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
Alexey Shved, PG/SG, Knicks
Shved has been given free reign to shoot and play as much as he wants of late, and while this increased role has not come with increased efficiency or winning basketball for the Knicks, there's no reason to think it won't continue with just 13 games left in the season. Over his last four games, Shved is averaging 21 points and 2.5 three-pointers while taking 16 shots and seeing 36 minutes per game. He may be owned in most serious leagues given that recent production, but if he's out there, grab him now. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is an option here in mid-sized leagues and Bojan Bogdanovic is someone to consider in deeper formats.
REBOUNDS
Zaza Pachulia, C, Bucks
After a monster game Friday in which he scored 21 points and added 22 rebounds and seven assists, Pachulia may have already been scooped up, and this performance, while unrepeatable, speaks to the Bucks' lack of size that coach Jason Kidd trusts. He clearly likes Pachulia, certainly more than he likes Miles Plumlee, who has not seen much work since coming over from Phoenix in the Brandon Knight trade. Even prior to the 22-rebound outing against the Nets, Pachulia had hauled in double-digit rebounds in two of his previous four games. Brandan Wright is another name to consider here.
ASSISTS
Ish Smith, PG, 76ers
Smith is seeing steady run (24-28 minutes per night) and has been a pretty solid distributor of late. He has eight or more assists in three of his last five games, and has supplanted Isaiah Canaan as the team's starting point guard in the process. The Sixers have won their last two games, and Smith is a big part of the reason why. Sadly, this could lead to him seeing his minutes curtailed, as Philadelphia is not losing at the same clip as teams like the Knicks and T-Wolves in the hunt for the best odds at winning the No. 1 overall pick. Andre Miller and Jordan Clarkson are also options here, although they are far less intriguing.
STEALS
Will Barton, SG, Nuggets
Barton is an intriguing young wing, and while the minutes have not been very consistent for him, he's at least playing more than he was when he was a member of the Trail Blazers. He exploded for 25 points and nine rebounds in 47 minutes last Sunday, but has only seen around 20 minutes per game since then. However, he still has seven total steals in his last four games, and if given a slight minutes boost he could offer help in other categories as well. Ish Smith (again!), Tony Allen, Iman Shumpert and Shane Larkin are also solid options here, but the latter three have significant flaws offensively.
BLOCKS
John Henson, C, Bucks
Henson has been profiled here a handful of times already this season, but the Bucks' unwillingness to give him big minutes every night has resulted in him being widely available in shallower leagues. He had 10 rebounds and seven blocks in Friday's game against the Nets and is almost averaging two blocks per game on the season despite playing fewer than 20 minutes per night. Henson has his flaws, but he can protect the rim with the best of them and should be able to carve out a long career based on that skill. Brandan Wright is another strong play here, but he is likely owned in most deeper leagues.
THREE-POINTERS
Randy Foye, SG, Nuggets
Foye has attempted a whopping 23 three-pointers over his last two games (making nine) and has emerged as a go-to option for the Nuggets down the stretch as they attempt to lose out. Surprisingly he can still be found on most waiver wires, and he could average 15 points and three three-pointers per game over the final weeks of the season. Anthony Morrow is another great option here, as he has the constant green light and is Oklahoma City's top floor spacer for Russell Westbrook to attack the teeth of the defense.
