Top 25 Fantasy Small Forwards

This lockout business is for the birds. It's been six days, yet for me and my crew, it feels like it's been six weeks already. In any case, the show must go on, so here are my early Top 25 small forwards for the upcoming season. If you're looking for Caron Butler or Dorell Wright, they were in the Shooting Guards column that ran a couple weeks ago. John Salmons was also on that list, but I've moved him to this one given the trade to the Kings, as he appears a near lock to start at SF for the Kings.

As far as the small forward position goes in fantasy, perhaps no position sees the talent level die off more quickly on draft night. On the flip side, there are always guys on the wire who can fill a hole if needed. And, to my knowledge, none of the Top 25 are free agents.

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1. LeBron James – Heat

When it comes to the No. 1 pick in your draft there are several options. Personally, I'd recommend going with the player you'd rather cheer for all season. In most cases, that will be Kevin Durant. But based on the pure numbers, I'd rather have Bron. The numbers are close, but Bron dominates Durant in assists and field goal percentage, while Durant excels at free throws. But, as usual, if I've got the No. 1 pick, chances are I'm taking the King without a ring.

2. Kevin Durant – Thunder

You want to take Durant over LeBron? Do it and don't look back.

3. Carmelo Anthony – Knicks

The Knicks didn't bring Melo to New York to have him be a role player, and he's still one of the smoothest scorers in the league. His scoring, shooting percentage and 3-pointers all went up when he was traded to New York last February, and he looks like the third best SF available.

4. Danny Granger – Pacers

Granger appeared in just 67 and 62 games in his previous two seasons, but managed to play in all but three games for the Pacers last year. But his scoring and 3-pointers were well down last season, while he hit just 42.5 percent of his shots. He's a very solid fantasy player, but health and shot selection concerns can make him a pain in the rear to own.

5. Rudy Gay – Grizzlies

If we learned anything about Gay last year, it's that the Grizzlies are a damn good team without him. But Gay is a very good basketball player and will resume his big role next season after missing the last seven weeks of the year due to left shoulder surgery. Gay has a chance to be more productive than both Melo and Granger, but at this point, I'd still take my chances on either of them before selecting Gay.

6. Gerald Wallace – Blazers

Wallace's numbers didn't change too much after he was sent to the Blazers in late February, although he shot the ball better in Portland. He may be asked to play some power forward, but regardless of where they need him, Wallace is going to rack up a ton of minutes this season. And along with those minutes will come points, rebounds, steals and blocks. He's been relatively healthy for the last three seasons, but is always good for 10 missed games per year, if not more. He's about to turn 29, but could be 30 before we see NBA action again, so ranking him higher than No. 6 doesn't make sense at this point. He averaged 10 rebounds per game in 2009-10, but came back to earth with about eight per game last year.

7. Paul Pierce – Celtics

Pierce has been as reliable as Old Faithful over the past several seasons and showed no signs of slowing down last season, despite being 34 this coming October. And that means he might be 35 before the next season, which puts the "old" in Old Faithful. He'll put up solid numbers again, but looks more like a value pick in Round 3 or 4 instead of a guy you want to build your team around.

8. Andre Iguodala – Sixers

Perhaps no player is mentioned as much in trade rumors as Iguodala, and we simply don't know what uniform he'll be in the next time we watch NBA hoops. If he stays in Philly, this ranking should be about right. And if he's traded, it obviously depends on where he lands as to what his outlook will be. His scoring really fell last season (14 ppg), as he was used more as a distributor and defender than a top scoring option. And I expect that trend to continue. But the guy still averaged nearly six boards, six dimes, 1.5 steals and aa 3-pointer per game, making him the Jason Kidd of small forwards.

9. Luol Deng – Bulls

Fantasy players don't get much more boring than Deng, but the numbers are solid. First of all, he didn't miss a single game last season, which is huge since he played in just 70 the previous season, and 49 before that. He scored 17 a game, but took a hit in the rebounding department due to having to fight with Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah for them. But as far as mid-round value picks go, it's tough to go wrong with Deng (as long as he stays healthy).

10. Danilo Gallinari – Nuggets

Here's where the rankings go from "value picks" to straight up "crap shoot picks," as Gallinari has proven to be far from reliable. He should be the man in Denver this season, but there are guys like Wilson Chandler, Gary Forbes and rookie Jordan Hamilton ready to step in if he fails. He shot less than 42 percent in both New York and Denver last season, and hit just 1.4 3-pointers per game for the Nuggets (in a small sample of just 14 games). The potential and talent are there, which is why I'm ranking him this high. But he is clearly not yet trustworthy.

11. John Salmons – Bucks (SG)

I ran Salmons with the shooting guards originally, but unlike Caron Butler and Dorell Wright, I decided to re-run him with the SFs due to the fact he was traded to the Kings, where he's nearly a lock to start at the position. Do I trust Salmons, or believe that a return to Sacramento is finally going to push him over the edge and make him a fantasy star? No. But this team has desperately been looking for an accomplished SF for years, and Salmons might finally be ready to step up to the plate. We'll have to see how he gets along with Paul Westphal, and make sure that he's going to start, but 14 points, 4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 threes should be attainable.

12. Austin Daye – Pistons

I'll be the first to admit that I was too high on Daye last year, but if John Kuester had given him more run, the story would have had a happier ending. This year, Tayshaun Prince is an unrestricted free agent, Kuester is on the Lakers bench, and the stars could be aligning for Daye. I wouldn't use a real high pick on him, but there's a very good chance he could double his numbers from last season, which were 7.5 points, 4 boards, 1 assist, 0.5 steals, 0.5 blocks and a 3-pointer per game. Now we just have to hope his new coach, whoever it may be, likes him.

13. Carlos Delfino – Bucks

Delfino showed serious signs of life last year, draining a ton of threes when he was healthy. But a concussion shut him down for the entire month of December, and most of November and January. He finally got it going again late in the season and should start at SF for the Bucks. If he can stay healthy, and on Scott Skiles' good side, Delfino could average 15 points, 5 boards, 3 assists and 2 3-pointers per game, making him a nice late-round pick. And it doesn't hurt that Corey Maggette (Bobcats) and John Salmons (Kings) are out of his way.

This lockout business is for the birds. It's been six days, yet for me and my crew, it feels like it's been six weeks already. In any case, the show must go on, so here are my early Top 25 small forwards for the upcoming season. If you're looking for Caron Butler or Dorell Wright, they were in the Shooting Guards column that ran a couple weeks ago. John Salmons was also on that list, but I've moved him to this one given the trade to the Kings, as he appears a near lock to start at SF for the Kings.

As far as the small forward position goes in fantasy, perhaps no position sees the talent level die off more quickly on draft night. On the flip side, there are always guys on the wire who can fill a hole if needed. And, to my knowledge, none of the Top 25 are free agents.

Follow me on Twitter for all the offseason loot.

1. LeBron James – Heat

When it comes to the No. 1 pick in your draft there are several options. Personally, I'd recommend going with the player you'd rather cheer for all season. In most cases, that will be Kevin Durant. But based on the pure numbers, I'd rather have Bron. The numbers are close, but Bron dominates Durant in assists and field goal percentage, while Durant excels at free throws. But, as usual, if I've got the No. 1 pick, chances are I'm taking the King without a ring.

2. Kevin Durant – Thunder

You want to take Durant over LeBron? Do it and don't look back.

3. Carmelo Anthony – Knicks

The Knicks didn't bring Melo to New York to have him be a role player, and he's still one of the smoothest scorers in the league. His scoring, shooting percentage and 3-pointers all went up when he was traded to New York last February, and he looks like the third best SF available.

4. Danny Granger – Pacers

Granger appeared in just 67 and 62 games in his previous two seasons, but managed to play in all but three games for the Pacers last year. But his scoring and 3-pointers were well down last season, while he hit just 42.5 percent of his shots. He's a very solid fantasy player, but health and shot selection concerns can make him a pain in the rear to own.

5. Rudy Gay – Grizzlies

If we learned anything about Gay last year, it's that the Grizzlies are a damn good team without him. But Gay is a very good basketball player and will resume his big role next season after missing the last seven weeks of the year due to left shoulder surgery. Gay has a chance to be more productive than both Melo and Granger, but at this point, I'd still take my chances on either of them before selecting Gay.

6. Gerald Wallace – Blazers

Wallace's numbers didn't change too much after he was sent to the Blazers in late February, although he shot the ball better in Portland. He may be asked to play some power forward, but regardless of where they need him, Wallace is going to rack up a ton of minutes this season. And along with those minutes will come points, rebounds, steals and blocks. He's been relatively healthy for the last three seasons, but is always good for 10 missed games per year, if not more. He's about to turn 29, but could be 30 before we see NBA action again, so ranking him higher than No. 6 doesn't make sense at this point. He averaged 10 rebounds per game in 2009-10, but came back to earth with about eight per game last year.

7. Paul Pierce – Celtics

Pierce has been as reliable as Old Faithful over the past several seasons and showed no signs of slowing down last season, despite being 34 this coming October. And that means he might be 35 before the next season, which puts the "old" in Old Faithful. He'll put up solid numbers again, but looks more like a value pick in Round 3 or 4 instead of a guy you want to build your team around.

8. Andre Iguodala – Sixers

Perhaps no player is mentioned as much in trade rumors as Iguodala, and we simply don't know what uniform he'll be in the next time we watch NBA hoops. If he stays in Philly, this ranking should be about right. And if he's traded, it obviously depends on where he lands as to what his outlook will be. His scoring really fell last season (14 ppg), as he was used more as a distributor and defender than a top scoring option. And I expect that trend to continue. But the guy still averaged nearly six boards, six dimes, 1.5 steals and aa 3-pointer per game, making him the Jason Kidd of small forwards.

9. Luol Deng – Bulls

Fantasy players don't get much more boring than Deng, but the numbers are solid. First of all, he didn't miss a single game last season, which is huge since he played in just 70 the previous season, and 49 before that. He scored 17 a game, but took a hit in the rebounding department due to having to fight with Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah for them. But as far as mid-round value picks go, it's tough to go wrong with Deng (as long as he stays healthy).

10. Danilo Gallinari – Nuggets

Here's where the rankings go from "value picks" to straight up "crap shoot picks," as Gallinari has proven to be far from reliable. He should be the man in Denver this season, but there are guys like Wilson Chandler, Gary Forbes and rookie Jordan Hamilton ready to step in if he fails. He shot less than 42 percent in both New York and Denver last season, and hit just 1.4 3-pointers per game for the Nuggets (in a small sample of just 14 games). The potential and talent are there, which is why I'm ranking him this high. But he is clearly not yet trustworthy.

11. John Salmons – Bucks (SG)

I ran Salmons with the shooting guards originally, but unlike Caron Butler and Dorell Wright, I decided to re-run him with the SFs due to the fact he was traded to the Kings, where he's nearly a lock to start at the position. Do I trust Salmons, or believe that a return to Sacramento is finally going to push him over the edge and make him a fantasy star? No. But this team has desperately been looking for an accomplished SF for years, and Salmons might finally be ready to step up to the plate. We'll have to see how he gets along with Paul Westphal, and make sure that he's going to start, but 14 points, 4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 threes should be attainable.

12. Austin Daye – Pistons

I'll be the first to admit that I was too high on Daye last year, but if John Kuester had given him more run, the story would have had a happier ending. This year, Tayshaun Prince is an unrestricted free agent, Kuester is on the Lakers bench, and the stars could be aligning for Daye. I wouldn't use a real high pick on him, but there's a very good chance he could double his numbers from last season, which were 7.5 points, 4 boards, 1 assist, 0.5 steals, 0.5 blocks and a 3-pointer per game. Now we just have to hope his new coach, whoever it may be, likes him.

13. Carlos Delfino – Bucks

Delfino showed serious signs of life last year, draining a ton of threes when he was healthy. But a concussion shut him down for the entire month of December, and most of November and January. He finally got it going again late in the season and should start at SF for the Bucks. If he can stay healthy, and on Scott Skiles' good side, Delfino could average 15 points, 5 boards, 3 assists and 2 3-pointers per game, making him a nice late-round pick. And it doesn't hurt that Corey Maggette (Bobcats) and John Salmons (Kings) are out of his way.

14. Omri Casspi – Cavaliers

Casspi was traded to the Cavs on draft day and while I'm not a huge fan, all signs are that he will start over Antawn Jamison, who missed the last two months of the season with a broken finger. Casspi averaged just 8 points, 4 boards and 1.3 3-pointers per game in Sacramento last year, but was getting just 24 minutes per game. Jamison should come off the bench, which is not a big deal, as he won a Sixth Man of the Year Award in Dallas seven years ago. I won't necessarily be targeting Casspi, but he is going to get a nice opportunity in Cleveland.

15. Derrick Williams – Timberwolves

Obviously, I'm not sure how Williams is going to play in Minnesota, as they still don't even have a coach, while David Kahn pulls the strings behind the giant curtain. Mike Beasley just got busted for weed (again) and Williams might have been the best player taken in this year's draft. If the Wolves give him run (and they should start him), he could be a beast, but the lockout, and lost time to learn the system, etc. is not going to help his cause. He will excel at scoring, rebounding and hitting threes, but I'd only draft him prior to the last couple rounds if he looks like a starter.

16. Boris Diaw – Bobcats

Diaw played 82 games again last season, but averaged just 11 points, five boards and four assists, with less than a steal and a block. And he's posted nearly identical numbers over the last two seasons, so there's not a big chance they will get better. He should be a guy you can start on a regular basis, but the upside that was once so prevalent is now gone.

17. Michael Beasley – Timberwolves

Beasley got busted for weed recently and the Wolves are probably looking to move him in order to clear a spot for Derrick Williams to be thrown into the mix. Without knowing where Beasley is going to be, it's tough to say what he'll do. He clearly had value for the Wolves last season, breaking out early and then fading down the stretch. He should have value wherever he lands, but is far from being worth an early draft pick – unless something crazy happens in Minnesota between now and the start of the season.

18. Trevor Ariza – Hornets

Ariza has proven to be one of the worst shooters in the league and has failed to impress since leaving the Lakers for the Rockets and then Hornets. The best thing going in his favor is there isn't much of a threat to his job in New Orleans. He shot less than 40 percent for the second straight season last year, and saw his scoring drop to 11 points per game. He does get steals and hits a three per game, but his shooting has been a fantasy killer. But again, he deserves a look simply because there is no one else to start at SF for the Hornets, and it's not out of the question that his shooting improves this year.

19. Antawn Jamison – Cavaliers

Jamison's finger should be good to go by the time we see NBA games again, but the guy is 35 years old and could/should be relegated to a role off the bench. He'll still be a source of points, boards and threes, but his upside is very limited, and injuries may be a concern.

20. Rashard Lewis – Wizards

Lewis is commonly known as the most overpaid player in the league and struggled through knee problems last year, making it through just 57 games between his time in Orlando and Washington. I'm not ready to close the book on him just yet, but his age (33 in August) and knee are very concerning, along with the arrival of rookies Jan Vesely and Chris Singleton, and the fact Josh Howard is still in Washington. Lewis could bounce back, but I'm not holding my breath. If he does, he'll score, board and hit threes.

21. Shawn Marion – Mavericks

Matrix and Caron Butler are going to battle for the starting job, while Peja Stojakovic and Corey Brewer are also going to get some minutes. Just like at shooting guard, the Mavs have a logjam at small forward. I will be drafting Butler in front of Marion, but Marion deserves a look late in drafts. He averaged 12 points and seven boards last season, but the days of him being a fantasy stud have clearly passed.

22. Hedo Turkoglu – Magic

Simply put, Turkoglu is a mess, and a return to the Magic last season didn't do fantasy owners any big favors. However, he did average about 11 points, 5 boards and 5 dimes for the Magic last year, while shooting right at 40 percent. When it gets to be late in your draft, Turkoglu may fill a need at SF, but don't expect him to do much more than the above numbers.

23. Andrei Kirilenko – Jazz

Kirilenko's fantasy ship has come very close to sailing, as he's averaged less than 12 points per game in three straight seasons, while playing in an average of just 63 games per. When healthy, he's still capable of racking up points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, but might be ready to lose his starting gig to C.J. Miles, as well as playing time to Gordon Hayward.

24. C.J. Miles – Jazz

Miles re-upped with the Jazz before the lockout and could be given the starting SF job. Either way, you have to figure that Miles and Kirilenko will be locked ino a timeshare, while Miles' 32 percent shooting from downtown, and 41 percent from the field, leave something to be desired. He could average 14 points and two 3-pointers per game, but should only be targeted in the later rounds of fantasy drafts.

25. Kawhi Leonard – Spurs

Two words: Richard Jefferson. The Spurs pulled off a big-time draft-day deal to get Leonard from the Pacers, and Jefferson appears to be on his last legs. I wouldn't waste a high pick on Leonard, but as far as sleepers go, he looks like a great way to use a late pick. It's hard telling how Gregg Popovich will use him, but if he ends up replacing Jefferson in the starting role, 13 points, 5 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals and a 3-pointer are not out of the question. Jefferson could start over the rookie, but the two should at least split time, and I simply no longer trust Jefferson. And I'm pretty sure Popovich doesn't, either.

The Rest

Chase Budinger – Rockets – Looks like the starter again, will hit threes.
Al-Farouq Aminu – Clippers – Tough to star surrounded by budding studs.
Marvin Williams – Hawks – Hasn't lived up to the hype yet, probably never will.
James Johnson – Raptors – Sneaky way to use your final draft pick, Weems in Europe?
Thaddeus Young – Sixers RFA – Underrated, but depends on what Sixers do.
Corey Maggette – Bobcats – Injuries and new team a fairly big concern.
Grant Hill- Suns UFA – We'll have to see where he ends up before valuing him.
Jan Vesely – Wizards – Should be a solid rook, but role/FT% a concern.
Mike Dunleavy – Pacers UFA – Knee problems derailed his career.
Shane Battier – Grizzlies UFA – Welcome back, Rudy Gay.
Travis Outlaw – Nets – Terrible season after getting paid. Not an NBA starter.
Damion James – Nets – Has competition for minutes.
Sasha Vujacic – Nets – Too many SFs in Jersey.
Sonny Weems – Raptors RFA – Heading to Europe, future uncertain.
Linas Kleiza – Raptors – Coming off dreaded microfracture surgery.
James Jones – Heat UFA – We'll have to see where he lands.
Andres Nocioni – Sixers – Best days are behind him.
Josh Childress – Suns – With Grant Hill leaving, a possible sleeper pick.
Nicolas Batum – Blazers – Gerald Wallace crushes Batum's value.
Jeff Green – Celtics – Will get more run, but still a year or two away.
Jared Dudley – Suns – Someone has to play SF in PHO, could be Dudley.
Francisco Garcia – Kings – Arrival of Salmons really hurts him.
Matt Barnes – Lakers – Ron Artest is in the way. Really in the way.
Sam Young – Grizzlies – Welcome back, Rudy Gay.
Wilson Chandler – Nuggets RFA – Tough to get run with Gallinari around.
Richard Jefferson – Spurs - Awful last year. Just awful.
Ron Artest – Lakers – Better player in reality than fantasy. Maybe.
Reggie Williams – Warriors RFA – Dorell Wright is the man.
Al Thornton – Warriors UFA – Best days behind him.
Terrence Williams – Rockets – Possible head case, but worth keeping an eye on.
Brandon Rush – Pacers – Granger, Paul George and Dunleavy all hurt him.
Anthony Morrow – Nets – Sleeper worth keeping an eye on.
Tayshaun Prince – Pistons UFA – Regardless of where he lands, role reduced.
Dante Cunningham – Bobcats – Will battle Maggette for minutes.