This article is part of our Category Strategy series.
On a fundamental level, this is a waiver wire article. It is one designed to showcase players who can help in specific categories, but it is still all about players you can acquire from the ranks of the unowned.
This structure doesn't leave much room for Jon Leuer, but he's earned mention as a player to consider adding. He is fairly balanced producer who doesn't really stand out in any one category. He is getting consistent use off the bench, and has established himself as a regular piece of the Pistons rotation. Though he puts up occasional stinkers, Leuer is a solid addition worth considering in leagues of 12 teams or more.
Three teams play only two games this week: Indiana, Phoenix and Portland. Twelve teams play three times, and the remaining 15 teams play four games. The teams that play three times are: Milwaukee, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Brooklyn, Denver, New Orleans, Houston, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Golden State and Washington.
Points
Jeremy Lamb, Hornets
(Ownership: ESPN – 6%; Yahoo! – 17%; CBS – 28%)
Lamb has missed most of the season with a hamstring injury, but has now played in two straight games. During those games, he is averaging 19.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 1.5 threes in 29.5 minutes. This is, without question, an unusually hot streak for Lamb. That said, his play should earn him some extra minutes, and Lamb looks like the Hornet's best wing option off the bench. If he can maintain roughly 25
On a fundamental level, this is a waiver wire article. It is one designed to showcase players who can help in specific categories, but it is still all about players you can acquire from the ranks of the unowned.
This structure doesn't leave much room for Jon Leuer, but he's earned mention as a player to consider adding. He is fairly balanced producer who doesn't really stand out in any one category. He is getting consistent use off the bench, and has established himself as a regular piece of the Pistons rotation. Though he puts up occasional stinkers, Leuer is a solid addition worth considering in leagues of 12 teams or more.
Three teams play only two games this week: Indiana, Phoenix and Portland. Twelve teams play three times, and the remaining 15 teams play four games. The teams that play three times are: Milwaukee, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Brooklyn, Denver, New Orleans, Houston, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Golden State and Washington.
Points
Jeremy Lamb, Hornets
(Ownership: ESPN – 6%; Yahoo! – 17%; CBS – 28%)
Lamb has missed most of the season with a hamstring injury, but has now played in two straight games. During those games, he is averaging 19.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 1.5 threes in 29.5 minutes. This is, without question, an unusually hot streak for Lamb. That said, his play should earn him some extra minutes, and Lamb looks like the Hornet's best wing option off the bench. If he can maintain roughly 25 minutes per game, he is capable of contributing points in the low teens on top of roughly one three per game.
Other suggestions: Tyreke Evans, Pelicans; Jamal Murray, Nuggets; Nick Young, Lakers; Dion Waiters, Heat; Bojan Bogdanovic, Nets; Sean Kilpatrick, Nets
Three-Pointers
Nik Stauskas, 76ers
(Ownership: ESPN – 8%; Yahoo! – 14%; CBS – 19%)
Stauskas has multiple three-pointers in eight straight games and at least one in 15 straight games. That makes Stauskas the perfect embodiment of the point of this article – whatever else he may be doing, he has proven himself a consistent source of significant production in this category. He has played at least 20 minutes in all but two games this season, and he managed to make a three in those games, too. He doesn't really help in any other category, but he does enough not to hurt, either.
Other suggestions: DeMarre Carroll, Raptors; Nick Young, Lakers; Robert Covington, 76ers; Frank Kaminsky, Hornets; Josh Richardson, Heat; Ersan Ilyasova, 76ers
Rebounds
Tyson Chandler, Suns
(Ownership: ESPN – 36%; Yahoo! – 47%; CBS – 66%)
Chandler was dropped in most leagues while he was missing eight of nine games for personal reasons, but now he is back. He was widely owned before the missed games, and he will likely return to heavy ownership soon. He ranks sixth in the league in rebounds per game. He is averaging 27.3 minutes per game, and has played at least 30 minutes in three of his last five, including games preceding his absence. It is unlikely that another waiver wire player will emerge this season who can make as big an impact in rebounds as Chandler can.
Other suggestions: Andrew Bogut, Mavericks; JaMychal Green, Grizzlies; Maurice Harkless, Trail Blazers; Marcus Smart, Celtics
Assists
Matthew Dellavedova, Bucks
(Ownership: ESPN – 19%; Yahoo! – 39%; CBS – 48%)
Though it isn't quite so straightforward on the position-weird Bucks, Dellavedova sort of resembles a normal team's idea of a pass-first point guard. With 6.3 per game on the season, he edges out Giannis Antetokounmpo for the team lead in assists. Dellavedova has dished at least seven assists in four of his last six games. His low scoring and field goal percentage can be damaging, but he provides some value in threes and steals, and it is rare that a waiver wire option provides so many assists.
Other suggestions: Tyreke Evans, Pelicans; Tony Parker, Spurs; Jerryd Bayless, 76ers; Jose Calderon, Knicks
Steals
Robert Covington, 76ers
(Ownership: ESPN – 19%; Yahoo! – 59%; CBS – 64%)
Covington has had spurts where his production was so across-the-board strong that he warranted near-universal ownership. He is not in the middle of one of those periods now, but that is his upside. Even during his down periods, however, he remains a threes and steals ace. He has a steal in seven straight games, averaging 2.0 per game during that stretch. Over the course of his career, he averages 1.5 thefts per game.
Trevor Booker is a little too widely owned to qualify, but I want to mention him anyway. He is still available in 40 percent of ESPN leagues, 28 percent of Yahoo! leagues, and 13 percent of CBS leagues. If he is available in your league, acquiring him should be a priority.
Other suggestions: Tyreke Evans, Pelicans; Maurice Harkless, Trail Blazers; DeMarre Carroll, Raptors; Patrick Patterson, Raptors
Blocks
John Henson, Bucks
(Ownership: ESPN – 3%; Yahoo! – 14%; CBS – 25%)
Henson is a flirt, a fantasy tease. He gives you just a taste – just to let you know what you are missing – before returning to the bench as his own way of saying "you can't have this". With the exception of his sophomore season, Henson has never averaged more than 20 minutes per game. Despite the minimal usage, he's still managed to average 1.5 blocks per game throughout his career. Per 36 minutes, he averages an impressive 2.9 blocks per game. I wouldn't hold out hope that his minutes will consistently stay in the mid-twenties, but Henson is such an efficient rim protector that he can impact your team despite the low minutes. He has played at least 20 minutes in four of his last five games, but he also received a DNP-CD in the middle of that stretch.
Other suggestions: Tyson Chandler, Suns; James Johnson, Heat; Cody Zeller, Hornets
Field Goal Percentage
Cody Zeller
(Ownership: ESPN – 24%; Yahoo! – 43%; CBS – 53%)
Since returning from a shoulder injury, Zeller is averaging 3.3-of-6.7 from the field, nearly an even 50.0 percent. He has played only 23.0 minutes per game during that stretch, but in the two games before his injury he had back-to-back games of 31 minutes. Zeller is shooting 59.8 from the field this season.
Other suggestions: Bojan Bogdanovic, Nets; Tony Parker, Spurs
Free Throw Percentage
Jonathan Gibson
(Ownership: ESPN – 2%; Yahoo! – 6%; CBS – 10%)
Gibson's star is already fading after he burst onto the scene just two weeks ago with two strong games to begin his NBA career. Considering he played only three minutes in Sunday's game against the Pelicans, I cannot even recommend adding him right now. That said, teams looking to improve their free throw percentage should pay careful attention to him. This far into the season, it is rare to find a player who attempts at least four free throws per game and makes close to 80 percent of them. Including his three-minute, no-free-throw-attempt performance on Sunday, Gibson is still averaging 4.0 attempts, and is making them at a 79.2 percent clip. Plus, he is doing that in only 18.5 minutes per game. If Gibson can stay in the rotation, he could be one of the last best chances for free throw percentage improvement – but that is a big "if".
Other suggestions: Frank Kaminsky, Hornets; Trey Lyles, Jazz; Jerryd Bayless, 76ers; Ersan Ilyasova, 76ers
