The further you go down the spectrum of Fantasy players, the harder it is to figure out a player's value. Sure, anyone could tell you LeBron James is a stud, and it doesn't really take a genius to figure out that Kirk Hinrich isn't worth much even in the wake of Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler's injuries.
However, every year, a handful of players come from seemingly out of nowhere in the late stages of the season to make an impact, and these are the harder ones to pin down. They require the perfect mix of talent and opportunity, and not everyone who gets an opportunity takes advantage of it.
This is my attempt to pin down a handful of candidates who might become this year's version of Kent Bazemore or Tony Wroten. You're probably not going to find someone who wins you your Fantasy championship here, and you might not even end up owning anyone among these 10 players. Consider this a watch list of players who might be able to help, if everything breaks the right way for these 10 players owned in under 20 percent of CBSSports.com leagues.
Ray McCallum Jr. , G, Kings
19 percent owned
In considering McCallum's Fantasy appeal down the stretch, you might be inclined to look to the 13.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 7.3 assists he averaged in 10 starts last season. However, he also averaged 44.6 minutes in those 10 games, a mark he has little chance of reaching for the Kings this season, even with Darren Collison likely done. Still, he is putting up 12.0-3.0-4.0 with decent defensive numbers in just 26.3 minutes as a starter this season, and is already worth a roster spot in category-based formats. If Andre Miller goes down, he would be the only point guard left on the roster, giving him considerable upside.
Al-Farouq Aminu, F, Mavericks
15 percent owned
Aminu doesn't have a ton of appeal in H2H points leagues, because he doesn't contribute much volume in any one spot. However, few role players can fill up the box score like Aminu, who gives the Mavericks badly needed defense and rebounding on the wings. In 20 games where Aminu has played at least 20 minutes, he is averaging 3.3 combined blocks and steals per game and is a very solid specialist.
Dennis Schroder, G, Hawks
19 percent owned
After a rocky rookie season, Schroder has established himself as a key part of the Hawks bench, but he isn't just a handcuff for Jeff Teague owners. Schroder has averaged 12.3 points and 7.0 assists per game in six starts, but has also averaged at least 3.8 assists in each of the last three months, including 4.8 in February. The guard position is stacked, but Schroder averaged nearly 19.6 Fantasy points per game in February, and is worth owning in the event the Hawks look to give Teague some extra rest down the stretch.
Adreian Payne, F, Timberwolves
5 percent owned
Payne's appeal is starting to move out of the realm of the theoretical, as the Timberwolves have been forced to rely on him more following injuries to Anthony Bennett and Shabazz Muhammad. He has logged 23-plus minutes in four of the last five games, and is averaging 7.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game for the Wolves. He has struggled to get his shot to fall and hasn't done much else, but the Wolves did just give up a first-round pick for him, so it wouldn't be a surprise if he maintained this kind of role moving forward. The question will be whether he can fill it capably as he gets more comfortable.
Joe Ingles, F, Jazz
4 percent owned
Ingles is one of those hard-to-pin down players who occasionally comes out of nowhere to be a key contributor for a surprisingly entertaining team, and has all of the makings of a useful Fantasy contributor in a category-based formats if his minutes go up. As it stands, he is still averaging 2.8 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.0 3-pointers per game since the All-Star break, in just 21.8 minutes.
Michael Beasley, F, Heat
4 percent owned
This? Again? Yep. Beasley has returned from his exile in China and immediately stepped into the Heat's rotation, averaging 20.3 minutes in his first three games. He is just working on a 10-day contract right now, so who knows if he will even be on a team in a week, but there's no question he can put up points when he gets minutes. I would be shocked if the Heat really leaned heavily on him at any point this season, but he might be one Luol Deng injury away from 25 minutes per night. That might be scary for Heat fans, but it could turn him into a relevant Fantasy option.
Andray Blatche , C, free agent
2 percent owned
The Heat are also one of multiple teams linked to Blatche, though the rumor mill has been awfully quiet since his team failed to qualify for the Chinese Basketball Association playoffs. There's no question Blatche can be a difference maker, but there might not be any logical landing spots for him during a season where a number of young centers have stepped up nicely. Given how quiet the rumor mill has grown, I wouldn't be stashing Blatche at this point.
Joffrey Lauvergne, F, Nuggets
2 percent owned
Lauvergne's transition to the NBA has been predictably rocky, as he is shooting just 31.3 percent from the field and 2 of 8 from 3-point range overall. However, coach Brian Shaw has thrown him into the fire with 20.2 minutes per game, and Lauvergne has shown signs of the kind of all-around play that could make him a Fantasy contributor. Shaw's exasperation with this roster is palpable, and that makes Lauvergne's chances of securing a big role down the stretch higher than they might otherwise be. He's certainly on my watch list for the last month of the season.
Ryan Kelly, F, Lakers
1 percent owned
Kelly showed some solid skills last season, but has regressed badly under Byron Scott. Of course, Scott has also used Kelly largely as a small forward, where his lack of athleticism plays down and his shooting ability can't fully stretch offenses. Still, Kelly has shown the ability to get to the free-throw line and hit 3-pointers at a solid rate, and Scott has talked in recent days about playing him more as a stretch-four down the stretch, which should put him in a better position for success. Kelly might not be more than a 3-point specialist, but that might have some value at the forward position.
Maurice Harkless , F, Magic
1 percent owned
Harkless' disappearance from the Magic rotation this season has been a big disappointment, given the skills the 21-year-old showed in his first two NBA seasons. However, interim coach James Borrego has put Harkless on the floor in the last two games, and it might indicate that he is willing to give the talented young wing a longer rope. Harkless still has to contend with a very crowded rotation, but he showed a broad skill set last season that is very intriguing, even if the Magic organization isn't so keen on him. He averaged 10.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.5 assist, 1.8 steals, 0.9 blocks and 1.1 3-pointers per-36 minutes last season, and though he likely won't get near that much playing time, he could be an injury away from a nice role.
