It’s Saturday. You know what that means.
It’s time for another edition of the category analysis.
If you’re new to this column, here’s what we will be looking at each week.
Every week, 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. We’ll be looking at players who can help you in each of the eight categories, which you can get before your league-mates catch on.
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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
Reggie Bullock (SG/SF – DAL): 29%
It’s Reggie Bullock season in Dallas with Tim Hardaway Jr. (SG – DAL) out for the season.
Bullock has scored 20 points in three of his last four games and has been in double-digits in each of his previous five.
What’s more, he’s eclipsed 31 minutes in each of his last three games.
The path won’t always be pretty, but Bullock should continue to be in line for big minutes and opportunities in Dallas as they look to fill THJ’s void.
Rebounds
Isaiah Jackson (PF – IND): 30%
The Jackson breakout was massive against the Clippers, as he posted a 26/10 line. It showed us what could be if the Pacers trade or rest their big guys.
But then, he injured his ankle Wednesday night.
Why can’t we have nice things?
There’s no timetable for Jackson’s return, but he’s worth stashing with the deadline less than a week away. He has league-winning ability.
Assists
Ayo Dosunmu (PG – CHI): 57%
Dosunmu is another player who has been living in this column, but can you blame me? He’s been a top 100 player over the last month, and while there is some inconsistency to his game as a rookie when he’s on, he’s on.
Friday, in Indy, Dosunmu dropped a career-high 14 assists against the Pacers to go along with 15 points. The rookie plays about 38 minutes per night, and he shows no signs of slowing down.
Let’s get him out of this column by next week.
Steals
Herb Jones (SF/PF – NOP): 56%
Sorry, but my foot is planted. I’m leaving Jones here every week until we get him over 60 percent. I don’t get the hesitation. Does someone want to tell me what I’m missing?
Top 42 value over the last month. Top 62 over the previous two weeks. Forty-third ranked played on the year. Tied for ninth in the NBA in steals on the season.
Help me mix up the names in this column by picking him up in more leagues.
We’re so close.
Blocks
Hassan Whiteside (PF/C – UTA): 31%
We’ll turn to Whiteside here, as he’s useful as long as Rudy Gobert (C – UTA) continues to miss time.
It’s a calf injury that Gobert is suffering from, and while not a doctor, I always cringe when someone has a calf injury because they seem to linger and linger and linger.
Whiteside has nine blocks in his last five games, and he’s 18th on the season among all players in total blocks.
Interestingly, his season-long total is that he’s played the fewest total minutes (737) of all players with at least 45 blocks on the season.
He continues to be a per-minute defensive standout for fantasy purposes.
Threes
Cedi Osman (SF/PF – CLE): 11%
Yes, even with Osman going 0-7 from downtown against the Pelicans a few games ago, I’m recommending here as someone who can help you in the category.
The green light alone to fire off seven shots and hitting none is encouraging to me, believe it or not.
And, what’s more, we’re seeing Osman play more significant minutes for the Cavs (ignoring his 15 on Friday night).
Ignoring the 0-7 performance, Osman has hit 12 threes in his last four games (six came in one game), and he’s able to move around the lineup based on opponent. As a result, he’s a sneaky-good pickup for managers who need help across the board, especially in threes.
Field-goal percentage
Alperen Sengun (C – HOU): 30%
The Rockets are another team that should be active at the deadline, and whether or not they make a clear path for Sengun to get playing time due to a trade, they have absolutely nothing to play for in the second half of the season.
Sengun should get a ton of run moving forward, and we’ve seen the upside that Sengun has.
Free-throw percentage
Eric Bledsoe (PG/SG – POR): 28%
You know the drill by now with this category. We find someone who can knock down free throws, yes, but it’s also to highlight a player who we can’t quite squeeze into any of the above categories. This week, we’ll talk about Bledsoe.
Bledsoe has been putting up mid-round value this year, and his value should remain the same after the trade to Portland.
Instead of hovering in the low-20s for minutes, I’m expecting Bledsoe to have a more prominent role with the Trail Blazers and play more minutes. It’s a great landing spot for him, and just because he’s old doesn’t mean you should overlook him to give you a boost across the board.
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Michael Waterloo is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Michael, check out his archive and follow him @MichaelWaterloo.
