The stars showed out in Week 9 of the fantasy football season. Kenneth Walker, Puka Nacua, Ja’Marr Chase, CeeDee Lamb, Christian Watson, and Matthew Golden all delivered matchup-defining scores on Sunday.
It’s always incredible to see your foundational players post huge scores, but with the fantasy playoffs approaching, it’s crucial to ensure that the edges of your roster are rounded out.
We can do just that on the waiver wire, grabbing breakout players and exciting stashes to give our teams some juice ahead of the postseason.
Ahead of the Week 10 waiver wire run, here are the names that fantasy managers should be watching.
Note: Only players rostered in roughly <50% of ESPN leagues will be considered.
Note: Our Week 10 waiver wire targets will be updated as data and news become available.
FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 10 WAIVER WIRE TARGETS
QUARTERBACK
GENO SMITH, NY JETS (22.7% ROSTERED)
The pool of intriguing QBs available on the waiver wire is shrinking by the week. Among those still available in at least 50% of ESPN leagues, Geno Smith stands out.
Although he’s coming off a brutal week, he’s proven capable of putting together quality outings in good spots. He posted just over 26 points in Week 3 against the Lions and hit 23 points in Week 7 against the Dolphins.
In Week 10, Smith and the Jets will get a Bills defense that ranks 26th in both EPA per dropback and dropback success rate.
The only quarterbacks who’ve failed to toss multiple passing TDs this season against Buffalo have been Justin Herbert and the trio of Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley, and Joe Fagnano.
This will also almost certainly be a game in which New York is operating in catch-up mode, so no matter how much Frank Reich and Aaron Glenn want to establish the run, Smith should see plenty of dropback volume.
Altogether, Smith is setting up as a reasonable streamer, especially with Garrett Wilson almost certainly rejoining the lineup.
AARON RODGERS, PIT STEELERS (32.9% ROSTERED)
Much like Geno Smith, playing Aaron Rodgers in a single-QB league is less than ideal, but he’ll be in a decent spot next week.
Rodgers and the Steelers will get Joe Burrow and the Bengals in Week 10, and considering the recent form of Cincinnati’s offense, we could very well get another day from Rodgers in which he attempts 40-plus passes.
Rodgers is no stranger to lofty attempt totals these days; he’s thrown at least 40 passes in three of eight games this season. Mike McCarthy seems to genuinely want to lean into the pass as well. Ahead of Week 9, Pittsburgh ranked 10th in overall pass rate and 6th in PROE.
Pittsburgh’s passing game hasn’t been especially effective or efficient, but it likely won’t matter if the volume is there.
If Rodgers can pair volume with a couple of touchdowns through the air, a top-12 week, something he’s done three times this year, would come as no surprise.
RUNNING BACK
AUDRIC ESTIME, NO SAINTS (8.8% ROSTERED)
In a somewhat unexpected move, the Saints opted to release Kendre Miller and sign Audric Estime ahead of Week 9.
Estime has familiarity with the organization and Kellen Moore’s scheme, so he was immediately inserted as a featured member of the backfield alongside Alvin Kamara.
Estime notched a 46.7% snap rate, handled a team-high 15 carries (68.2% of RB carries), and turned those carries into 72 rushing yards and a score. He also tacked on a five-yard reception.
At this point in his career, Kamara isn’t going to function as a true bellcow. Meanwhile, Travis Etienne remains on IR and hasn’t had his practice window opened just yet.
Until Etienne is back in the mix, Estime will have some value in games where the Saints’ offense can stack carries and lean on the ground game. They can certainly do that in Week 10 against the Panthers.
For teams in desperate need of help at RB, Estime can be an emergency starter next week.
SETH MCGOWAN, IND COLTS (4.0% ROSTERED)
Not much has changed surrounding Seth McGowan outside of the fact that he had a decent day in Week 9, turning six carries into 45 yards and a trip to the endzone.
Eclipsing 10 PPR points for the first time is great, but the intrigue surrounding McGowan on the waiver wire is exclusively driven by the potential of a Jonathan Taylor trade.
The market for Taylor seems to fluctuate by the hour. On Sunday morning, insider Jordan Schultz reported that he was most likely going to remain in Indianapolis.
Regardless of what happens with Taylor, we’ll get clarity on the situation before waiver claims are filed this week; the NFL trade deadline falls on Tuesday afternoon.
If Taylor is dealt, McGowan becomes a priority pickup, as he’ll likely be a volume-driven RB2 in strong and decent matchups.
If Taylor sticks around, McGowan can be disregarded on waivers and dropped in most leagues if he’s already stashed.
DYLAN SAMPSON, CLE BROWNS (18.7% ROSTERED)
Much like the situation with McGowan, nothing’s changed with Dylan Sampson’s outlook. He remains a quality, floor-driven RB2 option thanks to his receiving role.
In three games since making his return, Sampson has drawn 16 total targets, and he even popped for a 20.7% target share in Week 9. As a result, he’s averaging 10.47 PPR PPG in this three-game stretch.
And there’s reason to believe this usage will stick around. Sampson has been deployed as a legitimate weapon in the passing game. Across his first two games of the year, his route rate sat at 47.7%, and initial data from Week 9 has his route rate at 69.8%.
The Browns will get the Texans next week, a game where they can very well be playing from behind, setting up Sampson for a nice role. In PPR leagues, he can help teams with suspect RB2 options get by.
KALEB JOHNSON, GB PACKERS (0.9% ROSTERED)
MarShawn Lloyd missed Week 9 with a knee issue, and Josh Jacobs left early with a fractured finger.
As a result, the Packers turned to Kaleb Johnson, who handled 14 carries and became the first Green Bay running back to eclipse 40 rushing yards in a game this season.
The short-term status of both Lloyd and Jacobs remains uncertain. If both are unable to go in Week 10, Johnson would serve as the Packers’ primary ball carrier, although it will come in a game against a stout Vikings defense.
Given the matchup and the uncertainty surrounding the health of the backfield, Johnson isn’t a priority pickup, but he’s a name to keep an eye on and potentially add in deeper leagues.
COREY KINER, NE PATRIOTS (5.3% ROSTERED)
As of late, Corey Kiner has served as the Patriots’ closer, stacking up carries in the 4th quarter to salt away games. But he may be taking on a larger role in Week 10.
TreVeyon Henderson is currently sidelined while dealing with a medical condition, and Rhamondre Stevenson picked up a knee injury against the Packers.
Kiner helped close out the blowout loss after Stevenson left, finishing the day with eight carries for 55 yards and a TD.
If Stevenson is forced to miss time, Kiner will serve as New England’s starter in a potential shootout against the Lions, making him a name to watch on waivers.
Other Handcuff RBs Worth Rostering: Kaelon Black (37.0%), Mike Washington Jr. (29.8%), Emmett Johnson (23.6%), Chris Rodriguez Jr. (19.1%), Samaje Perine (10.8%), Ray Davis (2.7%), Sione Vaki (1.4%)
WIDE RECEIVER
CALEB DOUGLAS, MIA DOLPHINS (27.5% ROSTERED)
Caleb Douglas’s ascension within the Dolphins’ offense continued in Week 9. After a one-game ramp-up period in his return from an ankle injury, Douglas reclaimed a full-time role in Week 8. He also drew six targets in that game, a sign that he was emerging as a focal point of the passing attack in Miami.
Those trends continued this past Sunday. Douglas posted an 80% route rate and commanded a team-high eight targets, good for a 38.1% target share.
Obviously, a 38% target share isn’t a realistic weekly expectation, but this is exactly what we’ll need to see out of Douglas if he’s going to be a viable fantasy starter moving forward: consolidation in a low-volume passing offense.
If he can regularly draw 20-25% of the targets in this offense, while continuing to put his dynamic playmaking ability on display, he’ll be a real asset to fantasy rosters.
TANK DELL, HOU TEXANS (23.3% ROSTERED)
Tank Dell made his return to the NFL in Week 7, but in Week 9, he reminded everyone that he’s still capable of stuffing the stat sheet in the wake of his devastating knee injury.
Not only did he pop for an explosive touchdown, but he commanded real volume, leading the team with a 24.3% target share (nine total targets).
It remains to be seen whether this sort of volume sticks around, but we now know that Dell is capable of being a real factor in this passing attack. That’s enough to stash him on the end of benches and see how things look in the coming weeks.
RYAN FLOURNOY, DAL COWBOYS (30.3% ROSTERED)
With the news that George Pickens would be inactive for the Cowboys on Sunday, Ryan Flournoy became a popular spot starter for teams in need of help in their FLEX spot.
Flournoy disappointed, turning in just 7.3 PPR points on three targets. However, it’d be reasonable to go back to him in Week 10.
If Pickens is unable to suit up once again, Flournoy will almost certainly fall in the WR2/WR3 range of Week 10 rankings and projections.
Even if Pickens is back in the mix, Flournoy will be startable for teams in a pinch. Dallas will take on San Francisco in Week 10, a matchup that can certainly feature some fireworks. The total currently sits at a whopping 55.5 points.
That’s the sort of game environment where you can fire up a depth receiver like Flournoy, who was averaging 5.3 targets per game and 9.56 PPR PPG ahead of Week 9.
Much of Flournoy’s value next week will hinge on the health of Pickens, but either way, he’s worth a look for teams that lack stability at the bottom of their starting lineup.
PAT BRYANT, DEN BRONCOS (1.2% ROSTERED)
Pat Bryant returned from IR in Week 9 and immediately made an impact on the Broncos’ offense.
While running 81.6% of the routes, he commanded five targets (14.7%), led the team with 56 receiving yards, and made his way to the endzone.
Jaylen Waddle exited early with a concussion, so it remains to be seen what his role looks like moving forward. Still, this was an encouraging result: a full complement of routes and a relatively productive day.
Bryant will need to take a larger chunk of the target pie moving forward before he can be trusted in fantasy lineups. Luckily, the competition isn’t exactly stiff. Courtland Sutton had a nice day, but over the course of the full season, he’s been among the most inefficient WRs in the NFL. Waddle, meanwhile, has underwhelmed and dealt with multiple minor injuries.
There’s an opportunity in front of Bryant, and he’s shown that he may be capable of taking advantage of it. He deserves to be stashed away in deeper leagues.
Other WRs Who Need to be Rostered: Jordyn Tyson (39.4% rostered), Antonio Williams (21.4%)
TIGHT ENDS
DARREN WALLER, CAR PANTHERS (7.7% ROSTERED)
Ahead of Sunday Night Football, Darren Waller is your TE1 on the week in PPR leagues. He piled up 10 targets (27.0% target share) and once again showed that he’s a force in the red zone.
What makes this even better is that he held a promising role in this game, running 67.4% of the routes.
If that route rate sticks around, he may have a safe enough floor to feel comfortable streaming him in stronger matchups.
CHIG OKONKWO, WAS COMMANDERS (13.7% ROSTERED)
Chig Okonkwo’s role has stabilized in the absence of Terry McLaurin.
He’s consistently running roughly 80% of the routes (83.3% in Week 9), and his target totals over his last three games have been seven, four, and seven.
It’s nothing special, and the ceiling isn’t especially high, but with bankable routes and a reasonable expectation for a handful of targets each week, Okonkwo will be a low-end TE1 or high-end TE2 in most weeks moving forward.
