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Fantasy Basketball Rankings 2022-23: Power forward draft tiers

The 2022-23 NBA season is fast approaching, which means it’s time to start getting ready for your fantasy basketball drafts. But don’t worry, you’re not alone. Fantasy analyst Dan Titus is putting in the work on his draft rankings as well as his position-by-position tiers — he hits the power forwards below — to help you be prepared when you’re on the clock.

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Note: Not every player will have analysis when listed in the tiers below. Players with multi-position eligibility will only show up in the positional tier story they have the most minutes at.

Tier 1: The Elite

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Tier 2: Established Stars

2. Anthony Davis

3. Pascal Siakam

-Anthony Davis can move into the elite tier if he can stay healthy — which has not been the case the past two seasons. AD's missed 78 games over that span which is reason to depress his value heading into this season. Currently, Davis is going in the second round with an ADP of 16.6. He spent the offseason focusing on strengthening his body to prepare for a long season, precisely what Lakers fans and fantasy managers want to hear. Given his ability to stuff the stat sheet and finishing ninth on a per-game basis last year, I think that's worth the price of admission.

-There's a lot to like about Pascal Siakam this season. He led the league in minutes played last season (37.9 per game) and has dual eligibility at power forward and center. He's one of five players to average at least 22.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game and finished 33rd in per-game value last season. His ADP is spot-on at 30.2; he should be drafted in the mid-third round.

Tier 3: Rising stars

4. Evan Mobley

5. Zion Williamson

6. John Collins

7. Brandon Clarke

-I previously labeled Zion Williamson as one of the hardest players to rank this season, but I've changed my tune based on early reports from the Pelicans training camp. The only reason I have Evan Mobley higher than Williamson is because of what he brings defensively. Per Stathead, he's one of six players to average at least 1.5 blocks and 0.8 steals per game last season. Those defensive stats aren't easy to come by, but with Mobley and Zion having similar ADPs at 40.2 and 40.3, respectively, you can't go wrong with either selection in the fourth round.

-John Collins has been on the trade block for some time, but he's still a solid fantasy player. He provided fourth-round value for fantasy managers last season, producing 16.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 threes and 1.6 stocks (steals + blocks) while shooting 53% from the field and 79% from the charity stripe. With not much competition behind him, expect his numbers to be consistent with a fifth-round pick.

-Brandon Clarke might be a surprise here, but with Jaren Jackson Jr. shelved indefinitely, Clarke will be a value pick for fantasy managers right now. His ADP sits at 105, which is far too low for a player who will start seeing 30+ minutes. For reference, his per-36 numbers from last season extrapolate out to 19.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.1 steals, 2.0 blocks and a 65% FG percentage. He's criminally underrated and is one of my top sleepers this season.

Tier 4: Mid-round guys

8. Draymond Green

9. Julius Randle

10. Kyle Kuzma

11. Paolo Banchero

12. Jalen Smith

-Playmaking and shot creation aside, Draymond Green is declining offensively — last season, he attempted the fewest amount of shots per game since 2013-2014 and had the lowest free-throw percentage of his career. Despite his shooting woes, his unique ability to generate rebounds, assists, steals and blocks remains an asset for fantasy basketball. Per Stathead, Green is the only active player besides LeBron James to average at least seven rebounds and seven assists with one block and one steal in a season. Draymond has done it four times in his career (including last season) and LeBron has done it three times. With an ADP at 76.4, he's worth a look in the eighth round.

-Julius Randle, on the other hand, is being over-drafted. He belongs in this tier because he's come very close to averaging at least 20.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in his past two seasons. However, with Jalen Brunson in town, I think we'll see a decline in Randle's assist numbers — which previously boosted his value. His ADP is 61.8, and I'm fading that as much as possible.

-Jalen Smith re-signed with the Pacers on a two-year extension in July and he'll be the starting power forward this season. In 22 games for Indiana last season, he averaged 13.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.4 threes and a block on 54% shooting from the field in only 24.7 minutes per contest. His per-36 numbers project double-double upside and I think he can be considered a value pick at his current 113 ADP.

Tier 5: Starters worth rostering

13. Lauri Markkanen

14. Cameron Johnson

15. P.J. Washington

16. Keegan Murray

17. Bobby Portis Jr.

18. Grant Williams

19. Dorian Finney-Smith

20. Jabari Smith Jr.

21. Patrick Williams

22. Bojan Bogdanovic

-Cameron Johnson is arguably the best value within this tier as Suns head coach Monty Williams announced that Cameron Johnson would be the starting power forward this season. When seeing 30+ minutes last season, Johnson's numbers rose to 16.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists, with 3.3 threes made per game. Well worth the investment at his current ADP, which stands at 133.5.

-I'm keeping my eye out for a couple of rookies during training camp and the preseason: Keegan Murray and Jabari Smith Jr. Both players were top-five picks in the 2022 NBA Draft and project to start for their respective teams (Kings and Rockets). Murray carries a higher ADP at 97.9 compared to 115 for Smith. They both passed the eye test at Summer League and looked like they'll contribute immediately.

-Grant Williams should benefit from the absence of Robert Williams, but he's being placed in this tier as if he's a starter. If that changes closer to the season, he's someone that could move down to Tier 6.

Tier 6: Veterans who'll get minutes

23. Darius Bazley

24. Doug McDermott

25. Marcus Morris Sr.

26. Aaron Gordon

27. Kyle Anderson

28. Kevin Love

29. Royce O'Neale

30. Caleb Martin

31. P.J. Tucker

-Marcus Morris Sr. had his second-highest scoring output in 2021-22, dropping 15.4 points with an impressive 87% free throw percentage and 1.3 threes made per game. He will not be much help for FG% and rebounding, but in this tier, you're just looking for frontcourt depth. Just temper expectations, as the Clippers have one of the deepest teams in the NBA.

-The rest of this tier will likely need an injury to see an uptick in usage or opportunity, so even though they're starters, I don't see much fantasy appeal in drafting them as late-round options.

Tier 7: Bench players who are worth late-round fliers

32. Obi Toppin

33. Marvin Bagley III

34. Jalen McDaniels

35. Isaiah Jackson

36. Trendon Watford

37. Chuma Okeke

38. Trey Lyles

39. Jaden McDaniels

40. Aleksej Pokusevski

-Isaiah Jackson is appealing as a late-round flier because he will benefit the most from Myles Turner getting traded. It's not imminent, but there's still a chance he's moved, which would give Jackson an opportunity for more minutes alongside Jalen Smith.

-Aleksej Pokusevski is a guy who will likely earn a ton of minutes since Chet Holmgren is out for the season. He can outperform his ADP of 133.8, so keep him in mind as a late-round selection.

Tier 8: Post-draft streaming options

41. Larry Nance Jr.

42. Xavier Tillman

43. Otto Porter Jr.

44. JaMychal Green

45. Oshae Brissett

46. Dario Saric

47.Jae Crowder

48. Rudy Gay

49. Maxi Kleber

50. Jeremy Sochan

51. Thaddeus Young

52. Zeke Nnaji

53. Serge Ibaka

54. Davis Bertans

55. Kenrich Williams

56. Jeff Green

57. Juan Toscano-Anderson

58. Day’Ron Sharpe