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
James Johnson, SF, Raptors
Johnson has seen exactly 19 minutes in three of his last five games, but he has topped 30 minutes in the other two, and scored at least 20 points on both occasions. Terrence Ross seems to have regressed and Raptors fans will say he is taking games off, so naturally there seems to be an opening here for Johnson to step into a major role on a somewhat permanent basis. Always considered a great talent, Johnson's intangibles, or lack thereof, have led to him being well-traveled throughout the league with his minutes often fluctuating greatly. Still, he is shooting above 60 percent from the field this season, and will offer more than a steal and a block per game if he starts regularly getting starter's minutes. He scored 27 points in a blowout loss Saturday, but earlier this month he had 20 points in a win over San Antonio, so he has shown the ability to score in winning efforts as well. Isaiah Canaan, who was traded to Philadelphia at the trading deadline, might be a more stable option here if he is still available.
REBOUNDS
Alex Len, C, Suns
There are a lot of strong options here, but with the departure of Miles Plumlee, Len should start to see 30 minutes a night on a regular basis, making him a must-add in most formats. In his first two games since the trade deadline, Len is averaging 9.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in 34.5 minutes per game. The blocks may not be quite sustainable, but the rest of those numbers should be expected if he can stay healthy down the stretch. Tyler Zeller and Jusuf Nurkic should also be owned in the vast majority of leagues.
ASSISTS
Norris Cole, PG, Pelicans
There are not a lot of great options here, and even Cole is a well-below-average distributor among point guards, but he should see minutes, at least in the short term. He had a strong game against the Heat on Saturday, and with the injuries the Pelicans are dealing with, they will need Cole to see 25-30 minutes and he may be intent on proving the Heat wrong for giving up on him. Tim Frazier's minutes will be worth watching in Philly now that Isaiah Canaan will be starting at the point, as Frazier profiles as the better passer. If Mo Williams is available for some reason, he's a very strong option while Kemba Walker is out. The Lakers' point guard situation is also worth monitoring in deeper leagues, as Ronnie Price is back to seeing relevant minutes.
STEALS
James Ennis, SF, Heat
With Chris Bosh and Josh McRoberts out for the season, things have fallen off the tracks in the Heat's frontcourt, despite the Hassan Whiteside breakout. Coach Erik Spoelstra showed Saturday that he is still not comfortable giving Chris Andersen or Udonis Haslem more than 20 minutes per game, even as the only power forwards/backup centers on the roster. Enter Ennis, who saw 23 minutes off the bench Saturday and scored eight points with eight rebounds and a steal. He is just 6-foot-7, but with Whiteside protecting the rim, a Luol Deng and Ennis combo could offer enough size at the forward position against many teams. Ennis has averaged 1.2 steals per 36 minutes, and he has the athleticism to really take off if given enough playing time.
BLOCKS
Dante Cunningham, SF, Pelicans
With Anthony Davis and Ryan Anderson banged up, Cunningham could be poised for an increased role, at least in the short term. Even in mostly limited playing time, Cunningham has averaged two blocks per game over his last five contests. He won't offer much production in other categories, but given his position eligibility, he offers a nice source of blocks in deeper leagues. John Henson and Jusuf Nurkic are definitely preferable options here, but they are likely owned in most serious formats.
THREE-POINTERS
Jared Dudley, SF, Bucks
Dudley has had a really nice bounceback season after playing hurt for most of the 2013-14 campaign. He is shooting 44 percent from behind the arc and 50.6 percent from the field, which is pretty impressive. While he does not take as many three-pointers as some other knock-down shooters, the fact that he won't hurt your team anywhere makes him pretty valuable even if he is only hitting one or two treys per game. Iman Shumpert is another name to consider here.
