Working the waiver wire is crucial to succeeding in fantasy basketball. With so many games, injuries and endless shifts in rotations throughout the season, we need to source stats from free agency to maximize our imaginary rosters.
In this weekly series, we identify players available in more than 40 percent of ESPN leagues at each position. Some nominations are purely specialists capable of helping in one or two categories, while others deliver more diverse and important statistical offerings. Either way, we believe the names below -- ordered by ownership rate at each position -- can contribute positively to fantasy rosters.
Guards
Jeremy Lin, Brooklyn Nets (Owned in 56.4 percent of ESPN leagues): The Nets notably lead the league in pace with 104.2 possessions per 48 minutes. At the helm of this up-tempo scheme, Lin is 16th in the league in drives per game and fifth in passes per game. The lone reason Lin's ownership has dipped is due to the fact he's missed 11 straight games as of Sunday with a lingering hamstring ailment. With Lin well past the initial two week estimate for his injury, a looming return merits much more attention from the fantasy marketplace.
Wesley Matthews, Dallas Mavericks (50.8): In leagues that count shooting percentage, I completely understand reluctance to roster a player with inefficient results from the field (34.1 percent) and from beyond the arc (33.0). If your league doesn't value percentages, Matthews is a valuable volume-driven option to consider, as he is seventh in the league in 3-point attempts per game and provides a helpful steal rate, as well.
Sean Kilpatrick, Brooklyn Nets (23.1): Sixth among shooting guards in usage rate and with a rewarding 6.3 drives per game -- more than Devin Booker and Chris Paul, for some context -- Kilpatrick is a strong depth addition on a team that values pace and offensive freedom.
Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets (22.1): With 21.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 3-pointers made in just shy of 30 minutes per game over the past four, Murray is cementing his status as the Nuggets' top scorer on the second unit. The return of Will Barton will compromise his usage, but Murray is proving capable of playing at this level and could eventually become a fantasy fixture if the team makes a significant trade.
Jerryd Bayless, Philadelphia 76ers (8.1): Bayless is an intriguing complementary asset in deeper leagues as he is tenth in usage rate among point guards and has the potential to help in 3-pointers, assists and points for a team that rates 12th in pace.
Forwards
Trevor Booker, Brooklyn Nets (56.2): A popular option for this week on the waiver wire, the most valuable asset on Brooklyn might just be Booker. Fifth in the league in steals and nineteenth among power forwards on the Player Rater, Booker is absolutely thriving and merits much higher ownership.
Maurice Harkless, Portland Trail Blazers (37.0): Enjoying a 47 percent leap in field goal output, a 64.1 percent spike in minutes per game and a 105 percent surge in 3-point attempts per game compared to last season as the starting stretch 4 for the Blazers, Harkless is a valuable 3-and-D asset to consider.
Tyreke Evans, New Orleans Pelicans (36.1): Another injured asset to scoop before the market wakes up, Evans was fifth in usage rate among shooting guards last season and could thrive in a busy role for a New Orleans team that ranks eighth in pace this season.
James Johnson, Miami Heat (9.5): If the team ever vaults Johnson ahead of a struggling Derrick Williams at the four, Johnson could become a truly valuable fantasy commodity. For now, he's a nice complementary option thanks to 1.2 blocks per game and nearly a steal per contest in addition to respectable 3-point production over the past nine games.
Trey Lyles, Utah Jazz (7.2): With Derrick Favors ailing and expected to miss an enduring stretch with a knee injury, Lyles can help in points, boards and steals.
Centers
Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers (50.9): Still just 22, Noel is one of only three players in league history to average at least 9.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals in each of his first two NBA seasons. The others in this unique trio are Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson, if you've heard of them. While his offensive potential is nowhere close to of "The Dream" or "The Admiral," Noel does deliver rare defensive upside and is nearing a return from injury in the coming weeks. Minutes might not be so consistent with the team's glut in the front court, but I'd guess he can work alongside Joel Embiid much better than the defensively deficient and high-usage Jahlil Okafor.
Cody Zeller, Charlotte Hornets (19.1): Shooting career-bests from within three feet of the basket at 70.2 percent and 57.9 percent from three to 10 feet from the rim, Zeller is also providing a valuable 1.2 blocks per game. Center proves uniquely shallow, so pursue Zeller while the market is still largely unaware of this breakout campaign.
Frank Kaminsky III, Charlotte Hornets (17.6): Over the past five games as of Sunday, Kaminsky has averaged two 3-pointers made and 15.6 points thanks to a rich rate of 32.4 minutes per game over this stretch