Derrick

White

White brought a little extra against his former organization, finishing just shy of his fourth 30-point performance of the season. The 31-year-old guard provided his usual blend of scoring and defensive impact in this one, notching four stocks, while coming up just short of reaching double-digit rebounds for the first time this year. He’s been one of the hottest all-around players in the fantasy landscape of late, averaging an absurd 19.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.6 steals and 2.5 blocks in eight games over the past two weeks. The Celtics are in line for a three-game week that includes road showdowns against the Pacers, Heat and Hawks.

White has been one of the most impactful fantasy contributors over the past two weeks, delivering first-round value during that seven-game span, averaging 18.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.6 steals and a staggering 2.6 blocks. The 31-year-old defensive wizard became just the fourth player 6-foot-4 or under to record 500 career blocks earlier this week and has notched at least two blocks in five of his last six games.

Being the best shot-blocking guard in the NBA gives White’s fantasy value a welcome boost, especially in category leagues. He recorded three more rejections on Wednesday, extending his streak with at least one to 11 consecutive games. Due partly to that production, White has been a first-round player in eight- and nine-cat formats over the past three weeks. The Celtics return to action on Friday against the Raptors.

Jaylen Brown’s 50-point explosion will grab most of the headlines in this one-sided affair, but White remains the unheralded straw that stirs the metaphorical drink on both ends of the floor. The 31-year-old guard, who ranks second in the league in “stocks” (steals and blocks), added three more to the ledger while defending Clippers superstars Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, who were held to fewer than 25 points each. He’s topped 20 points in eight of his last 14 games since December 2.

On the heels of a seven-block performance against the Jazz, White was much quieter as a shot blocker on Thursday. Still, he accumulated four stocks on the defensive end to go along with his team-high in assists and his second consecutive game with at least 15 points. Inefficient shooting, especially from beyond the arc, prevented him from having a great final line. Still, he was solid and continues to put up good fantasy production.

Not only did White lead Boston in scoring in the win, but he made a tremendous impact on the defensive end. One of the best shot-blocking guards in recent history set a new career high for blocked shots in the win. Despite still shooting just below 40 percent over the course of the season, White now ranks inside the top-25 in nine-category leagues this year. He has been even better as of late and has been one of the best players in fantasy basketball over the past few weeks.

White had 33 points in Friday’s win over the Heat, but has now scored 34 points over two games since then. The 31-year-old point guard contributes in the other categories as well, though. White is averaging 5.3 assists this month and also has seven blocks over his last four games.

What a phenomenal outing it was for White. After scoring a season-high 31 points on Monday, he surpassed that mark in this one to set a new season high for scoring. He also matched his career high for triples and provided blocks from the guard position like only he can. White has been on a tear after a slow shooting start to the season, and he has been one of the best players in fantasy basketball over the past few weeks.

After scoring 33 points in the first quarter, the Celtics were limited to 24 in each of the final three periods. That was the difference, even with White getting hot and shooting 5-of-8 from the field in the fourth quarter. The 31 points were a season-high for the Celtics guard, who last hit the 30-point mark in a December 4 win over the Wizards. While Jaylen Brown does more scoring, White remains the superior option in category leagues, especially those that factor in turnovers.

While White did not record any steals on Sunday, the three blocked shots were the most in a game for him since November 23. The Celtics guard continues to provide excellent category league value, ranking well within the top-50 in eight- and nine-cat formats. White will only have one game on the schedule for Week 8, with the Celtics visiting the Bucks on Thursday.