So you want to win your fantasy basketball league? Well, like in anything else, you can’t expect to do well unless you’ve done your homework. Luckily, I’ve started it for you. Drafting the right players is the first and foremost step to winning your fantasy league and this page will help you to do that. We’ve watched the games, read the news, and researched the stats to develop a comprehensive list of who we expect to be the top ten performers of 2009-2010 in each and every category that your league settings may include. But we've taken it a step further, because we think it's important for you to know not only the best players in each category, but the top-calibur players who can really hurt you in specific areas as well. So read on to find out which players are statistical Musts, and which are categorical Busts.

Some Advice Before We Begin:

Remember, sometimes you have to give up your prowess in one area in order to guarantee victory in others. For example, just because Dwight Howard will severely impede your ability to win the Free Throw percentage category doesn't mean you should avoid him. It may, however, demote him from the first overall pick. Get informed on which players to look out for right here and be prepared to decide what your team needs while you draft. These pages were designed to show you at a glance who your top (and bottom) picks are in each area. Therefore, it may be helpful to leave this page open to refer to during the draft, especially if you are new to the scene. Good luck and enjoy!

Note – All numbers are from the 2008-2009 season and the rankings are projections for the 2009-2010 season. In the ranking process, weight was given to season totals and games played because in the fantasy world, as well as in real life, it doesn’t matter how many points or rebounds a player averages; if he only plays ten games in the season he’s not doing you much good. Therefore, players who we’ve anticipated to receive less playing time or miss games due to injury may not rank as high on these lists even if their averages indicate that they would.

            Name                    Blocks Per Game                Total Blocks

1. Dwight Howard                    2.92                                    (231)
2. Tyrus Thomas                    1.91                                     (151)
3. Chris Andersen                   2.46                                    (175)
4. Brook Lopez                       1.84                                     (151)
5. Marcus Camby                    2.13                                     (132)
6. Brendan Haywood               2.5                                       (15)
7. Ronny Turiaf                       2.13                                     (168)
8. Elton Brand                         1.55                                      (45)
9. Jermaine O’Neal                  2.0                                       (136)
10. Josh Smith                           1.61                                     (111)

Explanation – Dwight Howard is far and away the prize of this category too.  Tyrus Thomas and Brook Lopez look to improve by leaps and bounds with more playing time and experience.  Camby and Haywood drop down due to injury concerns, and Ronny Turiaf due to playing time concerns.  Elton Brand and Josh Smith get bumped up with expectations of returning to their impressive career stats.  Samuel Dalembert (1.78), Al Jefferson (1.66), Kendrick Perkins (1.97), and Andrew Bynum (1.8) just miss the list.

           Name                    Steals Per Game                Total Steals

1. Chris Paul                          2.77                                    216
2. Dwayne Wade                    2.19                                   173
3. Mario Chalmers                  1.95                                   160
4. Trevor Ariza                       1.67                                    137
5. Gerald Wallace                  1.7                                      121
6. Rajon Rondo                      1.86                                    149
7. Jason Kidd                         1.98                                    160
8. LeBron James                    1.69                                     137
9. Andre Iguadola                   1.6                                      131
10. Ronnie Brewer                    1.7                                      138

Explanation – Baron Davis (1.66), Devin Harris (1.65) and Josh Smith (1.36) just miss the list. Trevor Ariza may challenge for second this year (after Chris Paul). And oh yeah, Chris Paul is ridiculously good. It’s actually fun to watch him play defense.

        Name                    Turnovers Per Game             Total Turnovers

1. Dwayne Wade                 3.4                                              272
2. Deron Williams                3.4                                              228
3. Steve Nash                      3.4)                                            248
4. Gilbert Arenas                 3.32 *career average                 1 last year!
5. Jonny Flynn                     (09-10 Estimate of 3.2)              N/A
6. Russell Westbrook           3.3                                             274
7. Devin Harris                     3.1                                             212
8. LeBron James                  3.0                                             241
9. Dwight Howard                 3.0                                             240
10. Chris Paul                        3.0                                             231

Explanation – Gilbert Arenas only had 1 turnover in 2 games last year so I am using his career number instead. I felt it was a bit more indicative of what you can expect from him. Stephen Jackson led the league last year with 3.9 turnovers per game, but that came out of the blue. The most he had ever averaged before last year was 2.79, and he has a career average of a much more reasonable 2.48. Dwayne Wade has been near the top of the list for years and will be again this year since the ball will be in his hands 90% of the time. Russell Westbrook should bring his turnover total down in his sophmore season.  Rookie point guards tend to have a high turnover rate as it is, but Jonny Flynn was turnover prone at Syracuse, and he’ll be seeing a lot of time playing point for the Timberwolves.

               Name                A-TO Ratio          Assists          Turnovers

1. Jose Calderon                4.24                 (607)                (143)
2. Chris Paul                       3.8                   (702)               (185)
3. Derek Fisher                   3.62                 (261)               (72)
4. Steve Blake                     3.22                 (348)               (108)
5. Deron Williams                3.18                 (725)               (228)
6. Mike Bibby                      3.06                  (392)               (128)
7. Rajon Rondo                   3.15                 (659)               (209)
8. DeShawn Stevenson       3.06                  (98)                 (32) *32 games
9. Rafer Alston                     2.9                   (406)               (140)
10. Steve Nash                      2.89                 (717)               (248)

Explanation – Jose Calderon should be tops in this category again. He takes very good care of the ball and will get you a lot of assists while he does it. Chris Paul is in the top 10 in turnovers but he gets so many assists that he more than makes up for it. Same story with Deron Williams and Steve Nash. The better Rondo gets and the older his teammates get, the more he will handle the ball. Among many other things, this will lead to more turnovers for him. Meanwhile, Bibby’s turnovers should go down as Jamal Crawford takes a lot of ball handling pressure off of him. Ramon Sessions (2.97) and Chauncey Billups (2.86) were near misses on this list.

Now that we’ve taken a look at the top (and bottom) performers in each statistical category, be sure to check back for the next article in which I have taken into account all of the above to develop a ranking of the top 6 players at each position. It is quite possibly the most important article you will ever read! Well, possibly the most important to drafting a good fantasy team anyway.

This is page 4 of 4. If you haven't already, please follow the links to read the rest of the article and better your chances of drafting a winning fantasy basketball team.

Also, if you missed it, check out my previous column on this year's Fantasy Basketball Draft where we highlight 25 players that will be factors in this year's fantasy draft boards.

Check out my final pre-draft article right here.  I highlight the top 6 players at every position and give you the list of the top 14 picks in this year's draft.