This article is part of our Category Strategy series.
Welcome back to another season of "Under the Radar." The purpose of this column is to keep fantasy owners in the loop about overlooked players who could make an impact. Typically, these are not players to immediately pick up and insert into your starting lineup; they are usually players to stash on your bench, to take a "wait-and-see" approach with. As always, base your pickups on your team needs whether it be a position or category. Players discussed this season typically will have an ownership of less than 50 percent in most standard formats. As always, hit up the comments section with any question or follow-up.
Each week we'll look at three main areas: Minutes, Categories (for Roto leagues) and New Position Eligibility. With the season just barely under way, we'll tweak that format a tad for this week, only focusing on Categories. Keep in mind, some players this week have only one or two games to analyze. That's a two-sided coin; it's, of course, not a big sample size, but there's a fair chance that a player's first-week performance is not an aberration and if you don't grab him now someone else will get him.
Across the Board
Paul George, F, IND - Right away we'll break the "less than 50 percent" ownership rule and discuss George, who is 64-percent owned on one site. The truth is George's ownership should be 80 percent, at least, so check and see if he's available in your league. George brings an
Welcome back to another season of "Under the Radar." The purpose of this column is to keep fantasy owners in the loop about overlooked players who could make an impact. Typically, these are not players to immediately pick up and insert into your starting lineup; they are usually players to stash on your bench, to take a "wait-and-see" approach with. As always, base your pickups on your team needs whether it be a position or category. Players discussed this season typically will have an ownership of less than 50 percent in most standard formats. As always, hit up the comments section with any question or follow-up.
Each week we'll look at three main areas: Minutes, Categories (for Roto leagues) and New Position Eligibility. With the season just barely under way, we'll tweak that format a tad for this week, only focusing on Categories. Keep in mind, some players this week have only one or two games to analyze. That's a two-sided coin; it's, of course, not a big sample size, but there's a fair chance that a player's first-week performance is not an aberration and if you don't grab him now someone else will get him.
Across the Board
Paul George, F, IND - Right away we'll break the "less than 50 percent" ownership rule and discuss George, who is 64-percent owned on one site. The truth is George's ownership should be 80 percent, at least, so check and see if he's available in your league. George brings an amazing skill set to the table, the kind that can fill a stat sheet across the board. He started for the Pacers on Monday and finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, two three-pointers, a block and a steal. Few players have the ability to put up those numbers outside of the league's elite players. Again, check your waiver wire and if he's available, grab him in most formats.
FG Percentage
Ed Davis, C, TOR - The big man from North Carolina had a productive first game for the Raptors on Monday night, finishing a perfect 7-for-7 (14 points) from the floor with seven rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots. The craziest stat considering those numbers is that he accomplished all of that in 18 minutes, which makes it easy to see what he's capable of with 30-plus minutes per game. Unfortunately for Davis, he's behind both Amir Johnson and Andrea Bargnani, but a trade or injury could open up more minutes this season. The only red flag with Davis is his free-throw shooting; his 57.6 percent from the floor was better than his 55.5 percent from the charity stripe.
Rebounds
Damion James, F, NJ - James hauled down an impressive 14 rebounds in Monday's opener, which should open the eyes of owners needing help in that category. The second-year pro out of Texas is still developing his offensive game (44.7 percent from the field last season), but after getting 38 minutes Monday he may have an ample opportunity to do so. See if he continues to log heavy minutes and continues to be a defensive force. Just remember, any offensive upside here will take some time to develop.
Scoring
Gerald Henderson, G, CHA - Henderson's ownership sits right around 50 percent, and his outing Monday should help raise that number. He played 39 minutes and responded with 18 points, nine rebounds and a block. Remember that Henderson is only 24 on a team that lacks scoring options and was a 12th overall pick in the 2009 draft out of Duke. There's no reason to think that in this, his third season, a breakout could take place. If you're looking for shooting guard help, see if he's available.
Blocks
Marcus Camby, C, POR - Another whose ownership is floating around 50 percent, Camby looked solid in the Trail Blazers' first game, grabbing 13 rebounds and blocking two shots. While he's never going to average double-digit scoring, he still has the upside to do what he did in the opener: block two shots and get 10-plus rebounds every game. Just don't forget he'll be 38 this season and doesn't have the best injury history.
Extreme "Under the Radar" Guy
Klay Thompson, G, GS - The 11th overall pick in the 2011 draft has already found himself some minutes off the Warriors bench. While he's had a bit of a rough streak from a shooting standpoint since turning pro, there's a ton of upside with the 6-foot-7 guard. Although he's had some off-court issues, he has an outstanding pedigree, especially looking at his family. His father, Mychal Thompson played for the Trail Blazer, his brother Mychel plays for the Cavaliers and his brother Trayce is in the Chicago White Sox organization. At this point, he's only a name to be familiar with, but he could find fantasy value if Stephen Curry (who is dealing with an ankle injury) or Monta Ellis were to miss significant time from the lineup.
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