Category Strategy: Grab the Assists

The Cavaliers (three games), Warriors (four games), Heat (three games) and Bucks (three games) all play on three days with seven or fewer NBA games this week. Adding players from those teams in daily-moves leagues will help maximize your games played and increase your odds of winning.

The Magic, Jazz and Wizards play two games, the second straight week for the Wizards in the two-game pile. The rest of the league plays three or four times.

POINTS

Dion Waiters (SG)
(Ownership percentages: Yahoo - 24; ESPN - 13.6)

Waiters has cemented his role on the team, with or without Kevin Durant (hamstring). He typically plays two 12-minute stints and enters around the four-minute mark of the first and third quarters as Andre Roberson's replacement. Waiters averages 26.1 minutes per game, good for fourth most on the team. Durant's prolonged absence disperses 19 shots to the rest of the team, and Waiters is the primary suspect to vulture many of them. Over the past three games, Waiters averaged 19.3 points while shooting an unsustainable 63 percent on three-pointers. The rest of his stat line has been barren, but with Durant expected to be evaluated again later this week, Waiters will continue to consume a sizable role in the offense. The table below highlights Waiters' stats based on Durant's presence.

Zaza Pachulia (C)
(Ownership percentages: Yahoo - 49; ESPN - 43.9)

Recommending Dwight Powell (20 percent Yahoo; 22 percent ESPN) for the second straight week was my initial thought, and I stand by that. If you can't acquire Powell, who's grabbing 8.1 rebounds in 21.7 minutes per game, consider Pachulia, who is averaging a team-high 10.0 rebounds per game. The Mavericks play four times this week with a day off before each game. Pachulia has played over 30 minutes in three straight games, though that is bound to decrease. Even though Powell is Pachulia's lone backup, injuries have limited Pachulia in the past, and head coach Rick Carlisle would be wise to scale down the 31-year-old's playing time.

ASSISTS

Ish Smith (PG)
(Ownership percentages: Yahoo 29; ESPN 26.8)

Smith is averaging 7.9 assists per game, good for sixth most in the NBA, and he's played more minutes than Jrue Holiday in each of the previous five games. The Pelicans are scheduled for a back-to-back set this week, and Smith will likely earn a start because Holiday hasn't been cleared to play on consecutive nights. He's shooting 36 percent from the field, and in a four-game slate, he'll take enough shots to damage your field-goal percentage. Alternatively, you should monitor the Hawks' point guard situation. Jeff Teague complained about a sore ankle after Friday's loss, and the Hawks engage in a back-to-back set this week. If Teague skips Sunday's game against the Jazz, Dennis Schroder becomes an enticing option.

STEALS

Jae Crowder (SF)
(Ownership percentage: Yahoo - 63; ESPN - 28.7)

Crowder leads the league in steals with 3.5 per game. No one has averaged at least 3.0 steals per game for an entire season since Alvin Robertson during the 1990-91 season. Crowder's also playing a team-high 31.3 minutes per game, maintaining immunity to head coach Brad Stevens' dynamic rotations. During film study, I noticed he's doing a great job freelancing, utilizing his instincts and intercepting lazy crosscourt passes. The amount of steals is unsustainable, and Crowder may also be the beneficiary of a favorable scorekeeper. The Celtics have played six of their eight games at TD Garden, and a few of Crowder's recorded steals may not have been ruled as such in another venue. It's worth monitoring once the Celtics run through the road portion of their schedule.

Ian Mahinmi (C)
(Ownership percentage: Yahoo - 15; ESPN - 8.5)

Mahinmi was suggested prior to the start of the season, but four weeks later, his ownership percentages have held firm. Over the last three games, Mahinmi is averaging 28 minutes and blocking 1.7 shots. The increased playing time coincides with the loss of rookie Myles Turner, who's out at least one month with a thumb injury. Adding Mahinmi will be detrimental to your free-throw percentage because he's converted 3-of-16 freebies through seven games. If free-throw percentage is a priority, consider Festus Ezeli, who can hit at least half his attempts. Both the Warriors and Pacers play four games this week. Unfortunately, Ezeli is splitting center minutes with Andrew Bogut and Draymond Green, capping his ability to accumulate stats. Even in depressed playing time, Ezeli is averaging 1.5 blocks per game.

THREE-POINTERS

Anthony Morrow (SF)
(Ownership percentage: Yahoo - 5; ESPN - 3.8)

Morrow was declared the starter in the Thunder's first game without Kevin Durant (hamstring), who may miss the rest of the week after a scheduled evaluation due midweek. Morrow only played 21 minutes in the start, but he made 2-of-5 three-pointers. In 48 games without Durant last season, Morrow averaged 12.1 points and 2.3 three-pointers on 47 percent shooting from downtown in 25 minutes per game. If you're tentative based on his early season swoon, see how Morrow fares in Sunday's game before committing. Morrow offers minimal contributions outside of points and threes. Robert Covington (knee) is owned in 31.4 percent of ESPN leagues, and he's priority No. 1.