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As the tip off of the 2014-15 NBA season draws closer, we will be providing fantasy basketball rankings, sleepers and draft strategy analysis. Let's take some time to focus on the top 5 guards for your fantasy basketball rankings and drafts.
Top 5 Guards for Fantasy Basketball in 2014
Stephen Curry - Golden State Warriors
![By Keith Allison from Owings Mills, USA (Stephen Curry) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://dev.rotoballer.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Stephen-Curry-RotoBaller-NBA-News-Fantasy-Basketball-Advice-Analysis.png)
Curry has risen to the cream of the crop among guards in fantasy hoops. After the season he had in 2013-2014, it is easy to see why. He finished with averages of 24.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game to go along with elite shooting percentages. He ranked first in points scored among guards, third in total assists, and was also a plus contributor in steals, averaging 1.6 swipes a game.
These are all excellent totals, but the main reason that Curry is typically the first guard off the board in fantasy drafts is the huge advantage he gives owners in the threes category. The Warriors star made an eye-popping 3.3 threes per game, leading the league by a wide margin.
Many are concerned about Curry’s history of ankle injuries. While that has been well documented, he has only had one season derailed by injuries in his career, playing in at least 74 games in four of his first five seasons in the NBA. He established career-highs in points and assists last year, and his uptick in scoring is the result of getting to the free throw line at the highest rate of his career. Playing in over 36 minutes per game last season, Curry ranked 2nd in usage rate among all guards, and shoots a ridiculous 44 percent from downtown for his career. Barring injury, he will easily be worth the investment as a top five overall pick.
James Harden - Houston Rockets
Harden has developed into the best shooting guard in the game (no offense Kobe). He led all guards in scoring a year ago, averaging 25.4 points per game. His scoring average is boosted by his ability to get to the free throw line, as there was only one player in the NBA to attempt and make more free throws per game than Harden last season, and that would be Kevin Durant.
What makes Harden so special though is his all around game. Despite the fact that he plays shooting guard for Houston, the offense runs through him. This allows Harden to rack up assists like a point guard as the defense collapses on him when he drives to the basket. When the defense backs off as they respect his ability to drive, he will step back and knock down threes, making him utterly unguardable. Since being traded to the Rockets two years ago, Harden has seen his season averages spike to 25.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.7 steals, and 2.4 threes per game. When you combine that with excellent shooting percentages, Harden is an asset in every category except blocks and turnovers, and should be off the board in the top half of the first round in drafts.
Russell Westbrook - Oklahoma Thunder
Westbrook was already going to be a Top 5 guard, but the injury to Kevin Durant has forced me to move him up to the number three spot. Westbrook suffered through an injury riddled campaign in 2013-14, as a slew of knee injuries limited him to a mere 46 games played. Upon his return, his minutes were somewhat limited, and he often sat out the second game of back-to-backs. There were some positives to take away though. He was averaging 5.7 rebounds per game, which is the highest rate of his career. More importantly for a guard, he was knocking down threes at a career-high clip of 1.5 per game. On top of all that, Westbrook had the highest usage rate of any player in the NBA.
This year, Westbrook enters the season completely healthy, and with no playing time restrictions. In fact, the Thunder will rely on him to shoulder the load for as long as Kevin Durant remains on the sidelines. The Oklahoma City star will likely have a lower field goal percentage jacking up so many shots, as well as an absurd amount of turnovers with the ball in his hands so much. With that said, he is going put up some absolutely monstrous lines to start the season, and will maintain his value even when Kevin Durant returns. It would be hard to argue investing in him with a Top 5 overall pick.
Chris Paul - Los Angeles Clippers
Paul is arguably the best pure point guard in the game right now. He is a very intelligent player, knowing when to facilitate and when to score. He picks apart defenses, and the Clippers execute the pick and roll about as well as any team in the NBA. When choosing a player to spend your first round pick on, it is a good strategy to target players who are the very best in one or more categories. As far as guards go, Chris Paul is your man.
Last season Paul ranked first in the NBA in assists per game at 10.7, as well as first in steals at 2.5 swipes per game. That is a lethal combination that you simply cannot find in any other player. If that is not enough, he also takes care of the ball, averaging at least 1.3 fewer turnovers than the rest of the guys on this list. He is a very efficient shooter, a good rebounder for a guard, and will probably score 20.0 points per game. The Lob City point guard does everything well, and will not hurt you in any category.
There is one downside to Chris Paul. Most would not consider him to be injury prone. However, he has played more than 70 games only four times in his nine year career, and none since joining the Clippers three years ago. Injuries are impossible to predict though, so despite the potential DNPs, he is a safe pick in the first round of upcoming drafts.
John Wall - Washington Wizards
Wall had a career year in 2013-14, and it was due to him finally staying healthy for a full season. He played in all 82 games, and set career highs in nearly every category. The Wizard also led the NBA in total assists, and finished sixth in total steals. One major advantage Wall gives owners over other guards is his ability to block shots, averaging 0.6 blocks per game for his career. To put it in perspective, he had more blocked shots than Kevin Love and LeBron James last year!
The part of Wall’s game that has vaulted him into the Top 5 guards is his development of a three point shot. It went from mostly non-existent to averaging 1.3 per game last season. Now that opposing teams have to respect his ability to knock down threes, the rest of his game should benefit.
Another thing working in Wall’s favor is the injury to Bradley Beal. Similar to Russell Westbrook, Wall will have to pick up the slack, and will have the opportunity to put up some huge numbers early on. He is also turnover prone and may not have a high field goal percentage, but will help out in every other category, including blocks. The former number one pick is a fantastic player to target at the end of the first round.
