The NBA season is quickly approaching and fantasy pools are taking shape across the globe. As fantasy general managers take stock of their draft rankings The oft overlooked position is that of the power forward. Reason behind this is that some centers are position eligible at the power forward spot and they are more valuable drafted as a center and for the fact that after the top five options at the position there is a significant drop off in terms of value.
There is little argument that the guard spots and small forward position are the deepest in terms of talent, but getting stuck with a dud at power forward can be a killer. It’s a gamble when it comes to draft day as it really is important to snag a top talent here but if you whiff on a top five guy here, let the position linger for a bit and look for a sleeper or dark horse pick to potentially rescue you.
Here are eDraft’s top ten ranking for fantasy options at the power forward position. If a player is position eligible at center, such as Anthony Davis, that player will be ranked as a center and not appear on the power forward ranking.
1- Blake Griffin - Los Angeles Clippers
Blake once again holds down the top fantasy power forward spot for this season. He maintains his ranking by being a prolific scorer and rebounder for the Clippers. Given his aggressive nature he leads the league in fouls called against and that directly leads to more free-throw attempts per game for Blake, which of course translates into some easy points for the .715 percentage shooting Griffin. The gap here between top spot and second pick has narrowed considerably this season so if Griffin isn’t available don’t sweat it, grab Ibaka quickly.
2- Serge Ibaka - Oklahoma Thunder
If folks looked at last year as a breakout season for Ibaka then hold onto your fantasy draft sheets because this coming season could be Ibaka’s explosion. With Kevin Durant out for what could be four months the opportunity and the need for Ibaka to step up is immense. He can handle the load both offensively and defensively. Look for his scoring averages to increase as well as his rebounding numbers, throw in the 2.8 blocks per game and all of a sudden Ibaka is pushing Griffin for top spot among the power forwards.
3- LaMarcus Aldridge - Portland Trailblazers
Aldridge is coming off his best season where he finished the season with double-double averages. There is no reason to think that Aldridge can’t replicate his stellar production from last year. Rumours coming out of Portland have Aldridge taking his game out to the perimeter as he has been working on a consistent three-point shot. If this is accurate then any additional points derived from more three-pointers could be a boon to his fantasy value.
4- Kevin Love - Cleveland Cavaliers
Kevin Love has been one of the most consistent fantasy producers for the better part of six years. Difference being this year of course is that Love is no longer the focal point of an offense like he was in Minnesota. Now, Love must share the court and ball with two other all-stars in LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. How this trio mesh together will go along way in determining not only the fantasy value of Love, but also to that of Irving and James.
5- Kenneth Faried - Denver Nuggets
No one’s stock in the NBA is as high entering the season as that of the ‘Manimal’ Kenneth Faried. He is coming off a hugely productive FIBA Basketball Championship and he just resigned a nice new deal to keep him in Denver. Faried is going to be scary this season as he has a renewed sense of confidence and an even more aggressive tone about him. If he had a slightly more polished offensive game he could easily become a top-three fantasy option among power forwards.
6- David Lee - Golden State Warriors
Maybe it’s just me as I have a tendency to view Lee here as a very valuable fantasy option, but he really should have a great season for the Warriors. Lee should continue to get his double-doubles and continue to shoot great percentages. Only downfall to Lee’s game is that the Warriors often get enamoured with the small-ball concept and that could mean less time for Lee and more for Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes.
7- Pau Gasol - Chicago Bulls
Gasol will most certainly benefit from playing with Derrick Rose in those high pick and roll plays. If he sets the screen he is very capable of knocking down the jump shot and if Joakim Noah is the screener, Gasol simply slides the baseline for a dump off or re-posts the smaller defender for a quick turnaround hook. Gasol will certainly get his share of easy buckets in Chicago and he won’t be expending the same amount of energy to get them as he was in Los Angeles.
8- Dirk Nowitzki - Dallas Mavericks
Dirk just continues to be Dirk. Despite entering his 17th season in the league he is showing little sign of slowing down. Nowitzki continues to shoot the ball with remarkable efficiency, he rebounds well and can get you a few assists a night as well. Now that Dallas has a more rounded offensive attack it should free Nowitzki up for more open shots as defenses must respect Chandler Parsons and Monta Ellis as threats as well.
9- David West - Indiana Pacers
To start the season with a healthy Paul George in Indiana would have meant that West’s ranking would have been around 15th for his position. Since George’s injury though, West’s fantasy value has risen dramatically as he will now be called upon to help fill the void offensively. West has always been a very capable scorer and rebounder, the question now is how much does he have left in his 34-year old legs.
10- Derrick Favors - Utah Jazz
Bit of a tough call here to round out the top-ten. Paul Millsap is also a deserving candidate here; however, I bumped Millsap due to the return of Al Horford to the Hawks. Favors on the other hand has little in terms of competition in Utah for rebounds and post scoring. He should see around 30 minutes a night and continue to get about 12 shots a night. Something to keep an eye on is the development of Rudy Gobert off the bench as he could cut into Favors minutes if he falters at all.