Waiver wire pickups: Donte DiVincenzo, Jaime Jaquez Jr. rise up

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 our imaginary rosters.

A willingness to entertain competition for the final 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-the-bench players in direct competition with the talent floating in free agency.

The goal of this weekly series is to identify players at each position widely available in free agency in ESPN leagues. Some 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 listed players at each position in order of priority, rather than roster percentage, in ESPN men's basketball leagues.

Point Guard

Cole Anthony, Orlando Magic (rostered in 10.9% of ESPN Leagues): Fittingly similar to his father -- former NBA point guard Greg Anthony -- in that he's a famously streaky scorer, Anthony is enjoying one of those heat-check periods. The combo guard has been hitting from deep and driving the lane at will on a team that's getting healthier. You won't get traditional point guard passing results but scoring and steals are still valuable.

Spencer Dinwiddie, SG, Dallas Mavericks (10.8%): While his ceiling isn't as impressive when he's playing alongside Kyrie Irving, the absence of Luka Doncic still provides enough usage overflow to accommodate some impressive fantasy lines from this combo guard. Simply put, the team needs Dinwiddie's playmaking in the wake of losing one of the league's true gravitational forces.

Lonzo Ball, Chicago Bulls (10.8%): It's undeniably cool to see Ball regaining trust in the team's offensive system and, most notably, playing big minutes in recent games. The basketball public was wondering if we'd ever see Ball thrive on the NBA hardwood again, so this is rewarding. Likely still just a stash in deeper leagues, it's worth noting Ball brings atypically good steal, block and assist rates to the floor for a depth piece.

Isaiah Collier, Utah Jazz (1.4%): The Jazz have recently turned to Collier for offensive creation while the team deals with a series of backcourt injuries. This is likely just an interim run for Collier, but it could also empower him down the road if deals are made and more playing time is available again.

Shooting Guard

Donte DiVincenzo, PG, Minnesota Timberwolves (49.5%): The Villanova product is starting to produce at a pace reminiscent of last season's offensive opus with the Knicks. Confidence in his shot has returned, as has the dynamic playmaking with the second unit. DiVincenzo can help you in all formats.

Shaedon Sharpe, SF, Portland Trail Blazers (44.5%): Here's the thing about scoring-dependent players such as Sharpe; it's quite fun when they are scoring. Sharpe, mind you, has averaged 19.5 PPG in his last 10 games. There is even a leap in passing production, adding a dimension to his game many weren't sure existed.

Tim Hardaway Jr., Detroit Pistons (4.6%): A proven bench scorer who flirted with Sixth Man of the Year value in recent seasons with the Mavericks, Hardaway is finding his rhythm as a shooting specialist on a surprisingly competent Detroit team.

Small Forward

Jaime Jaquez Jr., SG, Miami Heat (43.9%): Jimmy Butler mentored Jaquez last season, even including the rookie in a television campaign. As Butler's role changed, Jaquez has become a versatile two-way wing with awesome opportunity rates. No, he's not going to deliver Butler's unique efficiency and value, but there is reason to believe Jacquez is a winning fantasy option going forward.

Peyton Watson, PF, Denver Nuggets (4.7%): I can admit I gravitate to players who are atypically good at rim protection. The reason is because if a small forward or guard, like say Derrick White of the Boston Celtics, can sustain the block percentage we see from most centers, there is a great deal of added value. Watson has averaged 2.3 blocks over the past week and is up to one per game for the season. With the team needing his efforts as a glue guy, Watson is suddenly a fantasy sleeper.

Power Forward

Trayce Jackson-Davis, C, Golden State Warriors (47.3%): A force on the glass for a team in need of interior impact, Jackson-Davis has become a fixture of the transitioning Warriors roster. You won't see much stretch shooting or exciting rim protection, but Jackson-Davis is still a notable double-double threat.

Toumani Camara, SF, Portland Trail Blazers (11.5%): Camara has a compelling style of play, doing all the little things that add up to a positive outcome. Camara's scoring is modest, but his rebounding, steals and blocks are surfacing at rewarding levels for those in deeper leagues.

Jonathan Isaac, Orlando Magic (1.7%): It's unclear if his recent surge in minutes is an outlier or trend, but it's exciting to even consider Issac playing more . He is one of the truly special per-minute defenders in the league right now and possibly in the history of the game. Stash him for now, but there is some promise developing.

Center

Dereck Lively II, Dallas Mavericks (44.6%): Relentless rim-running delivers an intriguing two-way center for fantasy managers. Lively has flashed quality passing skills in recent games, but it's really the rebounding volume and respectable rim protection that drives interest.

Donovan Clingan, Portland Trail Blazers (10.3%): A true menace when it comes to swatting shots, Clingan's uptick in exposure lately speaks to his potential value if the team does trade off high-priced frontcourt pieces.

Special Teams

This section focuses on specialists, players who flash in a singular category and can provide specific value to those in category and roto formats. Nominations are based on which category such players are helpful in and will rotate throughout the season.

3-pointers: DiVincenzo is sixth and Hardaway is seventh in added value via 3-point volume over the past week, per the Player Rater.

Steals: Jaquez is fourth among all players in surplus value in steal production the past week. Camara is just behind him.

Blocks: Only Spurs' superstar center Victor Wembanyama has more added value via blocks than Watson this past week. Lively and Isaac are also in the top five.

Rebounds: Mason Plumlee can do one thing at a rewarding level; rebound for a small Phoenix rotation. Lively is eighth in added value on the glass this past week.

Assists: Collier showed up as a quality passer when given the chance. Dinwiddie is in the top 10 in added value from passing the past week.