This article is part of our Category Strategy series.
At this point in the fantasy season, leagues can be won and lost by one category, especially in roto formats. If you're in desperate need of a specialist, there are still some out there to choose from on the waiver wire, and a handful of them will be worth rostering for the remainder of the season.
Below are suggestions for seven of the typical eight categories. Points specialists were excluded since they're almost always scooped up off the wire.
Roster percentage is from CBS
Ivica Zubac, Clippers
(45% ROST)
Category: Rebounds
Zubac has averaged 8.4 rebounds per game over the past 30 days. And despite being the Clippers' starting center for the past 15 games, he's available in more than 50 percent of CBS leagues. In addition to his great rebounding, he's averaged 10.5 points on 64.4 percent shooting during this stretch, making him an excellent pick-up for field-goal percentage as well. Fantasy managers should be aware that Serge Ibaka (back) is expected to make a return sometime soon, though it's not exactly clear when. However, that's not a reason to avoid Zubac. As a bench player, he averaged 6.9 rebounds in 19.7 minutes as he feasted on second units.
Nerlens Noel, Knicks
(41% ROST)
Category: Blocks
Noel has been a block specialist from the moment he debuted in the NBA. With Mitchell Robinson (foot) possibly out for the year, Noel has stepped in as the Knicks starting center. He needs to be rostered in 12-team formats, as he's been the 77th best fantasy player on a per-game basis over the past 30 days. During this stretch, he's averaged 2.4 blocks, ranking third on the leaderboard, behind only Myles Turner (3.8) and Rudy Gobert (2.6). You're getting more than just blocks with Noel. He's providing nice fantasy contributions in steals (1.3), rebounds (6.9) and field-goal percentage (59.3).
Danny Green, 76ers
(38% ROST)
Category: Threes
Green's stats might not look gaudy, but he's been a top-60 fantasy player over the past month. His main contribution is threes, where he's drained 3.5 per game over the past 14 contests. He hasn't been slacking on defense, either, averaging 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks in his 28.1 minutes. With the 76ers back to full strength and looking to maintain the top seed heading into the postseason, Green should continue seeing significant minutes and being fed easy looks by facilitators Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. If Green isn't available in your league, consider Reggie Bullock, who is just 11% rostered but has provided 3.2 threes and 1.4 steals per game over the past 30 days.
Tomas Satoransky, Bulls
(37% ROST)
Category: Assists
Satoransky entered the Bulls' starting lineup March 14. Since then, he's averaged 6.1 assists per game in 28.5 minutes, acting as Chicago's point guard. Without any other skilled distributors on the team, Satoransky should continue his role for the remainder of the season. He can be inconsistent, but the highs pay off the lows, as he's posted two double-digit assists performances over the past six games. Over the past 17 games, he's also been a good source of steals (1.3), field-goal percentage (50.0) and free-throw percentage (90.5). Satoransky is probably worth adding for the remainder of the season in most 10-12 team fantasy leagues.
Jeremy Lamb, Pacers
(20% ROST)
Category: Free-throw percentage
Lamb doesn't qualify for the NBA's leaderboards yet due to a lack of total minutes, but he's got a good chance of ending the year as the league's best free-throw shooter. He's 67-for-70 (95.7%) on the season. That's nothing too out of the ordinary for Lamb. For his career, he's an 85.9 percent free-throw shooter. His role in Indiana's offense fluctuates, so he's not a great fantasy addition for those looking for bumps in other categories. But if you're in desperate need of free-throw shooting, Lamb might be the best available option.
Tony Bradley, Thunder
(9%ROST)
Category: Field-goal percentage
Former replacement starter for Joel Embiid on the 76ers, Bradley was traded to the Thunder in the deal that sent George Hill to Philadelphia. Bradley has found a regular role in Oklahoma City as Moses Brown's backup. Since joining OKC, he's shot 64.5 percent from the field for 9.8 points per game in 21.1 minutes. Bradley has also been a decent source of rebounds (7.5) and can rack up some blocks (1.1). He might not be worth hanging onto for the long haul given his role, but he's ranked 139th on a per-game basis over the past month. That's enough to make him viable for fantasy managers in 12-team leagues that need the field-goal percentage boost.
Josh Okogie, Timberwolves
(6% ROST)
Category: Steals
Certainly the worst overall fantasy option on this list, Okogie is a pure defensive specialist, and his offensive numbers aren't worth looking at if you get nauseated easily. However, he's averaged 1.8 steals in 24.6 minutes across his past 10 games. While that may not be sustainable, he's proven to be a great source of steals before. As a rookie, he ranked 18th in steal percentage (2.4), averaging 1.8 swipes per 36 minutes. He's at a similar rate this season. Rostering him in a 12-team league will reek of desperation, but it's worth considering if he can vault you up the standings.
