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Jeff Green tops list of fantasy basketball specialists to add

Grizzlies forward Jeff Green has averaged 19.3 points per game over past two weeks. Troy Taormina/USA TODAY Sports

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 team in certain statistical categories.

Here are some players to target this week, with their ESPN ownership listed:


Points

Matz

Jeff Green, SF/PF, Memphis Grizzlies (41.6)

One of the streakiest players in the NBA, the veteran forward scored over 20 points in three straight games last week and has averaged 19.3 points per game over the past two weeks. When Green is in a groove and playing with confidence offensively, as he is now, the best thing you can do is ride out the hot streak.

Matz

Courtney Lee, SG, Memphis Grizzlies (6.3)

Lee is below-average for a shooting guard when it comes to rebounding (2.5 RPG) and distributing (1.4 APG), but that doesn't mean he can't help your fantasy team. Lee is a capable scorer and 3-point shooter (13 PPG, 2.0 3PG over the past five games) who also averages 1.1 steals a game this season.


Rebounds

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Tyson Chandler, C, Phoenix Suns (45.1)

Chandler has rebounding totals of 27, 20, 14, 13 and 12 over the past seven games, and though he is less of a shot-blocker and scorer at this stage in his career, he remains a huge asset on the glass. He is playing right around 30 minutes a game in recent weeks, but keep an eye on this because the dismissal of coach Jeff Hornacek could change his playing time.

Matz

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, Charlotte Hornets (38.4)

I've received a lot of inquiries about MKG and whether it's worth picking him up. At the end of the day, the 22-year-old remains more of a defender than an offensive player at this early stage in his career, and more of a rebounder than a scorer. He averaged 7.6 rebounds a game as a third-year player last season; if he matches that this season, that's a high number for a small forward.


Assists

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Mario Chalmers, PG/SG, Memphis Grizzlies (20.1)

Chalmers isn't shooting the ball as well as we've seen him shoot in the past (37.9 percent over past five games), but what he's lacking as a scorer he's making up for as a distributor. The veteran has averaged 6.4 assists in his past 10 games and hasn't had fewer than four assists in a game since Jan. 2.

Matz

Evan Turner, SG/SF, Boston Celtics (40.6)

Turner is playing really well in recent weeks. Over the past five games, he has put up 13.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. But where Turner is especially effective is as a passer. Not many shooting guards or small forwards average 5.4 assists per game, as Turner has in his past five contests.


Steals

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Nikola Jokic, PF/C, Denver Nuggets (45.3)

Take a look at Jokic's game log, and you will immediately wonder how he's not owned in over half of ESPN leagues. The tough 20-year-old rookie not only has averaged 2.1 steals over the past 10 games but also has put up 11.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 0.7 blocks per game in that span. And all that came in only 22 minutes a night.

Matz

Gary Harris, SG, Denver Nuggets (20.3)

Few young players in the league log as many minutes as Harris, who is averaging 30.5 MPG in his second season in the league, and the 21-year-old continues to get better in all phases of the game. Nowhere is he more useful in fantasy, though, than when it comes to steals (2.8 SPG over the past five games).


Blocks

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Taj Gibson, PF/C, Chicago Bulls (41.6)

The injuries to Nikola Mirotic and Joakim Noah have only given Gibson more minutes, which makes him one of the most overlooked and undervalued fantasy options out there right now. He has two blocks in four of the past five games but is also an efficient scorer (shooting 50.7 percent on the season) and solid rebounder (9.1 RPG over past 10).

Matz

Roy Hibbert, C, Los Angeles Lakers (31.6)

There is no denying that Hibbert's first season in Los Angeles has been a major disappointment, as his game has regressed in many ways, but the 7-foot-2 big man remains a force as a shot-blocker. He is averaging 1.7 blocks a game this season and has been an even bigger force lately, rejecting two shots a game over the past five.


3-Pointers

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Isaiah Canaan, PG, Philadelphia 76ers (5.1)

Canaan connected on five 3-pointers against Golden State on Saturday, including a clutch shot from the left baseline that resulted in a four-point play in the final minute of play. The undersized point guard enters the week averaging 2.4 3PG over the past seven games.

Matz

Trey Burke, PG, Utah Jazz (34.4)

Available in just about two-thirds of ESPN leagues, Burke is an overlooked option who can help boost your 3-point totals. He is making 1.6 3s a game for the second season in a row and has made two or more long balls in six of the past seven games.