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Welcome back, RotoBallers. Below you will find our updated fantasy basketball rankings for Week 5 of the NBA season, looking at the rest-of-season fantasy values.
Each week I will be ranking the top 50 players for fantasy basketball, along with my analysis. Let's get to it.
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Fantasy Basketball Top 50 Player Rankings (Week 5)
| Rank | Name | Team | Position | Notes |
| 1 | Kevin Durant | GSW | SF/PF | Durant's usage is expectedly down a couple notches on Golden State, but his career high FG% and career low TO are a positive byproduct. Only worry is resting down the stretch, so hope the Warriors have something to play for. |
| 2 | Stephen Curry | GSW | PG/SG | Similar to Durant, his usage is down as are his counting stats, but he's still hitting an unreal 4.8 three pointers per game on elite shooting percentages, while his counting stats aren't too shabby either. Except his steals to rebound closer to the two per game he averaged the last couple years. |
| 3 | James Harden | HOU | PG/SG/SF | The jump in assists seem real, although his FG% may come back down to earth from his career high 49.7%. The only thing keeping him from #1 is his sky high 5.7 turnovers per game, which are likely a direct result of the increased assist totals. |
| 4 | Russell Westbrook | OKC | PG | Like Harden, his near triple double averages (32 PTS, 9.8 REB, 9.9 AST) should be enough for a #1 overall rank. However, his turnovers are nearly as detrimental as DeAndre Jordan's FT%, forcing you into a punt. The steals total should bounce back though. |
| 5 | Anthony Davis | NOR | PF/C | AD is putting up the best numbers of his career, and with nearly five STL + BLK with 30.7 PTS and 11.2 REB he could easily be ranked #1 as well. His FG% has taken a bit of a dip, but that could be due to the additional shots he's putting up each night. The main reason he's ranked at the bottom of this tier is his durability, as he's already had an injury scare or two. |
| 6 | Chris Paul | LAC | PG | Ol' reliable is doing pretty much exactly what he's done every year of his career. He's not as exciting anymore as the guys above him, but he's still firmly entrenched in the "tier 1" players. He's finished ranked outside the top four only once in the past six years, finishing sixth last year. |
| 7 | Kawhi Leonard | SAS | SG/SF | Kawhi is as solid as they come, but he's not putting up world shattering numbers like the top 5 guys. Be wary of Pop resting him down the stretch, in addition to not being the most durable player out there. He's missed an average of 17 games each of the past four seasons. |
| 8 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | MIL | PG/SG/SF | He's taken the leap everyone expected of him preseason. Very similar to Kawhi, with less 3's and FT% but more REB, AST, and BLK. He's also a lot more durable. |
| 9 | Karl-Anthony Towns | MIN | C | KAT's shooting percentages are down a little from last year, which is holding back his year-to-date rank. Otherwise he's doing exactly what we thought. |
| 10 | Damian Lillard | POR | PG | Lillard has taken a mini jump so far this season, hitting 48.8% of his shots from the field as well as drawing more fouls to get to the free throw line, knocking them down at a career best 91%. It's possible he's figured something out and his FG% won't be a huge detriment anymore. More likely it's somewhere in the middle, which still allows him to be a borderline top 10 fantasy player. |
| 11 | LeBron James | CLE | SF/PF | There's not much to say on Lebron at this point in his career. Look for a rest day here and there throughout the season, with a few extras during the H2H fantasy playoffs. |
| 12 | Paul George | IND | SF/PF | PG13's numbers have taken a slight dip across the board, aside from a boost in FG% which has salvaged his top 15 year-to-date rank. Aside from his injured season, he's put up consistent stats since his third year in the league. The addition of Jeff Teague may mean his numbers this year are the new norm, resulting in fewer counting stats but no longer being a negative in FG%. |
| 13 | Draymond Green | GSW | SF/PF | Draymond's stats were not expected to take a dip with Durant joining the team, and while his PTS have gone down so have his turnovers, resulting in a fairly neutral effect. He's a safe top 15 player. |
| 14 | Hassan Whiteside | MIA | C | Whiteside was taken in the first round in many drafts this year, with the thought that his improved 65% free throw shooting from last year was the real deal. Turns out last year might have been the anomaly, and having him is forcing his owners into punting the category. However, his usage rate has also gone up, resulting in more counting stats at the expense of a few notches in FG%. |
| 15 | Kemba Walker | CHA | PG | Kemba is another player who is shooting a career high FG%. Expect it to come back down a touch, but he's firmly entrenched in the top 20 at this point. |
| 16 | DeMarcus Cousins | SAC | PF/C | DMC has seen his numbers dip a bit this year, but there's nothing to worry about here. The three pointer he added last season is legit, but expect a FG% closer to last year's 45.1% rather than his current 48%. He's also another player who's bound to miss a few games each year. |
| 17 | Jimmy Butler | CHI | SG/SF | Jimmy Buckets was supposed to take a hit this year with the addition of Wade and Rondo, but it's actually had the opposite effect. He's getting better looks, resulting in an increase in FG% and three pointers. Butler is still the first option on the team, and this production seems legit. He could swap ranks with anyone up to Lillard and it wouldn't seem out of place. |
| 18 | Kyrie Irving | CLE | PG/SG | Kyrie's numbers are up from last year, which was likely the outlier in his otherwise phenomenal five year career. His steals are down which accounts for his lower year-to-date rank, so expect it to come up. |
| 19 | Paul Millsap | ATL | PF/C | Millsap has seen his production take a hit with the Dwight Howard signing, but give him a few more weeks to right the ship. His FG% and BLKs are at a career low, whereas they are normally two of his strengths. Expect these to come back up, although his REB and BLK may be lower than usual with Dwight clogging the middle. |
| 20 | Kyle Lowry | TOR | PG | Lowry's FG% is the lowest since his rookie year, but the rest of his numbers are in line with his elite production over the past few years. No reason to worry. |
| 21 | Myles Turner | IND | PF/C | Tuner has improved on his numbers from last year due to increased playing time. His elite blocks and shooting percentages, plus the occasional three pointer has him ranked in the top 25 so far this season. He's only 20 years old and has even more upside ahead of him. |
| 22 | John Wall | WAS | PG | Wall has been rested one game of each back to back set so far this year, which will hinder his value. He's still among the league leaders in AST and STL, but his mediocre FG% and huge turnover numbers continue to keep him from reaching CP3 status. |
| 23 | Kristaps Porzingis | NYK | PF/C | Despite the Derrick Rose signing, KP has taken a major jump in scoring this year. The only thing that may not be real is his FG%, which has improved to 48% from 42% last year. Expect something in the middle, which is still a top 25 player with his rare combination of 3's and BLKs. |
| 24 | Kevin Love | CLE | PF/C | Love has taken a few more shots this year, resulting in a bump in scoring. Hard to project him to do any differently than he has the past couple years on the Cavs though. He's an ideal big man for a punt FG% or BLK team, but still a top 25 in Roto formats. |
| 25 | Al Horford | BOS | PF/C | Horford has missed most of the season with a concussion, but he should be back to full strength this week. He seemed to be fitting right in with the Celtics in his three games so far. He may be taking fewer shots this year, but that's taken into account in this ranking seeing as he's finished in the top 20 each of the last two seasons. |
| 26 | Isaiah Thomas | BOS | PG | IT has seen a boost in production this season, scoring a career high 26.9 points per game. When Horford returns his usage may dip a little, but he's a safe bet to finish inside the top 35 at this point in his career. |
| 27 | DeMar DeRozan | TOR | SG/SF | DeRozan is having a breakout year, averaging 34 points while incredibly not hitting three pointers. He doesn't contribute too much in the non scoring categories, but not hard to be a top 30 fantasy player if you're leading the league in points scored. |
| 28 | CJ McCollum | POR | PG/SG | McCollum is another young player who's improving on his breakout campaign last season, but his top 25 rank so far this year may not be sustainable. His FG% is up to 47%, while only shooting 45% last year. Still, he's young enough that maybe some of it's real, and he's basically DeRozan with less points but more three pointers. |
| 29 | Gorgui Dieng | MIN | PF/C | Dieng has had a very up and down season so far, but the results have still been positive. He's a rare big man who contributes positive values in both shooting percentages, and also gives you a handful of blocks, steals and assists. As long as he's getting minutes in the low 30s, he's an underrated well-rounded and durable asset. |
| 30 | Mike Conley | MEM | PG | Mike Conley has been a solid fantasy point guard for his entire career, but his value took a slight dip in the past couple seasons. A new coaching change this season might be exactly what he needed to regain that top 35 value, as he's averaging a career high 18.7 points and 2.2 three pointers per game. |
| 31 | Blake Griffin | LAC | PF/C | Blake Griffin has been his standard self so far this season, piling on the PTS, REB, and AST with good shooting percentages. He can be an anchor for your squad but as always you'll need to find the blocks elsewhere. |
| 32 | Carmelo Anthony | NYK | SF/PF | Melo is a tough player to rank. The days of flirting with 30 points each night are over, but he's still the leader of the Knicks and chips in everywhere except steals and blocks. Drop him down a couple spots in H2H formats, as he's sure to miss a few critical games during the fantasy playoffs. |
| 33 | LaMarcus Aldridge | SAS | PF/C | Aldridge has been underwhelming so far this year, averaging the fewest points per game since his rookie season. Much of that can be attributed to poor shooting, which should climb back up towards his career 48.7% from the field. He's another player to drop a few spots in H2H formats due to Pop resting him down the stretch. The burdens of having players on good real life teams. |
| 34 | Marc Gasol | MEM | C | Gasol has joined the flurry of big men adding the three pointer to their game, and he's hitting them at a pretty decent 34.3% clip. The added categorical bonus comes at the expense of his usually positive FG%, but 42% seems a bit low. He also may endure a rest day here or there, which may be a good thing to keep him fresh for the whole season. |
| 35 | Klay Thompson | GSW | SG/SF | Klay's scoring has taken a hit this year, which was expected with the arrival of Durant. However, his three point shooting is at a career worst 32%, so now is the time to buy low. He's also been involved in a few trade rumors, and if he does get shipped off, it will be a huge boost to his value. |
| 36 | Victor Oladipo | OKC | PG/SG | Oladipo has been one of the biggest busts so far this season. He's no longer the first option on the team, having joined Russell Westbrook in OKC, and his assist numbers have taken a big hit because of it. But there is reason to be optimistic. He's actually taking more shot attempts this year, and his FG% and FT% are both at career lows. Don't expect the four assists per game he produced in Orlando, but the rest of his numbers should return to their typical values, particularly the steals. Buy low if you can. |
| 37 | Gordon Hayward | UTA | SG/SF | Hayward recovered quickly from the fractured finger he suffered in preseason, and he hasn't missed a beat. He's only played one game with George Hill so far, so it remains to be seen how they mesh together. The assists may take a slight hit when Hill returns, but his well-rounded numbers elsewhere earns him a spot in the top 40. |
| 38 | Trevor Ariza | HOU | SG/SF | Ariza may not be the most consistent player day in and day out, but his season numbers are right in line with what he's done in the past. He's often underrated in fantasy circles, but his elite steals and 3's with low turnovers have been good enough for top 40 finishes each of the last three years. No reason to expect otherwise, especially on Mike D'Antoni's fast paced offense. |
| 39 | Rudy Gay | SAC | SF/PF | Rudy Gay is another boring well-rounded player, producing solid numbers across the board. His FG% is at a career high, so expect his PTS and 3's to come down a tad, but he's a safe top 40 player. |
| 40 | Brook Lopez | BKN | C | Another big man who's added the three ball this year. He's attempting an astonishing 5.4 three pointers this year, but his added 1.8 threes per game come at the expense of a few notches in his FG% and a couple rebounds due to being away from the paint more often. He's more durable than people give him credit for, and the only thing holding him back from being a top 20 player is his lack of boards. |
| 41 | Jonas Valanciunas | TOR | C | Valanciunas has earned a few more minutes this season, and most of his numbers reflect that. His blocks, however, are down to below one per game, after being one of his strong suits the past couple years. When that number climbs to expected value, his early draft position will be worth it. |
| 42 | Jrue Holiday | NOR | PG | Jrue took the first few weeks of the season off to tend to his wife and newborn baby, but it looks like he will finally return to the court this week. He's fully healthy and his numbers have been very similar to Mike Conley's over the past few years. But he's not as durable, which brings his ranking down a few spots. |
| 43 | Eric Bledsoe | PHO | PG/SG | Eric Bledsoe's numbers have taken a hit this season, and much of that is due to Devin Booker and TJ Warren's increased usage rate. The steals are something that should be there, though, which are usually among the league leaders. |
| 43 | Nicolas Batum | CHA | SG/SF | Batum has been right in line with his production from last season, aside from worse shooting percentages. He's still ranked in the top 50 year-to-date, and he should only get better when his shooting normalizes. |
| 44 | Jae Crowder | BOS | SF/PF | Crowder started the season off hot, with well-rounded stats across the board. He's been nursing an ankle sprain for the past couple weeks, but should return soon. Much of his value comes from elite steals and low turnovers. His breakout campaign last year is legit. |
| 45 | Otto Porter | WAS | SF | Otto Porter has taken another step forward so far this season, with pumps in scoring and rebounding. His FG% likely won't stay above 50% though, otherwise he'd be about 10 spots higher. |
| 46 | Steven Adams | OKC | C | Adams has been handling more front court duties after the departure of Durant and Serge Ibaka, and has been making the most of it. He gives great out-of-position steals with elite FG%, but his improved FT% may not be legit. |
| 47 | Avery Bradley | BOS | PG/SG | Avery Bradley is having a career year, and for the most part it seems real. Don't count on the eight rebounds per game though. |
| 48 | TJ Warren | PHO | SF | Warren is one of the biggest surprises so far this year, and it's legit. He doesn't handle the ball much, which accounts for his lack of assists but also extremely low turnover rate. He's a superb shooter, and don't be surprised if he adds the three ball in the future. |
| 49 | Rudy Gobert | UTA | C | Rudy Gobert is your prototypical center, with elite rebounds, blocks, and FG%. He made strides to improve his FT%, which showed in the preseason, but hasn't translated over to the regular season. He doesn't quite force you into a punt, but having a FT% anchor like Harden or DeRozan makes owning him a bit easier. |
| 50 | Chandler Parsons | MEM | SF/PF | Parsons missed the start of the season with a knee injury, and he's still shaking off the rust. He should be worth the wait though, with his rare combination of threes and positive FG%. He finished last year hot, so give him some time to regain that value. He's a nice buy low candidate right now. |
Next 5 in: Andrew Wiggins, Evan Fournier, DeAndre Jordan, Marcin Gortat, Zach LaVine
On the bubble: Derrick Favors, George Hill, Tobias Harris, Nikola Vucevic, Goran Dragic
