Harden Tops Way, Way Too Early Top-150 for 2020-21

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Updated on March 25, 2020 6:37PM EST

With the 2019-20 season currently on hold, we thought we'd take the opportunity to peer into our crystal ball and look way ahead into the future at our top-150 players for next season.

Typically, this is an exercise we do in mid-summer after the draft and free agency, but what better time than now to begin preparing for a season that (hopefully) won't be interrupted by a major global pandemic?

A few notes before we get into the rankings:

These are the average of Nick Whalen (NW) and Alex Barutha's (AB) individual top-150 rankings. Players who were unranked on one of the lists were assigned a default value of 160.
We're assuming the 2019-20 fantasy season is over. As such, all references to rankings or stats take into account everything that happened up to the NBA suspension on Mar. 12.
We're looking ahead, so "last season" refers to 2019-20
Injured players are assumed to be healthy to begin next season, though potential regression is factored in for players like Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, DeMarcus Cousins, etc.
Rankings are based on eight-category leagues (PTS, REB, AST, STL, BLK, FG%, FT%, 3PM)

Note: Column headers are sortable. The default rank on the left is tied to the average (AVG) rank of each player.

Rk	NW	AB	AVG	Player	Team	Pos
1	1	1	1	James Harden	HOU	G	Finished his fourth consecutive No. 1 overall season in eight-category leagues.
2	2	2	2	Anthony Davis	LAL	F/C	Led the league in stocks in addition to hitting a career-best 84.5% of his free throws.
3	5	5	5	Stephen Curry	GSW	G	Coming off of a lost season, returns to a rejuvenated Warriors team.
4	4	7	5.5	Giannis Antetokounmpo	MIL	F	On pace for a second straight MVP but drop in free throw percentage hurts his fantasy upside.
5	8	3	5.5	Karl-Anthony Towns	MIN	F/C	Missed significant time in 2019-20 after sitting out only five games through first four NBA seasons.
6	3	9	6	Nikola Jokic	DEN	C	Got off to a slow start in 2019-20 but worked up to his usual All-NBA production.
7	6	8	7	Trae Young	ATL	G	Made another big leap, offensively, in Year 2, finishing second in the league in total points and assists.
8	10	4	7	Damian Lillard	POR	G	Coming off his best season; set career-highs in points (28.9 PPG), efficiency (61.9 TS%) and assists (7.8 APG).
9	9	6	7.5	Luka Doncic	DAL	G	Averaged 29/9/9 as a 20-year-old and still has room to improve.
10	7	10	8.5	LeBron James	LAL	F	Led the league in assists (10.6 APG) as a 35-year-old, but poor free throw shooting hurts his fantasy upside.
11	11	13	12	Kawhi Leonard	LAC	F	Load management remains a concern, but Leonard finished fourth in per-game value in 2019-20.
12	12	12	12	Bradley Beal	WAS	G	Caught fire in the second half of 2019-20, but John Wall's return could reduce Beal's usage.
13	13	11	12	Kevin Durant	BRO	F	Returns from a serious injury, but even a diminished version of Durant is capable of superstar production.
14	15	14	14.5	Paul George	LAC	F	Production dipped slightly with the Clippers amid multiple injuries.
15	14	16	15	Joel Embiid	PHI	C	Injuries led to a letdown 2019-20 season, but Embiid remains among the league's elite center-eligible players.
16	18	15	16.5	Russell Westbrook	HOU	G	Turned things around after Clint Capela was traded but remains a non-factor from three.
17	17	18	17.5	Devin Booker	PHO	G	Coming off of the best season of his career; Booker was a top-eight player in 2019-20.
18	19	17	18	Jayson Tatum	BOS	F	Hit a mid-season breakout and averaged 29.2 points from Feb. 1 onward.
19	20	19	19.5	Ben Simmons	PHI	G	Hasn't improved much since rookie year, but Simmons' counting stats help offset poor free throw shooting and lack of threes.
20	16	27	21.5	John Collins	ATL	F	Continues to make strides in his game but it's unclear how the addition of Clint Capela will affect Collins' role.
21	21	25	23	Andre Drummond	CLE	C	Still the league's premier rebounder, Drummond added a career-best 3.5 stocks per game in 2019-20.
22	25	21	23	Brandon Ingram	NOR	F	Likely winner of the NBA's Most Improved Player award and made his first All-Star game in 2019-20
23	22	26	24	Deandre Ayton	PHO	C	Early-season suspension clouded what was quietly an encouraging sophomore campaign.
24	26	23	24.5	Zach LaVine	CHI	G	Set career highs in points (25.5), rebounds (4.8), threes (3.1) and steals (1.5) per game.
25	27	22	24.5	Jimmy Butler	MIA	F	Regression from three is a concern, but Butler posted career-best rebounding and assist numbers last season.
26	24	31	27.5	Bam Adebayo	MIA	F/C	Made his first All-Star game in 2019-20 -- stuffs the stat sheet.
27	23	33	28	Pascal Siakam	TOR	F	One of the most well-rounded players in the league, Siakam took another step toward stardom last season.
28	33	30	31.5	Jrue Holiday	NOR	G	Took a small step backward with the emergence of Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram as reliable players.
29	29	35	32	Khris Middleton	MIL	G	Had his best season in 2019-20 and did it all in just 30.1 minutes per game.
30	35	32	33.5	Kristaps Porzingis	DAL	F/C	Became a better rebounder (9.5 RPG) and shot more threes (2.5 makes on 7.1 attempts per game).
31	39	28	33.5	Chris Paul	OKC	G	Was a top-10 player in total value last season, but injury history is still a major concern.
32	36	36	36	Nikola Vucevic	ORL	C	Remained a good-not-great, reliable fantasy center.
33	31	42	36.5	Kemba Walker	BOS	G	Took a step back amid injuries in first season with the Celtics.
34	45	29	37	Kyle Lowry	TOR	G	Increased his scoring in the absence of Kawhi Leonard; turned 34 in March.
35	50	24	37	Hassan Whiteside	MIA	C	One of the biggest surprises of the 2019-20 season, will Whiteside have the same opportunity next season?
36	30	46	38	Klay Thompson	GSW	G	Coming off a lost season due to a torn ACL.
37	32	45	38.5	De'Aaron Fox	SAC	G	Counting stats were solid, but Fox's three-point (31%) and free throw (70%) shooting were shaky at best last season.
38	37	40	38.5	Domantas Sabonis	IND	F	Increased production across the board and made his first All-Star game.
39	40	39	39.5	Lonzo Ball	NOR	G	Still inconsistent as a scorer overall, but Ball made a huge leap as a three-point shooter last season.
40	41	38	39.5	Rudy Gobert	UTA	C	Numbers remained steady en route to his first career All-Star bid.
41	38	43	40.5	Donovan Mitchell	UTA	G	Still hasn't made The Leap, but Mitchell has been remarkably consistent through first three NBA seasons.
42	46	37	41.5	Clint Capela	ATL	C	After six seasons in Houston, Capela will now catch lobs from Trae Young.
43	34	50	42	Fred VanVleet	TOR	G	After a breakout season, where VanVleet lands in free agency will determine his ceiling.
44	43	44	43.5	Shai Gilgeous-Alexander	OKC	G	Meshed well alongside Chris Paul and posted career marks in points (19.3) and rebounds (6.1) per game.
45	28	63	45.5	Jonathan Isaac	ORL	F	Averaged 4.0 stocks per game and was a top-35 player before a knee injury in January ended his season.
46	44	48	46	Ja Morant	MEM	G	Presumed Rookie of the Year and a borderline All-Star.
47	42	52	47	Jamal Murray	DEN	G	Coming off of another top-50 season with plenty of room to grow.
48	55	41	48	DeMar DeRozan	SAN	G	2019-20 was the most efficient year of his career (59.7 TS%).
49	62	34	48	D'Angelo Russell	MIN	G	Hit nearly 37 percent of his career-high 9.6 three-point attempts per game last season.
50	61	47	54	Robert Covington	HOU	F	Vital part of Houston's small-ball plan. Averaged 2.9 threes, 7.9 rebounds and 3.6 stocks per game in Houston.
51	59	51	55	Ricky Rubio	PHO	G	Quietly reasserted himself as one of the league's best passers last season (8.9 APG).
52	58	53	55.5	Buddy Hield	SAC	G	Posted career marks in threes (3.8) and assists (3.1) per game but clashed with coaching staff and moved to bench.
53	47	65	56	Jaren Jackson Jr.	MEM	F	Low rebounding rate remains a concern, but Jackson hit 39.7% of his threes last season.
54	54	58	56	Christian Wood	DET	F	Will be a great fantasy player if Detroit doesn't upgrade at his position. Averaged 24.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 2.1 stocks after the break.
55	51	62	56.5	Zion Williamson	NOR	F	Williamson was as good as advertised as a scorer and rebounder, but he didn't do much else in his first 19 NBA games.
56	52	61	56.5	Draymond Green	GSW	F	Played 43 games in 2019-20 in somewhat of a lost year. Failed to succeed without Stephen Curry or Klay Thompson available.
57	48	67	57.5	Eric Bledsoe	MIL	G	Played well last season but fantasy value was hampered by a drop in playing time (27.2 MPG).
58	53	63	58	Myles Turner	IND	C	Great shot-blocker who can't seem to turn the corner as a scorer or rebounder.
59	60	58	59	Devonte' Graham	CHA	G	Came out of nowhere to rank fifth in total threes and fourth in assists last season.
60	65	54	59.5	Jonas Valanciunas	MEM	C	Thrived in a starting role with the Grizzlies but can't seem to crack the 30-minute mark.
61	63	57	60	Gordon Hayward	BOS	F	Struggled to find his fit, but Hayward is coming off of his best, and most consistent, season in Boston.
62	49	72	60.5	CJ McCollum	POR	G	Stayed the course as a consistent No. 2 option for Portland.
63	71	50	60.5	Jaylen Brown	BOS	G/F	Posted career-highs in points, rebounds, assists, FG% and FT% last season
64	74	49	61.5	Victor Oladipo	IND	G	Struggled coming back from a torn quad tendon but should be better with another offseason to rest.
65	56	68	62	Kelly Oubre	PHO	F	Could be a 20-point-per-game scorer after an impressive first full season in Phoenix.
66	68	56	62	LaMarcus Aldridge	SAN	F/C	Slight dip in scoring and rebounding in his age-34 season but it's unclear when his production will finally fall off.
67	72	55	63.5	Kevin Love	CLE	F	Stayed mostly healthy last season, but Love carries significant injury risk.
68	64	66	65	Tobias Harris	PHI	F	Has offered steady production over the past five years and isn't showing signs of slowing down.
69	69	71	70	John Wall	WAS	G	Hasn't played since December of 2018, but Wall should be fully healthy for the start of the 2020-21 season.
70	57	84	70.5	Brook Lopez	MIL	C	One of the best shot-blockers in the league but inexplicably became a bad three-point shooter.
71	67	75	71	Otto Porter	CHI	F	Injuries limited Porter to 14 games last season, but he has two top-30 seasons in his career.
72	70	73	71.5	Malcolm Brogdon	IND	G	Suffered a torn hip before the season was suspended. Injuries are becoming a major concern.
73	81	70	75.5	Mitchell Robinson	NYK	C	Underutilized again, but Robinson's elite shot-blocking and field goal percentage buoy his value.
74	76	76	76	Terry Rozier	CHA	G	Increased production was overshadowed by the emergence of Devonte' Graham.
75	75	79	77	Marcus Smart	BOS	G	Defensive-minded guard has hit nearly 36% of his threes over the last two seasons.
76	80	74	77	Lauri Markkanen	CHI	F	Had development stunted by injuries, which are becoming a concern; Averaged 19/9 during his second season.
77	78	78	78	T.J. Warren	IND	G/F	Overall fantasy profile is limited, but Warren scores efficiency from all three levels.
78	77	80	78.5	Dejounte Murray	SAN	G	Became a regular starter but saw just 24.9 MPG. Per 36 minutes, averaged 15.4 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 5.9 APG, 2.5 SPG.
79	91	69	80	Danilo Gallinari	OKC	F	Coming off of another typical Gallinari season, the 31-year-old heads into free agency this summer.
80	85	81	83	Will Barton	DEN	G/F	Multi-position glue guy who averaged 15.1 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.7 APG and 1.1 SPG.
81	73	96	84.5	Marvin Bagley	SAC	F	No. 2 overall pick in 2018 has already missed 71 games in two seasons.
82	66	104	85	Richaun Holmes	SAC	C	Will be a very useful fantasy player if he retains a starting role in 2020-21.
83	79	91	85	Andrew Wiggins	GSW	F	Hot start may have been a mirage, but Wiggins is in a much better basketball situation with the Warriors.
84	83	88	85.5	Collin Sexton	CLE	G	Playmaking ability remains suspect but is proving to be a good scorer at a young age.
85	86	89	87.5	Julius Randle	NYK	F	Had the 2019-20 season most expected: solid scoring and rebounding numbers without much else.
86	93	83	88	Al Horford	PHI	F/C	Lost starting job late in the year. Efficiency and shot-blocking took a significant dip.
87	96	82	89	Davis Bertans	WAS	F	Ranked fourth in made threes per game and seventh in 3PT% last season.
88	101	77	89	Evan Fournier	ORL	G/F	Coming off arguably his best season, setting career highs in points (18.8) and threes (2.7) per game.
89	89	90	89.5	Bojan Bogdanovic	UTA	F	Scored a career-best 20.2 PPG while topping 40% from three for the third straight season.
90	88	93	90.5	Wendell Carter Jr.	CHI	C	Dealt with injuries again -- has played just 87 games in first two seasons. Still, potential is there.
91	84	98	91	Norman Powell	TOR	G	Broke out with a top-65 finish in 2019-20 behind an efficient 50/40/84 shooting line.
92	97	87	92	Serge Ibaka	TOR	F/C	2019-20 was nearly identical to 2018-19, though Ibaka did improve as a three-point shooter.
93	92	99	95.5	Aaron Gordon	ORL	F	Took a step back in 2019-20 but the 24-year-old will still have his believers.
94	108	86	97	Spencer Dinwiddie	BRO	G	Coming off his most productive season, but what will happen with both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant available?
95	90	105	97.5	Caris LeVert	BRO	G	Averaged 24.1 points, 5.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.7 steals and shot 41 percent from three over his final 16 games.
96	94	101	97.5	Larry Nance	CLE	F/C	Still finding sixth-man minutes and set career-highs in points (10.1) and threes (1.0) per game.
97	82	117	99.5	Brandon Clarke	MEM	F	Already an elite finisher, Clarke has room to grow after barely cracking 20 minutes per game as a rookie.
98	100	100	100	OG Anunoby	TOR	F	Played well in expanded role with Kawhi Leonard leaving for the Clippers.
99	118	85	101.5	Michael Porter Jr.	DEN	F	Could be over-drafted, but Porter showed plenty of glimpses of why he was once considered the best player in his class.
100	113	92	102.5	Thomas Bryant	WAS	F/C	Played only 38 games due to injury but may be able to step up into a real starting role in 2020-21.
101	103	103	103	Blake Griffin	DET	F	Injuries are more of a concern than ever for Griffin, who's missed significant time in five of the last six seasons.
102	111	97	104	Dennis Schroder	OKC	G	Had a bounce-back season for the new-look Thunder.
103	114	94	104	Coby White	CHI	G	Averaged 24.7 points on 47/41/90 shooting over his final 10 games.
104	104	109	106.5	Kevin Huerter	ATL	G	Has proven to be more than just a three-point shooter -- averaged 3.8 assists in 2019-20.
105	99	120	109.5	Mikal Bridges	PHO	G	Was a top-50 player in eight-category leagues after the All-Star break.
106	110	111	110.5	Markelle Fultz	ORL	G	May never be able to shoot threes, but was acceptable from the free-throw line (72.3%), while averaging 5.2 assists and 1.3 steals last season.
107	117	106	111.5	Lou Williams	LAC	G	Ceded some scoring responsibility but averaged a career-high 5.7 assists per game last season.
108	123	102	112.5	Daniel Theis	BOS	C	Underrated center who proved to be a viable fantasy option after the New Year.
109	112	114	113	Bogdan Bogdanovic	SAC	G	Could step into a featured role if he lands elsewhere in free agency this summer.
110	119	110	114.5	DeMarcus Cousins	FA	C	Missed 2019-20 due to torn ACL. Can still be a great fantasy option if he's able to see 25-plus minutes and stay healthy.
111	122	107	114.5	Terrence Ross	ORL	G	Took a career-high 7.2 three-pointers per game last season.
112	102	129	115.5	PJ Washington	CHA	F	Appears capable of becoming a nice three-and-D forward.
113	106	130	118	Josh Richardson	PHI	G	Often the odd man out in Philly last season, Richardson is a bounceback candidate in 2020-21.
114	107	131	119	Tim Hardaway Jr.	DAL	G	Became a 40.7 percent three-point shooter who hit 2.9 triples per contest in 2019-20.
115	116	123	119.5	Seth Curry	DAL	G	Averaged 16.1 points on 55% shooting, including 52% from three, over his final 25 games.
116	109	133	121	Malik Beasley	MIN	G	Averaged 20.7 points (3.5 threes) after joining the Timberwolves. Fantasy value will depend on 2020-21 roster construction.
117	134	108	121	Nemanja Bjelica	SAC	F	Finished as a top-90 player last season, but a healthy Marvin Bagley could lead to reduced minutes.
118	125	118	121.5	Rui Hachimura	WAS	F/C	Relatively uninspiring rookie year; needs to improve as a three-point shooter.
119	131	112	121.5	Steven Adams	OKC	C	Bounced back from a slow start to post his fourth consecutive top-100 season in eight-category leagues.
120	126	119	122.5	DeAndre Jordan	BRO	C	Definitively on the wrong side of his prime but still a source of rebounds (10.0 RPG) and efficient scoring (66.6 FG%).
121	87	160	123.5	Jusuf Nurkic	POR	C	Did not play in 2019-20 but should reclaim starting spot; finished as a top-40 player in 2018-19.
122	124	125	124.5	Jerami Grant	OKC	F	Production decreased in Denver but may step into an expanded role if the Nuggets move on from Paul Millsap.
123	136	113	124.5	Marc Gasol	TOR	C	Injuries took their toll last season, and Gasol's run as a dependable fantasy producer is likely over.
124	128	122	125	Derrick White	SAN	G	Didn't make significant improvements -- uncler if he'll develop into a true starter.
125	135	115	125	Maxi Kleber	DAL	F/C	Shot career-bests from three (37%) and at the line (86%) last season.
126	95	160	127.5	Joe Ingles	UTA	F	Production waned with Mike Conley available; entering his age-33 season.
127	129	127	128	Joe Harris	BRO	G	Three-point specialist played well last season but couldn't match his 47% mark from three in 2018-19.
128	98	160	129	Mike Conley	UTA	G	Looked awful, at times, in his first year away from Memphis; began to look better before the season was suspended.
129	133	126	129.5	Tomas Satoransky	CHI	G	A borderline-top-100 player last season, Satoransky could lose time to Coby White in 2020-21.
130	132	128	130	Taurean Prince	BRO	F	Saw rebounding (6.0 RPG) increase but shot just 37.6 percent from the field.
131	127	135	131	Kendrick Nunn	MIA	G	Could take on even more offensive responsibility if the Heat don't retain free-agent-to-be, Goran Dragic.
132	140	124	132	Derrick Favors	NOR	F	Production waned once Zion Williamson joined the rotation. Could join a different team in 2020-21.
133	105	160	132.5	Luke Kennard	DET	G	Knee injury marred a strong start to last season (15.8 PPG, 4.1 APG, 3.5 RPG, 40% 3PT in 28 games).
134	145	121	133	Marquese Chriss	GSW	F	Should remain fantasy-relevant if he can garner sixth-man minutes in Golden State or elsewhere.
135	139	132	135.5	Josh Hart	NOR	G	Change of scenery proved beneficial for one of the best rebounding guards in the league (6.5 RPG).
136	115	160	137.5	Elfrid Payton	NYK	G	Averaged 8.8 assists and 1.6 steals across the final 22 games of 2019-20.
137	138	141	139.5	Danny Green	LAL	G	Production is average-at-best, but Green contributes threes and steals and rarely misses games.
138	120	160	140	Donte DiVincenzo	MIL	G	Was productive in sixth-man minutes and posted the NBA's seventh-best steal percentage (2.7%).
139	144	136	140	Goran Dragic	MIA	G	Career is at a crossroads as he'll enter free agency at age 34.
140	160	120	140	Miles Bridges	CHA	F	Minutes increased and production followed suit, but Bridges didn't make any real strides.
141	121	160	140.5	Kris Dunn	CHI	G/F	Essentially a steals specialist (2.0 SPG), Dunn adds little else.
142	130	152	141	Eric Gordon	HOU	G	Played only 34 games due to injury and was mostly ineffective.
143	137	146	141.5	RJ Barrett	NYK	G	Showed improvement late in rookie season, but above all else, Barrett needs to improve at the line (61% FT).
144	146	140	143	Harrison Barnes	SAC	F	Production is empty calories as far as fantasy is concerned.
145	148	139	143.5	Paul Millsap	DEN	F	Production dipped a bit in age-34 season, but Millsap shot a career-best 44 percent from three.
146	160	134	147	James Johnson	MIA	F	Should be fantasy-relevant if he retains at least a sixth-man role in Minnesota.
147	147	150	148.5	Dillon Brooks	MEM	G/F	Solidified himself as an every-night starter for one of the best young teams in the league last season.
148	150	147	148.5	JaVale McGee	LAL	C	Production fell with Dwight Howard's resurgence. Could be the same story in 2020-21.
149	160	137	148.5	JJ Redick	NOR	G	Playing time slumped, but Redick still provided his usual, elite three-point shooting (45% 3PT).
150	160	138	149	Patrick Beverley	LAC	G	Can stuff the stat sheet as a point guard, though he isn't much of a scorer.

Next up: Tyler Herro, MIA; Aaron Holiday, IND; Jarrett Allen, BRO; Anthony Edwards, ROOKIE; P.J. Tucker, HOU; Troy Brown, WAS; Darius Garland, CLE; De'Anthony Melton, MEM; Duncan Robinson, MIA; Ivica Zubac, LAC; De'Andre Hunter, ATL