1. Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
It’s difficult to pass on LeBron James when you have the first pick in your fantasy basketball draft, however Chris Paul is actually the better pick. He’s a basketball stud who has almost no downside.

2. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
On talent alone, there’s no player in the NBA who can match LeBron James. If you have a top-two selection, picking LeBron isn’t a bad move at all.

3. Danny Granger, Indiana Pacers
Even though he might not be a household name, Danny Granger’s game is built for fantasy basketball. As long as he stays healthy, he’s an all-around producer who will help your team every night.

4. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
If you want to shoot for the stars, go with Kevin Durant. He’s a superstar in the making and could make a massive jump in fantasy value this season.

5. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
Dwyane Wade has been a walking injury concern as of late. But when he’s healthy and playing his best, there are few players in the league that can match his production.

6. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
While Kobe Bryant is no doubt a fantastic player, there’s some question about his fantasy worth this coming year. With so much talent around him, he may not have to carry as big of a load as usual.

Kobe Bryant - Los Angeles Lakers (Image: Zuma Press)

7. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
Yes, his free throw shooting is horrible. But he showed improvement at times in the playoffs last year and the rest of his game is so dominant that he’s worth a top ten fantasy basketball draft selection.

8. Deron Williams, Utah Jazz
Last year, Deron Williams was somewhat disappointing at times. But now that he’s fully healed from injury, Williams has the potential to become an absolute fantasy stude.

9. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
With his personal problems behind him, you have to think that Dirk Nowitzki is geared to have a very good season. He brings a lot of value to your fantasy team — especially in terms of three-point shooting.

10. Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors
Heading into the 2010 free agent market, Chris Bosh as every reason to have a monster season. Plus, the Raptors will want to keep him happy with plenty of touches. He doesn’t have a tremendous ceiling but he should be very, very good.

Chris Bosh - Toronto Raptors (Image: Zuma Press)

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2. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
Some fantasy basketball owners traded Dwyane Wade early in the season thinking that he was peaking early. So far, it appears as if he’ll be able to survive for the duration of the season. He’s gotten stronger in 2009 — averaging better than 30 points per game.

3. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
For much of the early season, Kobe Bryant wasn’t looking to score as much as usual. But as the Lakers’ schedule has gotten more difficult and the team has lost some players to injury, Kobe’s scoring role has increased. For the month of January, he’s shooting better than 50% and he’s also hitting better than 52% from the field.

4. Kevin Martin, Sacramento Kings
Finally back from his ankle injury, Kevin Martin is really starting to heat up. He’s averaging nearly 30 points per game in January and he’s once again getting to the line a ton and knocking down his freebies at a high rate. For those fantasy owners who waited out Martin’s injury, they are now being rewarded.

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As a team, the Indiana Pacers are a hard bunch to figure out in regards to the fantasy basketball potential of their players. The only surefire player on their team is Danny Granger. Granger has remained a top-flight small forward fantasy basketball player. Although some of his stats are a little down, he’s made up for it with a big rise in points per game.

Beyond Granger, the best fantasy player on the team might be Marquis Daniels. Daniels is having a career year and is a fantasy guard who can help you out in scoring but really help you out in rebounds. He’s getting plenty of minutes so you can count on production from him on a regular basis.

TJ Ford’s stats aren’t what they used to be but he is a sleeper right now. Once he gets used to the system, there’s no reason why his stats won’t improve greatly. At the bigman positions, Murphy is once again a double-double machine and he’s also hitting threes at a good clip. That makes him a valuable fantasy basketball player.

Speaking of Troy Murphy, he’s the video of his game-winning tip-in for the Pacers against the Lakers:

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2) LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
LeBron James is probably the most talented and perhaps the best player in the NBA but his fantasy game isn’t as flawless. He’s no doubt a top three small forward, however he’s not as overwhelmingly dominant in fantasy basketball as he is in the NBA.

3) Caron Butler, Washington Wizards
At certain points this season, Caron Butler was the best forward in fantasy basketball. With his varied skills, Butler should be a very valuable fantasy player for a lot of years. He showed this year that he has superstar level skills.

4) Danny Granger, Indiana Pacers
In many fantasy circles, Danny Granger is an unknown man. But if you really look close at his stats, he’s a very valuable fantasy basketball player. He can play multiple positions and he helps your fantasy basketball team in multiple categories.

5) Rashard Lewis, Orlando Magic
While Rashard Lewis was a bit of a free agent bust, all things considered, he was a very good fantasy basketball player this year. His three-point shooting was especially helpful in the fantasy world and he also kept his turnovers to a minimum.

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2) Marcus Camby, Denver Nuggets
Camby, even though he has been in the league for a while, is having his best season. His scoring numbers won’t blow you away but his rebounding and blocks will. Camby can single-handedly win you those two categories. While a lot of other centers in the league get more pub, Camby right now is a better fantasy basketball player than all of the rest.

3) Danny Granger, Indiana Pacers
Granger had a couple quiet weeks over the last couple months but has been playing great recently. He’s scoring, rebounding and is even mixing in some blocks and steals. He’s taking and making more three-pointers, which is always good for fantasy production. Granger might be a good player to target in a trade in hopes of a monster second half.

4) Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons
The veteran Billups is a bit of a boring name but he’s been very good as of late. He is shooting lights out and the rest of his numbers are solid. Billups struggled in the playoffs last year for the most part but has bounced back with an impressive season this year. Expect his good play to continue.

5) Ray Allen, Boston Celtics
Allen is just now starting to heat up for the Celtics, which is bad news for the rest of the NBA. The Celtics have been dominating the league for much of the season – and that was with Allen not producing as well as he can. However, it’s too early to tell if Allen will continue at this pace or whether he’ll cool down. Keep an eye on him over the next couple weeks.

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Here is a look at the key fantasy players on the Pacers:

Jermaine O’Neal
O’Neal can put up very good stats when he’s healthy. The problem has been keeping him healthy over the last couple years. He missed the season opener but has played in both games since.

Mike Dunleavy, Jr.
Dunleavy has played great this young season. Since the beginning of the preseason, there has been a noticeable difference in Dunleavy’s game. He’s much more confident and he seems to finally be comfortable in the NBA. Dunleavy has always had the talent, it’s the intangibles he used to lack.

Danny Granger
Granger is off to a huge start this season. Averaging over 22 points per game, Granger could be in line for a breakout year. His three-point shooting looks to be much improved and overall Granger looks like a player who could have a very productive fantasy season.

Jamaal Tinsley
Under new coach Jim O’Brien, Tinsley has looked the best he has in years. Tinsley knows his chances as a starter in the NBA are running out and seems to be on a mission this year. His shooting percentages will likely be low and his turnovers high, but otherwise he could be a very good sleeper this year.

Troy Murphy
Murphy has missed the entire season to date. However, he still has a spot in the rotation as the starting center once he returns. He’s also a good match for O’Brien’s system and could return to double-double form once he gets back on the court.

Ike Diogu
Diogu has always had the talent to play in the NBA, he’s just never had the playing time. With Murphy out, Diogu has stepped in and played very well. He’s averaging double digits in scoring and putting up solid rebounding numbers.

Jeff Foster
Foster has always been a good center option for the Pacers. However, fantasy-wise he’s not a great option because his playing time is usually sporadic. Once Murphy returns, Foster will most likely be moved out of the starting lineup.

Marquis Daniels
Daniels has the potential to be a very good fantasy player. He does everything well and can play multiple positions. Although currently, Daniels doesn’t enough minutes to be a quality fantasy option. If that changes, Daniels is a player to give a look.

Travis Diener
Backing up Tinsley, Diener is only in line to get spot minutes. That said, Tinsley isn’t exactly the most sturdy point guard and if he misses any time, Diener would get big minutes as the starter. Keep an eye on Tinsley’s health and pick up Diener if Tinsley goes down.

David Harrison
Harrison’s stats were impressive over the first couple games of the season. It was no doubt his best start to a season as he heads into his fourth year in the NBA. But once Murphy returns from injury, Harrison’s minutes will likely be significantly reduced.

Kareem Rush
Rush in the Pacers hired gun from the outside. He can stroke three-pointers and the Pacers will use him in that role when needed. Fantasy-wise, Rush doesn’t add much unless you are desperate for three-pointers.

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