There's a natural ebb and flow to the waiver wire. Even as the league's scoring boom is in full force, the waiver cupboard is pretty bare for managers in need of points.

Meanwhile, threes are available in abundance. If you're in a season-long roto league, then you should follow the advice of an old timey villain, and "get while the gettin's good". Scorers will emerge eventually, so build up your advantage in threes while the wire is loaded with sharp-shooters. If you're in a head-to-head league, then plan for the fact that your opponent will have an easier time adding threes than points this week.

Regardless of what strategies your pursuing, the players below should help you in your categories of want.

In general, we'll focus on players available in at least 50% of ESPN, Yahoo!, and CBS leagues. That said, since the ownership can vary significantly from one site to the next, sometimes we have to fudge those rules a bit, especially early in the season.

POINTS

Simmons has become a primary scoring option for the Magic. He's had double-digit field goal attempts in six straight games, averaging 15.7 points in 25.0 minutes over that span. Those numbers are barely better than his season-long numbers, so it's not as though this is some short-term boost in value. Simmons has found a stable scoring role for this team, and barring an injury or trade, it doesn't look like it's about to change any time soon.

Rodney Hood and Donovan Mitchell are available in more than two-thirds of ESPN and one-third of Yahoo! leagues still. Hood is averaging 20.6 points per game over his last five. Mitchell is averaging 18.9 over his last eight. Both have some holes in their games but should be almost universally owned.

Bobby Portis is has calmed down a little after starting his season with back-to-back double-doubles, but he's making a case that there might be long-term value here. Even when his shot went cold in his fourth game, going only 25 percent from the field and getting limited to 20 minutes, he still attempted eight shots. If eight shots, nine rebounds, and 20 minutes is his floor, then he qualifies for a bench spot in most leagues.

Other suggestions:Rodney Hood, Jazz; Donovan Mitchell, Jazz; Bobby Portis, Bulls; Austin Rivers, Clippers; Marcus Morris, Celtics

THREE-POINTERS

Lee has been featured in this column a few times over the past few seasons, but usually it's for his defense. His defense isn't lacking – he's still averaging 1.4 steals per game – but the Knicks' shallow roster has Lee attempting more threes than ever before. Over the last 11 games, he's hoisting 4.2 three-point attempts per game, and making an astounding 50 percent of them. There is no way he can sustain that rate over the rest of the season, but he can provide value even after his shot cools down.

It's hard to trust a player getting less than 20 minutes per game, but C.J. Miles is averaging 3.6 threes per game over his last five, and he has at least one three in 12 of his 13 appearances.

Other suggestions:Donovan Mitchell, Jazz; Buddy Hield, Kings; Marco Belinelli, Hawks; DeMarre Carroll, Nets; Bobby Portis, Bulls; Bojan Bogdanovic, Pacers; Marcus Morris, Celtics; Austin Rivers, Clippers; C.J. Miles, Raptors

REBOUNDS

Morris missed the first eight games with a knee injury, and then after playing two games rested on the second night of a back-to-back. Since then, he's averaging 24.2 minutes per night and making a strong impact when he's on the floor. He's averaging only 5.4 rebounds per game, and he has at least seven in half of his games. He's also making 2.0 threes per game since his rest game.

Taj Gibson and Tyson Chandler were both just a little too widely owned to get the feature in this category, but both are excellent rebounding options. Double-check your league to see if they are available.

Other suggestions:DeMarre Carroll, Nets; John Henson, Bucks; Taj Gibson, Timberwolves; Kelly Oubre Jr., Wizards; Dewayne Dedmon, Hawks; Tyson Chandler, Suns

ASSISTS

There are very few good passers who qualify for this article. Mills is not a great solution for your passing needs, but he's the player most worth adding that could get around four assists per game. Mills began the season as the Spurs backup point guard, but he's started every game in November. In that new role, his minutes have increased to 28.3 per game, and he's getting 11.6 points, 4.1 assists, 2.5 threes, and 1.3 steals per game. Dejounte Murray has been pretty inconsistent, and is not playing like someone who is about to reclaim this starting job.

Rajon Rondo is too widely owned to qualify here, but he's still available in some leagues. He shouldn't be. His ability to rank among the league leaders in assists is more valuable than any other individual statistical trait of any player named in this entire article. Go double-check if he's out there.

Other suggestions:Rajon Rondo, Pelicans; Spencer Dinwiddie, Nets; T.J. McConnell, 76ers; Cory Joseph, Pacers

STEALS

Ntilikina is emerging as a defensive ace. He's second in the league in steals per game, as well as in deflections per-36 minutes. He's averaging fewer minutes per game than five of the other six players who get at least 2.0 steals per game. He's playing well, and he has the highest net rating on the Knicks. His minutes already increased between his first five games and his next six – part of that may have been due to improved health, but he certainly earned the increase. Depending on how many more minutes he earns, he could contend for the league lead in steals per game.

Other suggestions:Kris Dunn, Bulls; Terrence Ross, Magic; Marco Belinelli, Hawks

BLOCKS

I know I focused on Henson last week, but he still qualifies for this article, and he's one of the best per-minute shot-blockers in the league. If you are looking for blocks, and he is available, then you should stop your search right there.

Since that's kind of a cop-out, I'll focus more on Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. One of the best ways to make a dent in blocks is by getting some from non-PF/C spots in your lineup. Kidd-Gilchrist can provide a block per game from a spot where you might currently be getting effectively none. It's not clear yet how the Hornets rotation will settle, with Nicolas Batum making his season debut Wednesday, but Kidd-Gilchrist put up 22 points, six rebounds, two steals, and two blocks in 31 minutes in that game. He probably won't be that good every night, but he has been a steady source of blocks for the last few seasons, averaging 1.2 per-36 minutes last season, and 1.8 per-36 minutes so far this year.

Other suggestions:Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Hornets; Marquese Chriss, Suns; Jonathan Isaac, Magic