me explain how you should go about using these rankings.
These rankings reflect where I believe said players will finish at the end of the year, so make sure you’re not using this column as a “draft guide” so to speak. While some of the players very well may be selected in spots very close in proximity to where they are listed in the column, each draft is unique in and of itself so it’s important to be flexible in the midst of drafting. Secondly, these rankings don’t account for potential punting strategies, so don’t freak out when you see Dwight Howard ranked past 100. He’s a great example of a player who gains considerable value when punting FT%, but after coming in as the 156th-best 9-cat player in 2013, you won’t be as confused when you see his rank. Lastly, the rankings are geared towards ROTO formats and all ADP/position eligibility data listed is from Yahoo.
Without further ado, here are the Top-150 9-cat rankings. Drop a line in the comments box to let me know your thoughts concerning these rankings if you’d like!
Honorable Mention: Randy Foye, Danilo Gallinari, Hollis Thompson, Vince Carter, Marcus Smart, Nick Young, Brandon Wright, Rodney Stuckey, Manu Ginobili, Marco Belinelli, Anthony Morrow, Enes Kanter, Greivis Vasquez, Boris Diaw, Jarrett Jack, Khris Middleton, Norris Cole, Nene Hilario, Iman Shumpert, Mike Dunleavy, Evan Fournier, Tim Hardaway Jr., Marvin Williams, Tristan Thompson, Ramon Sessions, JaVale McGee, Chris Copeland, Tony Allen, O.J. Mayo
Thanks for reading and be sure to comment below with any questions or remarks concerning the article. You can follow me on Twitter @MattMoczy.
The Author
17 Comments
Hey maybe it’s just my computer, but I’ve tried on two different browsers and the list doesn’t show up. Is it just me?
Thanks!
Nope, same. Tried it on a few computers.
The Same no list appears.
C’Mon Fantasy Fix, FIX the list please!
Hey guys! So sorry about the technical difficulties, I have no idea what is going on with the Google Spreadsheet I have the rankings on. I was just looking at the article earlier and everything was working. I’ve made an update where you’ll see a “Top-150 9-cat — Sheet1” link that you can click on and it will show you the rankings that aren’t up now. Let me know if this works!
I spoke with my editor and I believe he corrected the problem. As I’m viewing it right now, the rankings are showing. Let me know if you have any more problems.
I hope Reggie Jackson gets that SG eligibility on ESPN soon.
Demar over Rudy Gay?
If you were punting FG and TO, who would you rate higher?
If I were punting those categories then I would go with Gay. Just think his FG% has a chance to be a major drag on his value with increased usage with the Kings this year. Averaging 3.1 TO in 2013 with Isaiah Thomas in tow isn’t good news for his turnover rate this year now that IT2 is in Phoenix this year.
Thanks for the input there, Matt.
I don’t get the fuss about mcDaniels. His preseason was great for the blocks, but he is not guaranteed any minutes. Surely Ersan ranks higher based on his prior achiements (proven)?
McDaniels may not be guaranteed more than 15-20 minutes at the outset of the season, but I believe his talent eventually wins out on a depleted 76ers roster as his fellow competition isn’t exactly the stiffest. Further helping his cause is the fact that Michael Carter-Williams has an uncertain return date. While MCW has suggested he is targeting a Nov. 13 return, head coach Brett Brown has echoed that he will likely be eased into action at first. Don’t be shocked if his timetable is a little optimistic. This will likely slide Tony Wroten into the starting PG spot and McDaniels only competition for minutes at SG are an injury-prone Elliot Williams and subpar talent Chris Johnson. McDaniels should be able to hit a three per game while also contributing blocks/steals.
As for Ilyasova, I think it’s the same ole story. He has a ton of talent and often shows flashes of it throughout the season, but not on a consistent enough basis to provide reliable fantasy value. He shot a horrendous 40.9 percent from the field in 2013 and his 0.1 blocks per game were also a career-low. He may provide some decent FT%-REB-ST-3PM but just doesn’t possess the upside he once did on a Bucks roster dealing the uncertain rotations of first-year head coach Jason Kidd and a plethora of SF/PF types (Jabari-Middleton-Henson-Giannis) already on the roster. It’s hard to project him for much more than 26-28 MPG. Not to mention the fact that he has only played in over 70 games twice in his six NBA seasons. Just think the headache he so often provides won’t be worth owning at the end of the day.
Thanks for the detailed reply there.
One more thing … Being a Blazer fan, the shot made by Troy Daniels last finals series still gives me shudders. I noticed that he’s completely off the radar. With Houston’s pathetic bench scoring potential, what’s the likely MPG for Troy Daniels? With 2 consecutive games to start the week, he seems to be a good ‘stream’ player.
He is a lethal shooter from three-point range but I think he’s just a bit player for now. He will have a hard time generating consistent value backing up James Harden and he’s likely looking around 15 minutes per game.
Hello,
If you had to pick a lineup for the opening day games taking place tomorrow, who would you choose? I am using this team format: PG, SG, SF, PF, C, G, F, UTIL…so 8 players total. Tomorrow’s opening day games are: Mavericks vs Spurs, Pelicans vs Magic, and Rockets vs Lakers. I have a lineup in mind but your professional opinion would be GREATLY appreciated as I am new to fantasy sports, this being my very first time ever playing and I want to see if the lineup that I worked to put together is on par with the one that you would go with. I very very much appreciate your input as I have agreat amount of respect and admiration for you!!!!!!
Thank you very much,
-AT
Steezedogg,
Are you talking about season-long or daily in this instance? Regardless, I would need to know more information to help you pick a lineup. If it’s daily, knowing prices/players being considered/what website you’re using would be helpful. If it’s season long, go ahead and list your whole roster and I’ll give you my opinion on who you should start/sit.
Let me know and I’d be more than willing to help you out. Thanks for reading.
Everyone seems so high on Rudy Gobert. How often does preseason form transfer into regular season? I am heavy in bigs but his potential seems crazy.
Royrovers,
It’s hard to put too stake when evaluating players from a fantasy perspective in preseason games as a myriad of factors (injuries, juggling rotations, chemistry, best players sitting out, etc.) come into play during the evaluation process. With that being said, for young players like Gobert who are trying to standout in order to earn increased playing time, preseason is a vital time and can be a harbinger for success. It’s always nice to look at the MPG for said player to see what kind of general role it looks like the coach will be ticketing the player for.
Gobert, aka the “Stifle Tower”, averaged 0.9 blocks in only 9.7 minutes per game as a 22-year-old rookie with the Utah Jazz last year. Working in Gobert’s favor is the fact that Enes Kaner is starting ahead of him and he’s an absolute turnstile on the defensive end who rarely collects defensive stats like BLK/ST. While Kanter is definitely a more polished offensive player at this stage of their respective careers, I think that head coach Quin Snyder will eventually realize the kind of impact Gobert can have on the defensive end sooner rather than later. While starting games may not be a likely goal in the early going, I think by seasons end you’ll see Gobert in the starting lineup. Even if he doesn’t manage to start, all he needs is 20-25 minutes a game to make a fantasy impact and he’s been receiving those kind of minutes on a nightly basis in the preseason. He only played 22+ minutes twice all of last season and with this kind of playing time, he’s going to be a major asset in FG%, blocks, and rebounds. It’s worth mentioning he’s an awful shooter at the charity stripe (49.2 percent in 2013), but will likely not attempt enough free throws to put too big of a dent in your overall FT% as a team.
Furthermore, Gobert exploded onto the scene with an absurd 11-20 line with two steals in 22 minutes back on October 14. Owners are frothing at the mouth envisioning what could be in store for the 22-year-old Frenchman. The upside is limitless. Don’t be afraid to grab him towards the tail end of your drafts.