ESPN » Free Fantasy Basketball » DT Fantasy League

Compare Players (0)

Complete 2013 Projections

The default order for player projections is based on ESPN.com's recommended draft rankings, which take into account projected total points as well as upside and risk.

Position: ALL | PG | SG | SF | PF | C | G | F | UTIL
Last Name: Team:

View Sortable Projections

PROJECTED 2013 SEASON STATS

1. Kevin Durant, OKC SF	YEAR		GP	MIN	FG%	FT%	3PM	REB	AST	A/TO	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
	2012 Statistics		66	38.6	.496	.860	2.0	8.0	3.5	0.93	1.3	1.2	3.8	28.0
	2013 Projections		79	39.1	.483	.875	1.9	7.7	3.6	1.06	1.3	1.1	3.4	28.5
2013 Outlook: Given the season LeBron James had, some might be surprised to learn that it was Durant, not James, who finished atop our Player Rater in 2011-12. Durant posted monster numbers, including averages of 28.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.2 blocks and 2.0 3-pointers per game while shooting 49.6 percent from the floor and 86.0 percent from the line. His ability to contribute in multiple categories makes him the perfect building block for any fantasy team. Particularly attractive is his efficiency from both the floor and the line given his large volume of shot attempts, which makes it a toss-up between him and LeBron for the No. 1 pick in fantasy drafts this year. KD has missed only 14 games in his five-year career, making him one of the safest investments in all of fantasy basketball.

2. LeBron James, Mia SF, PF	YEAR		GP	MIN	FG%	FT%	3PM	REB	AST	A/TO	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
	2012 Statistics		62	37.5	.531	.771	0.9	7.9	6.2	1.82	1.9	0.8	3.4	27.1
	2013 Projections		77	37.5	.522	.775	1.0	8.0	6.4	2.00	2.0	0.8	3.2	26.9
2013 Outlook: This will be LeBron's 10th NBA season, but he won't even turn 29 years old until late December, so he's still squarely in his prime. Last season, he meshed well with D-Wade, Bosh and the rest of the Heat, which was reflected by career-high marks in field goal percentage (53.1), 3-point percentage (36.2) and rebounds (7.9 per game). Additionally, his free throw percentage (77.1) and steals (1.9 per game) were nearly career bests. In his current role with the Heat, his free throw and 3-point attempts have diminished, but his overall production volume remains massive. There's no reason to think that LeBron won't be near the top of the Player Rater at season's end.

3. Josh Smith, Atl PF, SF	YEAR		GP	MIN	FG%	FT%	3PM	REB	AST	A/TO	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
	2012 Statistics		66	35.3	.458	.630	0.4	9.6	3.9	1.57	1.4	1.7	2.5	18.8
	2013 Projections		78	36.8	.471	.649	0.5	8.6	3.7	1.42	1.4	1.7	2.6	19.5
2013 Outlook: Our projections are actually conservative for what J-Smoove could offer this season -- and that says a lot. He's a physical freak entering his physical prime (age 26), Joe Johnson is out of town and Smith will be an unrestricted free agent at season's end. In short, the sky's the limit. This is a guy who averages 2.9 blocks per game and shoots 50.1 percent from the field; plus, last year he averaged 23.9 points, 10.1 boards, 4.5 dimes, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks in 19 games in January. This season, expect Smith to come in with an agenda to dominate -- and for Atlanta coach Larry Drew to ride him hard while he's still there. Smoove is on the short list of ballers you can get in the second round who could finish as a top-five fantasy player.

4. Kobe Bryant*, LAL SG, SF	YEAR		GP	MIN	FG%	FT%	3PM	REB	AST	A/TO	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
	2012 Statistics		58	38.5	.430	.845	1.5	5.4	4.6	1.29	1.2	0.3	3.5	27.9
	2013 Projections		76	35.3	.460	.831	1.4	5.0	4.0	1.29	1.2	0.2	3.1	24.6
2013 Outlook: Kobe might be getting up there in age (34) and mileage, but his decline hasn't been as quick as many expected: He averaged 27.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.5 3-pointers while shooting 84.5 percent from the line in 2011-12. In doing so, Kobe quieted many critics who believed he'd struggle with the tough scheduling of the shortened season. But new questions now face Bryant as he enters his 17th professional season. The arrival of Steve Nash and Dwight Howard gives Kobe more firepower to make another run at a title, but will it come at the expense of his stats? Expect a decrease in numbers across the board, particularly in the assist category, as Kobe won't dominate the ball as much as he has in the past. That said, any reduction in numbers should come with a corresponding bump in field goal percentage as Nash and Howard will create more open looks for Bryant. While his numbers might dip, fantasy owners shouldn't downgrade Kobe too much in 2012-13. He's still a great foundation player to build a team around thanks to his ability to produce and dominate in multiple categories.

5. Carmelo Anthony, NY SF, PF	YEAR		GP	MIN	FG%	FT%	3PM	REB	AST	A/TO	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
	2012 Statistics		55	34.1	.430	.804	1.2	6.3	3.6	1.39	1.1	0.4	2.6	22.6
	2013 Projections		74	35.9	.455	.821	1.5	6.4	3.4	1.26	1.0	0.5	2.7	24.8
2013 Outlook: With Jeremy Lin and Mike D'Antoni out of the picture, the Knicks offense should run entirely through the hands of Melo and Amare Stoudemire. Because of the changes in personnel, coaches and schemes during their collective tenure with the Knicks, it's still not clear exactly how the two will manage to mesh. However, we think coach Mike Woodson will figure out a way to allow both of them to score in the low- to mid-20s. Hopefully, Melo learned a lot about winning this summer with Team USA, but there is a residual concern that the extra offseason action might have worn down his body. Keep in mind that he missed 11 games last season and has hit the 70-game mark just once since 2007-08.

6. Paul Millsap, Uta PF, SF	YEAR		GP	MIN	FG%	FT%	3PM	REB	AST	A/TO	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
	2012 Statistics		64	32.8	.495	.792	0.1	8.8	2.3	1.34	1.8	0.8	1.8	16.6
	2013 Projections		78	32.2	.511	.769	0.1	8.1	2.2	1.29	1.5	0.9	1.7	15.8
2013 Outlook: No longer one of the league's best-kept secrets, Millsap had his second straight big season, posting 16.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 49.5 percent from the floor and 79.2 percent from the line. Those numbers were good enough to rank him No. 7 on our Player Rater for the 2011-12 season. Millsap's motor and effort are almost unmatched by his competitors, which makes him a strong force on both ends of the court. Utah's frontcourt is absolutely stacked with talent -- including the up-and-coming Derrick Favors -- but Millsap has found a way to get his minutes and numbers despite the depth up front. Though the emergence of Favors could potentially have an impact on Millsap, fantasy owners should still draft him with confidence and enjoy his well-rounded production.

7. Rudy Gay, Tor SF	YEAR		GP	MIN	FG%	FT%	3PM	REB	AST	A/TO	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
	2012 Statistics		65	37.3	.455	.791	0.8	6.4	2.3	0.91	1.5	0.8	2.5	19.0
	2013 Projections		76	38.0	.460	.783	0.9	6.2	2.3	0.96	1.5	0.9	2.4	19.1
2013 Outlook: A top-25 fantasy option, Gay is a multi-category stud who can do a little bit of everything for fantasy owners. With efficiency from both the floor and the line, Gay posted 19.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 0.8 blocks and 0.8 3-pointers per game in 2011-12. What makes him such an effective fantasy option is his ability to produce in nearly every category other than assists. Over the course of his six-year career, Gay has been an extremely safe fantasy investment, scoring at least 19 points per game in four seasons and missing just 29 total games due to injury. Draft him with confidence in 2012-13.

8. Paul Pierce, Bos SF, SG	YEAR		GP	MIN	FG%	FT%	3PM	REB	AST	A/TO	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
	2012 Statistics		61	34.0	.443	.852	1.6	5.2	4.5	1.58	1.1	0.4	2.8	19.4
	2013 Projections		77	34.1	.457	.854	1.6	5.4	4.1	1.58	1.1	0.4	2.6	19.3
2013 Outlook: If you totaled all of the minutes Pierce has played during his 14-year career, it turns out he's played only 26 days. That doesn't sound that bad, so let's put it another way: He's played more than 1,000 games and 37,000 minutes. Despite that workload, he rarely misses games and remains one of the steadier fantasy options. Any 35-year-old baller with that much mileage runs the risk of his body finally giving out, but Pierce will carry less risk in that vein than many younger players whose games have yet to develop or whose roles are less secure. Draft Pierce and forget about that spot on your roster for the rest of the season.

9. Paul George, Ind SG, SF	YEAR		GP	MIN	FG%	FT%	3PM	REB	AST	A/TO	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
	2012 Statistics		66	29.7	.440	.802	1.4	5.6	2.4	1.35	1.6	0.6	1.8	12.1
	2013 Projections		78	32.1	.449	.803	1.9	5.7	2.6	1.30	1.8	0.6	2.0	16.4
2013 Outlook: His 3-point shooting jumped from 29.7 percent as a rookie to 38.5 percent last season, and he had two months in which he averaged 47.6 percent or better from the field. That smooth stroke and improved confidence, along with high production in steals (two months of 2.0 spg) and rebounds (two months of at least 6.0 rpg), reveals his fantasy potential. Looking for a comparison? Think teammate Danny Granger with a better shot. The question this season is how many shots George can get off with Granger still in his prime and coach Frank Vogel spreading the offense around? Should Granger's body give out again -- or if George forces the issue with stellar play -- George could have a major breakout. At worst, he'll be a solid fantasy contributor with stretches of great success.

10. Tyreke Evans, Sac PG, SG, SF	YEAR		GP	MIN	FG%	FT%	3PM	REB	AST	A/TO	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
	2012 Statistics		63	34.3	.453	.779	0.3	4.6	4.5	1.65	1.3	0.5	2.7	16.5
	2013 Projections		72	33.8	.443	.770	0.4	4.5	4.7	1.74	1.3	0.4	2.7	16.6
2013 Outlook: Now two years removed from his record-setting rookie season, Evans posted 16.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.3 steals in 34.3 minutes per game in 2011-12. Though those numbers are still a far cry from the 20/5/5 he posted as a rookie, at least Evans was able to stay on the court after dealing with nagging injuries in 2010-11. However, Evans seemed to struggle when the Kings moved him to small forward in order to make room for Isaiah Thomas in the starting lineup; in 26 starts as a forward, Evans posted averages of 15.6 points, 4.4 boards, 4.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Tyreke's fantasy game would be much more impressive if he shot more 3-pointers (0.3 per game) and could improve his free throw percentage (77.9 percent). Regardless, he's a valuable fantasy commodity thanks to his ability to produce in multiple categories (though keep in mind that he's slightly less attractive as a small forward).

11. Joe Johnson, Bkn SG, SF	YEAR		GP	MIN	FG%	FT%	3PM	REB	AST	A/TO	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
	2012 Statistics		60	35.5	.454	.849	2.1	3.7	3.9	2.00	0.8	0.2	1.9	18.8
	2013 Projections		75	35.1	.459	.829	2.3	3.7	4.2	2.20	1.0	0.1	1.9	18.6
2013 Outlook: Here are the primary PGs with whom JJ has played: Tyronn Lue, Anthony Johnson, Jamal Crawford, Mike Bibby and a young Jeff Teague. Yawn. The most assists per game by one of them over a full season alongside JJ? Five, by Bibby. Now he gets to play with Deron Williams, who almost can't help but dish out 10.0-plus dimes per game. In his new role, we should expect JJ's dimes to be capped at around 4.0 per game, but we should also see a boost in field goal percentage and likely a career high in 3s. Johnson will likely average around 18.0 points, 4.0 assists and 2.3 3-pointers per game, and it wouldn't be surprising if he exceeded those numbers.

12. Danny Granger*, Ind SF	YEAR		GP	MIN	FG%	FT%	3PM	REB	AST	A/TO	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
	2012 Statistics		62	33.3	.416	.873	2.0	5.0	1.8	0.99	1.0	0.6	1.8	18.7
	2013 Projections		75	33.1	.420	.862	1.8	5.1	1.9	0.91	1.0	0.6	2.1	18.9
2013 Outlook: Granger's role diminished during coach Frank Vogel's first season, and that's a trend that might continue this season as he creeps toward his 30th birthday and Paul George's game -- and workload -- expands. If that happens, it could actually help Granger's overall fantasy value, because a lighter workload would lessen the impact of his poor field goal percentage (typically around 42 percent), as well as his propensity for injury (though he's stayed relatively healthy the past two seasons). Odds are that he will be drafted a round or two too early based on his past production. This year, he should be a quality fantasy asset with little upside, so don't draft him with high expectations.

13. Andre Iguodala, Den SF, SG	YEAR		GP	MIN	FG%	FT%	3PM	REB	AST	A/TO	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
	2012 Statistics		62	35.6	.454	.617	1.2	6.1	5.5	2.95	1.7	0.5	1.9	12.4
	2013 Projections		73	36.7	.449	.667	1.1	6.1	5.3	2.53	1.7	0.5	2.1	16.2
2013 Outlook: Iguodala, who averaged 18.5 points per game for the Sixers from 2006-2010, has become more of a facilitator in recent seasons, averaging a versatile 12.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.2 3-pointers per game last season. Now joining the fast-paced Nuggets, Iggy should find more scoring opportunities, though it might come at the expense of his assist totals. Iguodala will replace Aaron Afflalo as Denver's starting shooting guard and will be expected to be a leader on both sides of the ball for the up-and-coming Nuggets. Most valuable for his all-around contributions, Iguodala looks primed for a big season in Denver.

14. Ersan Ilyasova, Mil SF, PF	YEAR		GP	MIN	FG%	FT%	3PM	REB	AST	A/TO	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
	2012 Statistics		60	27.6	.492	.781	0.9	8.8	1.2	0.93	0.7	0.7	1.3	13.0
	2013 Projections		75	31.5	.503	.787	0.9	9.3	1.3	0.93	0.9	0.8	1.4	15.8
2013 Outlook: Though he showed flashes of big fantasy upside from time to time early in his career, but he couldn't find consistency. However, he certainly found it last year, when he averaged 14.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.0 3-pointers per game while shooting 51.9 percent from the field and 78.6 percent from the line in 41 starts. We can't count on the 3-point production, and he doesn't help much in swipes and rejections, but quality double-doubles aren't easy to find. Plus, he parlayed his breakout campaign into a five-year, $40 million contract. That's enough financial commitment to assure a large role in the Bucks' starting rotation. In other words, there's little risk in drafting Ilyasova, and he may even have room to improve his stats as he enters his physical prime.

15. Nicolas Batum*, Por SF, SG	YEAR		GP	MIN	FG%	FT%	3PM	REB	AST	A/TO	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
	2012 Statistics		59	30.4	.451	.836	1.8	4.6	1.4	0.93	1.0	1.0	1.5	13.9
	2013 Projections		73	32.2	.456	.836	1.8	4.8	1.5	1.08	1.0	0.9	1.4	13.9
2013 Outlook: An up-and-coming youngster with high expectations, Batum, 23, might have been somewhat inconsistent but lived up to his billing last year when he averaged 15.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 0.9 steals, 1.0 blocks and 1.9 3-pointers with terrific percentages in 34 starts. As a restricted free agent, Batum drew interest from Minnesota during the offseason, but Portland eventually re-signed the swingman to a four-year deal. Now a major part of the Blazers' plans moving forward, he is primed for a big season as he builds on his progress from last year. As one of the few players with the potential to average 1/1/1 in steals, blocks and 3-pointers per game, Batum is a fantastic, high-upside selection in this year's fantasy drafts.

Expand Help Topics+