The specialists: Dereck Lively, Dillon Brooks and more fantasy basketball category helpers

I don’t care what anyone says, the Sylvester Stallone action movie, The Specialist, was awesome. Rotten Tomatoes and their 10% approval rating can… well, let’s just say those critics are haters and rotten. Anyways, you’re not here for movie recommendations — you’ve come for the fantasy hoops advice. Everything connects, though, young padawan.

In The Specialist, Stallone was an assassin who specialized in explosives, concocting his works of art with the intent of limiting collateral damage. But he deals with explosives, so things go boom, meaning not everything goes unscathed.

In every draft, we channel our inner Stallone, searching for particular stats while minimizing the damage to the overall squad. Sometimes things fit perfectly. Other times not so much, but it’s all for the betterment of the whole, hopefully. This is why building a solid foundation in particular categories at the beginning of drafts can mitigate some of the damage caused by selecting specialists.

In this piece, I will highlight the later-round specialists (125+ ADP — ADP courtesy of Fantrax) who may be able to help in categories that you become deficient in. The motivation to draft these players is low, but they should be written into the Rolodex or programmed into the speed dial. Is that still a thing?

By the way, The Specialist had a $45 million budget and grossed $170.4 million. Like our specialists, the profit potential isn’t massive, but they can certainly contribute to winning fantasy teams.

Big Boy Badness

The modern game has changed the role of many of the big men in the league, as more have become perimeter-oriented. That said, boards, blocks and field goal percentage are typically found in the later-round bigs. With these players, you won’t be getting treys and dimes, and the free throw percentage is typically poor.

• Dereck Lively II, DAL, ADP 226 — All I keep seeing are articles about how impressed the team is and how “Lively” he’s been in camp while building chemistry with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Jason Kidd also mentioned that he may be the starting center come the regular season. I still think Richaun Holmes has a chance to be the starting center, but I cannot deny these drum beats and the current acquisition cost. If Lively does get significant minutes, the field goal percentage is going to be sky-high because all he will be doing is flushing oops all day. With his athleticism and length, the boards and blocks should be there as well. The obvious downside is the free throw shooting, as he converted 60% of his attempts in college.

• Drew Eubanks, PHO, ADP 281 — Eubanks has converted 64% of his shot attempts in each of the past two seasons. He is backing up Jusuf Nurkic in Phoenix now, so a replication of the 20.3 minutes he averaged last season is the likely outcome. That said, Nurkic hasn’t been a bastion of health lately, playing 52 and 56 games over the past two seasons. In addition, his defense isn’t what it used to be. There’s upside here for Eubanks if Nurkic misses time or the Suns decide to make a change. Even if Nurkic remains the starter, Eubanks should be valuable since he averaged 1.5 blocks last season in only 20 mpg.

• Steven Adams, MEM, ADP 144 — Adams gets a little disrespected. Is it the hair? Aquaman haters? More than likely, it’s the 36% free throw shooting. I get it. That’s freaking atrocious, and at 3.1 attempts per game, it stings for sure. He is a career 53% shooter, though, and he dealt with injuries, so it’s likely that he returns to career norms this season. Granted, 50% still stinks, but if you built a solid free throw percentage base earlier, then the collateral damage will be mitigated. Now, let’s talk about the goodies that Adams provides. 59% field goal percentage. <Kool Aid Man breaks through wall and yells, “Oh Yeah!”> . Around 10 boards per game. <Vince McMahon amazed GIF> Did you know that Adams has career numbers of 0.9 steals and 1 block per game? Now you know, and knowing is half the battle — Yo, Joe!!! He even chips in a few dimes per game.

• Isaiah Hartenstein, NYK, ADP 321 — The field goal percentage may not be elite, and the blocks may not be voluminous, but Hartenstein is a career 57% shooter, so the 53% mark he posted last season could be an outlier. He averaged 0.8 blocks in 19.8 minutes per game. It’s not something worthy of texting the wife that we are eating out for dinner tonight, but it’s not bad for someone who is essentially free in drafts. Hartenstein did play in all 82 games last season while starting eight of them, and there’s definitely value in that. Mitchell Robinson has dealt with some injuries in the past, so there is upside as well.

• Kevon Looney, GS, ADP 148 — Looney is the ultimate specialist, as he won’t score many points or contribute in the defensive stats. He’s out there to set screens and grab boards, so unless you’re in a league that counts screens or illegal picks, you’re looking at Looney for rebounds. Last season, he grabbed a career-high 9.3 boards per game in 23.9 minutes. Interestingly, he’s increased his rebounding prowess by exactly 2.0 in each of the past two seasons. The SATs have taught me that we should expect 11.3 rebounds per game from Looney this season. Unfortunately, that’s not how the world works.

• Mason Plumlee, LAC, ADP 279 — After being acquired by the Clippers last season, Plumlee saw the playing time plummet (say that fast five times) to 19.9 minutes per game (from 28.5). Because he doesn’t get cute and venture outside his lane, the field goal percentage is in the 60 to 70 percent range, albeit on limited volume. While the defensive contributions are minimal, Plumlee does excellent work on the glass. He pulled down 6.9 per contest in 20 minutes last season with the Clippers and was often in the 9-range when he played around 27 minutes with Charlotte. An added bonus with Plumlee is that he’s an excellent passer and will dish out a few dimes here and there.

• Isaiah Jackson, IND, ADP 155 — I’m sorry, Ms. Jackson, but Isaiah probably won’t play 18 minutes per game. When he’s out there, though, he’s going to provide those big man stats to stuff into the goodie bags. Over two seasons, he’s averaged 16 minutes per contest, providing a 56% field goal percentage, 4.4 boards and a whopping 1.5 blocks per game. The cost isn’t cheap for someone who likely won’t play 18 minutes a game, but the per-minute production is juicy.

• Charles Bassey, SA, ADP 435 — Bassey led the Spurs in block percentage at 5.4%. Only two players last season had a higher number — Nic Claxton at 7.1% and Brook Lopez at 6.7%. They each played over 75 games, though, while Bassey was limited to 35 due to injury. Bassey dominated in the G League and, with the big club, averaged 14.5 minutes, 0.9 blocks and 5.5 rebounds. The Spurs signed him to a four-year, $10.2 million contract earlier this year and he’s slated to be the backup to Zach Collins. The minutes could get close to 20, and there’s some upside if Collins succumbs to injury again.

Thieves and Threes

If I need something stolen, I’m employing the services of Robert De Niro, as his resume is second to none with Heist, Heat, Ronin and The Score. The closest thing we have to De Niro in the thievery department for fantasy hoops is Jrue Holiday, who has averaged between 1.5 and 1.6 steals per game in 11 of 12 seasons from 2010 to 2021. But even Jrue dipped down to 1.2 last season. Steals, inherently, are a variable stat but there are a few specialists who can help out.

• Delon Wright, WAS, ADP 166 — Wright stole a whopping 1.8 per game last season in 24.4 minutes. With the additions of Tyus Jones, Jordan Poole and Landry Shamet, the playing time will likely come down to the 20-minute range. There have been three other seasons in which Wright has averaged fewer than 20 mpg — 2016, 2018 and 2021— and he still racked up 1.0+ steals in each of those seasons. Don’t expect many points, but Wright can dish out a few dimes.

• Matisse Thybulle, POR, ADP 158 — Appreciating a Matisse is a matter of perspective. The percentages are gross but at least the free throws are on low volume. Last season, he averaged 1.7 steals and 0.8 blocks in 27.7 minutes per game. There’s a good chance he starts this season and sees a similar workload. Matisse is a true defensive specialist, so hopefully the dings won’t be too large to make the entire puzzle go dong.

• Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, DEN, ADP 148 — KCP averaged 1.5 steals last season. He did have two seasons with 1.4 in 2015 and 2017, but his career average is 1.1, so it’s likely he comes back down this season. He also shot 46% from the field last season and 42% from downtown, but his career marks are 42% and 36%, respectively. While some regression could be in store on the percentage fronts, playing alongside that Jokic guy tends to provide plenty of good looks and he knocked down 1.8 treys per game. The beauty of KCP is that he’s a staple of the starting lineup and should average over 30 minutes per game.

• Alex Caruso, CHI, ADP 156 — Last season, Caruso led the league in steal percentage at 3.03. He will contribute some dimes and the blocks were at 0.7 last season, but I’d expect that to come down to the 0.4 range. He did shoot 45% from the field, but he’s a career 42% shooter from the field, so I wouldn’t expect the field goal percentage gains to hold. Caruso did play 23.5 minutes per contest last season and I’d expect a similar allotment of playing time this year.

• Donte DiVincenzo, NY, ADP 157 — DiVincenzo averaged 26.3 mpg last season with the Warriors, but he’s in New York now with the Knicks. I think he gets closer to 20 mpg this season, but he should still be a contributor in steals, dimes and treys. Last season, he was eighth in steal percentage at 2.4. He also drained 2.1 treys and dished out 3.5 dimes.

• Kelly Oubre Jr., PHI, ADP 195 — Oubre has gone from Charlotte to Philly, so he’s not sniffing the 32.3 mpg he played last season. More than likely, he’s going to be in the teens. The efficiency is going to be rough, but he could garner a high usage rate leading the second unit, providing points, treys and steals. He was 23rd in steal percentage last season.

• Josh Richardson, MIA, ADP 157 — Richardson is similar to Oubre in that the efficiency will be rough, but both can rack up steals. The main differences are that Richardson is a much better shooter from downtown and he could see significant playing time, as the depth chart at guard in Miami is barren.

• Jarred Vanderbilt, LAL, ADP 156 — JV plays with the varsity and is a specialist in the truest sense of the word. He’s a low-usage player who’s out there to play defense, bring energy, grab boards and rack up steals. He was 24th in steal percentage last season and he will likely play somewhere in the low-20s.

Helpful Helpers

There’s a reason why people pay up for dimes early in the draft, because they become mighty scarce later on.

• T.J. McConnell, IND, ADP 383 — Despite starting only six of 75 games and averaging 20.3 minutes per contest, McConnell averaged 5.3 dimes per game last season. He was ninth in assist percentage at 37.9%. TJ also provides steals and has averaged fewer than 1.0 per game only once in his eight-year career.

• Monté Morris, DET, ADP Undrafted — Morris goes from Washington, where he played 27 minutes per night, to Detroit, where he will back up Cade Cunningham and likely play in the teens. That said, Morris was 34th in assist percentage last season.

• Kyle Lowry, MIA, ADP 268 — I know, I know… it’s gross. The shooting efficiency plummeted and the dimes dropped by two per game. In addition, Lowry started 44 of 55 games played. That said, he did average 5.1 dimes per game.

• Dennis Schroder, TOR, ADP 145 — Will likely replace Fred VanVleet as the starting point guard for the Raptors. It’s a good probability that Schroder plays over 30 minutes per game and provides around 4.5 dimes per contest.

He Shoots, He Scores!

Most of the players in the first few rounds are averaging 20 to 30 points per game. Falling behind in points can be a difficult endeavor to overcome. Not impossible, though, and there are some guys later who can mitigate the blow, but the points often don’t come with much else.

• Norman Powell, LAC, ADP 157 — Since arriving in Los Angeles, Powell has essentially been the microwave off the bench, averaging around 12 shots, 26 minutes and 17 points per game. He also contributes around two treys and the free throw shooting is good on decent volume of around 4.5 per contest. He won’t provide much else, though.

• Tim Hardaway Jr., DAL, ADP 353 — Hardaway averaged 30 minutes last season. I highly doubt he sniffs that, as a microwave off the bench role seems to be in the cards. While the efficiency won’t be good, Hardaway should provide treys and score in double-figures.

• De’Andre Hunter, ATL, ADP 158 — Hunter has averaged between 12 and 15 points in each of the four seasons he’s been in the league with 1.3 to 1.7 treys while playing 29 to 32 minutes. The range of outcomes is extremely narrow for Hunter but you basically know what you’re going to get.

• Dillon Brooks, HOU, ADP 157 — Brooks signed a four-year, $86 million contract with the Rockets. Dillon Brooks says that “It’s Dillon Brooks Time!”. Brooks is a career 41% shooter from the field, but as long as he’s between the white lines, he’s going to jack up shots. Due to the contract and defensive ability, he will likely play close to 30 mpg. Brooks has averaged double-figures in every season that he’s played more than 18 games.

• Bogdan Bogdanovic, ATL, ADP 152 — Since entering the NBA in 2017, Bogdanovic has scored double-figures in every season. Injuries are the big bugaboo, but when he’s on the court, he has the moxie and garners the usage (20%) to get his bucket-getting on. He will likely play around 28 minutes, hoist up 11 shots and score in the 14-point range. Bogdanovic will always chip in a few dimes and rack up a steal here and there.

• Malik Monk, SAC, ADP 158 — Monk averaged 22.3 minutes, 10.3 shots and 13.5 points per game last season. The Kings were first in offensive efficiency and Monk is the microwave off the bench for them.

(Photo by Borja B. Hojas/Getty Images)