Valuation may be an imperfect science, but it's as important to fantasy football players as it is to investors. Ask anyone who picked up Jerome Harrison last week. Cleveland's third-stringer started against Cincinnati after injuries to Jamal Lewis and James Davis. He rushed 29 times for 121 yards, and caught five passes for 31 yards. 

Value is value, whether you're assembling a fantasy team or a stock portfolio. But don't take my word for it. "Before you make any decision -- who to draft, trade, start, and sit -- make sure you are following that basic principle; how risky is this move, does it give me the best chance to win?" writes ESPN fantasy analyst Matthew Berry in his annual manifesto.

See the parallels here? Winning fantasy players pick up unloved players for less than market value, and market-beating investors buy oversold stocks for $0.50 on the dollar.

Waiver-wire heroes, unloved stocks ready to rise
These bargain hunters knew that China Green Agriculture (AMEX:CGA) was too cheap to ignore last fall. Their ranks include my Foolish colleagues Tim Hanson and Bill Mann, who picked this stock last November for Motley Fool Global Gains. Investors who bought around the same time have since been rewarded.

More bargains are out there. For this weekly column, let's use the Motley Fool CAPS screener to find the stock market's version of waiver-wire heroes like Harrison. Here's what we're looking for:

  • A minimum $250 million market cap, because we don't draft unsigned free agents.
  • A price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of less than 12, because we're not interested in players that everyone else loves.
  • A 10% or better return on equity (ROE), because we want proof that this stock can play at the level we need it to.
  • A 20% or worse haircut in price over the past year, because we're bargain hunters.

Today's screen returned 31 candidates that could be worthy of filling roster spots in your portfolio. These six possess a track record of superior returns on shareholder equity:

Company

52-Week Price Change

P/E Ratio

ROE

Huntsman (NYSE:HUN)

(25.9%)

3.2

39.4%

Frontline (NYSE:FRO)

(22.9%)

7.2

34.8%

Satyam Computer Services (NYSE:SAY)

(48.1%)

4.5

26.5%

M&F Worldwide (NYSE:MFW)

(24.0%)

3.5

24.8%

AGCO (NASDAQ:AGCO)

(22.8%)

8.9

12.7%

General Electric (NYSE:GE)

(25.2%)

12.0

12.1%

Source: Motley Fool CAPS screen data.

Of these, I'd pick up Huntsman, a chemicals and adhesives manufacturer that has rebounded from summer lows, yet still trades for just three times earnings.

"Good yield, only half way back to its highs. A cyclical stock that should show rewards as the economy recovers, and with the dividend they are paying us to be patient," wrote CAPS investor yaldezian in August, when the stock was trading for $7.50 a share.

There's a lot to like about Huntsman's dividend, which, at 4.60%, yields almost twice that of the S&P 500-tracking SPDR exchange-traded fund. Huntsman has paid dividends consistently since March of 2007, according to Morningstar.

What do you think? Would you give Hunstman a spot on your portfolio roster? Let us know by signing up for CAPS today. It's 100% free to participate.

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