The Week 10 waiver wire feels like a huge moment in the fantasy football season. Fantasy teams either have more wins than losses and are looking to build upon that or more losses than wins and still pushing for a playoff spot. There are just five weeks left before the playoffs. Over the next five weeks, 20 NFL teams will have their bye week across four of them. Week 13 is the only week without any teams on bye, but even then, eight teams will play Thursday or Friday at the beginning of Thanksgiving weekend.
At this point in the season, the opportunities to find a waiver wire winner are few and far between. The Week 10 waiver wire doesn’t have a ton of obvious value at any position. Especially if your league uses a Free Agency Auction Budget (FAAB), a lot of teams are probably without money to spend. The Week 10 waiver wire, and waiver wires beyond this one, are about finding pieces to plug and play each week to earn crucial wins. For the select few who may already have a playoff spot, or look to be in a position to earn one soon, the waiver wire can be used for building as strong as possible bench for the future.
You may be dealing with injuries 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 10 waiver wire.
Teams with a Week 10 Bye: Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders, Seattle Seahawks
Week 10 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire By Position
Running Backs
Handcuff Running Backs that are an injury away from plugging into fantasy lineups are crucial to add on the waiver wire. I don’t want a simple list to come across as lazy, but there’s no need to dance around how important these players are as we push into November. The top handcuff running backs, if available, include Tyler Allgeier, Braelon Allen, Ray Davis, Justice Hill, Zach Charbonnet, Kimani Vidal, and Blake Corum. With just five weeks left in the fantasy football regular season, get ahead of any future waiver wire battles now if you have room on your bench. There’s nothing worse than losing your stud when playoffs roll around and their handcuff is on someone else’s bench.
Isaac Guerendo, San Francisco 49ers
Christian McCaffrey is expected to make his 2024 season debut in Week 10. His nine-game absence, thus far, is fantasy football’s biggest story. In his place, Jordan Mason has seen the majority of the work. However, he has succumbed to a shoulder injury on two separate occasions, most recently in Week 8 prior to the team’s bye.
In his place, rookie Isaac Guerendo handled his biggest opportunity yet like a veteran. Guerendo’s 14 carries yielded 85 yards and a touchdown. Additionally, he caught three of four targets for 17 yards. Guerendo has 10 or more touches in two of his last three games. In each, he’s averaged over 6.0 yards per carry and logged 99 or more total yards.
If Christian McCaffrey is limited upon his return or misses any more time this season, Guerendo should have significant value. We can’t count out Jordan Mason from having a role, but it’s hard to imagine keeping Guerendo out of the mix given his progressive play.
Other Running Backs to Consider
Trey Benson should probably mix into the above list of handcuff running backs. The rookie currently sits behind James Conner is the Cardinals’ backfield. Conner is pacing for a full 17-game season and a career-high 277 carries this season. He’s been solid with his lead-back role. If he were to miss time, as he has in three prior seasons in Arizona, Benson figures to be the one to take over the majority of work left behind.
Kenneth Gainwell figures to be the handcuff to Saquon Barkley. There’s a three-way tie between Barkley, Derrick Henry, and Josh Jacobs for third in most touches (177) amongst all players this season. Barkley, however, is the only one who’s had his bye week. The Eagles have favorable matchups for running backs such as the Cowboys (twice), Panthers, and Rams down the stretch. If Barkley goes down, or the Eagles establish large leads, Gainwell could have flex value at the very least.
Khalil Herbert remains at the bottom of the running back list for waiver wire suggestions but could soar to the top by this afternoon. Herbert is a potential trade candidate. If he ends up in a favorable situation, which is really anywhere other than Chicago, Herbert could have massive late-season value. Herbert is in the final year of his rookie deal and would cost less than $1 million to whichever team potentially adds him.
Wide Receiver
Xavier Legette, Carolina Panthers
If the Panthers find a trade partner for 34-year-old Adam Thielen, then Xavier Legette is Carolina’s clear top wide receiver for the remainder of the season. He probably already is, but that sort of move would solidify it. Legette leads the team in targets over the last two weeks. That’s significant due to Diontae Johnson’s injury absence then getting traded before Week 9. Bryce Young also started both games at quarterback.
Legette’s 13 targets in Weeks 8 and 9 account for a team-high 22.4% target share in that span. Legette also drew 32% of the first read targets in Week 9 specifically. Up next for the rookie is an international game this Sunday in Germany against the New York Giants. Then, the Panthers have a bye. Legette has exactly four catches, at least 23 yards, and a touchdown in each of his last two games. Legette should be on benches in most leagues but could be a bye-week fill-in for Week 10 lineups.
Jalen Tolbert, Dallas Cowboys
You can make the case Tolbert should be at the top of this Week 10 waiver wire list. Unfortunately, both Dak Prescott (hamstring) and CeeDee Lamb (shoulder) are injured. Prescott is facing a multi-week absence while Lamb could play as soon as Week 10. However, his risk of further injuring the shoulder is high. If Lamb plays, he should remain the favorite target for backup quarterback, Cooper Rush.
Tolbert drew three of Cooper Rush’s 25 pass attempts on the final drive of their losing effort. Tolbert caught just one for a four-yard touchdown. Admittedly, Rush moved the ball around pretty evenly to seven different players. With one week of practice to get acclimated, Tolert possesses the most upside to emerge from this Cowboys’ passing game.
Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers
As you continue through Week 10 waiver wire suggestions, you’ll read my thoughts on adding Justin Herbert. Adding Quentin Johnston goes hand-in-hand with this concept. After a two-game absence, Johnston returned and was second in targets to only Ladd McConkey in Week 9. Five targets of just 26 pass attempts (19%) isn’t quite the volume we want for fantasy football, but assuming it increases in upcoming pass-friendly matchups, it’s good that Johnston is commanding a good chunk of them in his first game back.
Johnston also logged his first game with 100 or more receiving logs. He caught four of five targets for 118 yards and a touchdown. I’d like to see more consistency of Johnston connecting with Herbert in Week 10 before feeling confident enough to plug him into must-win fantasy football lineups.
Other Wide Receivers to Consider
Demario Douglas has exactly nine targets in four games this season. That includes two of the Patriots’ last three games. In games in which he’s seen nine targets, Douglas averages 14.6 fantasy points per game. That’s with only scoring one touchdown. Douglas has a Week 14 bye, but he’s worth stashing and possibly starting before then. It’s difficult to trust any Patriots pass catcher beyond Hunter Henry.
Demarcus Robinson is probably staying put in Los Angeles as the Rams maintain their hunt for a playoff spot. Robinson is a trustworthy veteran, proving his worth with a walk-off touchdown in overtime on Sunday. He caught six of nine targets for 94 yards and two touchdowns. This was after Puka Nacua was ejected for fighting, however. If Robinson is traded, where to would depend if he remains a Week 10 waive wire target. As is, he is worth a spot on most competitive roster benches.
Jalen McMillan is out with a hamstring injury. The Buccaneers could have used the rookie on Monday Night Football in their overtime loss to the Chiefs. McMillan figures to be a far trust worthier option for the rest of the season than Sterling Shepard. His biggest competition for targets in Tampa are tight end Cade Otton and the three-headed running back monster of Rachaad White, Bucky Iriving, and Sean Tucker.
Tight End
Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals
Brock Bowers leads all tight ends in total points as a rookie. He is on bye in Week 10. As are David Njoku, Tucker Kraft, and Noah Fant. It’s likely two or three managers in any given league are looking for a fill-in for Week 10. Mike Gesicki should be at the top of the list.
Gesicki is coming off of a Week 9 game with five catches, 100 yards, and two touchdowns. That’s even better than what I had for Gesicki in my Week 9 bold predictions article. Gesicki continues to thrive in games in which wide receiver Tee Higgins does not play. He’s now averaging 6.75 targets, 5.5 receptions, and 70.5 receiving yards per game without Higgins. As of Monday, Tee Higgins is still not practicing.
Gesicki and the Bengals have a tough game on the road against the Ravens on Thursday Night Football. In the first matchup between these two teams, the Ravens won 41-38 in overtime. Joe Burrow completed 30 of 39 passes for 392 yards and five touchdowns. Tee Higgins led the Bengals with 14 targets. In Week 10, Gesicki is in a smash spot on a short week to expose a Ravens defense that has allowed a league-high 280.9 passing yards per game including 291.3 per game in their last three.
Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a mess. They’ve lost seven straight games and just fired head coach Dennis Allen. Additionally, their top two receivers, Chris Olave (concussion) and Rashid Shaheed (knee, IR) will not play in Week 10. Fantasy managers should be avoiding everyone on this offense except Alvin Kamara, unless Taysom Hill has tight end eligibility in your league.
Hill continues to be the Swiss army knife player for the Saints offense. Especially with a depleted group of playmakers, he could see even more touches moving forward. He’s missed time due to injury, but in his last three games played, Hill is averaging five rush attempts and has scored at least one touchdown in two of them.
Taysom Hill also logged a season-high five targets in Week 9. That brings his Week 9 opportunity total to 10 yielding 60 yards and a touchdown. The ability to add this sort of volume and production from Hill into your tight end spot continues to be a cheat code for fantasy football. It’s no guarantee Hill comes through, but his chances of doing so are better than usual in Week 10.
Other Tight Ends to Consider
Hunter Henry is a player that always seems to make his way back on the list of waiver wire suggestions. It’s hard to keep him off of the Week 10 waiver wire list after logging 23 total targets in his last three games. More importantly, Henry has led the Patriots in receptions and total yards over the last three weeks, as well. Rookie quarterback Drake Maye has found a reliable target in Henry. Fantasy managers can rely on Henry, as well, as a result.
Quarterback
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Since the Chargers’ Week 5 bye, Justin Herbert is fantasy football’s QB13 on a points per game basis. It’s still not quite where Herbert once was as a fantasy quarterback, but much better than how he began this season.
In his first four games Herbert was averaging 22.75 pass attempts, 144.5 passing yards and just 10.36 fantasy points per game. Since then, he’s averaging 33.0 pass attempts, 286.75 passing yards, and 17.9 fantasy points.
Up next for Justin Herbert is three straight home games. Each one is more fantasy friendly than the last, too. The Chargers will host the Tennessee Titans, then the Cincinnati Bengals, and lastly, the Baltimore Ravens. The Titans have allowed the league’s lowest number of passing yards (1,376) this season, but are tied for the most points allowed with 26.6 per game. That includes the second-most of any team, 34.3, over the last three weeks. The Bengals and Ravens are more clear-cut advantageous matchups as both defenses rank inside the top-six in fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks.
Herbert should be the top quarterback choice on the Week 10 waiver wire. Considering there are 14 teams on bye over the next three weeks, Dak Prescott is injured, and there are only a handful of set-and-forget options at the position to begin with, it’s wise to get Herbert on your roster ahead of Week 10.
Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Bo Nix did not throw a touchdown pass in Week 9. He still scored 18.72 fantasy points. Nix caught a touchdown pass from wide receiver Courtland Sutton. Thankfully so because Nix could’ve, and probably should have, had at least one passing touchdown, but upwards of three. Above all else, Nix kept up his rushing with six attempts for 36 yards. That’s been a huge key to his fantasy success this season. He is averaging just over six rush attempts per game.
Nix now has 18.0 or more fantasy points in four of his last five games. That’s a solid floor to invest in on the Week 10 waiver wire. Unfortunately, he will face the Kansas City Chiefs for the first time in his career on Sunday, but that should maintain passing volume for Nix to put together a strong fantasy performance. Baker Mayfield just managed to throw for 200 yards, two touchdowns, and rush for an additional 20 yards against the Chiefs on a Buccaneers offense missing Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and rookie Jalen McMillan in Week 9.
Other Quarterbacks to Consider
Aaron Rodgers is averaging just 15.95 fantasy points per game this season. However, in his last four games, Rodgers has an average of 17.86 points per game including 20.34 in Week 9. After playing on Thursday Night Football, Rodgers and the Jets have extra rest before traveling to Arizona to face the Cardinals. Their defense is allowing an average of 242 passing yards per game. Rodgers has the weapons to exploit this Week 10 matchup. A big day from Breece Hall on the ground is the biggest worry here.
Daniel Jones is coming off of a season-high 24.36 fantasy points in Week 9. His seven rush attempts for 54 yards and a touchdown have a lot to do with it. In a game in which Jones only threw for 174 passing yards, he did add two scores through the air. He’ll look to keep momentum going in Carolina against the Panthers. They’re allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks bolstered by allowing the second-most passing touchdowns this season. The Panthers may also move key defensive pieces away at the trade deadline.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 10 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!