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
Marcus Morris (PF/C – LAC) 46%
Although he had a delayed start to the season, Morris has been on a roll of late for the Clippers, being one of the few offensive bright spots for the disappointing team so far. With Kawhi Leonard not playing again, Morris has scored 44 points over his last three games, playing an average of 33 minutes per game during that stretch. Luke Kennard has been fine. Paul George has been the offensive leader they’ve needed. But Morris has stepped up in Leonard’s absence. With a team filled with similar players, Morris – for now – is standing out above the rest.
Rebounds
Kevon Looney (C – GSW) 22%
James Wiseman has been fine in spurts, but he has a ways to go before he takes over for Looney. Look, he’s a low-ceiling player, but Looney knows the system as well as anyone, and while he’ll have a rare game where he can score 15-plus points, it’s the seven rebounds that he’s averaged over the last two weeks that you really want. He’s boring, but boring can be productive.
Assists
Jalen Suggs (PG/SG – ORL) 60%
Yeah, Suggs was in his bag Thursday night, as the Magic completed a come-from-behind victory over the visiting Warriors. Suggs not only dropped 26 points and had four steals, but he had nine assists in the game, too, which were a career-high for him. With Cole Anthony injured with no timetable to return and Terrance Ross injured, Suggs has entered the should-be-rostered category.
Steals
Alex Caruso (PG/SG – CHI) 52%
Caruso ranks 11th in the NBA this season with 14 swipes. With De’Anthony Melton and Dennis Smith Jr. both graduating out of streamer territory, Caruso is our pick here. He’s consistently seeing 25ish minutes per game, and that held true with Zach LaVine playing both ends of a back-and-back.
Blocks
Isaiah Jackson (PF/C – IND) 52%
When Jackson starts, he’s a stud. As it is, he’s a per-minute stud, but we obviously want him to get as much time as possible. Well, this week, Myles Turner essentially asked for a trade to the Lakers without directly asking for a trade to the Lakers. It’s likely that he finally gets moved, which will unlock IJax for starter minutes and a top-50 fantasy outlook.
Threes
Max Strus (SG/SF – MIA) 42%
Strus is putting up 10th-round value so far this season, and that’s with the hot and cold spells that we are used to from him. He’s played at least 30 minutes in six of his last seven games, and with Jimmy Butler already nursing an injury, Strus has been the biggest benefactor. He’s averaging just over 3 three-pointers made per game in his last five games.
Field-goal percentage
Onyeka Okongwu (C – ATL) 51%
It’s been three years, and yes, I’m still riding with Okongwu. The upside and production when he gets the run is just too good not to love him. He’s posting 10th-round value right now, and that’s thanks in part to his defensive numbers but also from shooting 70.5 percent from the field. He’s doing this in limited minutes, and the Hawks will eventually realize that the more he plays, the better they are. With Okongwu on the court, the Hawks are +1 in expected wins and -1 in the category with Clint Capela on the court. What’s more, with Okongwu on the court, the Hawks are +3.5 in TOV%, and -3% with Capela on the court in the same category.
Free-throw percentage
Jalen McDaniels (SF/PF – CHA) 51%
With this category, we typically highlight a player who doesn’t fit in the other areas but can be a sneak deep-league pickup. This week, that’s the “other” McDaniels, as he was known in the offseason. But with his play so far this season, he’s standing out just as much – if not more than – his brother, Jaden. He’s scored in double figures in four of his last five games, and included in those games is a double-double and seven-STOCK game. With Gordon Hayward already dealing with an injury, McDaniels could be a waiver-wire gem.
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Michael Waterloo is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Michael, check out his archive and follow him @MichaelWaterloo.
