Fantasy Basketball 2010-2011: Top Ten Shooting Forwards to Draft

Unlike past seasons where there might have been at least half a dozen solid shooting forwards to choose from, this year's Fantasy Basketball Draft will be thin on elite players. Only the top trio of James, Durant and Anthony, should be considered worthy of a first round pick, with the balance of the top 10 players falling somewhere between the second and fifth rounds of the Draft. Here then are the top 10 shooting forwards available for the 2010-2011 fantasy basketball season.

LeBron James (Heat)

LeBron James is in a league of his own when it comes to Fantasy Basketball. Able to score fantasy points across the board in virtually every category, including block shots and steals, there is no reason to believe that James won't go first overall in almost all leagues this season. Look for James to hover around the 30 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists marks again this year, and note that James should also get you a steal or two and a block shot per game. Having said that the move to Miami might affect his scoring by a point or two this season.

Kevin Durant (Thunder)

Kevin Durant, the NBA reigning scoring champ, is a scoring machine who will get you 30 points a game while adding 7 to 8 rebounds in the process. From a Fantasy Basketball point of view there is very little not to like about Durant, and the only thing he will not do as well as James for you this season is get you assists (though he will still average about 3 a game), though he is a much better shooter from the foul line. Expect Durant to be one of the top five players pick in the Draft this season.

Carmelo Anthony (Nuggets)

Fantasy Basketball wise Anthony is rated just a shade under Durant, since he will not block shots for you as well as the Thunder standout. Other than that, Carmelo will once again be a solid contributor to your fantasy team, and few players in the league can match his offensive production. Still, it should be noted that minor injuries are always a concern with Anthony who has played under 70 games in three of the past four seasons.

Joe Jackson (Hawks)

Atlanta maxed out its offer to Joe Jackson this season in order to keep the franchise best player on board for some time to come. Jackson has been one of the steadiest producers in the league over the past five seasons, and you can count on him to get you +20 points a game, while contributing 4 to 5 rebounds and assists per outing. The versatile 6-7, 240 lbs Jackson can also be penciled in as a guard on your team, giving you added flexibility.

The only thing Joe won't do for you is block shots.

Danny Granger (Pacers)

Yes, Granger has not played more than 67 games in each of the last two seasons, but when he does play he scores with the best of them. Last season Granger averaged over 24 points per game, while collecting 5.5 boards, 2.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per contest. If you miss out on an elite small forward, Granger is not a bad option to end up with, as such he should be rated just below the elite three.

Gerald Wallace (Bobcats)

Few small forwards will rebound better for you then the 6-7 Wallace. Last season Wallace averaged 10 boards per game (up from 7.8 the year before), while scoring at an 18.2 point per game clip. Aside from that, you can look for him to help your defense since he will get you both steals and blocks. Wallace is the shooting forward to own, if you end up with a less than stellar power forward.

Rudy Gay (Grizzles)

Despite playing only four seasons for the team, Gay remains Memphis longest tenured player. Rudy who averaged close to 40 minutes per game last season, will score close to 20 points a game for you, while helping out with 5 or 6 boards per outing. A decent three-point shooter, Gay won't embarrass your fantasy team on the defense of end either. Occasionally he will also post a double-double for you having done that 8 times last season.

Loul Deng (Bulls)

Deng has missed over 60 games due to injuries during the last four seasons, though when he is on the court he still manages to post some decent numbers across the board. Last season Deng scored at a 17.6 ppg clip, while collecting over 7 rebounds a game. He was also good for a few assist and roughly one block and one steal each time he took the court. Fantasy Basketball wise, he is not an elite player, but neither is he a player who will embarrass your team. Overall you could do a lot worse than Deng at shooting forward.

Paul Pierce (Celtics)

Pierce is starting to slow down. Last season the Celtic's standout averaged only 34 minutes per game, and this year his playing time should be in the same range. Still, Pierce will help your team in points, assists, and steal, while getting you a hand full of rebounds in the process. The versatile 6-7, 235 lbs Pierce can also be used as a guard on your fantasy team.

Danilo Gallinan (Knicks)

A 6-10 European small forward who can score in bounces from the three point range (38.1%), Gallinan may have the biggest room for improvement in 2010-2011. Besides being a lethal shooter from anywhere on the court including the foul line, Gallinan also improved as a rebounder and shot blocker last season. On a good day, the Italian forward will get you 8 to 10 rebounds and 2 or 3 blocks, while still knocking down the three.

Statistical Sources:

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/