Working the waiver wire is pivotal to succeeding in fantasy basketball. With so many games, injuries and endless shifts in rotations throughout the marathon campaign, we'll need to source stats from free agency to maximize imaginary rosters.
A willingness to entertain competition for the last few spots on your fantasy hoops roster can prove rewarding. When curating this fluid collective of statistical contributors, it helps to consider your end-of-bench players in direct competition with the talent floating in free agency.
The goal of this weekly series is to identify players available in at least half of ESPN leagues at each position. Some nominations are specialists capable of helping in one or two categories, while others deliver more diverse and important statistical offerings.
In the breakdowns below, I've ordered players at each position with priority of acquisition in mind, rather than roster percentage in ESPN leagues.
Point guard
J.J. Barea, Dallas Mavericks (rostered in 13.4 percent of ESPN leagues): A complementary playmaker to Luka Doncic in Dallas, Barea is underrated by fantasy investors as a steady source for passing and shooting production.
Fred VanVleet, Toronto Raptors (1.6 percent): Found at 15th in Player Rater among point guards the past 15 days, VanVleet has slashed for 12.5 PPG, 5.1 APG, 2.4 3PG, and 1.8 combined blocks and steals the past eight games. There will be quiet nights when the deep Raptors don't need his scoring pop, but VanVleet's playmaking should keep him relevant in deeper leagues.
Emmanuel Mudiay, New York Knicks (1.7 percent): Posting 20.3 PPG with a favorable mix of boards and assists the past 11 games, all starts, Mudiay is emerging as a "second draft" gem for the Knicks.
Monte Morris, Denver Nuggets (3.6 percent): The Nuggets' second-best distributor other than Nikola Jokic, Morris claims an impressive assist-to-turnover ratio and strong shooting percentages this season.
Deep additions (players available in at least 90 percent of ESPN leagues): The Spurs need offensive firepower past their top two veterans, so it helps that Bryn Forbes (0.3 percent) has averaged 17 PPG the past three outings.
Shooting guard
Bogdan Bogdanovic, Sacramento Kings (24.3 percent): A savvy playmaker off the bench for the surprisingly competitive Kings, Bogdanovic supplies a nice blend of dimes, steals, 3-pointers, and efficient scoring for fantasy investors.
Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics (7.0 percent): This larcenous defender is averaging 2.8 steals since being shifted to the starting lineup around a month ago. Smart is, well, a smart addition to your fantasy roster thanks to averaging nearly five dimes to go with this difference-making steal rate during the past 11 games.
Wesley Matthews, Dallas Mavericks (2.2 percent): Found at 27th in total 3-pointers, Matthews is enjoying the best field goal efficiency and scoring clip since his final season with Portland. Once identified as a buyout candidate, the frisky Mavericks could use Matthews' shooting for the remainder of the season.
Deep additions: Spencer Dinwiddie has been the main story for the Nets this past month, but Joe Harris (1.5 percent) has also quietly become a viable fantasy contributor thanks to clean shooting rates and consistent opportunities as a floor-spacer for Brooklyn.
Small forward
Robert Covington, Minnesota Timberwolves (28.3 percent): It remains befuddling that "RoCo" is so underappreciated as a fantasy force, especially as his profile nationally has risen given his impact as a defensive force for Minnesota since being dealt in the Jimmy Butler blockbuster from November. Covington can drive success for your fantasy roster in steals, blocks, and 3-pointers and should be nearly universally rostered for his impressive defensive rates alone.
Trevor Ariza, Washington Wizards (8.4 percent): Back into a more comfortable role as a defensive combo forward for the Wizards, Ariza has averaged stellar opportunity rates (8.7 3PA per game) and an elite four steals per game in his first three games with Washington this season. With such rare freedom to shoot from beyond and one of the more impressive steal rates at his position, Ariza is a quality "3-and-D" asset to target.
Bojan Bogdanovic, Indiana Pacers (26.2 percent): Up to a career-best 16.5 PPG thanks to brilliant shooting rates that include hitting nearly half of his 3-pointers on the season, Bogdanovic is a positive player to roster in almost any format.
Kelly Oubre Jr., Phoenix Suns (8.3 percent): Oubre has been productive in high-leverage moments late in games for the Suns in just two games since being acquired from the Wizards. I still think there might be too many wings in the Phoenix rotation for Oubre to earn enough usage to sustain value, but there's also the potential for him to thrive with a new coach and system in place.
Deep additions: Reggie Bullock (2.0 percent) has been scorching the net from 3-point range for the Detroit Pistons this past week. I'm not sure if he's an enduring source for shooting value, but Bullock is getting plenty of minutes and shots in the meantime.
Power forward
Larry Nance Jr., Cleveland Cavaliers (18.3 percent): Surging of late with Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love sidelined, Nance has expanded his game by several dimensions the past few weeks; he's suddenly a productive passer with 5.4 APG the past eight games, while also hitting 46.2 percent of his 3-point attempts with 3.1 combined blocks and steals during this sample. Nance is also netting a double-double (11.8 PPG, 10.1 RPG) the past eight, signaling he's one of the top fantasy free agents of the week.
Thaddeus Young, Indiana Pacers (18.5 percent): Another forward from the Central enjoying a sweet run of production, Young is slashing for 17.5 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 1.5 SPG, and one BPG on clean percentages the past eight games. With the Pacers are affording Young more shots and touches in the paint during this successful sample, he's a savvy addition to consider.
Jae Crowder, Utah Jazz (3.6 percent): There are some encouraging signs the during the past week from Crowder -- he's averaged 13 PPG, 2.8 3PG, and solid steal and block rates. Most importantly, the staff is giving Crowder meaningful run with 26.9 MPG during this stretch, compared to just 19.5 MPG in the three previous games to this fun offensive run.
Marvin Williams, Charlotte Hornets (0.5 percent): I don't trust Williams to sustain his hot hand from beyond the arc for too long, but it's tough to dismiss the fact he's making 51.2 percent of his shots from beyond the arc on respectable volume the past seven games.
Deep additions: Jeff Green (0.6 percent) has been getting steady minutes and shots with the Washington Wizards of late given Otto Porter's lingering injury.
Center
Brook Lopez, Milwaukee Bucks (47.7 percent): Seventh in total blocks and tied with Kyrie Irving for 15th in the Association with 77 3-pointers, Lopez is an impact specialist in two essential categories.
Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies (39.6 percent): Fantasy hoops nerds (such as myself) can sometimes combine steals and blocks into "stocks" as a form of shorthand. It's quite the lexicon. Jackson averages 2.8 stocks and scores with efficiency, which keeps this rare rookie in must-add territory.
Deep additions: Thomas Bryant (0.2) of the Washington Wizards made all 14 of his field goal attempts in a triple-overtime thriller against the Phoenix Suns this past Saturday night. The only player to take more shots from the floor without a miss in league history? Wilt Chamberlain.
