As we near the end of Week 20, it’s time to once again take a look at who’s out there on the wire in most leagues. There appears to be a ton of still unclaimed talent lingering around, but at this time of the year, the ownership rates can be a little misleading. As we come upon the fantasy playoffs, fewer and fewer owners find themselves in a position to make the playoffs, so fewer and fewer owners spend time scouring the wire. Because of this, many guys who you’d think would be owned in most leagues end up having lower than expected ownership rates, making it difficult to know which ones are still available due to apathy and which are due to incompetence. In either case, we’ll make sure to cover as many waiver wire options as possible, so let’s get started!

Ownership percentages are for ESPN leagues as of March 2.

Trey Burke (PG – NY) 26.5%
Over his last three games, Trey Burke is averaging 23.3 points and 6.3 assists in 27 minutes per game. He’s always been a somewhat streaky fantasy player, so when he’s hot — like right now — he’s worth riding until he cools off. Due to competition for minutes from teammates like Frank Ntilikina, Burke may not be able to maintain his current usage rate, so if you could use some extra scoring and assists, then you might want to pick him up now.

Wilson Chandler (SF – DEN) 41%
If you were worried about Paul Millsap’s return taking away minutes from Wilson Chandler, it looks like you can take a breath…for now. It’s only been one game so far, and we should see Millsap’s playing time increase as he continues to recover, but in his first game back, the veteran logged 23 minutes from the bench while Chandler still managed 36. For now, it looks like Denver is going to keep rolling with Chandler, and as well they should. Over his last seven games, the Nuggets forward has averaged 15.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.7 three-pointers in 34.5 minutes, and for a team on the playoff bubble, that kind of production can’t be ignored – nor should it in fantasy leagues either. As long as he maintains around 30 minutes per game, Chandler is worth owning in all standard leagues regardless of format.

Dejounte Murray (SG/PG – SA) 46.3%
I’m a little shocked to see Dejounte Murray still available in so many leagues, but whatever the reason, if he’s still available in your league, go ahead and add him now. Averaging 13.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.6 blocks in 28.8 minutes over his last five games, Murray makes for a great depth addition in all standard leagues and a solid starter in deeper leagues. He’s also shooting 50 percent from the field and 85.7 percent from behind the line in that same stretch, so at the moment he’s capable of performing well in both points and category leagues.

Josh Jackson (SF/SG – PHO) 42.5%
Josh Jackson has had his fair share of underwhelming games this season, but as he’s gained more experience, such performances have occurred less often, making him difficult to ignore any longer. He’s scored 20 or more points and seven or more rebounds in eight of his last 13 games and should continue to get plenty of opportunities from here on out. Currently averaging 17.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists, Jackson should be owned in most leagues. Owners just need to accept the fact that he’s going to put up some head-scratchers here and there, but on a week-to-week basis, Jackson should provide a positive boost to your lineup.

DeMarre Carroll (SF/PF – BKN) 49.8%
It is true that this late in the season, most struggling teams like the Nets end up–if they haven’t already–focusing on their younger talent as they concede the current season in hopes of building for the future, but this may be an exception. By averaging 15.9 points, seven rebounds, and 2.9 assists over his last 10 games, Carroll has made himself a difficult veteran to fade. There’s a good chance that, as long as he keeps up his strong play, Carroll will continue to see heavy minutes and should, therefore, be owned in most leagues. As I mentioned above, it’s hard to trust the ownership rates of fantasy players this time of the year as he could already be owned by most teams who are still competing and able to accommodate him, but if you are still playing for something and can pick him up, then you’d better do just that.

Other Players to Consider

Bobby Portis (PF – CHI) 42.2%
Averaging 16.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.6 made threes in just 24.8 minutes over his last 10 games, Bobby Portis may not be a starter in real life, but he’s making a case for that role in the fantasy realm.

Taurean Prince (SF – ATL) 22.4%
He’s had some rough stretches this year, but over his last five games, Taurean Prince is putting up 15.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.2 steals, and two made threes in 30.5 minutes. He should continue to get his court time, so go out and get him if you can.

JaMychal Green (PF – MEM) 23.7%
He’s now strung together four straight double-doubles, and while some veterans like Tyreke Evans and Marc Gasol may start to see their minutes decline as Memphis chooses to take it easy on their more aged stars, Green should be safe moving forward.

J.J. Barea (PG – DAL) 29.2%
J.J. Barea just keeps doing what he’s doing and has now scored in double-digits in six straight games. If you’re in need of points, assists, threes, and/or about one steal a game, this veteran point guard can still help.

Nemanja Bjelica (SF – MIN) 9.7%
The injury to Jimmy Butler has opened up plenty of minutes, and as a result, Nemanja Bjelica has seen 30.4 of them per game over his last four contests. He’s more of a deep league play now, but owners in standard-sized leagues should keep an eye on him moving forward.

David Nwaba (SG – CHI) 10.2%
The Bulls are in full tank mode and have publicly stated that they will focus on their young talent from here on out. As a result, David Nwaba should continue to see plenty of minutes the rest of the way. Over his last four games, Nwaba is averaging 13 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.3 made threes in 32.4 minutes.

George Haw is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from George, check out his archive and follow him @georgeWarfieldH.