Waiver wire pickups are much more important than it’s ever been before in any fantasy season, with the amount of injuries sustained thus far. It seems like there’s more and more inactives added to the list each week. With four more teams on a bye this week (KC, NYJ, DAL, ATL), you will need to work the waiver wire and try to find a hidden gem with an ideal matchup to replace the voids in your team, especially the absence of the trio of Mahomes, Hill, and Kelce.
I’ve said it every week thus far: active fantasy managers win their leagues. Working the waiver wire each week can prove to be crucial come fantasy playoff time. Injuries are unpredictable and you never know which one of these guys could end up starting in your fantasy championship roster. And, remember, we are entering Week 10 so the fantasy playoffs are coming up sooner rather than later and it is not too late to make a late push.
Here are top waiver wire pickups for Week 10 that are certainly worth adding to your fantasy roster. Players are chosen based on their schedule strength moving forward as well as their usages and efficiencies in their respective offenses.
And, of course, some players will be added near the end that are drop-worthy candidates, but no by means are must-drops.
Players must be owned in less than 60 percent of ESPN leagues to be included in the fantasy football Week 10 waiver wire pickups column. All ownerships for waiver wire players will be provided and will reflect that of Monday evening.
Quarterback Waiver Wire Pickups
Drew Lock, Denver Broncos (13.4%)
Drew Lock has the potential to be crowned “Garbage-Time King” by the end of this season. In back-to-back games, Lock has secured late and heavy garbage points against the Chargers and Falcons. The Broncos’ upcoming schedule consists of LV, MIA, NO and KC, which could bode well for his fantasy value moving forward. Las Vegas is allowing the sixth-most fantasy points per game (FPPG) to opposing quarterbacks thus far, with 21.1. The next three matchups aren’t necessarily favorable for Lock, as they all rank in the top half of the league against opposing quarterbacks but, like I said before, he will pick up garbage points at the end of games. At just under 14 percent ownership, he could make do as a starter in deeper leagues or plug-in bench player in standard formats.
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (20.1%)
Tua Time is officially a thing. After an underwhelming first start in Week 8 against the Rams, with 5.72 fantasy points, there were concerns heading into this game about whether Tagovailoa was NFL-ready. But, Miami took down Arizona last week with Tua leading the way with 248 yards passing and two touchdowns along with seven carries for 35 yards. Their upcoming schedule is favorable with LAC, DEN, and NYJ in their next three games. All three defenses rank in the bottom-ten of the league with allowing points to opposing quarterbacks. The Dolphins have a chance to make a run to win the AFC East title as well, which will likely just fuel Tagovailoa to play tough and better. I mean come on, he’s owned in only 20 percent of leagues and the hype surrounding him right now is astounding. He is worth the waiver wire pickup.
Teddy Bridgewater, Carolina Panthers (29.1%)
The disrespect for Teddy Bridgewater is real! He’s performed well enough to be owned in more than 30 percent of leagues at this point, especially after his Week 9 performance against the reigning Super Bowl champions. Bridgewater completed 74 percent of his passes for 310 yards and two touchdowns along with a rushing touchdown. The Panthers offense has been clicking and with the return of Christian McCaffrey last week, they’re only going to get better. Carolina faces TB, DET and MIN in their next three matchups which could all be good high-scoring games. As long as the offense stays consistent and doesn’t have to play from behind much, Bridgewater’s value is high. He should be a starting quarterback in deep leagues and at least the stash in standard 10-team formats.
Running Back Waiver Wire Pickups
Zack Moss, Buffalo Bills (52.8%)
Despite Buffalo only running the ball 19 times and seven of those from QB Josh Allen, Moss still hit double digit fantasy points and ran in a touchdown. He dealt with a toe injury at the beginning of the season, but since returning in Week 6, has been the better running back in the Bills’ backfield between him and Devin Singletary. Zack Moss seems to fit in the Bills offensive style a lot better than Singletary and makes more of his opportunities when presented with them. However, the Bills coaching staff will likely continue to split both running backs each game anyways. Moss’ value comes from red-zone possessions and catches out of the backfield, but until Buffalo establishes a balanced offensive attack, he will be very dependent on touchdowns for a good fantasy return. Buffalo has some tougher matchups coming up though so I think Moss will be heavily involved.
J.D. McKissic, Washington Football Team (34.4%)
It’s clear the rookie Antonio Gibson carries the majority of the workload on the ground, but in PPR leagues, McKissic is a sneaky waiver wire pickup. Last week against the Giants, he had 9 catches for 65 yards and carried the ball three times for 17 yards. Washington’s upcoming schedule is quite favorable with DET, CIN, and DAL in their next three. Detroit ranks last in points allowed to opposing running backs with 30.4. Not to mention, they just allowed Dalvin Cook to run for 206 yards and two touchdowns in Week 9. It’d be hard to start McKissic in standard format leagues just because of how little he’s used in the running game, but for a safe flex option in deeper leagues, I like him a lot.
Gus Edwards, Baltimore Ravens (10.8%)
The Ravens backfield is hard to monitor between Dobbins and Edwards, but once Ingram is back in the mix, it’s going to be harder. It’d make sense that they would want to use their rookie back more, but Edwards is extremely efficient and always has been. Whenever he gets the ball, he makes the most of his opportunities. Baltimore’s running game was lacking last week against the Colts, but it looks good for Ravens’ backs moving forward as they face NE and TEN in their next two games. Both defenses allow more than 20 FPPG to opposing running backs thus far, so hopefully the Ravens return to their normal gameplan of running the ball. At 10 percent ownership, Edwards could really make an impact on teams lacking running backs.
Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Pickups
Christian Kirk, Arizona Cardinals (52.7%)
How is Christian Kirk only 52 percent owned? In three straight games now, Kirk has surpassed 20 fantasy points. Arizona is ranked first in overall offense this season and that’s because of Kyler Murray and his talent. The Cardinals offense has no plans of slowing down, especially with their next two matchups in BUF and SEA. The BUF-ARI game this week will definitely be high-scoring with both offenses being led by young quarterbacks with weapons all over the field. It’s likely DeAndre Hopkins will be shadowed by Bills CB Tre’Davious White, leaving the door wide open for Kirk to have another great fantasy outing. And, it’s worth mentioning the last time Kirk played Seattle, he had five catches for 37 yards and two touchdowns. Grab him before it’s too late.
Curtis Samuel, Carolina Panthers (42.2%)
Curtis Samuel is one of those gadget-players that is utilized in all aspects of the Panthers’ offensive scheme. It was worrisome once the news about McCaffrey returning came out that Samuel would lose some usage in the offense, but that wasn’t the case. Samuel has surpassed 20 fantasy points in back to back games now and the matchups get better. Carolina faces off against Tampa Bay this week, who just got humiliated by the Saints on SNF losing 38-3. The Bucs and Tom Brady will come out rolling, and if it’s a tight game throughout, Samuel will be depended on once again to make some big plays. Like I said about Bridgewater, the Panthers offense has been rolling and there are no signs of them slowing down.
Allen Lazard, Green Bay Packers (30.6%)
The Green Bay offense has been stellar this season because of the duo of Rodgers and Adams, but it will certainly help to have Allen Lazard back into the mix. In Week 3 against the Saints, he caught six balls for 146 yards and a touchdown. It’s clear he has a connection with Rodgers when he is on the field so I would expect that he’ll be the clear WR2 upon return due to Valdez-Scantling struggling to catch passes. Green Bay faces JAX, IND, and CHI in their next few matchups, so Lazard will struggle against the better defenses, but Jacksonville is allowing 25.7 FPPG to opposing wide receivers thus far. I’d grab him this week before it’s too late!
Tight End Waiver Wire Pickups
Jordan Reed, San Francisco 49ers (24.5%)
With George Kittle sidelined for nearly the rest of the season, Reed will likely be the TE1 in San Francisco, since he’ll be splitting snaps with Ross Dwelley. The 49ers offense will be questionable moving forward with all the injuries they’ve sustained, but I think Reed will be a dependable option for their scheme. In Week 2, he put up 24 fantasy points with seven catches and 50 yards and two touchdowns, but also went down with injury. The 49ers play the Saints this week and have a bye next week, but New Orleans is allowing the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends, with 9.7. If Nick Mullens can get the offense moving this week, Reed will be open most of the time due to the Saints’ lack of linebacker talent.
Jimmy Graham, Chicago Bears (56.0%)
Jimmy Graham isn’t necessarily a top tight end in the league anymore, but he gets the job done. Despite the Bears offense struggling immensely every game, Graham has stayed somewhat consistent. He has seen five plus targets in seven straight games and seems to be the go-to red-zone option for the offense, if they can make it there. Chicago plays Minnesota next week followed by a bye week, but Minnesota is allowing 8.8 FPPG to opposing tight ends thus far. Graham has a strong late schedule as well, which could bode well once fantasy playoffs arrive. He is being utilized too much not to be rostered at least as a backup in standard leagues, but clearly a starter in deeper leagues.
Drop Candidates
QB: Nick Mullens, Kyle Allen, Baker Mayfield
RB: James White, Joshua Kelley, Carlos Hyde
WR: Michael Gallup, Golden Tate, Keelan Cole Sr.
TE: Dalton Schultz, Richard Rodgers, Tyler Higbee
Deeper League Waiver Wire Considerations
QB: Jake Luton, Nick Foles, Philip Rivers
RB: La’Mical Perine, Wayne Gallman, Devontae Booker, Brian Hill, Eno Benjamin
WR: Tre’Quan Smith, Jakobi Meyers, Michael Pittman Jr., Denzel Mims, Demarcus Robinson
TE: Irv Smith Jr., Darren Fells, Trey Burton, Taysom Hill, Ross Dwelley
More Articles
Ranking Buccaneers Fantasy Receivers Rest of Season
DK Metcalf High School Highlights Are Insane
