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.
Point guard
Tyler Ulis, Phoenix Suns (Owned in 57.4 percent of ESPN leagues): In early March, Ulis was merely a complementary distributor averaging 23.3 minutes per game, yet since the team shut down its duo of veteran point guards, the rookie has averaged 40.3 minutes in the past 10 games. Phoenix leads the NBA in pace -- possessions per 48 minutes -- during the past 10 games, while Ulis is second in the league in passes per game in this span. With nearly 13 points and 9.1 assists per game since shifting to a starting role, Ulis is a helpful high-floor option for those in need of pure point guard production.
Jeremy Lin, Brooklyn Nets (56.9): Speaking of up-tempo schemes, the Nets lead the league in pace this season. Such a quick-fire offense fuels some rewarding opportunity rates for Lin, as he's 11th in drives per game in the past five appearances and claims a 27.3 percent usage rate in this stretch. With 13.2 points, 5.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game in the past six starts, Lin is 18th among point guards on the Player Rater in the past week.
T.J. McConnell, Philadelphia 76ers (42.1): Just ahead of Ulis for the league lead in passes per game in the past two weeks, McConnell provides a stable floor for assists and a surprisingly elite steal rate, as he's fifth among point guards in added value in swipes in the past seven days. Steals are an entirely scarce statistic; thus McConnell has emerged as a quietly stellar asset, with 18 steals in his past seven appearances.
Ish Smith, Detroit Pistons (23.6): With Reggie Jackson benched during the past week, Smith's ascension as the team's lead point guard is complete. Smith is ninth in drives per game and 15th in touches per game in the past five starts, suggesting he merits much more attention on the market. With 17.8 points, five boards, and 5.3 assists per game in the past four games, Smith is quietly one of the most meaningful free agents for the final 10 days of the season.
Ty Lawson, Sacramento Kings (5.7): Even if it's just a one-game sample of success, Lawson was awesome in Minnesota this weekend. On a team tilting toward tanking, and with double-digit scoring in four straight, Lawson is a reasonable streamer in deeper formats.
Shooting guard
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Detroit Pistons (56.2): From the beginning of March through the 24th of the month, "KCP" averaged just 11.4 points in 31 minutes per game. In the past three games, however, Caldwell-Pope is at 37.4 minutes with 18 points per game, suggesting he's again secured a rewarding minutes-driven role.
Tim Hardaway Jr., Atlanta Hawks (52.4): A key offensive microwave, Hardaway has averaged nearly 18 points and 34 minutes per game in the past 10 games for the Hawks. With a promising offensive rating of 112 (points per 100 possessions) in the past 11 appearances, Hardaway is a strong scoring specialist to consider.
Buddy Hield, Sacramento Kings (50.5): Ninth on the Player Rater among shooting guards during the past week, Hield has made 2.3 3-pointers while averaging 15.9 points in his past eight starts. The Kings are committed to deploying Hield with as many shots and minutes as he can handle, thus he's a viable streaming asset for the final leg of the season.
Jordan Crawford, New Orleans Pelicans (12.5): A widely available scoring option earning steady exposure for the Pelicans atop the league's thinnest shooting guard depth chart, Crawford has averaged 13.5 points and two made 3-pointers in 26.6 minutes per game during the past four games.
Small forward
Gary Harris, Denver Nuggets (61.3): We're breaking the ownership threshold by a few percentage points, but Harris' effective efficiency is worthy of this transgression. During the past 10 games, Harris is eighth among guards in points per touch. With just over 35 minutes per game, the combination of efficiency and volume proves valuable at a demanding fantasy position.
James Johnson, Miami Heat (53.9): I'm a sucker for diverse defensive stats, as Johnson has averaged 1.7 steals and 1.6 blocks per game in the past seven games. Johnson is a pivotal glue player for the Heat and a valuable fantasy commodity worthy of higher ownership this deep into the fantasy postseason.
Andre Iguodala, Golden State Warriors (31.3): Known for playing his best basketball late into the regular season and into the playoffs, "Iggy" is again surging into the twilight of the campaign with 15 points, 6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.8 made 3-pointers, 1.5 steals, and a block per game in the past four.
Power forward
Richaun Holmes, Philadelphia 76ers (47.4): The rare 3-and-D talent playing regular minutes at center, Holmes has averaged a 3-pointer, 8 boards and 17 points per game during the past four games, all of which have been starts. With Robert Covington and Jahlil Okafor shut down for the season, Holmes is going to regularly exceed 30 minutes every time out.
Marquese Chriss, Phoenix Suns (35.3): The Suns are turning to Chriss for heavy minutes down the stretch amid a clear pursuit for lottery balls. With 34 minutes, 19.5 points and 9.5 boards per game in the past two games, this rising rookie could be a title-winning acquisition down the stretch.
Maurice Harkless (22.2), Portland Trail Blazers: With Jusuf Nurkic sidelined, Harkless has averaged 28.9 minutes and a strong blend of defensive stats in the past two games. We also find interest in Noah Vonleh, as he's available in well over 90 percent of ESPN leagues and has similarly seen a surge in opportunity and production with Nurkic out.
Center
Nikola Mirotic, Chicago Bulls (56.4): Fourth among center-eligible players on the Player Rater in the past week, Mirotic claims a ridiculous true shooting rate of 81.7 percent, and an elite offensive rating of 141 points per 100 possessions during the past five games.
Willy Hernangomez, New York Knicks (36.4): The Knicks are another team with an eye on the draft, resting several key veterans, which has afforded Hernangomez 28.6 minutes, 15.3 points and 9.7 boards per game during the past four, all of which have been starts.
Alex Len, Phoenix Suns (34.2): With Alan Williams losing out on minutes of late, Len has averaged 24 minutes, 11.1 points and 1.9 blocks per game during the past seven games. Phoenix is a fun fantasy situation for those still playing heavy minutes, including Len and his late-season surge in usage.
