Welcome to the Fantasy Football Waiver Wire for Week 10.
Believe it or not, we’re at the halfway point of the NFL season. Each team has played either eight or nine of 17 games. The fantasy football playoff push is officially here. This isn’t a great week for free agents, but with all the injuries we’ve had and four more teams on Bye in Week 10, working the waiver wire is crucial. If you aren’t using the wire to your advantage, you’re giving up ground to the competition.
The Process: Each week, I try to identify the top Waiver Wire targets and evaluate the short- and long-term prospects of those players. I also do my best to reveal which players who are coming off a big week are fool’s gold. Finally, I look at streamers who might help you in a pinch.
Note that I’m writing this column BEFORE the Week 9 Monday night game (ARI@DAL), AND before the NFL’s trade deadline (Tuesday, 4 p.m. ET). NFL trades could shake things up, and create opportunities for a few players that aren’t rostered in lots of leagues.
Some players discussed won’t be available in your league. I try to list players who are available in more than 50% of leagues. But what does that even mean? A 10-team league with six bench spots will have a much larger Free Agent pool than a 14-team league with eight. Most leagues fall somewhere in between. This isn’t “one size fits all.” By way of example, I won’t list Jaxson Dart, Matthew Stafford, Kyle Monangai, Tyrone Tracy, Jr., Bam Knight, R.J. Harvey, Troy Franklin, or Harold Fannin, Jr., among others who probably aren’t available in any of your leagues.
WEEK 10 BYES: CIN, DAL, KC, TEN
Week 10 Waiver Wire
Quarterback:
Quarterback availability varies widely between 1-QB and Superflex/2-QB leagues.
Justin Fields was dropped in some leagues and especially with the Jets on Bye in Week 9. He should continue starting after he led the team to its first Win before the Bye, and his elite rushing upside always makes him intriguing for fantasy. Garrett Wilson’s return will also help. The Jets have one of the tastiest schedules for quarterbacks during the fantasy playoffs (MIA, JAC, NO), so even if you don’t need Fields now, he’s worth stashing if you’ve got space.
Joe Flacco is the poster child for 40 is the new 30, and just like in 2023 when he caught fire late with the Browns, he’s making a case to be a low-end QB1 the rest of the way. The Bengals’ defense just gave up 86 points in two weeks to the Jets and Bears, at home. Read that sentence again. If you thought the 2024 Cincinnati defense was garbage (and it was), get a load of this group. Awful defense forces the offense to keep its foot on the gas, and Flacco still has a big and capable right arm. Flacco has attempted at least 40 passes in all four of his starts for the Bengals, and he’s got the best WR tandem in the NFL. It’s a winning formula for fantasy, so add him if he’s still on your wire.
Sam Darnold, Aaron Rodgers, Geno Smith, Trevor Lawrence, and J.J. McCarthy won’t be available in most Superflex leagues, but they’re the obvious places to start if you need long-term help, a streamer, or an injury replacement in a 1-QB league. Smith’s Raiders are at Denver on a short week Thursday night, so don’t think of him as a streaming option for Week 10 – but boy does he look better with a (finally) healthy Brock Bowers.
Tua Tagovailoa, Michael Penix, Jr., and Bryce Young are a step below that group, but all are capable of a big game here or there when the matchup is right. Example: The Panthers host the Saints in Week 10. All three are also capable of stinkers at any time, so be careful if you wade in these waters.
Marcus Mariota could be the Commanders’ quarterback for the rest of the season and is another name you can consider if you need a second QB in a Superflex. He’s got some rushing upside but has been just OK when Jayden Daniels missed starts earlier in the season. I’ve got him in the same general tier as the three guys immediately above.
I don’t think Tyler Shough or Davis Mills offer much upside for fantasy, and would only consider them if you’re truly desperate, in very deep Superflex leagues.
Running Back:
Unless you and your league-mates have been asleep at the wheel and haven’t picked up Kyle Monangai, Bam Knight, or Tyrone Tracy, or forgot that Trey Benson could return in a week, there isn’t all that much to choose from at RB, beyond depth adds. But depth adds at this position make sense if you have room. Rostering a couple of players who are one injury away from a starting role at RB can win a league.
With Breece Hall possibly on the trading block, Isaiah Davis is a player to watch on Tuesday. If Hall gets moved, Davis immediately ascends to the “priority add” level. If Hall stays put, Davis has limited stand-alone value but is a decent stash nonetheless.
Tyjae Spears continues to get about half of the RB touches in Tennessee, and on that awful offense, that means he’s only a desperation start as an RB2 or Flex. But that role could grow, and if Pollard gets moved on Tuesday, Spears becomes a high priority target. So watch the news. Even if the Titans keep both backs, Spears has stand-alone value as a pass-catching back in a timeshare.
It sounds like Quinshon Judkins (shoulder) won’t miss time, but given that he’s going to be playing with an AC joint sprain in his shoulder, Dylan Sampson is worth a roster spot.
Depth adds: Tyler Allgeier, Ollie Gordon, II, Tank Bigsby, Bhayshul Tuten, Jaydon Blue, Brian Robinson, Jr., Kenneth Gainwell, and Emmanuel Wilson.
Wide Receiver
The Jaguars’ wide receiver corps took a beating over the last few days. Travis Hunter injured his knee in practice last Thursday, and landed on IR. Brian Thomas, Jr. (ankle) and Dyami Brown (concussion) both got hurt before their game went into overtime on Sunday. Parker Washington, anyone? He was the team’s leading receiver Sunday. Dyami Brown could also see increased opportunities once he is cleared.
Tory Horton blew up with two TDs in the first half in Seattle’s big blowout on Sunday night, with Cooper Kupp inactive with hamstring and heel injuries. Horton has mostly made his mark as a punt returner thus far, but he might offer more than Kupp to the Seattle offense at this point. He profiles as a spike-week type of player, and is worth adding.
Christian Watson, Tez Johnson, and Malik Washington all made last week’s column and I’ll mention them all again as good upside adds who can serve as WR3s or Flexes as needed.
Others to consider for depth: Darius Slayton, Keon Coleman, Calvin Austin III, Christian Kirk, Jalen Coker, Tre Tucker, Kyle Williams (Kayshon Boutte might miss some time), and Rashod Bateman.
Tight End:
Colston Loveland was my Sleeper of the Week in Week 9 and it hit big, but before you go overboard to pick him up after his amazing game-winning TD catch-and-run in the final minute, remember that his 6-118-2 stat line came against the Bengals, who have now allowed a league-worst 12 TDs to opposing tight ends. Loveland might be starting to emerge, but it’s an offense with a lot of weapons. Still, the Bears took him with a Top-10 draft pick for a reason, Cole Kmet is in the concussion protocol, rookie pass-catchers have been known to pop in the second half of the season, and you get the picture…he’s 100% worth adding if you need TE help.
Luke Musgrave has big cleats to fill with Tucker Kraft out for the season, but remember that he was the more highly touted (and drafted) of the two. With Matthew Golden also getting hurt Sunday and Jayden Reed still out, Musgrave could be a thing, and since he isn’t rostered anywhere he’s going to be a popular target on waivers this week.
Cade Otton should have a nice target share going forward with so many injuries to the receivers, just like last season when the top two options got hurt.
Theo Johnson and Juwan Johnson are both playing important “safety blanket” roles for rookie QBs, and both are worth targeting if you need a streamer or help in general at tight end.
I don’t think Mark Andrews is going anywhere. But if he does get moved at the deadline, Isaiah Likely should be prioritized. Likely had his best game of the season Thursday night, with 60 receiving yards.
Others to consider if you need a streamer or depth at tight end: Mason Taylor, A.J. Barner, and Dalton Schultz.
PK and D/ST Streamers, Week 10: (ranked outside the Top-12 for the week):
PK: J. Myers (vs. ARI), M. Prater (@MIA), C. Santos (vs. NYG)
D/ST: CAR (vs. NO), DET (@WAS), JAC (@HOU), NYJ (CLE)
Good luck with your waiver claims!
***This column appears each Monday right here at Big Blue View. Each Thursday, my weekly fantasy preview with my rides, fades and sleepers (start/sit) appears here, and on Fridays you can find my weekly Giants Props of the week, also right here. ***
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