Injuries can be detrimental to the success of your fantasy squad and can leave you scrambling for a plug-in starter. This is why you will need to work the fantasy football waiver wire to grab high-upside players to help fill these empty spots and reduce that Sunday morning pre-kickoff panic. Keep in mind, it’s that time of the year when bye weeks play a factor, making the waiver wire that much more important. After a heavy week of bye weeks, there are just four teams this time around (BAL, NYJ, CIN, NE).
If you’re in need of an immediate upgrade, here are the best fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 10 that could help push your fantasy team in the right direction.
Players must be owned in less than 60 percent of ESPN leagues to be included in the best fantasy football waiver wire pickups Week 10 column. All ownerships for waiver wire players will be provided and will reflect that of Monday evening.
QB Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Justin Fields, Bears (47.4%)
After being recommended in last week’s “Best Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups” article, Justin Fields has officially broken out. He has posted three straight 23+ fantasy point performances, including an explosion of 42.72 fantasy points in Week 9 against the Miami Dolphins.
He will easily be the No. 1 waiver wire pickup this week simply because quarterbacks outside of the normal top five have been lackluster, and he’s slowly making his way up the rankings. He is currently QB7 in fantasy and he’s barely even throwing the ball. Once Fields gets more comfortable in that area, the sky is the limit.
Taylor Heinicke, Commanders (16.1%)
Taylor Heinicke has been a pleasant surprise since being named starter a few weeks ago, posting at least 13 points in all three games thus far. The Washington Commanders have plenty of weapons on offense despite the underwhelming production so far this season, and Heinicke has taken advantage of that, throwing five touchdowns across the last three games. He is still struggling to play a clean game with no turnovers, but he offers some upside with his legs as well, especially in red zone situations.
RB Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Jeff Wilson Jr., Dolphins (44.6%)
After being traded to the Dolphins, fantasy managers were skeptical but optimistic about the Jeff Wilson Jr. fantasy football value moving forward. He already has scheme familiarity because of Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel’s time with the San Francisco 49ers and not much competition aside from the starter Raheem Mostert. In Week 9, he made an immediate impact, picking up 51 yards on nine carries but also finding the end zone on three receptions for 21 yards. Wilson is a perfect fit for this speedy offense and will find a ton of value catching check-downs from Tua Tagovailoa because the scheme fits around short yardage throws.
Kenyan Drake, Ravens (45.3%)
The Baltimore Ravens are on a bye this week, which could bode well for fantasy managers looking to add a solid running back option in Kenyan Drake. He has had a couple of good performances thus far, but his production took a hit once Gus Edwards returned to the lineup. Since Edwards missed Monday Night Football, Drake took the bulk of the carries, surpassing 15.0 fantasy points for the third time in four games. He may fly under the radar a bit this week just because he’s on bye and won’t be projected near the top of the lists.
WR Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Kadarius Toney, Chiefs (52.2%)
It was to be expected to see Kadarius Toney with a light stat line in his first game in a Kansas City Chiefs uniform considering he hadn’t learned the playbook fully nor played a game since Week 2. His fantasy ceiling is never-ending when Patrick Mahomes is the one throwing the ball to him, and we’ve seen what Toney can do in limited flashes from last season. There simply isn’t much viable competition in the wide receiver room for fantasy managers not to roster Toney and just wait for the chemistry to form over time.
Julio Jones, Buccaneers (25.9%)
Who would’ve thought Julio Jones would make a best fantasy football waiver wire pickups article in 2022, but here we are. His health is obviously a huge question mark because he can never stay healthy, but when he is on field, he offers some upside. He has Tom Brady throwing him the ball, and he’s seen at least four targets in both of his games since returning from injury. Jones is an obvious red zone threat and offers another option outside of Mike Evans for Brady to throw a fade to and have Jones go up and grab it.
TE Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Cole Kmet, Bears (27.0%)
Cole Kmet was a hot topic entering the season for fantasy managers because he was poised for a breakout, but it didn’t happen. The Chicago Bears offense was very underwhelming to start the season, but with Fields recently breaking out and providing some life, Kmet, too, has benefitted. He has caught three touchdowns in his last three games and has seen consistent volume practically all season long. As long as Fields stays on fire and potentially improves his passing stats, Kmet will be a fine streaming option for his red zone and touchdown upside.
Cade Otton, Buccaneers (5.1%)
Tom Brady has always loved his tight ends and, if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense was missing something, it was that Rob Gronkowski impact from the tight end position. Cade Otton has filled in well the last few weeks, seeing at least five targets in three straight games now. Even once Cameron Brate returns to full health, the trust between Brady and Otton has developed well and it likely won’t be just thrown away simply because Brate is healthy again. Tight ends are hard to find and Otton has seen consistent volume with a quarterback that historically loves throwing to his tight ends.
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