This article first appeared on RotoBaller.com
By Chris Mariano (@NMariano53)
As if the latest twist and turn in the Ezekiel Elliot saga wasn’t enough, Week 9 got off to a ridiculous start as not only did Zach Ertz show up on the inactive list, but Leonard Fournette was also scratched due to myriad disciplinary issues such as missing treatments and the team photo. Then we saw several fights break out with studs like A.J. Green and Carlos Hyde being disqualified, and Mike Evans really should’ve joined them on the DQ list.
This tends to be when the grueling parts of the season make writing these get extremely repetitive, so I’ll try to leave the older names that are still hovering around 10-30% out of it. Week 10 will see Baltimore, Kansas City, Oakland, and Philadelphia take their bye. Be aware, Week 11 is the last bye week. Hooray!
Below are my Week 10 waiver wire pickups, or free agents to consider adding to your fantasy football teams. I provide information on players that are owned in roughly 35% of Yahoo leagues or less so that you can make an educated decision about who to add to your squad. Before you even ask: Yes, Josh Gordon is worth a stash if he’s out there, but waiting until Week 13 for a contributor given the bye-week blues still hitting many of us does cramp our style.
Now let’s look around the league at many names who are worth mentioning as Week 10 approaches.
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Quarterbacks – Week 10 Waiver Wire
Colin Kaepernick (QB, FA) – 1% owned (1% FAAB)
If you’ve missed on Josh McCown and can’t wait on a guy like Teddy Bridgewater, then let’s attempt to set aside the various things that Kaepernick has been attached to lately and just look at the potential opportunity that could arise should Jay Glazer’s report of a potential Houston signing come true. Now, if you can’t wait for Bridgewater then you may not be able to wait for Kaep, because it’s unlikely that he suddenly takes the field right after any signing anyway. Heck, maybe he wouldn’t do more than backup Tom Savage. But ideally, Houston realizes that Savage’s ceiling is lower than Papa John’s stock and gives Kaep’s wheels a chance in a system that fits his mobility and strong arm well.
Paxton Lynch (QB, DEN) – 1% owned (1% FAAB)
So, you’re this desperate? Well, the Broncos are hosting the Patriots and their rather gracious defense in Week 10 and Brock Osweiler predictably flopped in his 2017 debut. Some things never do change. Brock-bashing aside, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora said that Lynch could be given the start here if his shoulder injury is cleared up. You’re chasing a whisper here, but this offense does have weapons to utilize.
Preferred streamer order (<35% owned guys): Josh McCown, C.J. Beathard, Brett Hundley, Jay Cutler, Ryan Fitzpatrick (if Jameis sits), Brock Osweiler, Mitch Trubisky, Tom Savage, DeShone Kizer, Drew Stanton
Running Backs – Week 10 Waiver Wire
Damien Williams (RB, MIA) – 33% owned (10% FAAB in PPR)
There is no doubt that I, much like most fantasy footballers, like Kenyan Drake better than Williams. That’s why Drake is 53 percent owned and Williams is down here, plus Drake did end up outsnapping Williams 37 to 30. Still, it was Williams who drew the start on Sunday night against the Raiders and it was Williams who scored a touchdown and it was Williams who didn’t lose a fumble. Rushing for just 14 yards on seven carries is poor, though he did have a nice run taken back by a Jarvis Landry hold, but he showed why he’s a nice PPR lean with six catches for 47 yards and the touchdown. Oakland’s defense isn’t the fairest barometer since they’re pretty darn bad, but after facing Carolina’s top 10 unit next week then Williams and the Dolphins will draw two bottom-barrel Ds in Tampa Bay and New England. Not a bad setup if Miami can keep itself together.
Thomas Rawls (RB, SEA) – 12% owned (7% FAAB)
One week after gaining negative one yard on six carries, Rawls ended up looking sharp in Seattle’s Week 9 loss to Washington. He picked up 39 yards on his nine carries by running hard and muscling through initial waves of contact, though his momentum only came after Eddie Lacy — who was first to get a crack at the starting gig with Pete Carroll’s new commitment to having a “guy” versus a committee — was forced from the game with a groin injury. Lacy only rushed it six times for 20 yards before getting hurt and may not be able to go next week at Arizona. Most of you sharps have already flocked to Lacy, but now it looks like Rawls is at least the short-term add.
Danny Woodhead (RB, BAL) – 27% owned (5% FAAB in PPR)
Woodhead resumed practicing last week and looks like he’ll be on time for his Week 11 return date against the Packers. Javorius Allen has filled in admirably as Baltimore’s pass-catching RB, but Woodhead should regain that role here if he’s truly 100 percent. This isn’t an ideal offense to latch onto in standard leagues, but those in PPR looking for some volume out of a talented back would do well to stash him away during Baltimore’s bye week. As small-sample size as SSS can be, Woodhead did see four touches on Baltimore’s opening drive in Week 1 before getting hurt. Alex Collins should continue to work between the tackles and Allen won’t disappear, but Woodhead should be a PPR asset. I believe it helps him that Benjamin Watson is a dud over the middle, and that having Woodhead run short Texas routes and bleeding out for check downs will be a big help.
*Those seeking a cheap PPR dart could look at Corey Clement (1% owned) given his more versatile pass protection skills earning him snaps (10+ carries in each of their past two games), but I hesitate to chase heading into a bye week and with Jay Ajayi mixing in more. Anyone holding onto Wendell Smallwood should swap for Clement, though.
Wide Receivers – Week 10 Waiver Wire
Robert Woods (WR, LAR) - 33% owned (3% FAAB)
Woods entered LAR’s Week 8 bye having caught exactly five balls for between 59-70 yards in each of his past three games (against Seattle, Jacksonville, and Arizona). Though he only notched four catches in Week 9, he turned in 70 yards yet again alongside his first two touchdowns of the year — including a hilarious 52-yard TD on a 3rd and 33 screen pass. That’s the 2017 Giants for you, though. The Rams are averaging the most points in the league per game, and really stand out given that Houston’s stock has taken a brutal hit. Sammy Watkins will continue to draw most of the No. 1 cornerback attention, which should continue to bode well for Woods as a WR3/flex play with a healthy floor.
Marquise Goodwin (WR, SF) – 12% owned (2% FAAB)
Goodwin predictably saw a healthy eight targets against Arizona in his first game as San Francisco’s primary receiver. Hopefully, Pierre Garcon makes a full recovery and all is well with his neck, but for now we have to simply move on through the trenches. While one of those eight targets resulted in a beautiful 55-yard strike, he would only catch one additional ball for 13 yards and a 2-68-0 overall line. It’s not surprising to see a guy like him end up with a less-than-stellar catch rate since he runs some low-percentage streaks downfield, but ideally, C.J. Beathard will either improve his timing or Jimmy Garoppolo will save the day. Regardless, Goodwin will get to torch a Giants secondary that was just flamed by the Rams next week.
Terrance Williams (WR, DAL) – 10% owned (2% FAAB)
After seeing just nine targets combined over his previous three games, Williams would catch all nine of his Week 9 targets for 141 yards with Dez Bryant leaving early with an ankle injury. Personally, I like Brice Butler (1% owned) more from a talent standpoint but I can’t really dispute this stat line. Williams also seemed to hurt his left knee late in the game and this was a plus matchup against a porous Chiefs secondary so it’s tough to project this forward toward Week 10 against Atlanta, but he should get some waiver-wire attention. We’ve seen Williams make brief splashes before, but the implications of the Bryant injury are the real issue here as the week progresses, even though preliminary reports don’t seem serious. I’d go Williams, then Butler, then Cole Beasley (18% owned).
Curtis Samuel (WR, CAR) – 9% owned (1% FAAB)
The Kelvin Benjamin trade opened up a vacancy in Carolina’s starting lineup, and it looks as though Samuel — the 2017 second-round pick out of Ohio State — will get to flash his 4.31 40-yard dash speed all over the field. He only caught three-of-five targets for 23 scoreless yards in Week 9’s win against the Falcons, as the Panthers continue to struggle on offense. They’ve scored just 40 combined points over their last three games, and Greg Olsen’s likely return in Week 12 will take on a healthy amount of the targets going around. We’re not looking that far ahead just yet, as Week 10’s date with the Dolphins at home could see him break a big one.
Others to note:
Josh Doctson (WR, WAS) – 29 owned (5% FAAB). However, worried about matchups against MIN, NO, and NYG upcoming, then ARI (if he’s establish No. 1 status for Peterson) and DEN in Weeks 15 and 16.
Dede Westbrook (WR, JAC) – 28% owned (5% FAAB)
Corey Coleman (WR, CLE) – 11% owned (2% FAAB)
Aldrick Robinson (WR, SF) – 0% owned (1% FAAB)
Tavarres King (WR, NYG) – 0% owned (1% FAAB)
Tight Ends – Week 10 Waiver Wire
Charles Clay (TE, BUF) – 12% owned (5% FAAB)
Clay is reportedly gearing up to return for a Week 10 matchup with the Saints after missing the last three games. Despite playing in a run-first offense, Clay has emerged as a reliable option for Tyrod Taylor and will look to retain his strong floor even with Kelvin Benjamin and Jordan Matthews joining the fold in earnest. Of course, the Saints have been crushing it with their pass defense lately so the Bills are likely to push with LeSean McCoy against that 29th-ranked rush DVOA rather than the fourth-best pass DVOA. That said, the Chargers, Chiefs, Patriots, Colts, Dolphins, and then Patriots again in Weeks 11-16 make for a desirable stretch to target.
George Kittle (TE, SF) – 13% owned (1% FAAB)
The Giants have given up at least one touchdown to opposing tight ends in each of their first eight games this season. Even Tyler Higbee mustered a 1-8-1 line against them last week, though most of the stats have been much more impressive than just the bare minimum. Kittle and the 49ers face the G-men next, which will really put this trend to the test. Kittle did see five targets in Week 9, catching three of them for 27 yards, but this whole Iowa connection with C.J. Beathard really hasn’t come to fruition. Still, Kittle stands at 6’4″ and can run a 4.52 40-yard dash — fairly close to Evan Engram’s 6’3″ and 4.42 40-yard combo. If you’re in a pinch at TE and Kittle is out there, targeting Big Blue is pretty much all you need to know.
C.J. Fiedorowicz (TE, HOU) – 10% owned (1% FAAB)
While it downright sucks that Fiedorowicz won’t be rejoining the Texans team that many of us have been riding down Avenue W all year long, he still becomes a reliable target over the middle for a team that is lacking a presence there. Fiedorowicz has been out since Week 2 with a concussion and will hopefully be a fresh body banging against midseason-form defenders. DeAndre Hopkins can do it all and Will Fuller can stretch the field, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Fiedorowicz ends up with six or seven targets a week as a safety blanket for Tom Savage or whoever ends up being this team’s QB down the road. From Week 4 on last season, Fiedorowicz played on over 65 percent of Houston’s snaps in 10-of-12 games. I see no reason for that trend to reverse with how Ryan Griffin and Stephen Anderson have been faring.
Early Defensive Streaming Candidates
- NE (@DEN) – 37% owned
- NYG (@SF) 26% owned
- NYJ (@TB) – 5% owned <– my favorite!
