The fantasy hoops season won't start for four months, but for many fantasy owners, the preparations began with Thursday's NBA draft. Four months might seem like a lifetime away right now, but the fantasy season will creep up on us quickly.

For those unfamiliar with the format of this column, we rank the top 150 fantasy players for the upcoming 2012-13 season. We will continue to update the rankings periodically throughout the offseason once trades and free-agent signings start to fall into place. Of course, much will change between now and the start of the season, so think of this as a baseline to begin your 2012-13 fantasy campaign.

The Top 150 Note: Brian McKitish's top 150 players are ranked for their fantasy value from this point forward in the 2012-13 NBA season. Previous rank is indicated in parentheses. (Note: Previous rankings from April 30 was only a top 100). 1. Kevin Durant, SF, OKC (1)
2. LeBron James, SF, MIA (2)
3. Chris Paul, PG, LAC (3)
4. Kevin Love, PF, MIN (4)
5. Russell Westbrook, PG, OKC (6)
6. Dwyane Wade, SG, MIA (5)
7. Deron Williams, PG, UFA (7)
8. Andrew Bynum, C, LAL (8)
9. Josh Smith, PF/SF, ATL (9)
10. Dwight Howard, C, ORL (13)
11. Al Jefferson, C/PF, UTAH (10)
12. Kobe Bryant, SG, LAL (12)
13. Paul Millsap, PF, UTAH (14)
14. Dirk Nowitzki, PF, DAL (15)
15. Pau Gasol, PF/C, LAL (16)
16. Kyrie Irving, PG, CLE (17)
17. DeMarcus Cousins, PF/C, SAC (11)
18. Marc Gasol, C, MEM (18)
19. LaMarcus Aldridge, PF/C, POR (19)
20. Rajon Rondo, PG, BOS (21)
21. Ty Lawson, PG/SG, DEN (22)
22. James Harden, SG, OKC (23)
23. Blake Griffin, PF, LAC (25)
24. Rudy Gay, SF, MEM (24)
25. Carmelo Anthony, SF/PF, NY (26)
26. Brandon Jennings, PG, MIL (27)
27. Serge Ibaka, C/PF, OKC (28)
28. Al Horford, C/PF, ATL (43)
29. John Wall, PG, WSH (29)
30. Monta Ellis, PG/SG, GS (31)
31. Marcin Gortat, C, PHO (32)
32. David Lee, PF/C, GS (34)
33. Ryan Anderson, PF, ORL (35)
34. Steve Nash, PG, UFA (33)
35. Danny Granger, SF, IND (36)
36. Greg Monroe, PF/C, DET (37)
37. Paul Pierce, SF/SG, BOS (30)
38. Kevin Garnett, PF/C, UFA (41)
39. Andre Iguodala, SF/SG, PHI (42)
40. Kyle Lowry, PG, HOU (39)
41. Mike Conley, PG, MEM (44)
42. Marcus Thornton, SG, SAC (45)
43. Tony Parker, PG, SA (38)
44. Stephen Curry, PG/SG, GS (46)
45. Roy Hibbert, C, IND (47)
46. Eric Gordon, SG, NO (48)
47. Goran Dragic, PG, UFA (49)
48. Chris Bosh, PF/C, MIA (50)
49. Gerald Wallace, SF/PF, UFA (51)
50. Paul George, SF/SG, IND (52)
51. Joe Johnson, SG/SF, ATL (54)
52. Joakim Noah, C/PF, CHI (55)
53. Tyreke Evans, PG/SG/SF, SAC (56)
54. Luol Deng, SF, CHI (57)
55. Manu Ginobili, SG, SA (58)
56. Anthony Davis, PF/C, NO (NR)
57. Nicolas Batum, SF/SG, POR (59)
58. Amare Stoudemire, C/PF, NY (53)
59. Danilo Gallinari, SF/PF, DEN (60)
60. Ersan Ilyasova, SF/PF, UFA (62)
61. Kris Humphries, PF, UFA (64)
62. Carlos Boozer, PF, CHI (65)
63. Tyson Chandler, C, NY (66)
64. Andrea Bargnani, C/PF, TOR (61)
65. Nene Hilario, C/PF, WSH (67)
66. Jose Calderon, PG, TOR (63)
67. Kenneth Faried, PF, DEN (70)
68. Zach Randolph, PF, MEM (68)
69. JaVale McGee, C, DEN (NR)
70. Ricky Rubio, PG, MIN (40)
71. Jrue Holiday, PG, PHI (69)
72. Jason Terry, SG, UFA (71)
73. Arron Afflalo, SG, DEN (72)
74. Gordon Hayward, SG/SF, UTAH (74)
75. Wesley Matthews, SG/SF, POR (76)
76. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, CHA (NR)
77. Nikola Pekovic, C, MIN (77)
78. Derrick Rose, PG, CHI (20)
79. Jeff Teague, PG, ATL (79)
80. Ramon Sessions, PG, UFA (75)
81. Kevin Martin, SG, HOU (80)
82. Ray Allen, SG, UFA (73)
83. Rodney Stuckey, PG/SG, DET (81)
84. Klay Thompson, SG, GS (82)
85. Isaiah Thomas, PG, SAC (84)
86. Tim Duncan, PF/C, UFA (85)
87. Andrew Bogut, C, GS (86)
88. Evan Turner, SG, PHI (87)
89. Antawn Jamison, PF, UFA (83)
90. Anderson Varejao, PF/C, CLE (88)
91. Derrick Favors, PF, UTAH (98)
92. Brook Lopez, C, NJ (89)
93. Luis Scola, PF, HOU (90)
94. Chris Kaman, C, UFA (91)
95. Elton Brand, PF, PHI (92)
96. Raymond Felton, PG, UFA (93)
97. Thomas Robinson, PF, SAC (NR)
98. Channing Frye, PF/C, PHO (94)
99. Jeremy Lin, PG, NY (95)
100. DeMar DeRozan, SG/SF, TOR (97)
101. Brandon Knight, PG/SG, DET (NR)
102. Lou Williams, PG/SG, UFA (99)
103. Chauncey Billups, PG/SG, UFA (100)
104. David West, PF, IND (NR)
105. Kemba Walker, PG, CHA (NR)
106. Harrison Barnes, SF, GS (NR)
107. Caron Butler, SF, LAC (NR)
108. Mario Chalmers, PG, MIA (NR)
109. George Hill, PG/SG, IND (NR)
110. Jarrett Jack, PG/SG, NO (96)
111. Darren Collison, PG, IND (NR)
112. Brandon Bass, PF, UFA (NR)
113. James Johnson, SF/PF, TOR (NR)
114. Jamal Crawford, SG/PG, UFA (NR)
115. Avery Bradley, SG, BOS (NR)
116. Tristan Thompson, PF, CLE (NR)
117. Dion Waiters, SG, CLE (NR)
118. Jordan Crawford, SG, WSH (78)
119. Devin Harris, PG, UTAH (NR)
120. Samuel Dalembert, C, MIL (NR)
121. Damian Lillard, PG, POR (NR)
122. Emeka Okafor, C, WSH (NR)
123. Gerald Henderson, SG, CHA (NR)
124. Thaddeus Young, SF/PF, PHI (NR)
125. Wilson Chandler, SF/SG, DEN (NR)
126. Derrick Williams, PF, MIN (NR)
127. Jameer Nelson, PG, UFA (NR)
128. Jose Juan Barea, PG, MIN (NR)
129. Bradley Beal, SG, WAS (NR)
130. Luke Ridnour, PG, MIN (NR)
131. MarShon Brooks, SG, NJ (NR)
132. Al Harrington, PF, DEN (NR)
133. Bismack Biyombo, PF/C, CHA (NR)
134. Jason Richardson, SG, ORL (NR)
135. Jared Dudley, SF/SG, PHO (NR)
136. Drew Gooden, PF, MIL (NR)
137. Mike Dunleavy, SG/SF, MIL (NR)
138. Kawhi Leonard, SF/SG, SA (NR)
139. Steve Novak, SF, UFA (NR)
140. Glen Davis, PF, ORL (NR)
141. Tony Allen, SG, MEM (NR)
142. Jason Kidd, PG, UFA (NR)
143. O.J. Mayo, SG, MEM (NR)
144. DeAndre Jordan, C, LAC (NR)
145. Spencer Hawes, C, UFA (NR)
146. D.J. Augustin, PG, CHA (NR)
147. Shawn Marion, SF/PF, DAL (NR)
148. Trevor Ariza, SF/SG, WSH (NR)
149. Andre Miller, PG, UFA (NR)
150. J.R. Smith, SG/SF, UFA (NR)

Moving up

Al Horford, C/PF, Atlanta Hawks: Although a torn pectoral muscle caused him to miss all but 11 games of the 2011-12 season, Horford reminded us why he's so highly regarded in fantasy circles when he returned to post 15.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in three hard-fought playoff games against the Boston Celtics. That he returned for playoff action was impressive enough, let alone that he was able to make such a big impact with...