It’s Friday. You know what that means.
We’ll be looking at players who are widely available and rostered in fewer than 60 percent of fantasy leagues on Yahoo. We’ll be focusing on 8-cat leagues because turnovers are a waste of a category, to be honest.
But if you find the turnovers helpful, let me know. I’m happy to include them if enough of you play in 9-cat leagues.
We’ll be looking at players who can help you in each of the eight categories who you can get before your league-mates catch on.
Check out the latest fantasy basketball expert consensus rankings
The eight categories we’ll focus on each week are:
- Points
- Rebounds
- Assists
- Steals
- Blocks
- Threes
- Field-goal percentage
- Free-throw percentage
Let’s get to it.
Points
Lonnie Walker (SG/SF – LAL) 39%
We knew someone was going to have to step up for the Lakers offensively. I don’t know if we predicted it would be Walker, given his poor defense as a “two-way” player. But with Anthony Davis already going to the locker room regularly, LeBron being LeBron, and Russ, well, being Russ, Walker has been invaluable to the winless Lakers so far. He’s one of three players to average more than 30 minutes per night for the team. While struggling from behind the three-point line, he’s shooting a cool 62.5 percent from inside the arc. He has 56 points over his last three games, making him a rosterable player until the Lakers trade for help.
Rebounds
Precious Achiuwa (C – TOR) 39%
How can you not include a player who had a 22-rebound game for this category, right? I mean sure, his minutes went back to 21 after playing 34 in each of his previous games, but – including his 22-board game – he’s averaging 13 per game over the last three games. With Chris Boucher back in the fold, things can get a little sticky. But Achiuwa leads the league in fgDR% (31.7), so he should continue to at least see 24-25 minutes per night.
Assists
Tyus Jones (PG – MEM) 28%
Jones could have signed elsewhere to be a starting point guard, but he opted to return to the Grizzlies. So far, so good, as he’s been incredible for fantasy and Memphis alike. We know what we are getting with him each night, as he’ll play 24 minutes with 5-6 assists and 9-15 points. Ja Morant typically misses a chunk of each season, which elevates Jones to being a must-start option.
Steals
Dennis Smith Jr. (PG – CHA) 55%
DSJ appears in this column two weeks in a row as LaMelo Ball hasn’t returned yet from his injury. He’s been a per-minute stud, which we’ve seen from him in the past. As well as scoring and assists, Smith is averaging 2.5 swipes per game – ranking seventh in the league.
Blocks
Bol Bol (PF/C – ORL) 55%
I love Bol Bol, but I find it hard to buy into him long-term given the depth that Orlando has. But if he’s available and you need blocks, there are few other players you should consider. Bol Bol is averaging 2.6 blocks per game, which would be 6.3 per 48 minutes. That would put him behind only Brook Lopez (7.1) in the league. Of course, the minutes are the issue with Bol Bol, but he’s earned at least a longer look in the near future.
Threes
Kevin Huerter (SG/SF – SAC) 56%
Huerter and Malik Monk were huge additions to the Kings, who desperately needed outside shooting. He’s provided that thus far, but has cooled down after being on fire in his first two games. Huerter started the season with 11 made threes in his first two games, but has only made two over his last two contests. But he’s getting big minutes – minus the last game against the Grizzlies – and has the third-highest eFG% on the team (59.3%) behind De’Aaron Fox and Keegan Murray.
Field-goal percentage
Nick Richards (C – CHA) 41%
Richards came back to earth some after his big breakout 20/11 double-double outing Sunday. He played just 19 minutes – one fewer than the big game he posted – but again didn’t miss a shot from the field, albeit in just two attempts. Steve Clifford seems to trust him over Mark Williams, and as long as that’s the case, he’s the best center to roster for Charlotte.
Free-throw percentage
Jeff Green (PF/C – DEN) 2%
With this category, we typically highlight a player who doesn’t fit in the other areas but can be a sneak deep-league pickup. That’s the veteran Green, who is shooting 79 percent from the charity stripe but has scored in double-digits in three of his last four games. What’s more, he’s typically hitting 20 minutes per game, making him a deep-league high-floor player.
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Michael Waterloo is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Michael, check out his archive and follow him @MichaelWaterloo.