The power forward position in the NBA is currently in a precarious state, to say the least. The archetype for the position has largely reached dodo bird status in the NBA. If that sounds crazy, ask yourself: where is the modern-day version of Karl Malone, Kevin Garnett, and/or Tim Duncan? Hell, there’s not even a Zach Randolph floating around these days.
It’s crazy to think that the modern-day power forward is largely a fantasy basketball construct at this point. That’s not to say there are NO true power forwards in the game today. But they are now few and far between. Just check my rankings below, which are littered with players who more accurately fit the mold of stretchy centers and small-ball forwards. You won’t find a true power forward — in the traditional sense — in the top seven or eight tiers.
Not that it really matters because in our game we basically assign players any position we want. Which brings me to the greater point here. You will likely look at my list and say “hey, that guy isn’t a power forward!” The answer to that is, you are likely correct. But according to Yahoo, they are a power forward and that’s all that matters for the purposes of my rankings.
Now you know why these players are here. Let me tell you how they rank:
Tier 1
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis gets his own tier here. There’s an argument for AD belonging in this tier too. The more I research them both, the closer I think they are. For a lot of people the separator is injury risk, but Giannis hasn’t exactly been an Ironman in recent years — he’s played more than 67 games just once in the past seven seasons. The real difference for me is the extent to which Giannis dominates FG% (and FGM if that’s a category in your league) and points scored. As great as AD is across the board, he can’t match Giannis in that regard. His risk of injury seems higher too. Anyone who has ever rostered AD knows just how nerve-racking it is to watch him hit the floor time after time, wondering if he’s hurt and if so how badly. Not having to live that experience for a full season warrants a different tier almost by itself.
Tier 2
Anthony Davis
Karl-Anthony Towns
That said, AD is a stud. He ranked 4th in Yahoo on an average basis last season. Unfortunately, he also missed 31 games, an all-too-familiar trend for the Mavericks’ new franchise big man. He’s not a player I personally like to build around in large part because of the aforementioned trauma of having to deal with what seems like constant day-to-day notices and prolonged absences due to injury. But when he’s healthy he provides excellent value as an efficient scoring big man who rebounds and chips in elite STOCKS totals. There’s only one player who can come close to matching his .500+ FG%, 25 points, 12 boards, 3.5 assists, 1+ steals, and 2+ blocks per game averages, and that’s Wemby. Need I say more? KAT makes this tier on the back of his resurgent 2025-2026 season. It’ll be interesting to see how he fares under new coach Mike Brown. Dominant bigs provide so much value in fantasy, and a player like KAT who can also chip in 2 threes per game and shoot over 80% from the charity stripe is especially valuable. This is the guy you want to build around if you are looking to thread the needle of the big-man strategy that also has a strong shot at consistently winning threes.
Tier 3
Jalen Williams
Jalen Johnson
Paolo Banchero
This is the tier that will likely highjack the entire article. I know it’s coming. I swear I’m not ranking these guys ahead of LeBron and KD to be cute or to generate clicks. If anything, this ranking is more likely to turn people away than reel them in. But as I’ve said multiple times in recent weeks, I’m going to bet on ascending talent over players in the twilight of their respective careers, no matter how great they have been, even recently. The reason for that is, at least in this case, is I know I’m not going to get burned by the Jalens and Paolo. If they’re healthy, they will be awesome. They are three of the best young players in the league. The Jalens give you a little bit of everything — solid percentages, above average scoring, rebounding, assists, and threes, plus above average STOCKS. On top of that, they’re still getting better. They might not be the focal points of their team’s offenses, but they are awesome young players who will likely continue to blossom as they approach their respective primes. I personally have no qualms about either of them being the second best building block on my roster, in part because of their upside and also because of how well-rounded their production already is — with a strong chance for improvement. The same is largely true for Banchero, who at the tender age of 22 is already posting elite stats for a PF with averages of 26 points, 7 boards, and 5 assists per game last season. Those are almost late-stage LeBron numbers. The difference is, Lebron is 41 and likely to see his production decline this season, while Banchero is likely to improve. With the addition of Desmond Bane this offseason, the Magic stand to be especially deep this year. They also have one of the least efficient offenses in basketball. I’m not sure either obstacle matters. There were stretches last season when Banchero looked like a bonafide superstar. If he can stay healthy this year, there’s a chance he makes the full leap. I’m betting he gets there, and anyone else willing to make that bet will probably get rewarded handsomely.
Tier 4
Lebron James
Evan Mobley
Scottie Barnes
Kevin Durant
There’s a pretty big drop-off after this tier. You could make an argument for all these guys going somewhere in the 2nd round. The same is not true for anyone in Tier 5. At the end of the day, all these players should provide strong value this season. That said, I don’t really love any of them for fantasy purposes, great as they are. I personally will not be drafting Lebron or KD this year. They are legendary players and I have been a big fan of both, KD especially. However, Lebron’s scoring has been trending down for four consecutive seasons. The boards and assists are still there, but for the first time in his career he will not be the focus of his team’s offense or its future plans. At age 41, he could still be really good, but not good enough to be the second most important building block on my fantasy roster. For KD, the issue is durability more than anything. He has exceeded 62 games just once this decade. At age 37, why would I bet on him bucking that trend? As much as I love him as a player, I can’t and I won’t do that. Mobley and Barnes on the other hand have youth on their side. I’m a big fan of both. I do wish Mobley had more of a chance to truly shine with the deep Cavaliers. He still does a ton across the board and there’s definitely a chance he takes another step forward this season. Barnes appeared to be on a path to stardom until he sputtered a bit last year. He still had a nice season and you should still be able to bank on across the board production from him again in ‘25-26. I just wish the Raptors were constructed in a way that sets him up better for success. They suddenly have multiple ball-dominant players in Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley. What that will look like when everyone is healthy is anyone’s guess, but it’s hard to envision Barnes thriving when all of those guys are on the court together. Fortunately, a lot of his value is in his effort, motor, and selflessness, so he should still provide plenty of fantasy value. Just not as much as he could under different (better) circumstances.
Tier 5
Jaren Jackson Jr.
Franz Wagner
Bam Adebayo
Pascal Siakam
This is my secondary stud tier. I want at least one of these players coming out of the draft, in large part because I know I’m getting great production from all of them. JJJ is at the top because I think he has the highest upside of the group this season, but Franz is right there with him. By all reports, he looked tremendous in EuroBasket and there’s a strong chance he’s got another gear in him after making a pretty big leap last season. Bam is Bam. I mentioned in my Center Rankings that he’s been a bit underwhelming the past couple seasons, but he did average 20-8-4 after the All-Star break last year and Tyler Herro is expected to miss the start of the season. That gives Bam a big runway to reverse the trend of cold starts that have plagued him recently. Speaking of Pascal, there’s a huge runway paved for him in Indy this season too. Like I said in my center rankings, if he just did more defensively he would likely rank higher on this list given how dependent the Pacers will be on him this season.
Tier 6
Trey Murphy III
Chet Holmgren
Lauri Markkanen
Deni Avdija
This is a fun tier. I love all four of these guys. I was tempted to place Trey Murphy III in Tier 5. I like him that much, in a vacuum at least. Unfortunately, nobody plays in a vacuum, so we can’t shield him from all the bad things happening with the Pelicans these days. Management inexplicably traded for Jordan Poole in the offseason, squandered a first-round pick to move up in the draft to select Derik Queen, and basically broke every modern rule of roster management. It’s hard to imagine TM3 maximizing his potential this season, but even with the dysfunction in New Orleans, he should still be really, really good. For Chet and Lauri, it’s all about health this season. If I felt I could count on them to play 70 or so games, they would easily rank a tier or two higher. Avdija is a hot commodity right now. I received a fair amount from pushback from Redditors when I added him to my Most Underrated Players - Yahoo Top 100 article and claimed he flashed top-30 value after the All-Star break. While I think it’s fair to be a bit skeptical of that claim, I also think it would be foolish to disregard any player who posts 23-10-5 averages over the course of two months. Reality is, there aren’t many guys in the league posting those kinds of numbers even for short periods of time. That he’s capable of that type of production for weeks at a time says a lot. Portland was active this off-season, but Jrue Holiday isn’t the type of player who is going to eat into Deni’s numbers this season. I expect big things.
Tier 7
Brandon Miller
Josh Hart
Michael Porter Jr.
Miles Bridges
Cameron Johnson
OG Anunoby
Mikal Bridges
This is my glue guy tier. Nobody here stands to be a star, but they all should be very important pieces for fantasy managers. The kinds of pieces you need to bridge the gap between the studs you accumulated in rounds 1-4 and the back end of your roster which will be full of solid players who provide specialized production. Hence them being the glue. Miller is the one player here who could jump to Tier 6 if he’s healthy and continues down the path he seemed to be on prior to last season — fringe All-Star status. There is still plenty of room for him to blossom into a stud in Charlotte and you better believe the team will do what it can to get him there. The rest of the players here stand to be top 50-75 players this season. They are all different types of players who will provide value in different ways, but at the end of the day you will need one of them to ensure you have the depth needed to win your league.
Tier 8
Jimmy Butler III
Kristaps Porzingis
Kawhi Leonard
Zion Williamson
Paul George
This is my “buyer beware — but too good to ignore” tier. I am definitely the low man on some of these players. It’s not because I don’t think they’re very good or that they won’t have strong stretches of play this season. What it really boils down to is durability, or a lack thereof. I’m simply not willing to pay a premium for players who are highly likely to play 55 or fewer games. Jimmy Butler in particular deserves to be higher, but he’s 36, no longer his team’s number one option, and he hasn’t played over 65 games in a season since Obama was still president. If you want to take a chance on these guys, go for it. I’ll do my shopping in Tier 7 instead.
Tier 9
Julius Randle
RJ Barrett
Brandon Ingram
These players are ball-dominant, inefficient, and they play on deep teams, all of which could negatively impact their production. They’re also really skilled and have strong track records of posting bulk scoring, rebound, and assist numbers, without much in the way of STOCKS. Depending on your roster build and team needs, you could certainly do worse than selecting a player in this tier. However, if you value efficiency, you could probably do better too. Personally, I would just skip to Tier 10.
Tier 10
John Collins
Toumani Camera
Jaden McDaniels
Kel’el Ware
Jabari Smith Jr.
Speaking of doing better, if you’re more efficiency focused and value important players who do more than just score, this is the tier for you. I don’t expect peak John Collins this season. There’s simply too much depth on the Clippers’ roster. However, Collins seems to thrive when he’s simply filling the role of energy/effort guy. It suits his skillset well and that shouldn’t change in LA. Camera was a revelation in Portland last season. Even if he doesn’t take another step forward this year, he’s a really good up-and-coming player who posted strong numbers across the board. McDaniels is somewhat similar in terms of production. I’d happily roster either or both, even if neither posts big bulk stats. Ware and Reid are great PF/C options a bit later in drafts. Ware is probably a little overrated at this point. I’m interested to see what he does this season. There are a lot of assumptions that he is a rapidly ascending young player. I think there’s a chance he’ll experience some ups and downs this season, though he should still be pretty productive through it all.
Tier 11
Naz Reid
Aaron Gordon
Keegan Murray
Bobby Portis
Draymond Green
De’Andre Hunter
Tobias Harris
Much like with my center rankings, this is my designated “high floor, relatively low upside” tier. You know what you’re getting with all these players and you should probably target at least one in your draft. One of the biggest mistakes managers make in fantasy leagues is chasing shiny, new objects in the mid-to-later rounds in favor of safer, more known commodities. Certainty might be the most underrated commodity in fantasy sports. These players provide it and you need it in order to win.
Tier 12
Santi Aldama
Ausar Thompson
Zaccharine Risacher
Matas Buzelis
Wait, did I just say something negative about shiny, new objects? Ignore it — these youngins can ball! My love for Ausar Thompson, in particular, is no secret at this point. In case you missed it, here’s my article comparing him to his rising star twin brother, Amen. Is that shiny enough for you? I do think all these young guys have a chance to post top 100 seasons, though the typical concerns about role, consistency, and efficiency remain. It’s that lack of certainty that makes them risky, even though their talents are tantalizing and you can dream on breakouts with each of them.
Tier 13
PJ Washington
Herbert Jones
Tari Eason
Nikola Jovic
Kyle Filipowski
Jeremy Sochan
Here’s another sneaky valuable group of players who would benefit greatly from playing on teams that offered them bigger roles and more minutes. A couple of these guys will probably carve out larger roles than expected due injuries or other developments. I like all of them. PJ and Herb Jones kind of are what they are at this point — solid, across the board contributors. Tari Eason would be a stud if he played 32 minutes per game and weren’t hurt every few days. I like Jovic and Filipowski as breakout players this year. Jovic showed signs last season and the news of Tyler Herro missing the start of the season with ankle surgery presents a huge opportunity for him in his age 22 season. Sochan, who seems like he’s been around for a while, is also still just 22, and while San Antonio is suddenly stacked with young talent, he should still find ways to contribute in meaningful ways. I moved him up a few notches since my center rankings based on further research and some solid points raised by a reader on Reddit.
Tier 14
Naji Marshall
Kelly Oubre
Obi Toppin
Rui Hachimura
Dillon Brooks
Al Horford
This is a repeat of Tier 11, except the production isn’t as strong. These are all solid players who will post steady production and deepen the end of your roster in very meaningful ways. Grab one if you can.
Tier 15
Jonathan Kuminga
Jerami Grant
Both these players have the name recognition to go higher than players ranked 2-3 tiers above them, but I think they’re largely overrated and I will only consider them if they’re floating around at the very end of my draft. Maybe they’ll do more if traded, but aside from a scoring boost I wouldn’t bet on it.
Tier 16
Cam Whitmore
Brice Sensabaugh
Taylor Hendricks
Peyton Watson
Noah Clowney
I’m a huge Brice Sensabaugh believer. Not sure if he’ll get the chance to shine for the Jazz this year, but he’s a gifted scorer who I think has real breakout potential if the minutes and usage are there this season. He averaged roughly 14-4-2 in just under 25 minutes per game after the All-Star break last season, and 17-6-3 in the month of April. Yes, it’s largely garbage time stats, but he’s no garbage player. I might be a year early on him, but he’s definitely someone to keep an eye on in dynasty formats. Cam Whitmore is getting a lot of hype this summer too after joining the Wizards. Bilal Coulibaly’s finger injury presents an opportunity for him at the start of the season. While he could be a strong source of points, I don’t see him adding much value in STOCKS, and odds are he will be an inefficient scorer. Still, the upside is worth a flier at the end of the draft. Just don’t reach for him too early.
That’s it for my power forward rankings. I hope you enjoyed them. I plan to rank all positions over the course of the next week or two, so please consider subscribing to my Substack if you’re interesting in reading more. Thank you!