Consistency in 'ballers... A Look Back at the Last 3 Years in the NBA

So you have a top 5 draft pick and you want to make the most of it? Or maybe you're worried about who to take in the all-important 3rd Round of your fantasy draft. Well, it's always nice to take a shot at those sleeper picks, but if you're looking for insurance, or safe picks, it's best to look for consistency.

Let's start at the most important, and difficult position to fill on a fantasy roster: the 5-spot, the man down low, the center.

(I'm going to use Sports.ws hoops positions for this ranking system, positions may vary in individual leagues).

Player FP:	2003-04	2002-03	2001-02	3-yr avg
Tim Duncan	38.7 (1.06)	40.6 (1.03)	41.9 (1.03)	40.4 (1.04)
Shaquille O'Neal	36.0 (0.98)	41.8 (1.11)	40.9 (1.13)	39.6(1.07)
Dirk Nowitzki	34.0 (0.90)	38.5 (0.99)	36.0 (0.95)	36.2 (0.95)

Now after the big 3 at center (or forward-center) things drop off much more rapidly. This is largely why the 5-spot is the hardest to fill successfully unless you have a top 3 draft pick. Some of the other centers to consider are:

Player FP:	2003-04	2002-03	2001-02	3-yr avg
Zydrunas Ilgauskas	25.6 (0.82)	26.4 (0.88)	21.8 (0.83)	24.6 (0.84)
Brad Miller	28.9 (0.79)	23.8 (0.77)	24.5 (0.79)	25.7 (0.78)
Amare Stoudemire	30.7 (0.83)	22.8 (0.73)	-----	26.8 (0.78)

So the bottom-line is if you aren't lucky enough to land one of the big 3 to fill your 5-spot, shoot for guys like Stoudemire, Ilgauskas, or Miller. Other players to consider are Yao Ming, Erik Dampier (though he may get the curse of Dallas and not be nearly as productive this year), and Jermaine O'Neal.

Next time... Power Forwards... or who do I draft if I can't take Kevin Garnett?