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
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG, Pistons
Caldwell-Pope was quiet Saturday, but he is still averaging 16.6 points and 3.4 three-pointers over his last five games. He also attempted 14 field goals per game over that stretch, as it seems that the Pistons' deadline moves may have thrust KCP into a more substantial role in the offense. The issue with the second-year wing has always been his efficiency, or lack thereof. He is a career 39.9-percent shooter and we have a pretty big sample size at this point. Perhaps we should be cautious about buying into Caldwell-Pope's recent hot stretch, as he is outperforming his previous rates, but the Pistons' roster is such right now that the shots should be there for the rest of 2015. In addition to points and three-pointers, KCP averages more than a steal per game, so he will be an asset in three categories.
REBOUNDS
Ersan Ilyasova, PF, Bucks
Everyone who has played fantasy hoops for a few seasons has been burned by Ilyasova at some point, because he'll have stretches of being quite valuable, averaging a double-double at times, and then he inevitably either gets hurt or his production falls off a cliff. Well, right now is one of those times where it looks like there is some value to be extracted from Ilyasova, as he has two double-doubles over his last four games. Since the Bucks shook up their roster at the trade deadline, he has been seeing almost 10 extra minutes per game than he had been averaging earlier in the season, so as long as he is playing close to 30 minutes per night, he should be owned in most formats. Because of Ilyasova's style of play, his field-goal percentage (44.4 percent for his career) is less than ideal for a power forward, but the combo of scoring, rebounding and three-point shooting from a big man is tough to find on the waiver wire.
ASSISTS
Evan Turner, SG, Celtics
Turner is averaging close to a triple-double over his last five games, with 8.2 points, 8.2 assists and 7.4 rebounds over that stretch. He has not been shooting well from the field during that's stretch, but his field-goal percentage should trend back toward his career norms over the rest of the season, and as long as he continues to play well over 30 minutes per night, Turner should continue to lead the Celtics in assists. Consider that Turner and Marcus Smart have both been averaging 30-plus minutes over the last five games and Turner is averaging 8.2 assists and Smart is averaging three assists. It is pretty clear who the team's distributor is, even though Smart was drafted as a point guard out of Oklahoma State and Turner was drafted as a small forward back in the day.
STEALS
P.J. Tucker, SF, Suns
With just two point guards in town demanding minutes after the trade deadline and one of those (Brandon Knight) a little banged up, Tucker should be able to get 30-plus minutes per night over the rest of the season. Gerald Green is allowed to play more shooting guard now, which means less competition for minutes at the three. Tucker is one of those guys who does not stand out as much of a fantasy option relative to his playing time, but in deeper leagues, his above-average combination of rebounding and steals while shooting a solid percentage can be pretty useful.
BLOCKS
Ed Davis, PF, Lakers
Davis has very quietly been one of the more useful fantasy seasons on the Lakers this year. He will throw up a double-double every now and then, and he has been excellent at protecting the rim, especially lately. It is probably unsustainable, but Davis is averaging 10 boards and 2.4 blocks per game over his last five contests and is shooting 68.6 percent from the field over that span. He has three blocks in three of those five games, so it's not like that number is inflated by one outrageous performance against a bad team. The Lakers have won three games in a row, which has got to be frustrating the people in charge as they try to keep pace with the Knicks and Sixers in the hunt for the No. 1 overall pick, so perhaps players like Davis will see their minutes curtailed to ensure they get back on a losing streak. However, as long as he is on the court for 24-plus minutes per game, the solid production in the big-man categories should be there.
THREE-POINTERS
Jae Crowder, SF, Celtics
Crowder should be among the top adds this week as it seems he has found a nice home in Boston. He is averaging 16.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, one steal and three three-pointers per game over his last four games, and it seems like he has a green light from behind the arc that he never had in his days in Dallas. Crowder averages 2.2 attempts from behind the arc for his career, but he has taken 27 three-pointers over his last four games, which signifies a change in his game. He is shooting just under 35 percent from deep this season, so he won't average three makes per game going forward, but he could offer a couple of treys per night as long as he continues to stay heavily involved in the Celtics' plan of attack.
