As cliché as it sounds, every position matters in basketball. However, the shooting guard role is one of the most important on the offensive end of the court. Universally viewed as a player who should have a scoring-first mindset, shooting guards are synonyms for instant offense in The Association. That can apply to fantasy as well.
Even though the NBA isn't as loaded as it was in the past when it comes to star depth at the shooting guard position, there are still elite players at the position. There are some above-average alternatives, some solid – yet unspectacular – starters, and players better suited in other roles. If we project this onto fantasy, then we'd be wise to divide the shooting guards in The Association into "tiers". There are players to build your team around, there are complementary pieces, and there are players who, despite being starters, do not bring much to the table, regardless of the league format.
Without further ado, let's look at the shooting guard tiers in the NBA ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
Elite options
The NBA has been blessed with elite shooting guards throughout its history, but unfortunately, that hasn't been the case in recent years. There aren't as many "elite" options for the shooting guard role as for other positions. Therefore, our two top-tier shooting guard options are limited to Anthony Edwards and Donovan Mitchell.
Edwards has improved his numbers with each passing season in the NBA, and he went from being a promising rookie to a competent player to a mega superstar in just four years. Edwards averaged career-high marks in points (25.9), field goal percentage (46.1), and free-throw percentage (83.6) while also adding 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.5 blocks per game. He played a prominent role for Team USA in the 2024 Paris Olympics as well. With him being one of the most exciting players in the NBA, it wouldn't be surprising if Edwards is one of the first shooting guards taken off the board in most leagues.
Mitchell is perhaps one of the most consistent shooting guards in the NBA, and he has performed at an elite level both in Utah and Cleveland. He's coming off an outstanding year with the Cavaliers, averaging 26.6 points, 6.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 3.3 3-pointers per game while starting in each of his 55 regular-season appearances. Availability might be an issue, as he's failed to log 70 appearances in the regular season five years in a row, but even in that scenario, his numbers are strong enough to make him one of the best shooting guards in the league. Mitchell has a very high floor with strong upside as the star player on a contending team in the Eastern Conference.
Kyrie Irving is another example of an above-average player who can be considered a top-notch option for the shooting guard role. Irving has been a point guard for most of his career, but he's moved to the SG role while paired with Luka Doncic in the backcourt. Irving averaged 25.6 points, 5.2 assists, five rebounds, and 1.3 steals in 35 minutes across 58 regular-season appearances during his first full season with Dallas in 2023-24.
Above-average options
If you miss out on Mitchell, Edwards, or Irving, there are several other options for shooting guards who, even though they might not be good enough to build your team around, can definitively thrive as second- or third-best options. Among those, we can find names such as Mikal Bridges, Derrick White, Austin Reaves, Bradley Beal, and CJ McCollum, to name a few.
Beal and McCollum are two established veterans who might be a bit past their prime and who were All-Stars back in the day. Even though they're not among the best shooting guards in the league now, they're clearly very good options for fantasy managers who need reliable, consistent production from the two spot in the lineup. Beal's upside can flirt with being a first-tier guard, but that will depend on several factors, including both his health and his teammates' health. Beal averaged 18.2 points, five assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game in 2023-24. Meanwhile, McCollum averaged 20.0 points, 4.6 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 0.9 steals per game last season.
Bridges and Reaves are two guards who, in the right situation, could flirt with All-Star status. Bridges changed teams over the summer and joined the Knicks via trade. The Villanova product is coming off a strong season in 2023-24 with averages of 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. It's unclear if he'll have the same usage rate he had in Brooklyn, though, as he'll share the court with Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle.
Meanwhile, Reaves is expected to be the third-best option for the Lakers behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Reaves had the best season of his career in 2023-24, averaging 15.9 points, 5.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 0.8 steals per game. He's going to handle an even bigger responsibility in 2024-25, with James moving one year closer to retirement. Expect Reaves to take another leap forward as a steady contributor. The 26-year-old is already one of the most productive shooting guards in The Association.
White might not be a prolific scorer like some of the other names in this tier, but he's still a quality option for the position due to his ability to stuff the stat sheet. Plus, White is one of the best defensive guards in the NBA, and that delivers a lot of value in other categories that most shooting guards don't. White posted an impressive stat line in 2023-24, averaging 15.2 points, 5.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and one steal per game.
Young players with tremendous upside
More often than not, youth equals fantasy upside. That's particularly true when discussing keeper formats. But even in standard season-long leagues, having a young player who hasn't hit his prime can lead to a pleasant surprise – maybe a deep playoff run. The players in this tier fit the mold of being young with enough room to continue improving. In some cases, they're beginning to scratch the surface of their potential and making waves at the NBA level. Among the names that fit these criteria, we can find options such as Jalen Green, Cam Thomas, Brandon Miller, Brandin Podziemski, Coby White, and Devin Vassell.
Green, Miller, and Podziemski might not share the same numbers or the same traits, but all three are players who are starting their NBA journey and seem ready to take a leap. Green is the one with the most upside, as he averaged 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and one steal per game after the 2024 All-Star Break. Given he's the one with the keys to the Rockets offense, Green also has the potential to have an even higher usage rate than players such as Miller and Podziemski, who have to share the court with LaMelo Ball and Stephen Curry, respectively.
Miller is about to enter the second season of his NBA career. The Alabama one-and-done averaged 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game across 74 regular-season appearances as a rookie. Podziemski is also set to enter his sophomore year in the NBA, and while his role for 2024-25 is a bit uncertain given the Warriors' depth at shooting guard, he can make a strong case to open the year as Curry's teammate in the backcourt. Podziemski averaged 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game as a rookie.
Thomas, White, and Vassell are not as young as the other options in this particular tier. However, because they're more seasoned in The Association, they're already more "polished" players who can bring better numbers to the table but don't have as much upside as Miller and Green. Thomas is the most productive player of the three, and he's one of the best pure scorers in the league based on what he's done over the last 18 months. He averaged a career-best 22.5 points per game in 2023-24 while starting in 51 of his 66 appearances.
White showed glimpses of his talent in the 2023-24 season playing alongside Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan in Chicago. With DeRozan gone, White is expected to have an even bigger role for a rebuilding Bulls team. Last year, he averaged 19.1 points, 5.1 assists and 4.5 rebounds. Vassell is also a player known for his scoring ability, though he may touch the ball less now that he's playing alongside Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama. Vassell averaged 19.5 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game, representing career-best numbers in points and assists.
Clear-cut starters
While tagging the "clear-cut starters" as average players wouldn't do much justice to their numbers or careers, these players can fall into one (or more) categories. They're either not good enough to be star players, they're past their prime, or they have at least one big knock against them, maybe from a health perspective or related to efficiency issues. Some names that would fall into this list are Tyler Herro, Khris Middleton, and Jordan Poole.
Herro has had more than a fair share of problems regarding his availability. He's failed to reach the 70-game plateau in each of his five seasons in The Association, and he's played more than 60 games just twice in his career. The numbers are there for Herro, though. He averaged a career-high 20.8 points per game in 2023-24, marking the third consecutive campaign in which he averaged at least 20 points per game.
Middleton was one of the best shooting guards in the NBA when he was in his prime as part of the Bucks team that won the championship in 2021, but injuries have plagued him since. During the 2023-24 regular season, Middleton was limited to 55 games and produced averages of 15.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.7 3-pointers. Being relegated to being the third-best offensive option on a Milwaukee roster behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard also limits his fantasy potential.
Poole broke out when playing for the Warriors in 2021-22, when he came out of nowhere to average 18.5 points per game while shooting 44.8 percent from the field. Poole bolstered his numbers even more in 2022-23, averaging a career-high 20.4 points per game but shooting a mere 33.6 percent from 3-point range. Poole left Golden State and joined Washington last offseason, but he failed to step up to his new role. He averaged 17.4 points per game in 2023-24 while shooting 41.3 percent from the field and 32.6 percent from the field. Poole can put up points on a game-to-game basis, but his efficiency issues limit his upside.
Roster fillers
Last but not least, there are other options at shooting guard that, even though they can be serviceable alternatives while playing solid minutes, aren't nearly as good, nor are they potential long-term investments. These players will deliver fantasy value across all formats, but they're more specialists in a specific role instead of being complete players who can fill the stat sheet on any given day. Some players who fill this category are Malik Monk, Klay Thompson, Kevin Huerter, Trey Murphy, Marcus Smart, and Bogdan Bogdanovic.
And yes, you read that right, I listed Klay Thompson. He's just a shell of the former player he once was, mainly due to injuries. Plus, he's slated to play as a small forward for the Mavericks, meaning it wouldn't be shocking if he loses his eligibility at shooting guard as the season progresses.
Monk, Bogdanovic, Thompson, and Huerter are excellent 3-point shooters. Even though Thompson used to be an elite scorer, his new role and injury history suggests that he will have a limited role for fantasy purposes. Murphy and Smart are also capable performers, but outside of what they can do scoring the rock, they can also provide value in peripheral categories and defensive numbers. All these players are worthy of mid-to-late picks in most drafts, but none will be a game-changing pick.
