Each Monday throughout the fantasy basketball season, we go around the league and identify highly available players (owned in less than 50 percent of ESPN leagues) who can help improve your teams in certain statistical categories.
Here are some players to target this week, as well as their ESPN ownership:
Points & 3s
Mirza Teletovic
Position: PF
Phoenix Suns
Owned %: 39.8
Now that Phoenix has bought out Kris Humphries, there is one fewer big man to take minutes from Teletovic. That is key when you consider the type of numbers the veteran has put up on the court this season. Over the past five games, he has averaged 20 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.6 3s per game.
Doug McDermott
Position: SF
Chicago Bulls
Owned %: 21.0
McDermott remains available in just about 80 percent of ESPN leagues, despite his averaging 19.6 points and 2 3s per game over the past five outings. Although the second-year forward doesn't offer a whole lot in fantasy, other than free-throw percentage, he is worth a roster spot for teams seeking scoring and 3-point shooting.
Rebounds
Alex Len
Position: C
Phoenix Suns
Owned %: 26.1
The Suns are a mess, and that seems to be keeping fantasy owners away from many players on the team, regardless of how well individuals are playing. Take Len, for example. He has averaged 18 points and 10.8 rebounds over the past four games, two of which resulted in double-doubles, yet is available in nearly three-quarters of ESPN leagues.
Tyson Chandler
Position: C
Phoenix Suns
Owned %: 36.4
Chandler is another overlooked Suns player who has averaged 11.5 rebounds in two games since his return from a shoulder injury. One of the game's best rebounders for many seasons, the veteran center has averaged 9.3 boards in his lengthy NBA career, and his season average is at 8.5 RPG entering Monday.
Assists
Raymond Felton
Position: PG/SG
Dallas Mavericks
Owned %: 15.9
Felton isn't starting in Dallas, but he is playing a prominent role off the bench and averaging 29.1 minutes in the past 10 games. He has chipped in with 10.8 points and four assists per game in that stretch.
Norris Cole
Position: PG
New Orleans Pelicans
Owned %: 24.8
Jrue Holiday's reemergence in New Orleans is getting all the attention these days, and Eric Gordon's return to the lineup Saturday gives the Pelicans another ball-handler to run the offense. But Cole still played 29 minutes in Gordon's first game back, and he still started ahead of Holiday. As long as things stay this way, you can count on Cole to dish out at least four assists per game going forward.
Steals
Marcus Smart
Position: PG/SG
Boston Celtics
Owned %: 39.3
The second-year guard out of Oklahoma State averaged 1.9 steals per game in January and backed that up with 1.8 swipes per contest in February. Although overshadowed by Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley, Smart is a steady source of steals and a solid secondary contributor in terms of assists (3 APG) and rebounds (4 RPG).
Gary Harris
Position: SG
Denver Nuggets
Owned %: 21.9
Harris' offensive numbers could very well pick up with Nuggets leading scorer Danilo Gallinari out for at least the next seven games, but on the defensive end, his ability to rack up steals is what makes the second-year shooting guard so valuable in fantasy. He has averaged 1.9 steals over the past 10 games.
Blocks
Andrew Bogut
Position: C
Golden State Warriors
Owned %: 29.7
An overlooked part of the Warriors success, Bogut quietly goes about his business as a rebounder, distributor and rim-protector for Golden State. Without him, the Warriors aren't the juggernaut they've been all season. The veteran Aussie center enters the week averaging 1.8 blocks per game and is available in more than 70 percent of ESPN leagues.
Ed Davis
Position: PF/C
Portland Trail Blazers
Owned %: 25.9
Davis has never been a huge shot-blocker, as he averages just one per game in 413 career NBA games, but he has found some bounce in his step lately and has 2.4 rejections per game over the past five contests. Also, if you add Davis, you get an efficient shooter (60.4 percent) and solid rebounder (7.4 RPG).