With six teams returning from and four teams entering their bye week, setting our Week 10 lineups will have its challenges. Managers will undoubtedly continue to face tough lineup decisions for one reason or another. The elephant in the room, though, is the fantasy football playoffs creeping toward us all. In order to set ourselves up for a playoff run, and eventually a run for our league titles, bolstering our rosters is a must. That’s why the waiver wire remains so important.
You may be dealing with injuries, bye weeks, or just need to cycle out players from your bench. Whatever the case may be, the waiver wire is there to help. There’s not always a need to put in a claim for players each week, but if you do, make it count. Below, we’ll look at players at each position, who are on 50% or less of most fantasy football rosters, that could be considered on the Week 9 waiver wire.
Week 10 Waiver Wire By Position
Running Back
Jeff Wilson Jr., Miami Dolphins
Jeff Wilson Jr. is what many thought Chase Edmonds could be in this Miami Dolphins offense. After trading away Edmonds to the Denver Broncos last week, the Dolphins then acquired Wilson from the San Francisco 49ers. He now joins former 49er teammate, Raheem Mostert, in the Miami backfield. More importantly, he is reunited with former coach, Mike McDaniel.
Wilson’s familiarity with McDaniel and the offense is obvious. In his first game with the Dolphins, Wilson played more snaps, had more touches, and scored more fantasy points than Mostert. It’s difficult to say if this will be the new norm. However, his usage and production in his first game is very telling. Wilson is the top waiver wire add for Week 10 for anyone with Mostert on their roster. For everyone else, if you need a running back, I’m making him a priority add.
Kenyan Drake, Baltimore Ravens
I don’t expect Drake to be available in most leagues. However, since it wasn’t entirely clear if Gus Edwards would play on Monday Night Football, managers may not have picked up and started Drake in Week 9. As a result, he could be out there waiting for you to scoop him up.
Drake is going to consistently compete with Lamar Jackson for carries in the Ravens offense. Additionally, when Gus Edwards returns, and maybe even J.K. Dobbins, Drake’s role could continue to shrink. However, against a tough New Orleans Saints defense, Drake’s ability to handle a workload of 24 carries for 93 yards and two scores is hard to have standing on the sidelines. Drake shouldn’t be available on the waiver wire after this week.
Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Leonard Fournette continues to dominate playing time out of the Tampa Bay backfield. However, his efficiency and production are major disappointments for fantasy football. Fournette has just 62 rushing yards on 26 carries combined in his last three games. His somewhat of a saving grace is that he also has 82 receiving yards after hauling in 10 of 13 targets in the same span. Meanwhile, though, rookie Rachaad White has three or more receptions in five of his last six games.
Beating the Los Angeles Rams in Week 9 could be a turning point for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They’ll host the 6-3 Seattle Seahawks in Week 10 before their Week 11 bye then take on the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints. In, what should be, three competitive games, White’s role should grow, especially as a pass catcher. He continues to be worth a stash for a potential late-season boom. Rookies oftentimes see more work coming out of their team’s bye.
Other Running Backs to Consider:
Isiah Pacheco and Jerrick McKinnon both interest me from the Kansas City Chiefs. Clyde Edwards-Helaire is already on someone’s roster, but I actually think he’s the odd man out here. McKinnon is the obvious close-game, go-to guy for Mahomes, especially as a receiver. Pacheco, though, should see first and most of the run against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Chargers over the next two weeks.
Samaje Perine is the clear-cut handcuff to Cincinnati Bengal, Joe Mixon. It appears Chris Evans will be out for a bit dealing with a knee injury. If something were to happen to Mixon, Perine becomes the add of the season. Get ahead of it and pick him up now. You did see Mixon’s five-touchdown performance from this past weekend, right? The Bengals’ back is valuable.
Any and All Handcuffs are going to be important to roster during the back half of the fantasy football season. Injuries to lead running backs can strike at any time. Make sure you’re cuffing your own starters, but don’t be afraid to add others on the Week 10 waiver wire. Kenneth Gainwell, Isaiah Spiller, and Jaylen Warren are names that come to mind.
Wide Receiver
Joshua Palmer, Los Angeles Chargers
It’s surprising to me just how available Palmer is ahead of the Week 10 waiver wire. If he is still out there, he will likely be the top wide receiver add for your league and for good reason. Palmer’s 10 targets, eight receptions, and 106 six yards in Week 9 led all Chargers in a win over the Atlanta Falcons. Granted, the Falcons’ defense is extremely fantasy friendly against wide receivers, but all the more reason Palmer should put up those numbers.
Palmer is a top option for Justin Herbert at current. With Keenan Allen working through a setback with his hamstring and Mike Williams still week-to-week with an ankle injury, Palmer is the L.A.’s WR1 for the near future. That said, he is an every-week starter until Allen or Williams returns. Even then, Palmer should still have a sizeable role.
Rondale Moore, Arizona Cardinals
DeAndre Hopkins’ first game back looked like a death sentence for Rondale Moore. Hopkins’ 10 receptions and 103 yards on 14 targets left Moore in his shadow. However, since then, Moore is lining up in the slot, where he belongs, as Hopkins remains outside. As a result, Moore is seeing nearly double the number of slot snaps in his last two games as opposed to snaps as an outside receiver.
His 10 targets in Week 9 are the most amongst all Cardinals. That number is probably as high as it gets for Moore and not on any sort of reliable, consistent basis. Moore is a flex with plenty of upside in a pass-heavy Arizona offense. As the Cardinals fight for their lives for the remainder of 2022, Moore should have enough of an impact to trust plugging into your fantasy lineups.
Wan’Dale Robinson, New York Giants
The rookie is back after a Week 9 bye. Robinson and the Giants are set to take on the Houston Texans at home in Week 10. Houston’s run defense is historically bad so Saquon Barkley is sure to feast in that game. However, Robinson, acting as the Giants’ top receiver, is still a good play against a defense that’s allowing 28.0 points per game to opponents in their last three.
After Houston, the Giants get a matchup with the Detroit Lions, who are allowing the most points per game this season. Then, New York gets four-straight divisional games against Dallas, Washington, Philadelphia, then Washington again. These matchups should present a game script that keeps Robinson involved and churning out fantasy points. He is a sneaky start that could pay off in a big way down the stretch.
Terrace Marshall Jr., Carolina Panthers
It’s nice to see the second-year LSU receiver finally produce. I’m tempering the hype a little bit, but Marshall’s 13.5 points per game average over the last two weeks is worth talking about. With Robbie Anderson and Christian McCaffrey out of the picture, and P.J. Walker under center, Marshall accounts for 26% and 20% of the Panthers’ target share each of the last two games.
Additionally, in Marshall’s two back-to-back, double-digit fantasy point efforts, he has at least three receptions and 53 yards receiving in each. Marshall is still on one of the worst offenses in the league, but the pass-heavy approach allows him a flex-worthy floor. He also has five end zone targets in his last two games which provides a higher ceiling than most players you will find on the Week 10 waiver wire.
Other Wide Receivers to Consider:
Mecole Hardman is on a crowded Chiefs offense. However, he has found the end zone in each of Kansas City’s last three games. In face, he has five total touchdowns in the Cheifs’ last three games on 15 total touches. That said, Hardman comes off as touchdown dependent, but did see nine targets on Sunday night in a win over the Titans. He is a waiver wire add that’s a matchup-based start.
Treylon Burks is a good addition for those who can afford to stash him on their bench. With Malik Willis under center, the Tennessee Titans passing game is downright dreadful. The sooner Ryan Tannehill returns, the better, and his return could align with Burks’. The Titans, who are in the mix for the top seed in the AFC, need to get going in the passing game. Burks is worth the dart throw to return as Tennessee’s top option at wide receiver.
Odell Beckham Jr. doesn’t excite me for fantasy football this season. I’m only including him here because a few people have asked me about him. OBJ is likely to sign with a team soon as he’s expected to get cleared by the end of this week. That said, you can rule him out for Week 10. I don’t expect him to sign and play all of the sudden in Week 11, either. At best, you’re getting OBJ for Week 12, but do you really feel comfortable starting him? He’s returning from his second ACL tear in three years in the same knee. I think he will have a bigger impact in real football than in fantasy, if at all.
Tight End
Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears
The rise of Justin Fields is directly responsible for the rise of Cole Kmet. His 22.0-point performance in Week 9 is by far his best of not only this season, but his career. Kmet’s six targets are a season-high accounting for 22% of the Bears’ target share. Up next for Kmet are the Lions and Falcons. They both rank in the top-10 for most points allowed to tight ends this season. He is worth the add on the Week 10 waiver wire to then play again in Week 11, at least.
Greg Dulcich, Denver Broncos
The Broncos rookie tight end is not to be forgotten after last week’s bye. The last time we saw Dulcich, he logged a career-high 49 snaps. With the bye week under his belt, Dulcich should look to build upon his 17 targets in the first eight games, which leads all Broncos tight ends. Mind you, Dulcich only played in the three most recent of those games.
More importantly, Dulcich is only second to Jerry Jeudy in targets on the Broncos over the last three games. Dulcich should provide steady value for the rest of the season, but especially the fantasy football playoffs. He gets the Arizona Cardinals in the first round of playoffs. They go back and forth between allowing the most and second-most points to the position on average any given week.
Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Is Cade Otton the new Rob Gronkowski in Tampa Bay? It sure looks that way as he’s averaging five targets per game over the last six weeks. Cameron Brate’s absence has paved the way for Otton to get on the field more. In four games without Brate, Otton has played no less than 81% of the Bucs’ offensive snaps. While Otton still battles Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and others for target share, his first NFL touchdown, in Week 9, was a game-winner, proving the trust Tom Brady has in him.
The tight end position continues to be a headache. You could do a lot worse than plugging Otton in your starting lineup each week. He and the Bucs are on bye in Week 11. I think he’s worth adding on the Week 10 waiver wire, though, against a Seattle Seahawks team allowing the most points to tight ends this season.
Quarterback
Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
This is the last call for Justin Fields. I’ve been gushing about him on the waiver wire column and even plugged him a bit in my Week 9 Love/Hate article. His overall QB1 finish in Week 9 should be enough to convince you at this point. Additionally, though, Chicago’s scored on 53.1% of their drives over the last three weeks. That’s the highest rate in the NFL in that span. His rushing upside is as good as anyone’s and the offense is completely different from that of the beginning of the season. Pick up Fields even if you don’t think need a quarterback. You never know when you will. For those with Josh Allen on their roster, I’m specifically talking to you.
Marcus Mariota, Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons continue to find ways to win. Marcus Mariota looks to be the team’s every-week starter at this point. He has Atlanta tied with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for first place in the NFC South with a chance to jump ahead on Thursday Night Football. The Falcons are a top-10 scoring offense this season.
Marcus Mariota is a legitimate fantasy QB1 or deserves to be in the discussion on a weekly basis. He gets the Carolina Panthers on a short week this week. They’re allowing the fourth-most rushing attempts to quarterbacks with just over five per game. Mariota is averaging approximately six rushing attempts per game. I’ll give him the edge in that one and think he’s worth picking up if you need quarterback help.
Also make sure to check out our Week 10 Rankings which are released on Wednesday mornings: QB | RB | WR | TE | Flex Rankings