The small forward position is one of the more interesting ones in fantasy basketball. It’s not a position that is overloaded with fantasy talent, but it does feature some of the best players in basketball. Guys like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Kawhi Leonard have been staples at the position in the past, and a new crop of players has emerged to join them.

While there are certainly some heavy hitters to choose from—four of Adam Ronis’ Top 150 are eligible at the position—it’s also a spot where you can find some value late. You’re not going to find the same well-balanced production, but there are a host of specialists who can fill certain categories for you.

Let’s dive into everything you need to know about the small forward position for fantasy leagues.

Top Fantasy Basketball Small Forwards for 2024

Jayson Tatum | SF/PF | BOS

  • ESPN ADP: 10
  • Yahoo ADP: 9

While most of the top small forwards from years past are getting long in the tooth, Tatum is just starting to enter his prime. He’s still just 26 years old despite it feeling like he entered the league a decade ago. He won his first championship with the Celtics last season, and the team looks poised for another deep run in 2024-25.

Statistically, Tatum is coming off another fantastic season. He averaged 26.9 points per game, and while that was down from his 30.1 in 2022-23, he made up for it with career-bests in assists per game (4.9) and field goal percentage (47.1%). He’s also a solid source of production on the glass (8.1 rebounds per game) and has averaged at least 2.9 3-pointers per game in five straight seasons.

Ultimately, Tatum doesn’t stand out as a game-changer in any single area, but he’s the type of balanced asset that you can build any type of team around. He’s also proven to be extremely durable throughout his career, playing at least 64 games in each season and at least 74 in five of seven. Drafting Tatum might not win you your league, but he’s not going to lose it for you, either.

Scottie Barnes | SF/PF | TOR

  • ESPN ADP: 21
  • Yahoo ADP: 19

While Tatum is the safe option at the position, Barnes is the guy with sky-high potential. He’s going to have to do everything for the Raptors, especially with R.J. Barrett potentially missing the start of the year with a shoulder injury.

Barnes was limited to just 60 games last year, but he absolutely stuffed the stat sheet in the peripheral categories. He averaged 8.2 boards, 6.1 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game, making him one of the best SFs in fantasy in those areas. He’s also not going to kill your efficiency stats: He shot 47.5% from the field and 78.1% from the free throw line last season.

Barnes has yet to average 20 points per game as a professional, but he should be looking at the largest scoring workload of his career in his fourth season. If he can increase his scoring while maintaining his efficiency and contributions in the peripheral categories, he has the potential for a monster season.

Kawhi Leonard | SF/PF | LAC

  • ESPN ADP: 42
  • Yahoo ADP: 38

Leonard is a high-risk, high-reward type of option. There’s a lot of negativity surrounding Leonard’s workload, and that’s undoubtedly warranted. He’s been fragile for most of his career, and after being shut down in the playoffs last season with knee swelling, the team will be very cautious with him in the upcoming season. I wouldn’t expect him to play in many back-to-backs.

However, there is also serious upside with Leonard, who was the No. 1 SF in ESPN’s Player Rater last year. He’s a positive influence in every category across the board, providing elite defensive contributions with efficient scoring on offense.

Leonard managed to play 68 games last season—his most since 2016-17—and he responded with 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. He also just narrowly missed going 50/40/90 from an efficiency standpoint, falling just below the threshold at the FT line (88.5%).

I wouldn’t expect another 68 games from Leonard in 2024-25, but whenever he’s on the floor, expect him to be a game-changer.

Sleeper Small Forward for Fantasy Basketball 2024

Amen Thompson | SG/SF/PF | HOU

  • ESPN ADP: 85
  • Yahoo ADP: 122

Thompson has a very wide discrepancy between his ESPN and Yahoo ADP. He’s coming off the board 37 picks later on Yahoo, which feels like a massive mistake.

Thompson’s rookie season wasn’t stellar, averaging just 9.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. He’s also not going to help you at all from 3-point range, while he shot a well-below-average 68.4% from the free-throw line.

So why should you be excited about Thompson? It’s all about the upside, baby. In a league full of freak athletes, Thompson stands out as one of the freakiest. He’s capable of blowing by defenders or just jumping right over them. That’s part of the reason why he averaged 6.6 rebounds in just 22.4 minutes per game as a rookie.

Thompson should be looking at a much larger workload in his sophomore campaign. He drew the start at the team’s first preseason game, and he delivered 13 points on 6-8 shooting in his 22 minutes. Thompson is also a menace defensively, and he could flirt with 2+ steals and 1+ block per game with more minutes.

Ultimately, the positives far outweigh the negatives. He’s someone who should be able to contribute in most categories, and he’s not going to kill your percentages, either. As long as you can survive the minimal 3-pointers, Thompson looks like an excellent value.

Honorable mentions: Bogdan Bogdanovic (ESPN: 87, Yahoo 93), Josh Hart (ESPN: 93, Yahoo: 116), Trey Murphy III (ESPN: 145, Yahoo: 91)

Breakout Small Forward for Fantasy Basketball 2024

Lauri Markkanen | SF/PF | UTA

  • ESPN ADP: 38
  • Yahoo ADP: 30

Markkanen isn’t a “breakout” in the truest sense of the word. He basically broke out two years ago in his first season with the Jazz. He averaged 25.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 3.0 3-pointers per game with outstanding efficiency numbers. Markkanen was rewarded with the Most Improved Player award and had established himself as one of the best stretch bigs in the league.

Markkanen had a solid campaign last year … it just didn’t live up to the one prior. The biggest difference was that he was limited to just 55 games. Such is the life of being the best player on a bad team. But that wasn’t the only difference. He was also slightly less efficient and scored a bit less, and he provided very little in assists (2.0), steals (0.9), and blocks (0.5) per game. Markkanen is never going to be a stud in those categories, so he really needs to be a weapon as a scorer, rebounder, and 3-point shooter to hit his ceiling.

If Markkanen can return to his 2022-23 scoring form, he has a chance to provide solid value at his current ADP. Ronis has him as his 28th-ranked player, which is 10 spots earlier than he’s coming off the board on ESPN. That said, Markkanen is someone I’d much rather have on my team early in the year than late. There’s a very real chance that he gets shut down again for a bad Jazz team, so he’s a prime trade candidate in leagues where that’s an option.

Honorable mentions: Desmond Bane (ESPN: 43, Yahoo: 43), Jimmy Butler (ESPN: 48, Yahoo: 48)

Small Forward Bust for Fantasy Basketball 2024

Paul George | SG/SF/PF | PHI

  • ESPN ADP: 41
  • Yahoo ADP: 27

George is basically diet Kawhi. He has the same injury concerns, and at his best, he’s still not the same positive asset across the board that Leonard is.

George was the biggest anchor at the position in terms of 3-pointers and FT% last year, and he should still be a positive source in those departments with the 76ers. However, there’s a chance he’s not going to be nearly as productive in most of the counting stats. He now has to share the court with Joel Embiid—one of the biggest usage hogs in all of basketball—and an emerging young star in Tyrese Maxey.

George also feels priced at his ceiling coming off a year with 74 games played. That stands out as a clear outlier. He played 56 games or fewer in each of the four previous seasons, so I’m not expecting a repeat.

Honorable mentions: Paulo Banchero (ESPN: 25, Yahoo: 35), DeMar DeRozan (ESPN: 34, Yahoo: 54)

Additional Notes

  • Paolo Banchero | SF/PF | GSW (ESPN: 25, Yahoo: 35) – Banchero is coming off the board way too early. Despite playing 80 games last season, he was still just No. 20 among SFs in the ESPN Player Rater. He was a massive drain on your team's FG and FT percentages, and he’s not good enough in the other categories to overcome it. He might improve in his third season, but he’s too risky at his current price tags.
     
  • Mikal Bridges | SG/SF/PF | NYK (ESPN: 47, Yahoo: 53) – Bridges changed teams this offseason, but what he does should largely remain the same. He’s probably not going to be asked to score as much, but that should help his efficiency. He’s someone who’s not going to hurt you anywhere.
     
  • Brandon Miller | SG/SF | CHA (ESPN: 71, Yahoo: 65) – Miller has some serious scoring upside for a bad Hornets team, but that’s basically all he brings to the table at this point. He’s also probably not going to be very efficient, so I’m letting someone else take the risk in his sophomore year.
     
  • Tobias Harris | SF/PF | DET (ESPN: 84, Yahoo: 66) – Harris is interesting for the Pistons. On paper, he should be poised for a solid bounce back after a disappointing end to his 76ers tenure. However, the Pistons are a young team that will probably funnel playing time to those players. He’s a low-risk, low-reward option.
     
  • Austin Reaves | PG/SG/SF | LAL (ESPN: 68, Yahoo: 84) – Reaves feels pretty undervalued with an ADP of 84 on Yahoo. He was the No. 7 SF last year in the Player Rater and provided positive value in all eight categories. His positional flexibility is another big plus.
     
  • Keegan Murray | SF/PF | SAC (ESPN: 89, Yahoo: 77) – Murray took some steps forward in his second season, but he’s basically a scorer only at this point. With DeMar DeRozan now in town to steal touches and minutes, that makes him a pretty unappealing flyer.
     
  • Klay Thompson | SG/SF | DAL (ESPN: 74, Yahoo: 108) – It’s going to be weird seeing Thompson in a new uniform. He was brutal from a FG% standpoint last year, but he’s an absolutely elite 3-point asset. He was also a positive asset in the other six categories, so he’s a useful player in builds where you’re punting FG%.
     
  • Josh Hart | SF/PF | NYK (ESPN: 93, Yahoo: 116) – Hart might lose some minutes to Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns this season, but he remains one of the best rebounding wings in the business. No one provided more value in that category at SF last season, making him a solid specialist if you need rebounds late.

More 2024 Fantasy Basketball Analysis