This article is part of our Category Strategy series.
CATEGORY STRATEGY
Each week, this article highlights players who are widely available in standard leagues who can help in specific roto categories. While each player highlighted can help in a specific category, there's no guarantee for production in other areas.
POINTS
Andrea Bargnani, C, Knicks
Well, this is weird. I honestly would have been floored if someone told me that Bargnani would make an appearance in this column for something positive this season. Granted, his newfound role of significance on the Knicks only came about because the team is essentially playing a 10-man rotation where the best player might be Tim Hardaway. Obviously, Bargnani could get hurt at any moment, and I would probably take the under on 11 more starts over the Knicks final 22 games, but for now, he's balling. Over his last five games, Bargnani is averaging 17.8 points, five rebounds, 2.6 assists and one block in 29.6 minutes per game. He is also shooting 48.5 percent from the field, 44.4 percent from three-point range and 80.8 percent from the free-throw line over that span. His career rates suggest that the field-goal and three-point percentages might be unsustainable, but minutes and shots do not seem to be an issue for Bargnani right now.
REBOUNDS
Thomas Robinson, PF, Sixers
The lack of minutes with Robinson is a concern, but he has been rebounding at an extraordinary rate of late. He has at least nine boards in four of his last five games despite averaging 17.8 minutes per game in those games. He had a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds in Friday's loss to the Jazz, but he only played 15 minutes. Something has to give. Either Robinson will start seeing more minutes thanks to his strong work on the glass, or his production will level out and he will start grabbing six or seven boards per night, which would be much less useful. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is of course the preferred option here, as he has double-digit rebounds in five of his last six games from the small forward spot.
ASSISTS
Dennis Schroder, PG, Hawks
The Hawks currently have an 11-game cushion on the one seed in the Eastern Conference, and it seems highly likely that they will start to really rest the starters when it makes sense. This should lead to Schroder becoming much more valuable in fantasy, and in fact, we have already started to see this trend develop. Over Schroder's last five games he is averaging 6.6 assists in 24.2 minutes per game. Both of those numbers are way up over his season averages of 3.9 assists in 18.7 minutes per game. While the Hawks' enviable position in the standings could result in players like Jeff Teague and Al Horford letting owners down in stretch run, there is room for profit among Atlanta's reserves.
STEALS
Kent Bazemore, SG, Hawks
Just like with Schroder, Bazemore appears primed to hold a steady role for the Hawks down the stretch thanks to their position in the standings. Bazemore is seeing around 25 minutes per night, and he has 13 steals over his last seven games. There is not a lot of production that will accompany his steals, but he should be fairly efficient with his shots. This is more of a play for deep leagues and daily leagues when it is announced that one of the Hawks' starters will be held out, but Bazemore is certainly a guy to keep an eye on over the final month of the season.
BLOCKS
Ed Davis, PF, Lakers
Davis was also the guy I highlighted here last week, but he remains available in two-thirds of leagues. He has at least two blocks in three of his last five games, and is shooting an astounding 79.3 percent from the field over that stretch, with a 60.8-percent mark on the season. The minutes may not always be steady with Davis, but the blocks have still been there even when he sees limited run. James Johnson is another guy to consider here if you're looking for blocks from a wing player, although Johnson also has an erratic playing-time situation.
THREE-POINTERS
Tony Snell, SG, Bulls
Snell has made at least two three-pointers in four of his last five games and is hitting 41.7 percent of his attempts from long range over that stretch. E'Twaun Moore is probably seeing a little too much run of late, which has cut slightly into Snell's minutes, but he has still been a solid source of three-point shooting. With Jimmy Butler out indefinitely, Snell is the best option to own as long as Doug McDermott remains in a relatively small bench role. However, if McDermott's 16-point game in 16 minutes Friday leads to him seeing more run, he would also be a strong option here. If anyone dropped Isaiah Canaan after his initial struggles with the 76ers, he should be added over both of the options on the Bulls.
