Last week, we unveiled our rest-of-season head-to-head rankings developed using RotoWire's rest-of-season projections. Here is a weekly update to those rankings to help you with current trades and add/drops. Before using the rankings, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- These rankings are intended for 9-category head-to-head leagues, where RotoWire recommends targeting points, three pointers, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks, even if that makes your team non-competitive in field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and turnovers. If you prefer a different strategy, check out our custom rankings here to get your own personalized rest-of-season rankings to use for your league.
- These rankings now include suggested auction values based on a $200 dollar budget. This is intended to help you know that Kevin Durant is significantly more valuable than Chris Paul even though they are right next to each other in the rankings, and that Draymond Green and Jeff Teague have essentially the same fantasy value even though they are five spots apart in the rankings.
BUYING
Steph Curry & Klay Thompson: In coach Steve Kerr's new system, the Splash Brothers are putting up career highs in points, assists, and steals per possession this season. In fact, Thompson is averaging a career high in all six positive counting fantasy categories. The fantasy value of their increased production was somewhat masked in November as both guards averaged around 32 minutes per game, well below last season's pace of 35+ minutes per game for both players.
However, in six December games, the Warriors are playing Curry and Thompson more minutes. Both players are averaging right around 35 minutes per game. As a result, we are now projecting them to each average about 34 minutes per game for the rest of the season. While an increase of two minutes per game may seem small, that change is what's driving their jump in the rankings (Curry from 3 to 1, and Thompson from 23 to 16). I think the increase is sustainable for both players, and perhaps a little conservative, as 34 minutes per game would be a career low as a starter for both players.
SELLING
Serge Ibaka: I wrote about Ibaka in last week's rest-of-season roto rankings and discussed how his block rate has steadily decreased in each of the past four seasons. While I don't mean to pile on Ibaka, it is worth mentioning that in our head-to-head rankings, Ibaka's fantasy value is even more tied to his block rate because, unlike our roto rankings, he doesn't get credit here for his excellent free throw percentage and historically strong field goal percentage. Ibaka is averaging 14.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 2.2 blocks, 0.3 steals, and 1.3 three-pointers per game this season. If he isn't going to average 3+ blocks per game like he did a few seasons ago, he's basically the fantasy equivalent of Roy Hibbert, with a three-point shot. That's a useful fantasy player, but not a borderline first-round pick.
PICK UP
Robert Covington: During the preseason, I looked at player value per possession to get a sense of how valuable each player was independent of playing time and pace. Covington came in at #35 overall on that list, just behind Jeff Teague and just ahead of Tim Duncan. Covington's best category is three-pointers, where he's averaging 4.8 makes per 100 possessions this season (2nd only to Gerald Green), but he also makes strong contributions in points, rebounds, and steals.
His near-elite per possession production, combined with the fact that he recently joined the 76ers' starting lineup, has him inside of our top 100 rankings, after being left out of the top 200 last week. While a rank of 91 may seem high, we've projected him for just 26.6 mpg. That projection is something of a hedge. It's probably more likely that he ends up above 30 mpg or below 24 mpg. For that reason, he makes an excellent fantasy pick-up. As long as he's getting starter level minutes, you can be sure Covington will be valuable enough to get in your fantasy lineups (potentially a top 75 player). If he stops getting starter level minutes, then you'll know its time to move on.
DROP
Nick Young:Young does and says fun things, but he's only playing 25.7 mpg and comes in our ranks at 185th. He's owned in half of ESPN leagues, but I'd be comfortable dropping him for anyone ranked higher on this list.
Rank | Auction | Player | Last Week | ESPN Ownership |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | $58 | Stephen Curry | 3 | 100% |
2 | $57 | LeBron James | 1 | 100% |
3 | $54 | Anthony Davis | 2 | 100% |
4 | $54 | James Harden | 4 | 100% |
5 | $48 | Kevin Durant | 5 | 100% |
6 | $43 | Chris Paul | 6 | 100% |
7 | $42 | John Wall | 7 | 100% |
8 | $41 | Russell Westbrook | 10 | 100% |
9 | $41 | Michael Carter-Williams | 15 | 89% |
10 | $40 | Damian Lillard | 9 | 100% |
11 | $38 | Paul Millsap | 8 | 98% |
12 | $37 | Kemba Walker | 16 | 93% |
13 | $37 | Blake Griffin | 13 | 100% |
14 | $36 | Kevin Love | 11 | 100% |
15 | $36 | DeMarcus Cousins | 12 | 100% |
16 | $34 | Klay Thompson | 23 | 99% |
17 | $33 | Kyrie Irving | 14 | 100% |
18 | $33 | Andre Drummond | 18 | 97% |
19 | $33 | DeAndre Jordan | 20 | 97% |
20 | $33 | Ty Lawson | 21 | 97% |
21 | $33 | Kyle Lowry | 17 | 99% |
22 | $31 | Jrue Holiday | 22 | 90% |
23 | $30 | Marc Gasol | 25 | 99% |
24 | $29 | Dwight Howard | 43 | 99% |
25 | $29 | Deron Williams | 19 | 93% |
26 | $29 | Rudy Gay | 26 | 99% |
27 | $29 | Gordon Hayward | 32 | 96% |
28 | $29 | Chris Bosh | 28 | 100% |
29 | $28 | Trevor Ariza | 29 | 87% |
30 | $28 | Mike Conley | 37 | 94% |
31 | $28 | Kobe Bryant | 33 | 100% |
32 | $27 | Draymond Green | 48 | 76% |
33 | $27 | LaMarcus Aldridge | 39 | 100% |
34 | $27 | Tim Duncan | 36 | 96% |
35 | $27 | Rajon Rondo | 34 | 96% |
36 | $27 | Jeff Teague | 27 | 91% |
37 | $26 | Carmelo Anthony | 35 | 100% |
38 | $26 | Nicolas Batum | 38 | 89% |
39 | $26 | Monta Ellis | 41 | 99% |
40 | $26 | Serge Ibaka | 24 | 99% |
41 | $26 | Josh Smith | 30 | 89% |
42 | $25 | Victor Oladipo | 51 | 83% |
43 | $25 | Wesley Matthews | 40 | 89% |
44 | $24 | Al Jefferson | 46 | 100% |
45 | $23 | Darren Collison | 42 | 81% |
46 | $23 | Kawhi Leonard | 44 | 99% |
47 | $22 | Derrick Favors | 31 | 93% |
48 | $22 | Brandon Jennings | 45 | 77% |
49 | $22 | Markieff Morris | 54 | 80% |
50 | $21 | Chandler Parsons | 58 | 93% |
51 | $21 | Goran Dragic | 50 | 93% |
52 | $20 | Tyreke Evans | 47 | 86% |
53 | $20 | Jimmy Butler | 55 | 94% |
54 | $19 | Thaddeus Young | 57 | 82% |
55 | $19 | Danny Green | 56 | 64% |
56 | $19 | Jeff Green | 53 | 87% |
57 | $17 | Eric Bledsoe | 52 | 95% |
58 | $17 | Nikola Vucevic | 67 | 96% |
59 | $17 | Roy Hibbert | 59 | 82% |
60 | $16 | Nerlens Noel | 49 | 54% |
61 | $16 | Brandon Knight | 61 | 89% |
62 | $16 | Channing Frye | 62 | 15% |
63 | $16 | Pau Gasol | 66 | 97% |
64 | $16 | Dirk Nowitzki | 63 | 99% |
65 | $16 | Joakim Noah | 60 | 96% |
66 | $15 | Greg Monroe | 70 | 88% |
67 | $15 | Lance Stephenson | 65 | 86% |
68 | $14 | Bradley Beal | 83 | 84% |
69 | $14 | Joe Johnson | 64 | 87% |
70 | $14 | Kyle Korver | 68 | 83% |
71 | $13 | Trey Burke | 69 | 50% |
72 | $13 | Kenneth Faried | 74 | 82% |
73 | $13 | Jared Sullinger | 72 | 83% |
74 | $12 | Al Horford | 77 | 95% |
75 | $12 | K.J. McDaniels | 87 | 31% |
76 | $12 | Mario Chalmers | 71 | 51% |
77 | $12 | Jamal Crawford | 75 | 86% |
78 | $11 | Paul Pierce | 78 | 63% |
79 | $11 | Ryan Anderson | 82 | 76% |
80 | $11 | Marcin Gortat | 73 | 89% |
81 | $11 | Gorgui Dieng | 89 | 36% |
82 | $10 | Andrew Wiggins | 80 | 70% |
83 | $10 | DeMarre Carroll | 76 | 37% |
84 | $9 | Zach Randolph | 81 | 95% |
85 | $9 | Dwyane Wade | 79 | 97% |
86 | $9 | Tyson Chandler | 92 | 86% |
87 | $9 | Terrence Jones | 90 | 33% |
88 | $9 | Enes Kanter | 117 | 40% |
89 | $8 | Tobias Harris | 84 | 88% |
90 | $8 | Alec Burks | 99 | 39% |
91 | $8 | Ricky Rubio | 96 | 51% |
92 | $8 | Timofey Mozgov | 109 | 37% |
93 | $7 | Robert Covington | Unranked | 12% |
94 | $7 | Reggie Jackson | 86 | 77% |
95 | $7 | Robin Lopez | 93 | 69% |
96 | $7 | Terrence Ross | 102 | 44% |
97 | $7 | Jonas Valanciunas | 137 | 78% |
98 | $7 | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | 108 | 11% |
99 | $7 | Jabari Parker | 97 | 84% |
100 | $6 | Jordan Hill | 95 | 78% |
101 | $6 | Courtney Lee | 91 | 31% |
102 | $6 | David West | 100 | 73% |
103 | $6 | Tony Wroten | 123 | 62% |
104 | $6 | Ben McLemore | 94 | 16% |
105 | $6 | Derrick Rose | 130 | 97% |
106 | $6 | J.J. Redick | 119 | 59% |
107 | $6 | Tony Parker | 105 | 91% |
108 | $6 | Omer Asik | 101 | 53% |
109 | $5 | Luol Deng | 98 | 78% |
110 | $5 | Tony Allen | 140 | 7% |
111 | $5 | Mirza Teletovic | 85 | 17% |
112 | $5 | Patrick Beverley | 115 | 50% |
113 | $5 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | 112 | 62% |
114 | $5 | DeMar DeRozan | 116 | 79% |
115 | $5 | Wilson Chandler | 131 | 71% |
116 | $4 | Taj Gibson | 118 | 58% |
117 | $4 | Jose Calderon | 120 | 39% |
118 | $4 | Cody Zeller | 139 | 3% |
119 | $3 | Amir Johnson | 113 | 34% |
120 | $3 | Josh McRoberts | 111 | 11% |
121 | $3 | Manu Ginobili | 107 | 37% |
122 | $3 | Isaiah Thomas | 135 | 67% |
123 | $3 | Brook Lopez | 104 | 83% |
124 | $3 | Gerald Green | 142 | 51% |
125 | $3 | Mike Dunleavy | 134 | 11% |
126 | $2 | Wesley Johnson | 133 | 5% |
127 | $2 | Andre Iguodala | 126 | 27% |
128 | $2 | P.J. Tucker | 145 | 4% |
129 | $2 | Andrew Bogut | 106 | 65% |
130 | $2 | Solomon Hill | 103 | 11% |
131 | $1 | Harrison Barnes | 128 | 41% |
132 | $1 | Kelly Olynyk | 114 | 27% |
133 | $1 | Elfrid Payton | 132 | 17% |
134 | $1 | Arron Afflalo | 144 | 69% |
135 | $1 | Ed Davis | 129 | 13% |
136 | $1 | Boris Diaw | 138 | 11% |
137 | $1 | J.R. Smith | 124 | 31% |
138 | $1 | Larry Sanders | 149 | 37% |
139 | $1 | Miles Plumlee | 136 | 6% |
140 | $1 | Matt Barnes | 147 | 7% |
141 | $1 | Evan Fournier | 127 | 30% |
142 | $1 | Marcus Smart | 143 | 5% |
143 | $1 | O.J. Mayo | 152 | 15% |
144 | $1 | Jeremy Lin | 160 | 47% |
145 | $1 | Corey Brewer | 110 | 20% |
146 | $1 | Jarrett Jack | 146 | 12% |
147 | $1 | Marcus Morris | 158 | 5% |
148 | $1 | Patrick Patterson | 161 | 7% |
149 | $1 | George Hill | 121 | 24% |
150 | $1 | Rudy Gobert | 184 | 2% |
151 | $1 | Kevin Garnett | 141 | 12% |
152 | $1 | Donatas Motiejunas | 151 | 24% |
153 | $1 | Tristan Thompson | 167 | 24% |
154 | $1 | Steven Adams | 125 | 7% |
155 | $1 | Nene Hilario | 168 | 27% |
156 | $1 | Greivis Vasquez | 150 | 13% |
157 | $ - | Avery Bradley | 153 | 33% |
158 | $ - | Shawn Marion | 157 | 3% |
159 | $ - | Amar'e Stoudemire | 172 | 66% |
160 | $ - | Jason Thompson | 166 | 7% |
161 | $ - | Jameer Nelson | 169 | 7% |
162 | $ - | Anderson Varejao | 154 | 39% |
163 | $ - | Ronnie Price | 170 | 0% |
164 | $ - | Kostas Papanikolaou | 187 | 1% |
165 | $ - | Carlos Boozer | 176 | 48% |
166 | $ - | Hollis Thompson | 159 | 1% |
167 | $ - | Dion Waiters | 162 | 12% |
168 | $ - | James Johnson | 165 | 2% |
169 | $ - | Devin Harris | 183 | 10% |
170 | $ - | Chris Copeland | 155 | 11% |
171 | $ - | Bojan Bogdanovic | 88 | 2% |
172 | $ - | Rodney Stuckey | 175 | 14% |
173 | $ - | Tyler Zeller | 177 | 13% |
174 | $ - | Rasual Butler | 189 | 8% |
175 | $ - | Khris Middleton | 182 | 7% |
176 | $ - | Eric Gordon | 148 | 10% |
177 | $ - | Luis Scola | 174 | 8% |
178 | $ - | Henry Sims | 171 | 5% |
179 | $ - | Andre Roberson | 179 | 1% |
180 | $ - | Norris Cole | 185 | 3% |
181 | $ - | Kirk Hinrich | 181 | 4% |
182 | $ - | Jodie Meeks | 199 | 6% |
183 | $ - | Kevin Martin | 191 | 44% |
184 | $ - | Marvin Williams | 178 | 1% |
185 | $ - | Nick Young | 190 | 49% |
186 | $ - | Spencer Hawes | 163 | 7% |
187 | $ - | Louis Williams | 186 | 40% |
188 | $ - | Michael Kidd-Gilchrist | 192 | 12% |
189 | $ - | Jeremy Lamb | 122 | 18% |
190 | $ - | Tiago Splitter | 180 | 2% |
191 | $ - | Dante Exum | 194 | 3% |
192 | $ - | Danilo Gallinari | 196 | 16% |
193 | $ - | David Lee | 197 | 72% |
194 | $ - | Pablo Prigioni | Unranked | 0% |
195 | $ - | Steve Blake | 195 | 1% |
196 | $ - | Mo Williams | 164 | 21% |
197 | $ - | Tim Hardaway | Unranked | 0% |
198 | $ - | C.J. Miles | 193 | 3% |
199 | $ - | Iman Shumpert | 156 | 23% |
200 | $ - | Brandon Bass | Unranked | 2% |