Working the waiver wire is pivotal 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.
A willingness to entertain competition for the last spot or two on your fantasy hoops roster can prove rewarding, so it can help to consider those end-of-bench players as in direct competition with the talent floating in free agency.
In this weekly series, I 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, I believe the names below -- ordered by ownership rate at each position -- can contribute positively to fantasy rosters.
Point guard
Kris Dunn, Chicago Bulls (Rostered in 39.6 percent of ESPN leagues): There was some talk of Dunn as a deep sleeper in the offseason, if only for the opportunity to play plenty of minutes for the Bulls. It took some time to earn lots of minutes, but Dunn has averaged 31.8 MPG during his past seven games (all starts), and the results have been impressive. The sample is small, but it's nice to see Dunn sinking more than half of his 3-point attempts and with a slick overall line that includes 17 PPG, 7.6 APG, 5.3 RPG and 2.1 SPG over this recent surge.
J.J. Barea, Dallas Mavericks (23.7): It's become clear the team won't rely on Barea for heavy minutes in response to Dennis Smith Jr.'s injury -- he's averaging 23.5 MPG over his past six games -- but we can expect his steady scoring and assist production to continue. He's averaging 11.7 PPG, 7.2 APG and 1.7 3PG over this recent sample. Yogi Ferrell (4.0) is also an intriguing addition, but his value is tied directly to Smith's absence.
Milos Teodosic, LA Clippers (8.1): On the mend from a lengthy injury absence, this crafty import will have unfettered control of distribution duties once he returns for the Clippers. It's time to start stashing Teodosic where possible.
Shooting guard
Wesley Matthews, Dallas Mavericks (35.4): We'll likely never see the caliber of two-way play Matthews contributed with Portland years ago before his Achilles injury, but I still think the market is underappreciating his value as a shooting specialist. Matthews has hit 48.5 percent of his 3-pointers during his past 10 games, sinking 3.2 per game to go with a helpful steal rate.
Alec Burks, Utah Jazz (25.7): Rodney Hood is sidelined, which means Burks is being called on as a key scoring source from the wing. After years of struggling with injuries, Burks is posting 21.2 PPG with awesome free throw volume over his past six games and is a nice addition at a somewhat shallow position.
Small forward
Jonathon Simmons, Orlando Magic (29.6): Having started the past eight games because of an injury to Terrence Ross, Simmons is averaging 35.8 MPG, 17.6 PPG and 14.9 FGA in this new role. As one of the most productive names still so widely available in ESPN leagues, try to make room for Simmons right away.
Caris LeVert, Brooklyn Nets (19.5): The Nets play at a breakneck speed and need two-way athletes at the wing to support this agenda; LeVert is enjoying 28.4 minutes per game en route to rewarding results over his past five games.
Josh Richardson, Miami Heat (9.0): While his minutes rarely fluctuate, Richardson's production surely does; he's simply one of those players who either runs hot or cold from the field. Recently, Richardson is amid a strong stretch, as he's hitting 48.1 from deep and averaging 15.2 points over his past six games, all starts.
Power forward
Ryan Anderson, Houston Rockets (36.0): There will be nights when the Rockets go small and essentially ignore Anderson -- such as this past Saturday, when he played just 17 minutes -- but you'll need to embrace the variance of his profile to net what are elite overall shooting results. Anderson has been especially elite in catch-and-shoot situations with Chris Paul on the floor, so some big nights from beyond the arc can be expected going forward.
Al-Farouq Aminu, Portland Trail Blazers (20.7): The team eased Aminu into the rotation during his first two games back, but over his past two, he has averaged nearly 34 minutes and has been stellar from beyond the arc in this small sample. With an impressive defensive profile over the past several seasons, Aminu is a savvy add for those seeking versatility from the utility spots.
Kenneth Faried, Denver Nuggets (23.9): I was likely too conservative when assessing Faried's statistical potential in the wake of Paul Millsap's injury; he's averaging an awesome 13 PPG, 9.3 RPG and nearly a block in 26.5 MPG over his past seven games. The team simply needs his presence on the glass; thus, he's an ideal addition for those in need of frontcourt support.
Ersan Ilyasova, Atlanta Hawks (11.2): Hitting half of his 3-point attempts while afforded the freedom to score from the perimeter for a depleted Atlanta roster, Ilyasova is a nice addition given how we can expect steady exposure for him in the weeks ahead.
Center
Jahlil Okafor, Brooklyn Nets (28.0): It's not clear how the Nets will use Okafor and fit him into their up-tempo system, but it's certainly intriguing to consider his scoring upside if they allow him heavy usage in the post like Philly did back in his rookie year. This one is purely a speculative look, sort of like what Brooklyn is doing with this recent deal.
John Henson, Milwaukee Bucks (16.6): There is a cliff in the quality of players found rostered in fewer than 70 percent of ESPN leagues at center. Which is to say this might be the shallowest fantasy position, proving difficult to source quality contributors from free agency. Henson represents a player with some cost certainty in this tier of widely available pivots, as his steady block rate fuels value suitable for leagues of 12 teams or more.