Kenyan Drake was the highlight of last week’s article and he rewarded us with the best game of his career. While we’re not exactly sure what his role will look like from here on out, it shows just how valuable a guy can be, even if it’s just one week. Wins are critical at this time of the year and it’s imperative to fill those slots with six teams on a bye this week. With that in mind, let’s get into our Week 10 Waiver Wire picks.
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Week 10 Waiver Wire Running Backs
Damien Williams (KC)
This Kansas City running game has been frustrating to figure out all season long but we have to hope that Week 9 is a glance into the future. Williams was the feature back in that game, playing 73 percent of the team’s snaps. That actually marked the highest total of any Chiefs running back all season and the best indicator of future outcomes is previous results. Playing all those snaps led to the best game of his season too, with Williams carrying the ball 12 times for 125 yards and a TD. That’s the stud that we saw at the end of last season and it’d be a gem to pick this guy up off the waiver wire if he returns to that fourth-round value people were drafting him at.
Ty Johnson/J.D. McKissic/Jay Ajayi (DET)
Injuries to Kerryon Johnson and Tra Carson have opened up so many doors for this running game and it’s just a matter of time before one of these guys has a big game. The guy I like the most is McKissic, as he’s essentially taken over that Theo Riddick role. That’s evident when you see that he collected three catches for 40 yards in Week 9, in addition to four carries for 32 rushing yards. Most importantly, he played on almost every single third down while playing the majority of the red zone snaps.
Johnson has actually led the team in carries the last three weeks but he’s only got 73 rushing yards on 26 carries in that span. The guy to watch out for is Ajayi. The former Dolphins stud worked out for the Lions last week and there are some rumblings that he could be signed sooner rather than later. If that’s the case, you can expect him to handle early-down work and goal-line carries for a very talented offense. This is a tough situation to figure out but it’s definitely one to monitor because there will surely be good games out of this backfield in the second half of the season.
Week 10 Waiver Wire Wide Receivers
Zach Pascal (IND)
With T.Y. Hilton seemingly out for the next month, Pascal looks like the top receiving option in Indianapolis. That was certainly the case in Week 9 when he led the team with five catches for 76 yards and a TD. That’s actually the third time in his last five games that he’s surpassed 70 receiving yards, as a six-catch, 106-yard, two-TD gem in Week 7 marked his best performance of the season. What we really like is that he led the team with seven targets in Week 9 while playing a team-high 94 percent of the snaps. Volume is really all you can ask for from a waiver wire target, especially when he’s filling in for a stud like Hilton.
DeVante Parker (MIA)
Parker has become a regular in my articles and it’s hard to understand why people won’t go pick him up. He remains below 50 percent ownership on pretty much every site and it’s probably because there’s that big fat MIA next to his names. No, that doesn’t stand for missing in action, it stands for the Miami Dolphins. This is easily one of the worst teams in football but it’s made Parker fantasy relevant. The boost in recent production is because Ryan Fitzpatrick has taken over quarterback duties and that alone has made him worth considering. Not only does he lead the Dolphins by playing 86 percent of the team’s snaps, but he’s also leading the team in nearly every category. What I like is that he has a touchdown in four of his last five games while picking up at least 55 receiving yards in six of his last seven games in total. That’s really all you can hope for from a waiver wire guy, especially with Preston Williams now out for the year.
Week 10 Waiver Wire D/ST Streamers
Baltimore Ravens D/ST (at CIN)
The Ravens are our go-to streamer of the week. Facing the Bengals is a treat for anyone and it’s scary to think that they’ve only gotten worse. Now that Andy Dalton has been benched, it’s time for Ryan Finley to stack up the points for your D/ST. This is less about Finley than it is the offense though, with Cincy ranked 25th in total yardage and 29th in points scored. That doesn’t even take into consideration that the Bengals allow the seventh-most sacks in the NFL while committing the seventh-most turnovers. That’s terrifying news against a Baltimore defense who allows the second-fewest rushing yards in the NFL, as Finley will be asked to do more than he can likely handle.
Indianapolis Colts D/ST (vs. MIA)
While the Dolphins offense has been much better since Fitzpatrick took over QB duties, this still remains one of the worst offenses in football. That’s clear when you see that they rank 30th in both yardage and points scored. What I like is that they surrender the second-most fantasy points to opposing D/STs. That’s no surprise when you see that they allow the third-most sacks in the NFL while ranking 30th in giveaways. That’s why the Colts are projected to enter this matchup as an 11.5-point favorite with the Dolphins projected for fewer than 16 points.
Week 10 Waiver Wire Adds to Consider
Ronald Jones (TB): He and Peyton Barber have been battling for touches all season long but Jones has been seeing more carries recently
Alexander Mattison (MIN): If you have an empty roster spot, pick up the best handcuff in fantasy football. That could also include Tony Pollard backing up Ezekiel Elliot.
Jared Cook (NO): With Drew Brees back, Cook could find himself back into fantasy relevance.
Kalen Ballage (MIA): Someone has to play running back for the Dolphins with Mark Walton suspended and Ballage gets all the goal-line work.
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