With one of the NBA's most memorable offseasons in the books, some teams have an excess of talent while many others are still searching for hope. A number of starting fives have yet to be sorted out, making things tough for fantasy players with the regular seasons rapidly approaching.

Let's take a look at a handful of the most intriguing position battles that will play out over the next few weeks.

Boston Celtics: Shooting Guard

Smart was often a fill-in when Avery Bradley was hurt last season and posted 11.9 points, 4.5 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.6 steals across 34.1 minutes per game as a starter. While he's an excellent defender, Smart is a wildly inconsistent scorer, making just 35.9 percent of his shots from the field and 28.3 percent of his shots from deep last year. That inconsistency may matter less now that Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward are in town, but most defenses can just ignore Smart when he's off-ball, clogging the lane for potential drives and making things more difficult for Boston's playmakers.

Brown, on the other hand, flashed plenty of upside as a scorer. Over his 20 starts as a rookie, Brown averaged 10.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 45.9 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from deep. He's not quite the passer or defender that Smart is, but clearly provides a threat from beyond the arc that Smart cannot.

There are reasons to give either guy the nod, but Smart's ability to play two positions and rack up assists and steals will probably make him a more valuable fantasy player. That said, Brown's expanded role could make him a steal in the later rounds of drafts.

Denver Nuggets: Point Guard

Mudiay is an excellent finisher, able to make tough layups through contact and rise over defenders with his athleticism. He's also a more of a traditional playmaking point guard than Murray, who was touted as a combo guard coming out of the draft and still fits that mold. Per 100 possessions, Mudiay handed out 7.5 assists compared to Murray's 4.7 last season. Ultimately, Mudiay's role with the team this season will likely be correlated to how polished his jumper is, as the team is largely perimeter oriented, and he shot just 31.5 percent from deep last year, a season in which he appeared to regress across the board.

With Nikola Jokic handling a large share of the team's passing duties, having more of a combo-guard/scorer at the point could be a better fit – that's where Murray comes in. While he didn't shoot the lights out as a rookie (40.4 percent from the field and 33.4 percent from three), he was dealing with a sports hernia for almost the entire season, which likely hampered his effectiveness. With successful surgery behind him, he'll look to jump into his sophomore campaign without discomfort, which could help propel him past Mudiay.

As it stands, this seems like Murray's job to lose. But, coach Mike Malone is insisting it's an open competition, so I'm going to have to trust him on that. Either way, I like Murray's chances of seeing 24-30 minutes per game.

L.A. Clippers: Point Guard

Teodosic – regarded as one of the best players in Europe – performed as advertised during the team's first preseason game, handing out eight assists -- some in fantastic fashion -- across 25 minutes. His presence, whether he starts or not, should provide the team with great pick-and-roll and transition passes that they became accustomed to when CP3 was at the helm. While he's an excellent passer and isn't afraid to pull up from deep, he's a revolving door on defense, and will face questions about his ability to hold up over an 82-game season.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is Beverley. Maybe the least-traditional point guard in the league, Beverley is primarily a three-and-D guy who has averaged more rebounds than assists every year since 2013-14. He's not much of a scorer or passer, but with the likes of Blake Griffin, Danilo Gallinari and Lou Williams on the roster, that shouldn't cripple the offense.

I'm not sure either player will see significantly more time than the other, but my guess is Beverley starts and probably finishes most games. In DFS, until the evidence suggests otherwise, I'll likely play Teodosic during cakewalk matchups and Beverely in tougher ones.

New York Knicks: Point Guard

Ntilikina has plenty of potential, but his overall skillset is still very raw, and it's unclear just how NBA-ready he'll be. His passing and mid-range shooting are likely the most polished of his skills, but his lack of a consistent three-ball and a skinny 6-foot-5, 190-pound frame will probably cause him problems. Ntilikina has also flashed upside as a defender, which the Knicks are hoping will translate immediately to the NBA considering his length at the position.

The other options -- Jarrett Jack, Ramon Sessions and Ron Baker -- are bleak, to say the least. I'm not really sure what to make of this considering Jack played two games last season while recovering from two knee injuries, while Baker and Sessions combined for 10.3 points and 4.7 assists per game. Two seasons ago, Jack averaged 12.8 points and 7.4 assists per contest, but he's on a non-guaranteed contract, which suggests the Knicks don't have much faith in him being able to jump back to his old self. Sessions hasn't started more than 30 games in seven years. Baker's career highs stand at 13 points and eight assists. It's a mess.

Miami Heat: Small Forward

Through two seasons, Winslow has played 96 games, averaging 7.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.0 steal across 29.8 minutes per contest. While he's known for being a impact defender across multiple positions, he's shot just 40.0 percent from the field and 25.8 percent from deep over his first two years – poor by any standard. To truly assert himself as the starter at small forward, the former 10th overall pick will have to become a more efficient scorer.

Richardson regressed as a shooter last season after being thrust into a starter's workload while dealing with foot and ankle injuries. That said, during his rookie year, he made 1.0 three per game at a red-hot 46.1 percent clip. In evaluating potential options at small forward, Richardson's scoring ability is tough to ignore and is a significant upgrade offensively over Winslow.

McGruder is probably the longest shot to see significant minutes at small forward, as he averaged under 7.0 points last year across 25.2 minutes per game. He's a quality defender despite being undersized, but his shooting and ball-handling are both works in progress. He's a project in the same sense as Winslow, but carries considerably less upside.

My money is on Winslow to win the job -- maybe not right away, but eventually. His defense and willingness as a distributor should mesh well with the first unit. Even so, Richardson will still see significant time at the position – possibly enough to warrant fantasy ownership in deeper leagues.

Toronto Raptors: Small Forward

Miles is a three-point specialist who made 2.2 threes per game at a career-high 41.3 percent clip last season. He rarely shoots inside the arc and doesn't handle the ball much, so his role next to the high-usage duo of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan would be that of a spot-up shooter, which he's used to.

Powell, on the other hand, isn't shy about handling the ball and scoring off the dribble. Over 18 starts last season, he posted 15.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 31.9 minutes per game. He also made an impressive 49.8 of his field goal attempts and 39.7 percent of his three point attempts in those games. At 24 years old, the former second-round pick projects to continue his upward trajectory.

To me, Miles has the best chance at claiming the starting job. With DeMar DeRozan and Valanciunas providing little perimeter threat, a knock-down three point shooter should help open up the floor for drives and post-up opportunities. Powell can then function as a sixth man, being the No.1 option off the pine, which should help jump-start an otherwise subpar second unit. That said, neither player is a top-tier fantasy option, and are likely going to be most useful in deep leagues and DFS.

Brooklyn Nets: Guard Rotation

It's hard to imagine a scenario in which Russell and a healthy Lin see fewer minutes per game – 28.7 and 24.5 respectively – than they did last season. How well they mesh is a different story, though both have played each guard spot, so it seems doubtful they'll clash.

Aside from that duo, there are a myriad of other options for the Nets to deploy off the bench at either position: Isaiah Whitehead, Spencer Dinwiddie, Sean Kilpatrick, Caris LeVert, and Joe Harris.

The sheer number of options is somewhat overwhelming, especially since each player received between 21.9 and 25.1 minutes per game last seasons amid injuries and general rotation tweaks. If usage rate is any indication, Kilpatrick led the group at 23.8 percent, followed by Whitehead (18.2 percent). He was also given the most minutes per game out of the group (25.1).

While each player has their own unique skillset, it seems safest to bank on Kilpatrick getting the most work out of the other available options. He'll also likely have the ball in his hands often during those minutes, which generally has a positive correlation to fantasy points. Keep an eye, too, on LeVert, who the Nets are high on after injuries at Michigan caused him to fall to 20th in last year's draft.

It seems doubtful more than one of the group will be fantasy relevant in standard formats, however, making the field risky overall. How much time Allen Crabbe spends at shooting guard could also throw a wrench into the equation.

Sacramento Kings: Entire Starting Five

From a fantasy perspective, I loathe this roster. I don't have confidence in any player on the team playing 30 minutes per game. It would honestly surprise me if someone did.

Considering how much the team paid George Hill and Zach Randolph, I find it hard to imagine they'll see fewer than 24-28 minutes per game. That leaves De'Aaron Fox and Skal Labissiere with only about 20-24 minutes per contest, unless Hill and Randolph play some shooting guard and center, respectively, which is quite possible, particularly in Hill's case.

Shooting guard/small forward is also a jumbled mess of Buddy Hield, Bogdan Bogdanovich, Justin Jackson, Garrett Temple, Malachi Richardson and Vince Carter – I'll just end it there. Center has Kosta Koufos, Willie Cauley-Stein and Georgios Papagiannis – not to mention Randolph's and Labissiere's ability to slide up to the position.

In short, the only Kings I feel comfortable drafting are George Hill, Buddy Hield and Willie Cauley-Stein. And I would wait as long as possible to make the gamble.

Dallas Mavericks: Shooting Guard

Curry broke out last year after injuries began to pile up in the Mavs' backcourt. As a result, he ended up playing 29.0 minutes per game and averaging 12.8 points, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals. He also racked up 2.0 threes per game at a scorching hot 42.5 percent clip. While not much of a passer, he's established himself as one of the league's more dangerous perimeter threats.

One of the biggest surprises in the NBA last season, Ferrell – an undrafted rookie out of Indiana – went on to start 29 games for the Mavericks. His season averages came to rest at 11.3 points, 4.3 assists and 1.1 steals across 29.1 minutes per game. He also made 1.5 threes per game at a 38.6 percent mark. With the team trending in a younger direction, Ferrell seems like a long-term fit, but his upside is relatively low.

Matthews should benefit significantly from coach Rick Carlisle's decision to start Dirk Nowitzki at center and Harrison Barnes at power forward. That should afford Matthews more minutes at small forward, rather than having to compete directly with Curry and Ferrell at the two. The main concerns for Matthews coming into 2017-18 will be his health and three-point shooting. He's missed 35 games over the past three seasons and his three-point percentage dropped from 38.9 in 2014-15 to 36.0 in 2015-16 and remained relatively unchanged last season at 36.3. While that's solid, it's lower than both Curry and Ferrell's marks and represents his main value as a fantasy commodity.

Overall, I'd feel more confident drafting Curry and Ferrell over Matthews.They're all valid options, but it feels like the youth movement is beginning to take hold in Dallas.

Chicago Bulls: Power Forward

The Bulls are understandably high on Markkanen, who dropped 20.2 points per game while shooting 42.3 percent from deep during his one season at Arizona. Like most rookies, he needs to bulk up if he wants to stand a chance grabbing boards at the NBA level and his defensive IQ is shaky at best, but it's hard to resist his offensive upside.

The Bulls' management and Mirotic aren't exactly off to a good start this year after both sides had great difficulty agreeing on an extension. Eventually, however, the two sides settled on a two-year, $27 million deal to end the stalemate. He has potential to be a productive, offensive-minded forward but has struggled to adjust to the NBA level, shooting 41.3 percent from the field and 34.2 percent from deep last season. That's an issue, considering he's a liability on the glass and on defense.

Portis struggled to find consistent minutes last season, though he did average 9.9 points and 6.4 rebounds while shooting 50.0 percent from the field across 21.1 minutes per game over the team's final 34 games. Portis provides an increasingly rare, high-energy rebounding presence at the power forward slot and is working on his three-point shooting. If he can improve his range (33.3 percent from deep last year), he has the potential to be an impact player.

To me, either Markkanen or Mirotic will win the starting job, though it may be in flux throughout the year. It's hard to justify drafting Markkanen seventh and not deploying him for significant stretches, especially considering what the rest of the roster looks like. Same goes for paying Mirotic $13.5 million per year. That's not to say Portis will be a fantasy dud, but he's likely only worth the risk in deep leagues or keeper formats.