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 in order 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.
Point guard
Jeremy Lin, Brooklyn Nets (Owned in 54.3 percent of ESPN leagues): With coach Kenny Atkinson's up-tempo scheme in place, the Nets lead the Eastern Conference and are second in the NBA with 103.9 possessions per 48 minutes. This inflated pace drives increased opportunities for the team's lead guards. Lin has missed the past 14 games with a lingering hamstring ailment, but becomes a valuable ball distributor once he returns to action. In his small sample at the helm of the offense this season, Lin ranks 14th in the NBA in drives per game and fifth in both touches per game and in pull-up points per game, suggesting a rich offensive role waits for patient investors.
Deron Williams, Dallas Mavericks (32.9): He doesn't offer strong or even average shooting efficiency, but with J.J. Barea still sidelined, Williams has averaged 30.4 minutes and 11.5 assists over the past two starts and is a worthy option for those in need of dimes and 3-point production. We don't trust Williams for more than a few weeks, or even games, but he's a fine streaming asset given his ball-dominant role.
Andrew Harrison, Memphis Grizzlies (19.5): Mike Conley is sidelined for well over a month, which means this Kentucky product is positioned as a rising fantasy asset now that he's the team's lead distributor. Even before Conley's injury, Harrison was enjoying an uptick in minutes, as he has averaged 31.7 minutes over his past six games as of Sunday morning. With 1.7 3-pointers, 5.3 dimes and a steal per game over his past three starts, Harrison is a meaningful acquisition in deeper fantasy formats.
Patrick Beverley, Houston Rockets (10.9): Available in a massive majority of ESPN leagues, Beverley has averaged 30 minutes, 1.2 3-pointers, 1.3 steals, and nearly a block in his past six games, all starts.
Shooting guard
Sean Kilpatrick (53.0), Brooklyn Nets: Getting shares of the Nets' pace-drive scheme is entirely intriguing this season. This rising combo guard has averaged 22 points, five boards and 3.7 assists over the past six games thanks to a rich usage rate of 29.2 percent. Kilpatrick is a surging scoring weapon for the Nets who merits more interest on the fantasy market.
J.R. Smith, Cleveland Cavaliers (37.0): Not only to get to enjoy his postgame pressers a bit more, you also net elite production from beyond the arc (2.4 made per game) and in the steals (1.3) department with Smith.
Will Barton, Denver Nuggets (29.6): Rich drive rates and steady usage fuels rewarding fantasy results for Barton, who is only this widely available based on a stretch on injury issues. With at least 37 points over his past two appearances, scoring has never been an issue for Barton.
Wayne Ellington, Miami Heat (8.3): With Dion Waiters' busy offensive role sidelined, Ellington has averaged 32.7 minutes and 6.8 3-point attempts per game over the past four. Minutes and shots -- that's all we can ask for when chasing cheap shares in free agency.
Small forward
Maurice Harkless, Portland Trail Blazers (50.4): A fixture of the Blazers' small-ball driven approach, this stretch forward has scored in double digits in eight straight and is averaging 15.6 points, 1.6 3-pointers and nearly six boards in just over 31 minutes per outing. In a league with an increasing reliance on 3-and-D assets, Harkless is an intriguing depth addition for fantasy investors.
T.J. Warren, Phoenix Suns (42.7): The crowd must move on from injuries sometimes, but it's always wise to revisit an enduring injury scenario like Warren's to scoop him up as he's on the mend. Reports suggest we should see Warren return to action soon, while he ranks 12th in points per touch (minimum 20 minutes per game) and should resume a busy offensive workload upon his return.
Bojan Bogdanovic, Brooklyn Nets (24.5): It's a Nets-centric waiver edition given the number of underappreciated the roster claims. Bogdanovic is essentially a shooting and scoring specialist, as he's produced at least 13 points in nine of the past 10 games.
Power forward
Markieff Morris, Phoenix Suns (46.3): Morris is one of those fantasy contributors whose sum of production is stronger than any individual category, as he's productive enough in points, boards, steals and 3-pointers to provide a meaningful collective of production for us to consider.
Jon Leuer, Detroit Pistons (27.7): A strong complementary cog off the bench for Detroit, over the past nine games Leuer has averaged 26.6 minutes, 10.9 points and nearly seven boards at this thin fantasy position.
JaMychal Green, Memphis Grizzlies (22.3): Conley's high-usage game doesn't splinter solely to the backcourt, as some of the void is also consumed by guys like Green, who has enjoyed increased offensive freedom and delivers a steal rate.
Center
Tyson Chandler, Phoenix Suns (40.2): Seventh in the NBA with 19.3 rebounding chances per game, Chandler remains a strong option on the glass.
John Henson, Milwaukee Bucks (15.2): Greg Monroe isn't seeing the court much, which means Henson serves as the team's top rim protector. With 15 blocks over his past five games and swats proving so entirely scarce, Henson is a strong specialist to consider streaming over the coming weeks.
Cody Zeller, Charlotte Hornets (22.7): On a team in need of rim protection, Zeller is seeing steady minutes and has eight blocks over his past five outings.