Positions have never been less important in the NBA. In a league where Kevin Durant and Draymond Green are the odds-on-favorite's best rim protectors and a 6'10" point guard with no jumper was the No. 1 overall pick a year after a seven-footer with range out to the 3-point line was the top pick , what do positions even mean?
For Fantasy, they mean a heck of a lot, at least. And players who are able to be deployed at more than one position are hugely valuable, obviously. In CBSSports.com leagues, a player is only eligible at multiple positions if they started at least 10 games there in the previous season, which isn't a filter that allows many to slip through.
To open the 2016-17 season, just 34 players qualify, which gives each of them a little boost in leagues where you can start them at either.
Of course, more players will gain eligibility as the season goes on, with five games started at a position the standard for new eligibility in-season. Still, you never want to depend on a player to stay at a position long enough to eventually get you that flexibility, because things change.
The Pacers last season expected to start Paul George all season long as their power forward, but eventually pulled the plug on that experiment; George was there long enough to gain PF eligibility, but it was no sure thing.
So, those players who enter the season with extra eligibility should get a little bump on your draft board for the flexibility they provide.
Here's who is eligible at multiple positions in CBSSports.com leagues to open the season:
| | ||
| Name | Primary Position | Secondary |
| Aaron Gordon | PF | SF |
| Alex Len | C | PF |
| Al-Farouq Aminu | SF | PF |
| Andrew Wiggins | SF | SG |
| Bojan Bogdanovic | SF | SG |
| Brandon Knight | SG | PG |
| C.J. Miles | PF | SF |
| Clint Capela | C | PF |
| Dante Cunningham | PF | SF |
| Darrell Arthur | SF | PF |
| DeMarcus Cousins | C | PF |
| Derrick Favors | PF | C |
| Evan Fournier | SF | SG |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | SF | PG |
| James Johnson | SF | PF |
| Jared Dudley | SF | PF |
| Jeff Green | SF | PF |
| Jerryd Bayless | PG | SG |
| Jordan Clarkson | PG | SG |
| Luol Deng | SF | PF |
| Marcus Morris | PF | SF |
| Maurice Harkless | SF | PF |
| Nerlens Noel | PF | C |
| Nicolas Batum | SG | SF |
| Omri Casspi | SF | PF |
| Otto Porter | SF | PF |
| P.J. Hairston | SG | SF |
| Paul George | SF | PF |
| Quincy Acy | PF | SF |
| Rudy Gay | SF | PF |
| Tobias Harris | SF | PF |
| Tony Allen | SG | SF |
| Trevor Ariza | SF | PF |
| Wesley Matthews | SG | SF |
