This article is part of our Category Strategy series.
With only so many regular season NBA games left over the next week and a half, now is a great time to take one last look at your rotisserie league standings (or your head-to-head matchup if you're still playing) and see if there is an opportunity to pick up an extra point or two before the fantasy season ends.
Highlighted below are players who are available in more than 75 percent of ESPN leagues who can provide you help in a specific category.
Each player's projected total in a given category is based on that player's RotoWire projection, which you can find here. The ranking and auction value for each player is based on their overall value for next week in the six positive counting fantasy categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, and three-pointers).
Points
Rank | Auction | Player | Team | POS | Gs | Pts | ESPN % |
47 | $18 | Gerald Henderson | CHA | G | 4 | 52.5 | 23% |
28 | $30 | Marcus Morris | PHO | F | 4 | 51.7 | 18% |
36 | $27 | Zach LaVine | MIN | G | 4 | 50.8 | 20% |
44 | $21 | Ben McLemore | SAC | G | 4 | 50.5 | 5% |
25 | $31 | Wesley Johnson | LAL | F | 4 | 46.9 | 3% |
43 | $22 | Omri Casspi | SAC | F | 4 | 46.3 | 1% |
87 | $9 | Aaron Brooks | CHI | G | 3 | 46.2 | 19% |
46 | $19 | Jabari Brown | LAL | G | 4 | 45.8 | 0% |
40 | $25 | Ray McCallum | SAC | G | 4 | 44.5 | 3% |
55 | $16 | Ryan Anderson | NOP | F | 4 | 44.5 | 23% |
LaVine has scored 70 points in his past four games and probably represents your best chance to play catchup in this category.
Gerald Henderson is averaging 16.1 points per game over the past 10 games, and has scored in double digits in each of those games. I'd say he's the safest bet to get 50 points this week.
Ben McLemore has been an inconsistent scorer this season. In his past four games, he's scored 17, 14, eight, and seven points, which could work in your favor if you're playing from behind and looking for a risky player to get hot.
Three-Pointers
Rank | Auction | Player | Team | POS | Gs | 3PM | ESPN % |
28 | $30 | Marcus Morris | PHO | F | 4 | 7.3 | 18% |
55 | $16 | Ryan Anderson | NOP | F | 4 | 7.1 | 23% |
117 | $3 | C.J. Miles | IND | G | 3 | 6.7 | 9% |
44 | $21 | Ben McLemore | SAC | G | 4 | 6.7 | 5% |
33 | $28 | Marvin Williams | CHA | F | 4 | 6.6 | 5% |
87 | $9 | Aaron Brooks | CHI | G | 3 | 6.6 | 19% |
152 | $1 | Terrence Ross | TOR | F | 3 | 6.2 | 8% |
109 | $5 | Greivis Vasquez | TOR | G | 3 | 5.9 | 4% |
25 | $31 | Wesley Johnson | LAL | F | 4 | 5.9 | 3% |
160 | $0 | Randy Foye | DEN | G | 3 | 5.7 | 4% |
Marcus Morris has averaged 1.7 three-pointers over his past seven games in 32 minutes per game. He should continue to see plenty of playing time as Brandon Knight (ankle) and Alex Len (nose) deal with injuries.
Ryan Anderson has only played a total of 42 minutes through two games since returning from injury, but he has still managed to hit three three-pointers. He has the highest ceiling of anyone on this list.
Marvin Williams has hit a three-pointer in 15 straight games and is averaging nearly two three-pointers per game during that stretch.
Rebounds
Rank | Auction | Player | Team | POS | Gs | REB | ESPN % |
63 | $14 | Omer Asik | NOP | C | 4 | 35.5 | 20% |
78 | $10 | Tarik Black | LAL | F | 4 | 31.5 | 1% |
74 | $11 | Bismack Biyombo | CHA | F | 4 | 28.3 | 1% |
19 | $33 | P.J. Tucker | PHO | F | 4 | 28.3 | 15% |
56 | $16 | Adreian Payne | MIN | F | 4 | 26.3 | 1% |
120 | $3 | Steven Adams | OKC | C | 3 | 25.9 | 21% |
30 | $30 | Justin Hamilton | MIN | C | 4 | 23.8 | 2% |
41 | $23 | Brandan Wright | PHO | F | 4 | 22.7 | 8% |
43 | $22 | Omri Casspi | SAC | F | 4 | 22.5 | 1% |
33 | $28 | Marvin Williams | CHA | F | 4 | 22.1 | 5% |
In 14 games as a starter, Bismack Biyombo has averaged 8.3 rebounds per game. He's likely to start four games this week as Al Jefferson deals with a knee injury that may hold him out of the rest of the Hornets' remaining games.
Brandan Wright also has a chance to start at least a majority of Phoenix's games this week with Len out with a broken nose. In three games as a starter, Wright has averaged 10.3 rpg.
Omer Asik probably has the best chance of anyone on this list to get 40 rebounds next week, but only pick him if you need rebounds and nothing else.
Assists
Rank | Auction | Player | Team | POS | Gs | AST | ESPN % |
40 | $25 | Ray McCallum | SAC | G | 4 | 17.7 | 3% |
36 | $27 | Zach LaVine | MIN | G | 4 | 17.3 | 20% |
57 | $16 | Jarrett Jack | BKN | G | 4 | 16.3 | 24% |
118 | $3 | Andre Miller | SAC | G | 4 | 16.0 | 0% |
109 | $5 | Greivis Vasquez | TOR | G | 3 | 14.9 | 4% |
87 | $9 | Aaron Brooks | CHI | G | 3 | 13.3 | 19% |
167 | $0 | D.J. Augustin | OKC | G | 3 | 12.7 | 7% |
66 | $13 | Manu Ginobili | SAS | G | 4 | 12.0 | 12% |
148 | $1 | Devin Harris | DAL | G | 3 | 11.6 | 2% |
135 | $2 | Shelvin Mack | ATL | G | 4 | 11.2 | 0% |
Unlike rebounds, assists are relatively hard to find on the waiver wire this week. Ray McCallum, who has averaged 4.5 assists per game in 30 mpg over his past 20 games, and Zach LaVine, whose minutes are no longer at risk now that Ricky Rubio (ankle) has officially been shut down, are your best bets for help. Neither player is likely to exceed 20 assists this week.
Steals
Rank | Auction | Player | Team | POS | Gs | STL | ESPN % |
19 | $33 | P.J. Tucker | PHO | F | 4 | 5.8 | 15% |
30 | $30 | Justin Hamilton | MIN | C | 4 | 5.3 | 2% |
159 | $0 | Shane Larkin | NYK | G | 3 | 4.2 | 1% |
33 | $28 | Marvin Williams | CHA | F | 4 | 4.2 | 5% |
143 | $1 | Corey Brewer | HOU | F | 3 | 4.1 | 11% |
46 | $19 | Jabari Brown | LAL | G | 4 | 4.1 | 0% |
36 | $27 | Zach LaVine | MIN | G | 4 | 4.1 | 20% |
25 | $31 | Wesley Johnson | LAL | F | 4 | 4.0 | 3% |
112 | $4 | Marcus Smart | BOS | G | 3 | 3.9 | 4% |
146 | $1 | Iman Shumpert | CLE | G | 3 | 3.9 | 3% |
P.J. Tucker is close to a must-add this week. He's ranked in the top-20 overall, but he's especially a must-add if you need steals. He's had 12 steals in his past six games.
Justin Hamilton is averaging 1.1 steals per game over the past month. He's particularly valuable because he can sub in as a center for your fantasy team, potentially in place of another center who doesn't get steals.
The same is true for Marvin Williams, who is power forward eligible and has seven steals over his past five games.
Blocks
Rank | Auction | Player | Team | POS | Gs | BLK | ESPN % |
41 | $23 | Brandan Wright | PHO | F | 4 | 6.2 | 8% |
74 | $11 | Bismack Biyombo | CHA | F | 4 | 5.8 | 1% |
120 | $3 | Steven Adams | OKC | C | 3 | 4.5 | 21% |
156 | $1 | Taj Gibson | CHI | F | 3 | 3.8 | 20% |
202 | $0 | John Henson | MIL | F | 3 | 3.8 | 4% |
162 | $0 | Timofey Mozgov | CLE | C | 3 | 3.7 | 25% |
151 | $1 | Jusuf Nurkic | DEN | C | 3 | 3.5 | 3% |
177 | $0 | Louis Amundson | NYK | F | 3 | 3.5 | 0% |
279 | $0 | Joel Anthony | DET | C | 2 | 3.5 | 1% |
30 | $30 | Justin Hamilton | MIN | C | 4 | 3.3 | 2% |
As with rebounds, if you're looking for blocks, you probably can't do better this week than Wright and/or Biyombo.
A Few of My Favorite Things from the Week (Mostly via NBA reddit)
Enes Kanter is looking for a teammate to help him up off the ground, but all Russell Westbrook is looking for is a high five.
This compilation made me like Erik Spoelstra about 60 percent more than I did before I clicked on it. By the way - he's one of the best coaches in the league.
I love, love, LOVE, that the arena announcer belts out "SAUCE CASTILLO" here:
I can't decide if Reggie Jackson should be proud or embarrassed of this shot:
I think it's hilarious that Chase Budinger wanted a jump ball here:
Rookie-on-rookie crime from Elfrid Payton as he pulls a "Rick Mahorn" on LaVine:
The Warriors are fun to watch. They're not the team I cheer for, but I had the same reaction as that little girl did when Curry hit this shot:
I can't wait for four rounds of playoff Steph Curry:
Lastly, my favorite thing of the week. Rudy Gobert and Andrew Wiggins submitted their idea for a new and improved dunk contest format:
