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Points-league rankings and reaction
The rankings start 2018 the way they started 2017: with Russell Westbrook sitting on top. Westbrook dominated last season, but with Paul George and Carmelo Anthony joining him, it was expected that he would take a step back. And he did, averaging "only" 19.9 points, 9.5 assists, 8.2 rebounds and 1.9 steals with 4.6 turnovers through the first 15 games of the season.
Yes, Westbrook set the bar so high last season that averaging a near triple-double would have been a bad fantasy season for him. When I took over these rankings in late November, he had reached a low mark of 12th overall.
However, Westbrook has reasserted himself as the clear-cut top option in Oklahoma City. In his past 15 games, he is putting up numbers almost exactly like his MVP season. He has averaged 29 points, 10.5 assists, 10.3 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 3.9 turnovers in that stretch. Westbrook's rise has corresponded with the best win/loss portion of the season for the Thunder, so it's likely to continue moving forward.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James and James Harden have taken runs at the top spots over the past month. But Harden is dealing with an injury, while James will have to adjust to the presence of Isaiah Thomas moving forward. Antetokounmpo was a worthy top option, but Westbrook's proven ability to average 30/10/10 for an entire season is enough to boost him back to the top of the rankings ... again.
Point guard
Chris Paul gets a boost due to Harden's hamstring injury. Paul was playing excellent ball before his latest injury, and for the next two weeks, he sits in Harden's seat and has the chance to approximate Harden's numbers.
Kris Dunn has vaulted into the fantasy upper crust in the past month, averaging 15.9 points, 7.7 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.7 steals in his past 15 games.
Elfrid Payton has been quietly returning to level in the past few weeks, averaging 17.9 points, 8.3 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals in his past seven games.
Shooting guard
Harden (hamstring) and Victor Oladipo (knee) both slide a bit due to injury. Harden is out for at least the next couple weeks, while Oladipo has missed four games, though there has been no official announcement about when he is expected to return.
Devin Booker had averaged 31.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists with 3.2 treys in the five games before he got injured. Since his return, he has picked right up where he left off, with averages of 30 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists in his past three games.
Donovan Mitchell has vaulted into the Rookie of the Year debate, and in the past month, he has averaged 23.1 points, 3.8 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 2.2 3-pointers.
Small forward
Dario Saric has quietly taken his place in "The Process" just behind Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. In the last few games of 2017, he averaged 24 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4 assists.
Josh Richardson makes his debut in the rankings today. I was asked about him on Twitter last week, and he has ranked in the top 100 in fantasy points/game over the past month. The Heat rotations keep shifting due to injury and availability, but he deserves a spot currently.
Caris LeVert is putting his Sixth Man of the Year case together. He has scored in double-digits in nine straight games, during which he has averaged 15.7 points, 5.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 1.7 3-pointers and 1.2 steals in 28 minutes off the bench.
Power forward
Blake Griffin returned to the lineup for the Clippers last week, as though he never left, averaging 24.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6 assists, 1.5 3-pointers, 1 steal and 1 block in his first two games back.
Myles Turner is solid but hasn't lived up to expectation this season. In the past month, he has averaged a so-so 14 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.
Derrick Favors doesn't do a lot when Rudy Gobert is healthy, but with Gobert out, he is very solid. In his past three games, he has averaged 18.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.3 combined steals/blocks, numbers very similar to what he produced in Gobert's previous extended absence.
Center
Al Horford continues to play solid all around but has stepped back slightly in the past month. In his past 13 games, he has averaged 12.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5 assists. That's great balance, but it's down a bit from his slot at 26th last week.
Willie Cauley-Stein is taking a step forward for the Kings of late, averaging 17.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals in his past five games. As the season progresses, it seems likely that Cauley-Stein will continue to eat into Zach Randolph's production and become the primary option in the middle.
Alex Len's rating drew a Twitter comment last week because it's higher than some anticipated. However, his season averages merit the ranking, even with his inconsistent minutes. He's another young player on a bad team, which means he could get more responsibility as the season progresses.