Fantasy hoops: How high is Clint Capela's ceiling?

Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, we pose a question to a rotating panel of ESPN fantasy basketball experts to gauge their thoughts on a hot topic. Today's contributors are ESPN Fantasy's Joe Kaiser and Kyle Soppe, plus ESPN NBA Insider Kevin Pelton

Clint Capela has been on a tear early this month, averaging 30.3 minutes, 17.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.0 block and 1.0 steal in three games. What sort of fantasy numbers do you think he will post the rest of this season and long term as a keeper prospect?

Joe Kaiser: The most impressive part of Capela's season is the way he has played since missing 16 games due to a fractured fibula. Now that he's ramped his minutes back up into the high 20s and low 30s on a consistent basis, it's like the injury never happened.

I don't think his recent production is a fluke, as Capela is not only a capable scorer, rebounder and shot-blocker but also one of the most efficient big men in the game. He shot 57.5 percent in nine games last month and has made 23 of 28 shots over his last three games, good for 82.1 percent. Look for him to continue to play close to this level during the final months of the season, as long as he can stay healthy.

Still only 22, Capela has thrived in his first season as a starter and is only going to see more of the court in the coming years. When you compare him to someone like Oklahoma City's Steven Adams, for example, Capela is a better scorer, rebounder, shot-blocker and more efficient shooter. In fact, this season, Capela has matched the 23-year-old Adams' stats in those categories despite playing 7.3 fewer minutes per game.

Kyle Soppe: Obviously, Capela's recent run of production is above what you can expect, but that doesn't mean you have to sell him. He's 22 years old and already possess strong defensive and rebounding skills, so the fact that he is getting the minutes and plays within himself on the offensive end (98.2 percent of his shots come within eight feet) make him a viable fantasy asset in all formats.

His usage rate is not high enough, and I'll go ahead and assume that he doesn't end February shooting 82.1 percent from the field like he currently is, but I'll also go ahead and say that his current season averages (roughly 12 points and 8 rebounds to go along with two blocks-plus-steals) are what you can expect the rest of the way. The rebounding rate is very stable, given the number of possessions in your average Rockets game, something that gives him the type of high floor you have to love for a young player. I am buying into him as a walking double-double in the years to come and love him as an option in keeper leagues.

Kevin Pelton: Capela is shooting 82.1 percent in the three-game sample this month, which I'm going to go out on a limb and say won't continue. If you adjust for that, his per-36 averages (21.0 points and 10.7 rebounds) aren't so different from his season-long marks (18.5 and 11.8). So the really interesting question here is whether Capela will keep playing more than 30 minutes per game. There's no compelling reason for him not to do so besides Houston's depth at center and his limitations as a post defender.

My expectation is Capela will settle in around 28 minutes per game, a little more than he played before his injury. That would put him at averages of 14.3 points and 9.1 rebounds per game, as well as 1.6 blocks. Though Capela is just 22, because his game isn't likely to evolve much, I'd put him in that same ballpark for the next few years.