After each month of the NBA season we will compile our NBA All-Fantasy teams comprised of the top fantasy performers at each position along with a few honorable mentions that might break into the starting lineup next month.
We will start first in the Eastern Conference where I’ll give you a starting five as well as a couple honourable mention spots that came close but ultimately fell just short of cracking the starting lineup. All rankings are based on eDraft’s fantasy stats and are based on a cumulative total for the month which is not necessarily indicative of individual fantasy point per game averages.
Alright lets take a look back at the All-Fantasy team for the month of January. There are a few surprises to say the least as the Toronto Raptors have two players who made the cut for the month.
Kyle Lowry - Toronto Raptors
Perhaps the biggest fantasy surprise of the month was none other than the Raptors Lowry. Lowry actually finished out the month of January as the fifth highest ranked player in the league in terms of fantasy value. Lowry’s rise came with good reason as he averaged 18.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 8.2 apg and 1.4 steals per game during January. During the month Lowry had six double-doubles and he managed to register a triple-double against Philadelphia back on January 24th. If the Raptors are fielding trade offers for the dynamic Lowry, one can bet that the asking price increased after these performances.
John Wall - Washington Wizards
Comparatively speaking John Wall had an average John Wall kind of month in January. He averaged 19.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 7.5 apg and 1.7 steals per game during the month, which is pretty much bank on for his season numbers.
Good thing for Wall and fantasy owners is that those numbers still keep him at or near the top of the list for fantasy guards in the Eastern Conference.
LeBron James - Miami Heat
Similar to Wall, LeBron James had a statistical month consistent with his season averages. James’ slash line of 27.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg and 5.9 apg is still quite remarkable; however he only registered two double-doubles in the month and the Heat were only two games over .500. James and the rest of the Heat generally seem to coast a bit during this stretch of the season as they prefer to rest more and gear it back up later in the year. James remains a top fantasy option, but the explosive scoring games and triple-double nights are a couple months off yet.
Carmelo Anthony - New York Knicks
Despite all the Knicks woes, Anthony still managed to have a heck of a month and was named Eastern Conference player of the month for January.
For the month Anthony averaged a whopping 28.7 ppg, 9 rpg and 3.4 apg. Aside from the impressive slash line, Anthony had quite a few highlights throughout the month.
Anthony threw up a ridiculous 62 point 13 rebound performance against Charlotte and a 26 point 20 rebound game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
All told, January was a great month to have Anthony on your fantasy roster and there is no reason to think that Anthony will slow down as the season progresses.
Al Jefferson - Charlotte Bobcats
The signing of Jefferson may not have added much in the way of team wins; however, personally it was a good move in acquiring the big-man from Utah. Jefferson has improved steadily as the season has worn on as evidenced by January’s stat line of 23.9 ppg, 11.3 rpg and 2.6 apg. There is no doubt that Jefferson has shown his worth and in the process he has re-established himself as a fantasy force.
Honourable Mentions
DeMar DeRozan - Toronto Raptors
DeRozan finally broke through into the realm of the top-fantasy producers with his January performance. The knock on DeRozan from a fantasy perspective has always been that the rebounding and assist numbers have been historically low. Things turned around in January though as DeMar averaged 23.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg and 4.1 apg on the month. Although we are only a few games into February DeMar is showing that January was no fluke and the numbers seem to be getting even better.
Joakim Noah - Chicago Bulls
Noah has established himself as a viable fantasy option for general managers everywhere. He was once viewed as just a hustle guy who could contribute here and there and he has blossomed into a legit double-double threat. January was an excellent month to own a piece of Noah as he put up averages of 13.6 ppg, 14.1 rpg, 5.8 apg and 1.9 blocks per game. Noah was attacking the glass with a vengeance during the month as he had six games with more than 15 boards highlighted by a 21 rebound outing against the Los Angeles Lakers.