5) Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Lakers
With Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol injured, Lamar Odom has stepped into a bigger role for the Lakers and is playing great basketball. While he can at times be a passive player, Odom is very good when he’s involved early and often. The bad news is that once Gasol returns (which should be at some point this week), Odom’s play should return to earth.

4) LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Seeing LeBron James in any top five list isn’t too surprising. He’s dominating like usual and shows no signs of slowing down. While he hasn’t been on fire over the last week or two, expect him to take it to another level as the Cavs fight for playoff positioning. He’s definitely a player you want on your fantasy team, though.

3) Joe Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
Although he doesn’t get much publicity, Joe Johnson is quietly one of the best players in the NBA. He’s a perimeter player who can handle the ball, pass the ball, shoot the ball and do basically whatever the team needs. The Hawks have a young team that is fighting for the NBA playoffs and Johnson is the biggest reason why.

2) Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns
Amare Stoudamire went from a superstar to a superduperstar once the Suns traded for Shaquille O’Neal. Free to play power forward, Stoudemire has blossomed and is playing MVP caliber basketball right now. In the fantasy world, he’s easily the best bigman in all of the league.

1) Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
This is absolutely no surprise. Chris Paul remains the best fantasy player on the planet – by far. If you have Paul on your fantasy team, you are worshiping the ground he walks on.

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Manu Mix …

4) LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
He might be the best player in the NBA but in the fantasy world, LeBron James is just outside of the top three. His shaky free throw percentage and his high turnover rate hurts him just a tad. Although, when it comes to scoring, rebounding and getting assists, James is the player you want on your team – in both real life and fantasy.

3) Marcus Camby, Denver Nuggets
In fantasy basketball, no player dominates rebounding and blocked shots as much as Marcus Camby. If you have him on your side, there’s a good chance that you can dominate your league in both categories. He’s a great piece to build around and he’s arguably having his best season ever.

2) Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
Although he doesn’t score as many points as he used to, Kobe Bryant is still a fantasy basketball beast. He helps you out in a lot of categories and the only category he isn’t strong in is turnovers. Other than that, Bryant is a player who can help you win and win big in fantasy basketball.

1) Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
Even though there are a lot of great fantasy basketball players, Chris Paul is head and shoulders better than everyone else in the league right now. He can do it all. If Paul is on your fantasy basketball team, you are probably worshiping the ground he walks on. This small point guard is just having a huge, huge season.

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Jason Terry
Terry is off to a great, great start. He’s playing very well in his new role off the bench – the same role he played at the University of Arizona. That said, he’s not going to keep up this pace all season. Trade him high if you can.

Chris Paul
Paul, like Terry, is playing great. The difference is that Paul might be able to stay this much of fire. He’s an extremely talented player and has good players around him. A top ten finish isn’t out of the realm of possibilities for Paul.

Shawn Marion
Mr. Fantasy is right where you always find him. He might not be the best player on his team (or even the second best player), but fantasy-wise Marion is a stud. A top three finish is entirely possible for Marion.

Manu Ginobili
Ginobili is a great player. The problem with him is usually minutes played. This season, Ginobili is playing slightly more minutes than usual. However, don’t expect that to continue for the whole season. He could, though, remain a top 20 to 30 player.

Richard Jefferson
With Jason Kidd and Vince Carter on his team, Richard Jefferson oftentimes gets lost in the shuffle. However, right now, he’s producing the best fantasy numbers of the three. While he won’t stay this hot, he’s looking completely healed from the injuries he suffered last year.

LeBron James
The King has had some huge fantasy performances to date. What is exciting for fantasy owners is the possibility that James becomes a better rebounder and shotblocker. So far this season, he seems to be better than ever. A top five finish is likely.

Josh Smith
Smith is one of the most gifted players in the league. He’s an amazing athlete who is really starting to master the game of basketball. There’s a good chance that he could finish in the top 15 in the fantasy world this year.

Marcus Camby
Camby is always a fantasy stud – when healthy. So far he’s healthy and playing extremely well. Camby should continue to produce, barring injury.

Allen Iverson
Iverson has seen a lot of time at point guard, which has increased his fantasy value. He’s going to be streaky like always but at the end of the year, he has a chance to be a top ten fantasy player.

Rashard Lewis
So far, Lewis looks like he was worth the money. He has the Magic sitting at 5-1 and his stats look really good. I don’t expect him to play this well for the entire season, but so far Magic fans have to be happy with what they are seeing.

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