Last week, our top streaming option was the Las Vegas Raiders in a juicy matchup with the Giants. The matchup went from good to great when Daniel Jones left with a knee injury, and Vegas finished the game with eight sacks, two interceptions, and 19 fantasy points in a 30-6 win.
Vegas and the Colts (8% rostered last week) were two of the top three defensive performers of the week, showing how crucial it can be to identify and roster overlooked defenses in strong matchups when you can. Week 10 brings bye weeks for the Eagles, Chiefs, Dolphins, and Rams, while several defenses owned in over 90% of leagues (Cleveland, San Francisco, New Orleans) face tough road matchups.
The D/ST market is going to be a competitive one. Let’s see who the best streaming options are off the fantasy football Week 10 waiver wire.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (41% ROSTERED ON YAHOO!)
VS WASHINGTON COMMANDERS | 4:25 PM
The Seahawks were the recipients of an absolute beatdown in Week 9, courtesy of the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore cooked Seattle’s run defense to the tune of 298 yards and three TDs on over seven yards per carry on the day as the Ravens won 37-3. This may not be a glowing endorsement of Seattle’s defensive potential, but the hope is that this was just a blip on the radar against a good team on the road.
Before last week’s debacle, Seattle had averaged eight fantasy points per game on defense since their Week 5 bye. They’ll look to return to that level of output against Washington, who will make the cross-country trek to Seattle this week and bring along their 26th-ranked rushing offense. With fewer concerns regarding the ground game, Seattle can focus on where they excel, which is getting to the quarterback.
While Washington’s allowed 44 sacks on the year, 2nd-most in the league, Seattle has racked up 27, which has them tied for 6th. Second-year linebacker Boye Mafe has led the way with six sacks, all coming in the past six games, and alongside Jarran Reed and Jordyn Brooks, Seattle has the potential to wreak havoc on Washington’s below-average offensive line. I like them a lot in this spot.
CHICAGO BEARS (2%)
VS CAROLINA PANTHERS | TNF
Like Seattle, the Bears are working to return to form after a poor Week 9 showing. Actually, the past two weeks have been lackluster for Chicago’s defense, as they put up a combined one-point over two matchups with the Chargers and Saints. Still, in the three previous weeks against bottom-11 offenses, they averaged over 12 fantasy points per contest. This week brings a return to favorable matchups as Chicago hosts the lowly Panthers on Thursday Night Football.
Chicago’s defense isn’t great, but they boast a few bright spots in TJ Edwards and the newly acquired Montez Sweat, and they’ve proven they can take advantage of easy matchups — which is precisely what Carolina presents. The Panthers are 28th in total offense, 27th in passing yards, and 27th in scoring, giving up the 4th-most points to fantasy defenses.
Thursday Night Football is the ultimate breeding ground for low-scoring snooze-fests of a game, and this one seems headed that way with an over/under of 40.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (14%)
AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (NEUTRAL SITE – GERMANY) | 9:30 AM
The Colts were an honorable mention in last week’s picks, and they made us pay for not including them in the primary section, dropping 26 points on Carolina with four sacks and three interceptions — two returned for touchdowns. They face another bottom-five offense in Week 10, this time with a twist, as they’ll square off against the Patriots in the NFL’s second game in Frankfurt, Germany, in as many weeks.
The Patriots have been especially generous to opposing defenses lately, yielding the 2nd-most fantasy points to D/STs over the past four weeks. They’re dead last in time of possession, their 14 turnovers have them tied for seventh in the league, and they continue to struggle to get much going on offense, especially after Kendrick Bourne‘s injury.
This game being in Germany also gives me confidence in a weird, low-scoring matchup between two below-average teams. If Kansas City and Miami’s vaunted offenses couldn’t top 21 points in Frankfurt, I don’t think New England’s dumpster fire of a unit will do much better.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (28%): Tampa Bay has struggled the past few weeks after a strong start, and will host Will Levis and the Titans on Sunday.
Tennessee Titans (5%): The Titans failed to record a single sack or turnover against Pittsburgh in Week 9, and will try to right the ship against Tampa this week.
Las Vegas Raiders (49%): Still under 50% owned despite last week’s blowup, the Raiders will host the Jets on Sunday Night Football.
