"Shooting" guard, or "off" guard as they're often called, is something of a misnomer in today's NBA. Lots of so-called "off" guards spend as much time running the offense as the nominal point guards. The real superstars at this position -- the Dwyane Wade/Kobe Bryant/Tyreke Evans types -- spend a lot of time handling the ball.
Shooting guard is also the thinnest position in terms of real fantasy value. The top three players on this list are legit first-round picks. The next three are major question marks due to potential trades, age and injury. And after that, there's am even more significant drop-off in terms of overall value.
Players are ranked in terms of overall value in an eight-category (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, FT%, FG% and three pointers made) rotisserie-style league. Allowances have been made for positional scarcity -- players who qualify at center are worth a bit more. Injuries and concerns over playing time are also considered.
The number in parentheses is each player's rank on our Top 100 Fantasy NBA Players for 2011-12.
The Top 25
1. (6) Dwyane Wade: SG/Heat - Continues to be one of the top all-around performers in fantasy basketball; Wade is a surprisingly good shot-blocker for a guard (1.1 bpg in 2010-11).2. (9) Tyreke Evans: SG/Kings - Glad the Kings seem to be ending the "Evans at the point" experiment; I think he has a chance to become a truly elite "shooting guard that initiates the offense sometimes" a la Dwyane Wade or Kobe Bryant.
3. (10) Kobe Bryant: SG/Lakers - He's clearly on the down side of his career - but Kobe's down side is a lot better than most players' prime. How will the switch to Mike Brown affect his play?
4. (13) Monta Ellis: SG/Warriors - Lots of questions about Ellis' short-term future. Will he be traded? Will Mark Jackson look to change his role?
5. (19) Manu Ginobili: SG/Spurs - Be wary of Ginobili and other veterans if the lockout compresses the 2011-12 schedule; more back-to-backs could mean more time off.
6. (21) Kevin Martin: SG/Rockets - Martin's reputation as an injury risk is well-earned, but he did play in 80 games last season (after averaging 53 per season in the previous three).
7. (37) James Harden: SG/Thunder - Such a good passer, he basically gives the Thunder a second point guard on the floor and enables Russell Westbrook to look for his shot.
8. (44) Eric Gordon: SG/Clippers - Developing into an ideal complement to Blake Griffin; should be the Clippers' second option.
9. (46) Ray Allen: SG/Celtics - Clearly on the down side of his career, but Allen still has one of the prettiest jumpers in the league, and no one is better at running off screens.
10. (49) Wesley Matthews: SG/Trail Blazers - Has the potential to put up big numbers, but how much time will he give up to Brandon Roy?
11. (55) Stephen Jackson: SG/Bucks - On paper, he'll be the Bucks' primary scoring threat on the wing… but does anyone really think he'll get along with Milwaukee coach Scott Skiles?
12. (57) Jason Terry: SG/Mavericks - Don't be fooled by Jet's sixth-man status, he consistently logs over 30 minutes per night.
13. (67) DeMar DeRozan: SG/Raptors - Outstanding slasher, but needs to develop an outside shot if he's ever going to be a star.
14. (77) Jason Richardson: SG/free agent - Another free agent; value very hard to project until he signs somewhere.
15. (83) Joe Johnson: SG/Hawks - Still a top scoring threat, but has become a bit one-dimensional.
16. (88) Tony Allen: SG/Grizzlies - More valuable in reality than fantasy hoops; could take a big playing time hit with Rudy Gay healthy.
17. (92) Arron Afflalo: SG/Nuggets - With JR Smith and Wilson Chandler in China, Afflalo will have to step up.
18. (104) Wesley Johnson: SG/Timberwolves - Was actually a fairly effective player last season, though his contributions were lost among the mess that was Kurt Rambis' offense.
19. (106) Rudy Fernandez: SG/Mavericks - Could be a very nice fit in Dallas in a role similar to Caron Butler's before last season's injury.
20. (107) Landry Fields: SG/Knicks - Very productive first half, awful second. Did he hit the rookie wall, or did he have trouble finding a role after Carmelo Anthony's arrival?
21. (108) Vince Carter: SG/free agent - Could Carter catch on with a contender as a bench scorer? And would he be happy in that role?
22. (111) C.J. Miles: SG/Jazz - Posted nice numbers last season, especially when given the chance to start. But he'll need to hold off Gordon Heyward and rookie Alec Burks to keep the job.
23. (117) Nick Young: SG/Wizards - Might as well put "Wizards starting SG" in this spot - the job could easily go to Jordan Crawford.
24. (120) O.J. Mayo: SG/Grizzlies - Could be the odd man out. Could also be a really nice fit on another team. (Chicago?)
25. (121) Paul George: SG/Pacers - Showed flashes of brilliance - or at least "high effectiveness" - as a rookie.
