Now that the initial mayhem of the fantasy season is over, we start to get into the grind. We have a sample size from which to work, making it harder to find long-term gems on the waiver wire. For that reason, our focus shifts to specific categories as opposed to overall value, at least in certain situations. Whether it’s targeting an offensive threat capable of delivering points and 3s or a defensive-minded player who can help boost your blocks and steals numbers, narrowing your focus can prove vital as you battle for seedings. Let’s dive into six players who are currently rostered in fewer than 30% of Yahoo leagues.
Marcus Smart, Memphis Grizzlies (26% rostered)
Much like Hunter, Smart has missed a significant portion of the early going due to injury. He returned to action against the Lakers on Wednesday, amassing 15 points to go with six assists, one steal, one block and two 3-pointers in just 23 minutes of playing time. His start to the season was far from impressive, scoring a total of 28 points across five games. Not only was his production sub-par, but he was typically playing minutes in the low 20s.
However, with Ja Morant sidelined for at least the next couple of weeks, Smart has an opportunity to step into a larger role, be it as a starter or off the bench. The offensive output is going to be wildly unpredictable, whereas his ability to rack up steals and assists should provide managers with an element of safety.
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De’Andre Hunter, Atlanta Hawks (25%)
Having missed the majority of the season due to both injury and personal reasons, Hunter is slated to make his return to the lineup against the Wizards on Friday. While Hunter’s overall fantasy appeal is limited, he does have a proven ability to contribute on the offensive end of the court. In the two games he has played, Hunter scored 12 and 24 points, respectively, including an impressive 12-for-13 from the line. He has averaged 15.6 and 15.4 points per game in each of the past two seasons, a range that should be replicable, especially with Bogdan Bogdanović sidelined due to an injury of his own.
Although Hunter has missed 10 straight games, the latter portion of his absence was due to the birth of a child. For that reason, he should have well and truly recovered from his injury, meaning the ramp-up time could be quite quick. If you are in need of points and 3s, as well as an efficient free-throw shooter on relatively high volume, Hunter could be worth snapping up, at least to see what his role looks like.
Donovan Clingan, Portland Trail Blazers (20%)
Coming off easily the best game of his career, Clingan continues to adjust to the NBA, flashing some upside, particularly on the defensive end. In a victory over the Timberwolves on Wednesday, Clingan let his production do the talking, tallying 17 points and 12 rebounds to go with an impressive eight blocked shots. While this was a breakout performance, it should be noted that it came on a night when both Robert Williams and Deandre Ayton were sidelined.
Williams is expected to return for their next game, while Ayton’s absence remains without a specific timeline. This screams of frustration with a very real chance the Trail Blazers opt to run with a three-center rotation. However, Clingan’s minutes have increased over the past week, playing at least 17 minutes in four straight games. He has blocked at least one shot in every game this season while shooting a healthy 55 percent from the field. Although it is unlikely we see a performance like we did Wednesday, Clingan’s arrow appears to be pointed up, making him a sneaky blocks specialist, even in standard formats.
Isaiah Joe, Oklahoma City Thunder (8%)
Following a significant injury to Chet Holmgren, the Thunder are going to be running a lot of small-ball lineups, at least until Isaiah Hartenstein returns from his injury. While there is no clear beneficiary following Holmgren’s bad luck, it does appear as though Joe is going to be featured a little more moving forward.
Ignoring his last game in which he failed to score, Joe had connected on multiple 3-pointers in all but one game thus far. His fantasy value is limited to that one category, making him the epitome of a specialist streaming option. If you are looking for a short-term boost in perimeter scoring, look no further than Joe.
Kris Dunn, Los Angeles Clippers (8%)
After an indifferent start to his Clippers career, Dunn shifted into the starting lineup against the Rockets on Wednesday, delivering arguably his best game of the season. He has now played at least 28 minutes in two straight games, averaging 10.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.5 3-pointers. While his defensive production has been a little underwhelming, a stable role could go a long way to rectifying that.
Dunn has proven time and time again that he can be a valuable fantasy asset when afforded meaningful minutes. If the Clippers have decided to roll with him in place of Terance Mann, Dunn could quickly become not only an assists and steals specialist but a must-roster player across all formats.
Keon Ellis, Sacramento Kings (7%)
Ellis too has had an inconsistent start to the season, although his defensive contributions have been a little more stable. Coming into the season, he was slated to be a starter on Opening Night, something that never came to fruition after Kevin Huerter returned to full strength. In fact, Ellis has started just one game all season, eclipsing 25 minutes on just four occasions. Despite playing only 21.5 minutes per game, Ellis has put up 1.4 steals and 0.9 blocks.
Fast forward to this week and we have a situation where both Malik Monk and DeMar DeRozan could be missing from the lineup. This could result in Ellis moving back into the starting lineup. If his playing can push 30 minutes per night, we could be looking at over 3.0 combined steals and blocks per game, making him a viable defensive specialist.
