Last year I wrote about my fantasy basketball sleepers and I’ll do the same this season. I love fantasy basketball because of the constant games, injuries, back to back games and all sorts of things that make fantasy sports great. I’ve won my share of league and a lot of it has to do with picking sleepers out of thin air because titles are won on the waiver wire and in the middle to late rounds of every draft. Here’s who I think will still be around in later rounds that I think are worth picking.

5. Boris Diaw- This guy had a great season a couple years ago and struggled since. He has a new coach and Shawn Marion is gone. Diaw can play 3 positions and passes the ball extremely well. I look for Boris to be around later in every draft and provide a lot of depth. I actually see him just as valuable as a healthy Kirilenko.

4. Devin Harris- He’s one of those guys who has been drafted in the past and been a let down. He’s a 13 points 6 assist point guard which barely earns playing time on a good fantasy team. This year will be different because he’ll be counted on for so much. The Nets feature Devin Harris and Vince Carter and a bunch of fill ins. Jason Kidd is in Dalls and Richard Jefferson is gone. Harris will have to really pick it up. I look for him to be in the 18-20 ppg range with 8-10 assists. He’s also a very underrated defender who can guard both guard spots. Just stay healthy.

3. Kevin Durant- He burned a lot of gm’s last season because he didn’t rebound like expected and his shooting percentage really struggled and that hurt other gms’ in different kinds of leagues. He’s going to rebound better and score more this season. He’s very talented and it is all going to come out this season. He will be a mid 20’s scorer and average 8-10 rebounds a game for the Thunder. He’s a sleeper because gm’s got burned last year and becaus of that he’ll slide in the draft. He still is not worth a top 20 pick but he’s a safe bet to say “i told you so” to the other gm’s in your league.

2. Nate Robinson- This guy is now the point guard for a Mike D’Antoni team. He’s scoring in preseason and is showing he can put up some points in the NBA. He’ll get every chance to prove himself and he’ll be available in later rounds because he’s never done anything in the past. Serious sleeper here if you ask me.

1. Brandon Roy- He has always been a decent fantasy player but this year will be different. He’s playing with a real big man who will get better and better as the season goes and he is now getting surrounded by shooters in Fernandez and Webster. Roy is going to break out this season and get career highs in scoring, assists and rebounds and leave many gm’s wondering why they didn’t see it. Roy isn’t going to be Deron Williams or Chris Paul and isn’t in there category but he’s one of those guards who will start to develop into a triple double threat this year.

I may be wrong, but I highly doubt it. Confidence is what wins in fantasy sports and I’m right way more than not.

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I love fantasy sports and in fact, I’m trying to get www.hoopskills.com to host it’s own fantasy basketball league with prizes and everything.  In the meantime I thought I would breakdown who I think are the top 10 fantasy basketball players in the NBA.  I will follow up with my fantasy sleepers list in a few days.

10.  Kobe Bryant-  Most people say that I should have him higher on the list.  I know that, but I don’t think he’s all the way healthy and we have a lot of questions surrounding him right now.  Will he stay in LA or leave and then where does he go?  If he goes to a team that doesn’t need him to be the man then what happens.  I don’t see him going anywhere anymore because I don’t think the Lakers will get anything even close in return.  He would normally be top 5 on my list but not this year.

9.  Shawn Marion-  Same thing here.  This guy can flat out put up some big time fantasy numbers because he does so many things well.  He can score, rebound, block shots, get steals and he plays hurt.  He is the type of guy who does it all pretty well.  Sure his jumper is the ugliest thing since Sandra Bernhard but from the corner he is pretty consistent.  He is rumored to be on his way out but the Suns won’t do anything until they see how well Amare can come back from his latest scope job.

8.  Gerald Wallace-  He isn’t a sleeper anymore.  It can be argued that he doesn’t belong in the top 10 but i think he’s going to score some this season.  He is all over the floor and like Marion can do a number of things well.  Wallace doesn’t have a great team however and they need him to do everything he can.  If the guy ever got a consistent jump shot he’d be a top 10 player no question, as it sits he’s going to surprise some people this year and I’d suggest taking him early because the team that does will have a nice surprise on their hands.

7.  Steve Nash-  Given here.  He is the best player on the highest scoring team in the league.  He is complemented by good outside shooters and finishers at the basket.  He makes his teammates better and they know that if they run down the floor he will get them easy points.  20 ppg and 10 assists guys are tough to come by.  Take him early folks.

6. Dwight Howard-  Great big man and still learning how to play the game.  He’d be in his senior year of college right now but instead is a fixture in Orlando.  This kid is athletic and figuring out how to dominate games.  Should average 20 ppg, 12 rebounds and 2-4 blocks a game.  He’ll have games he gets in foul trouble early and others he wont’ score as much, then he will all of a sudden hit you with a 20 points 20 rebound game.  He has as much ability as anyone in the league and it’s only a matter of time before that comes out.

5. Dirk Nowitzki-  Best player on the Mavs.  Scores in bunches and rebounds well.  Could argue that he should be higher on the list, but it is tough to put him higher coming off the MVP season and disappointing playoff run last year.  He’s still worthy of top5 in any league.

4.  Jason Kidd-  Triple double master.  If your league rewards those then this is your guy.  He is years removed from his microfracture surgery and is feeling really good coming into this season.  He doesn’t score in bunches but he puts up stats in so many areas that he’s tough not to select as the top point fantasy point guard.

3.  Tim Duncan-  20 points 10 rebounds 3 blocks 3 assists.  This guy is one of the best fantasy players ever because of his ability to do everything well.  He is the focal point of the best team in the league. 

2.  Lebron James- 27 points 6 boards 6 assist 2 steals 1.5 blocks.  2nd best player in the NBA behind Kobe Bryant.  I’m still waiting for him to up these numbers even more.  Many people will take this guy with the top pick and there would be no problem with that.  He could easily up this to 30 a game this year.

1.  Kevin Garnett-  22 points 13 boards 4 assists 2 blocks.  The top pick for most of the leagues but that was as a Timberwolves player.  Now as a Celtic he will be surrounded by other stars in Ray Allen and Paul Pierce and his numbers will either drop or increase some.  They need him to rebound and score points and I see it happening for them.  I expect KG to be the league MVP this year and lead the Celts to the Eastern Conference Finals.

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