LeBron James is awesome but when it comes to my drafts the past few seasons, early on I tend to covet the top point guards and 20-point, 10-rebound types and that means sometimes I overlook the small forward position. Then I have to take Mikal Bridges -- who I want, seriously -- but, well, everyone knows I want to take him. It feels, to me, that small forward is always a little light, so extra preparation is in order.
This is why a tiered system is critical, regardless of what fantasy sport you are playing. Sure, in some fantasy basketball leagues the positions just do not matter, but still, we all wish to avoid positional and statistical pitfall. We have centers piling on assists and point guards accruing rebounds and pretty much everyone except Ben Simmons hits 3-pointers. A tiered system shows the strengths and weaknesses of a position.
Here is a basic grid for roto leagues by position with one analyst's basic thoughts. These are your fantasy hoops teams, so we encourage you to make your own tiers and follow your own beliefs, not merely mine. It certainly helps during the pressure and flow of any draft or auction.
Point guard
Luka Doncic and Stephen Curry are definitely special and one could argue belong in their own tier, but Damian Lillard and Trae Young are excellent as well, worthy of first round status. Consider getting them both when picking at the end of Round 1 and early Round 2. ... Irving scares me. He always does. Oh, he has the talent, but we have to assume he will miss more games than most. Wait a round or two later for emerging Dejounte Murray. ... Speaking of missing games, I just avoid Tier 5. Who knows when Ben Simmons plays again, and for which team? Statistically, this is what he is. Walker's knee issues remain, well, significant issues. ... Devonte' Graham looks better in points formats, where the awful field goal shooting is less of a problem. ... The depth at point guard after the first six or seven rounds concerns me, so I have no problem getting two or three standouts early. Assists are not like saves in baseball; if you do not get them on draft day, you may not get them during the season.
Shooting guard
Tier 3 is loaded and after that, we start to get into the shooting guards that do not provide statistical versatility. ... Points leagues are different, of course, but in roto we tend to look for scoring and 3-pointers and perhaps steals from our shooting guards. ... Where do rookies belong? Jalen Green is only 19 and Kevin Porter Jr. is 21 but these fellows could run the Houston backcourt for a long time. Just remember, there is inherit risk with raw options, so try not to take too many chances. Wily veterans such as Tim Hardaway Jr. and the Seth Curry provide value, too. ... Klay Thompson is hardly raw, but the Warriors are acting cautiously. We may not see Thompson until January, and we all desire instant statistical gratification! ... Tyrese Maxey keeps moving up my rankings because he is now Philly's point guard. ... Brooklyn's Joe Harris hits so many 3-pointers and makes the shots he takes, but he also epitomizes this position to a degree. He is not alone among less-than-versatile statistical options here.
Small forward
LeBron falls out of the top tier due to the expectation he will miss games. After all, he is 36 and the Lakers are so deep they can take it easy on minutes and games. ... Mikal Bridges is strong for roto and points formats, but do not forget about Charlotte's Miles Bridges. He is a solid shooter and contributes in blocks/steals. ... Someone other than Dejounte Murray has to score for the Spurs. Why not Keldon Johnson? ... Indy's T.J. Warren is a scorer, and if he is healthy, a potential bargain. ... Detroit's Saddiq Bey certainly has opportunity to break out. ... It makes no sense for the Clippers to push Kawhi Leonard (knee) to play until very late in the season, if he plays at all.
Power forward
As with small forward, Tier 1 belongs to one very special player but the second tier features valuable building blocks as well. ... One does not have to get strong rebounders from this position, but it does not hurt. Domantas Sabonis is underrated. ... Zion Williamson would rank better if he was not recovering from foot surgery, and if we could count on more 3-pointers and better free throw shooting. ... Memphis' Jaren Jackson Jr. is a potential breakout possibility, a real stat filler across the board when healthy. ... Orlando's Jonathan Isaac may be a star, but we must assume he is a risk for many missed games. ... Man, that Tier 9 looked very good five years ago! Um, not so good today.
Center
The top player in fantasy for both roto and points is a center, with little statistical risk, but Tier 2 is a monster as well. Karl-Anthony Towns and the underrated Nikola Vucevic are first-round picks. Joel Embiid would be if we could count on him playing most of the games. ... Rudy Gobert does deserve this lofty tier thanks to security in games, rebounds and blocks. ... Houston's Christian Wood played like a top 25 player when he played last season. Do not wait long to get him. ... There is nothing wrong with securing multiple centers, regardless of format, for strong field goal shooting and boards. Cleveland's Jarrett Allen should emerge this season. ... Steven Adams, Enes Kanter and Jakob Poeltl are proof your second center may be available in Round 10.