RADIO
The 2014-15 NBA Season is quickly approaching its midway point, and with that it is time to dive back into the fantasy basketball waiver wire. Today, the focus is on sleepers of the “Category Specialist” variety that can each help out in different areas during Week 11.
Position Eligibility & Ownership Rate Based on Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball Player List
Three-Point Specialist
C.J. Miles (IND, SG/SF) - 29% Owned
I mentioned C.J. Miles in this column two weeks ago as a three point specialist. At the time, he was still just recovering from early season injuries and shaking the rust off. Now it appears he has seized the starting 2-guard spot in Indiana and is the main outside scoring option in their offense with guard George Hill out. Between 12/31 and 1/13, Miles averaged 16.8 points including 3.4 threes on 8.1 attempts a game. His light is so green, it is LEED-certified.
It is true that Miles posts fairly empty stat lines outside of points and threes, and taking such huge percentage of his shots from beyond the arc does have a detrimental effect on his FG%, but he is an elite three point option right now. He is at the top of my streaming lists, and I love him as longer-term option at forward in H2H leagues where I have elected to punt FG%.
Blocks Specialist
K.J. McDaniels (PHI, SG/SF) - 24% owned
When you think blocks, you usually think centers or power forwards, with good reason. Of the top 30 players in blocks per game (minimum 15 games) this season, only three players qualify in fantasy at position other than PF or C. Two of those three guys – Josh Smith and Draymond Green – only add SF to their versatility. That leaves one player in all of fantasy basketball averaging at least 1.3 blocks per game while qualifying to play at G in your fantasy lineup – McDaniels. If you are trying to maximize blocks in short time frame, qualifying at a position you a lot less likely to already have filled with a good shot blocker makes him a uniquely valuable player.
Lately, McDaniels has been trending up. In the six game stretch between 1/5 and 1/14, he averaged 11.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 threes, 0.8 steals, 1.5 blocks in 30.3 minutes/game, while also shooting an uncharacteristically good .478 on field goals. He will hit cold streaks with his shooting, but his playing time has been trending up over the course of the season and he has some valuable game experience behind him. To add some blocks to your team, think outside the PF/C center box and consider McDaniels.
Steals Specialist
Khris Middleton (MIL, SF/PF) - 35% Owned
With 1.4 steals per 36 minutes in his career, Middleton has always been an excellent source of steals. This season – and in particular, the last few weeks – he has elevated that to a new level. Between joining the starting lineup on 12/29 and the Bucks game against the Knicks on 1/15, Middleton has racked up 21 steals in only 9 games. In the mean time, he is also averaging 11.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.3 threes and only 0.8 turnovers.
While the spike in steals to over 2.0 per game is unsustainable long term, even 1.5 steals a game with that kind of well-rounded production would rank Middleton a top 50 player if he can keep it up. He should keep starting over the likes of Jared Dudley and O.J. Mayo going forward. I would look to add Middleton in all leagues where he is still available.
