Get the edge on the competition with the 2014 Fantasy Basketball Draft Guide. Find out how to get it FREE!

Depth is key when building a championship team in fantasy sports. All it takes is one wrong turn of the body for top fantasy drafts picks to get injured. The season is not lost if you lose your top player early. Be active on the waiver wire right out of the gate and beat your league-mates to the punch. It is not hard to find a player on waivers early who can help your team all season long. There are teams who have up to 10 players in their rotation and those players will be getting a lot of playing time.

For example, the in-game rotation is not yet set for the Philadelphia 76ers. 76ers rookie Small Forward K.J. McDaniels has been blocking a lot of shots in preseason and is currently owned in just 26 percent of leagues polled. McDaniels could turn into a specialist and contribute blocks to your overall fantasy score (a category often hard filling). His teammate Point Guard Tony Wroten (Owned in 25 percent of leagues polled) will be seeing a lot of playing time early with starting Point Guard Michael Carter-Williams (Shoulder) out. Both of these players are going to get a lot of playing time early on and should absolutely be picked up if early production is seen.

Chicago Bulls rookie Small Forward Doug McDermott (owned in 26 percent of leagues polled) showed a ton of aggressiveness in preseason and has been in a competition with Mike Dunleavy for the Bulls starting Small Forward spot. Even if McDermott comes off the bench, he has a big shooting range and can drive the lane. He is also good at following his shots and creating second-chance scoring opportunities for himself and the team. New York Knicks second-year Shooting Guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (owned in 23 percent of leagues polled) drew a ton of attention in the 2nd half of last season for his scoring ability. He is expected to start the season coming off of the Knicks bench, but has the potential to be the Knicks go-to scoring option off the bench. He will be getting a ton of shot opportunities early on.

Even though there are a large number of players who changed teams, they can still provide similar production to the previous season. Cleveland Cavaliers Forward Shawn Marion scored 10.4 points and grabbed 6.5 rebounds per game last season and can absolutely provide the same production this season, even if that production comes on a short-term basis. He is only owned in 13 percent of leagues polled. Denver Nuggets Forward-Center J.J. Hickson is also owned in just 13 percent of leagues polled and averaged 11.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. There are players out there who averaged nearly a double-double who are barely owned.

There is a lot of treasure to be found on waivers early. Don’t be the person that regrets waiting that extra day to pick up a potential fantasy stud. Keep track of how many minutes players on your waiver wire get because more playing time translates to more opportunities for a player to produce. Create that watch list now, and reap the benefits over the next few weeks. Build up that bench early and search for those specialists who can contribute the scarcer categories such as blocks and steals. Your season begins NOW!