Top 5 guards based on 2023 NBA fantasy basketball projections

Drafting in the first round of your NBA fantasy basketball draft means you are choosing someone who you expect to carry your team to greater heights.

You have two options: choose the best player available and just revolve your lineup around him like the real NBA draft or strategize and choose the best fit based on the stats you want to focus a lot on.

Let's say you go for the second option and you want to focus on assists, 3-pointers and steals, then you might consider drafting a guard in the first round.

Here are the five top options you should prioritize in drafting a guard early into your fantasy draft.

Top 5 NBA fantasy basketball guards this season

5) Trae Young

Based on CBS Sports' NBA fantasy basketball projections, Trae Young is up for a banner season for the Atlanta Hawks.

He is projected to average 24.1 points on 88.7% free throws, 34.6% on 3s and 8.6 assists a game. He should be a good pick up in the early goings of the draft, especially if you are looking for a solid offense.

With Bogdan Bogdanovic, Bruno Fernando and Patty Mills NBA basketball mode after their stellar FIBA Basketball World Cup stints, Trae Young gets great scoring backups, which would favor you if you have a knack on dimes.

However, you might need to stack up on players who are less error-prone if you're going to draft Young, as he could be a turnover concern at a projected 3.6 turnovers per game.

4) Tyrese Haliburton

Speaking of the FIBA Basketball World Cup, Tyrese Haliburton was so stellar for Team USA during the World Cup and even the pre-tournament games that you should expect him to surpass his CBS Sports NBA fantasy basketball projections.

If your league has double-doubles as a stat to be tallied, Haliburton can be an "unconventional" option for that, as he is projected to tally a double-double in points (19.8 per game) and assists (10.2 per game).

He is also projected to average 48.3% from the field and 40.7% from long range along with 1.5 steals per game.

3) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continued his recent splendid performance in the FIBA Basketball World Cup, leading Canada to the bronze medal.

Credit that to his shot selection improvement, cutting down on 3s and focusing more on his mid-range and slashing game.

Gilgeous-Alexander is expected to duplicate his last season's stint that merited him All-NBA First-Team honors.

CBS Sports projected him to average 28.9 points on 52% from the field, 87.6% from the free-throw line, 5.9 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.8 blocks per game.

2) Damian Lillard

Can Damian Lillard thrive in Milwaukee now that he's Giannis Antetokounmpo's new partner? NBA fantasy basketball wise, CBS Sports believes so.

Even if Lillard is expected to be relegated to a second scoring option for the Bucks, he is still projected to put up huge numbers.

Lillard is projected to average 28.0 points on 47.9% shooting, including 37.9% from deep and 91.5% from the free throw line, and 7.6 assists per game. Looks too stellar for an Antetokounmpo "backup."

1) Luka Doncic

Luka Doncic has long been either the projected No. 1 or 2 overall pick in the NBA fantasy basketball draft, and this year is no exception.

Due to his tendency to put up a triple-double, Doncic is a sure-fire first-round pick in NBA fantasy basketball leagues where triple-doubles are being tallied.

Doncic is projected to average 28.9 points on 48.8% shooting, including 36.6% from the deep, 7.5 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game along with 1.1 steals.

However, he is projected to make only 73.6% of his free throws this season, kind of low for a guard, so you should immediately pick a free-throw specialist in the second round.

Also, like Young, Doncic could hurt you in the turnover category as he is projected to give up 3.9 turnovers per game.