With another wild football Sunday in the rearview mirror, it's time to assess the state of our fantasy teams and add (or cut) accordingly.
Thankfully, Week 9 was relatively light on the injury front for players not on the Packers.
- WR Romeo Doubs (GB) was carted off the field with an ankle injury. He was spotted after the game on crutches and with a boot on his foot and is expected to miss multiple weeks with a high ankle sprain.
- RB Aaron Jones (GB) suffered an ankle injury and was also seen in a boot after the game, though he is not expected to miss any time.
- WR Christian Watson (GB) exited early with a concussion. He suffered a concussion in Week 8 as well, which could jeopardize his Week 10 availability.
- TE Evan Engram (JAC) suffered a back injury, he but is expected to play in Week 10.
Beyond injuries, Week 10 gives us a slight reprieve with just four teams — the Ravens, Bengals, Patriots and Jets — on bye. You will need to find one-week replacements for Lamar Jackson, Mark Andrews, Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins, Joe Mixon, Rhamondre Stevenson and more.
Whether you need a player to replace dead weight on your roster, or just need a Week 10 streamer, make sure to check out Action Network's top targets at each position — all of which are available in at least 50% of Yahoo! leagues — that you should prioritize come Tuesday night.
Note: Yahoo! roster percentages are reflected in parentheses as of Monday and fantasy rankings are exclusive of the Monday Night Football game.
Fantasy Waiver Wire Pickups
Fantasy Waiver QBs to Target
Daniel Jones, Giants (40% rostered)
Of course, the week the fantasy community trusted Jones is the one that he imploded. He was a disappointment in what should have been a positive matchup against the Seahawks in Week 8, completing 17-of-31 attempts for 176 yards and zero touchdowns. He finished as the QB25 — his worst fantasy finish this season — as the G-Men picked up their second loss.
The bad news is that the Giants did not make a move for a receiver before the trade deadline, meaning they will have to stick with Wan’Dale Robinson, Darius Slayton and Richie James.
The good news is that Jones will be well-rested and fresh off a bye to face the Texans, who entered this week ranked 30th in overall defensive DVOA. He is averaging over 45 rushing yards per game and will be a viable streaming option for Jackson or Burrow managers looking for a one-week fill-in — or potentially longer with the Lions in the hole in Week 11.
Next three games: vs. Texans, vs. Lions, at Cowboys
Jared Goff, Lions (49%)
Goff was okay in the Lions' shocking 15-9 win over the Packers. He completed 14-of-26 attempts for 137 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He is currently the QB18 entering Monday night.
Goff, who's certainly had his moments throughout the year, has finished as a top-14 quarterback in three of his eight starts. Those good performances came against the Commanders, Seahawks and Dolphins, all of which are below-average against fantasy quarterbacks.
The silver lining for Goff is that he gets to face the Bears this week, whose defense has been annihilated by Dak Prescott and Tua Tagovailoa in back-to-back weeks. He should be a serviceable one-week streamer.
Next three games: at Bears, at Giants, vs. Bills
Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers (39%)
Garoppolo has yet to crest the 20-point mark in fantasy this season, though he has been remarkably consistent. Weeks 5 through 7, he finished as the QB9 thrice. He was the QB14 in Week 8 against the Rams after completing 21-of-25 attempts for 235 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Garoppolo has at least 17 fantasy points in five of seven games this season and he will be a safe streaming option in Weeks 10 and 11 against the Chargers' and Cardinals' below-average pass defenses.
He offers even more upside with the addition of pass-catching running back Christian McCaffrey, who fits in well with Garoppolo's affinity for short-yardage dumpoffs.
Next three games: vs. Chargers, at Cardinals, vs. Saints
Other quarterbacks to consider: Taylor Heinicke, Commanders (7%), Andy Dalton, Saints (14%), Kenny Pickett, Steelers (7%), Marcus Mariota, Falcons (33%), Baker Mayfield, Panthers (4%)
Fantasy Waiver RBs to Target
Jeff Wilson Jr., Dolphins (52% rostered)
Cue The Undertaker gif.
After writing Wilson off, the former 49er is back and already outperforming Raheem Mostert. He logged nine carries for 51 yards and caught three passes for 21 yards and a touchdown in the Dolphins' 35-32 win over the Bears.
Mostert saw nine carries for 26 yards and a touchdown, but he was not involved in the passing game. Mostert was also out-snapped 28 to 27 by Wilson, who is currently the RB10 in half-PPR scoring with one game left to play.
Wilson has been productive in the past and was the RB12 from Weeks 2 to 5 after Elijah Mitchell got hurt. That said, I would temper expectations the rest of the season as I am not sure how many 67-point games the Dolphins will be involved in. This could also develop into a true 1A/1B situation with Mostert mixed in as long as he is healthy.
The Dolphins next face the Browns' porous run defense, which ranks bottom five in fantasy points allowed to running backs. Wilson may be relevant once again.
Next three games: vs. Browns, BYE, vs. Texans
Chuba Hubbard, Panthers (33%)
Hubbard did not play in the Panthers' blowout loss to the Bengals, nor did he play in the week prior. He is dealing with an ankle injury he suffered in Week 7 against the Buccaneers, which was the Panthers' first game without Christian McCaffrey.
Hubbard had been named the starter hours before that game ahead of D'Onta Foreman. Both turned in good fantasy games (RB18 for Hubbard; RB5 for Foreman) and split snaps 27 to 25 (in favor of Foreman).
With Hubbard out, the Panthers leaned on a committee of Foreman and Raheem Blackshear, who was elevated from the practice squad. Foreman saw seven carries for 23 yards and is currently the RB40. Blackshear saw five carries for 13 yards and a touchdown and caught four passes for 40 yards. He is currently the RB12 and saw 17 snaps to Foreman's 21.
It's entirely possible that Foreman was game-scripted out of this one as the Panthers were trailing by double digits fairly early on. That could continue to be the case in a lot of Carolina's games, making Hubbard an attractive add.
He is more involved in the passing game than Foreman and will, at minimum, be in a committee. I would steer clear of Blackshear as long as Hubbard is healthy this week against the Falcons.
Next three games: vs. Falcons, at Ravens, vs. Broncos
Rachaad White, Buccaneers (34%)
White is a frequent flier on this article as a bench stash. He was unremarkable for fantasy in the Buccaneers' 16-13 win over the Rams, but he may be inching closer to fantasy relevance.
He saw a season-high eight carries for 27 yards and caught three passes for seven yards, while Leonard Fournette had nine carries for 19 yards and caught five passes for 41 yards. The split on the ground should be concerning for Fournette managers, as his ineffectiveness has clearly done him no favors in terms of workload split.
At a minimum, White is one of the most valuable insurance policies as Fournette's backup. He might also be developing standalone value and could break against the Seahawks in Week 10.
Next three games: vs. Seahawks, BYE, at Browns
Jaylen Warren, Steelers (7%)
Despite being out-snapped 54 to 22, Warren outperformed Najee Harris before the Steelers' Week 9 bye. Warren had six carries for 50 yards and caught three passes for 25 yards; Harris had eight carries for 32 yards and caught six passes for 26 yards.
Harris remains the alpha in the backfield, though I could definitely see Warren chipping away at Harris' touches as the season progresses, if only for load management. Warren has also been the more effective back of the two with 5.3 yards per attempt to Harris' 3.3.
For now, Warren is a stash with high upside if anything were to ever happen to Harris. He could even develop standalone value in this ineffective Steelers' backfield.
Next three games: vs. Saints, vs. Bengals, at Colts
Jerick McKinnon and Isiah Pacheco, Chiefs (14% and 30%)
Reiterating what I said last week: This backfield is a mess.
The Chiefs failed to get anything going on the ground during their 20-17 overtime win over the Titans on Sunday Night Football. Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Pacheco led the team in rushing with a whopping five yards each, followed by McKinnon, who had four. McKinnon was the most involved of the trio in the passing game and caught 6-of-8 targets for 40 yards.
This backfield feels wide open and could shift toward Pacheco or McKinnon, with Edwards-Helaire plausibly falling out of favor with the coaching staff. Pacheco should be utilized more in positive game scripts, which was not the case for the Chiefs this week.
The Chiefs have a nice schedule coming up against the Jaguars and Chargers — both of which have bottom eight defenses versus fantasy running backs.
Next three games: vs. Jaguars, at Chargers, vs. Rams
Other running backs to consider: James Cook, Bills (22%), Latavius Murray, Broncos (40%), Chase Edmonds, Broncos (48%), Kenyan Drake, Ravens (31%), Kylin Hill, Packers (0%)
Fantasy Waiver WRs to Target
Terrace Marshall Jr., Panthers (6% rostered)
Our D.J. Moore dream died so Terrace Marshall could live.
Marshall has now posted two good games in a row for fantasy. In Week 8, the Year 2 wideout caught 4-of-9 targets for 87 yards against Atlanta. In Week 9, he caught 3-of-6 targets for 53 yards and a touchdown against the Bengals despite a mid-game change at quarterback. Moore was a non-factor and caught 2-of-6 targets for 24 yards.
Better days are ahead for Moore and Marshall, the latter of which is currently the WR12 in half-PPR scoring with one game left to play. He should continue to see an uptick in targets and is a viable deep-league flex play with the Falcons on deck.
Marshall was the WR27 last week against Atlanta's exploitable pass defense, which ranks second-worst in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers this year.
Next three games: vs. Falcons, at Ravens, vs. Broncos
Wan'Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton, Giants (25% and 5%)
As alluded to before, the Giants did not make any moves for a receiver before the trade deadline. While this is bad news for Daniel Jones, it is relatively good news for New York’s existing pass-catchers.
Robinson was a popular add before the Giants’ bye as Kadarius Toney was shipped off to Kansas City. He was unfortunately a dud and caught 2-of-3 targets for 15 yards. Slayton had a slightly better day and caught 5-of-6 targets for 66 yards.
Both are relatively low-upside options whose value comes from projected volume and lack of competition. They should be in flex consideration, as I expect Jones and the Giants to bounce back nicely against the Texans and Lions in Weeks 10 and 11.
Next three games: vs. Texans, vs. Lions, at Cowboys
DeAndre Carter, Chargers (31%)
Carter entered Week 9 questionable due to an illness. He ultimately played in the Chargers' 20-17 win over the Falcons and was the team's WR2 with both Mike Williams and Keenan Allen sidelined. Williams is dealing with a high ankle sprain and will be sidelined for weeks, while Allen seems to have suffered a setback with his hamstring injury.
Carter caught 5-of-6 targets for 54 yards and is currently the WR28 in half PPR. He was the clear No. 2 behind Joshua Palmer, who reeled in 8-of-10 targets for 106 yards.
This should be the pecking order going forward if Williams and Allen both remain sidelined. The Chargers' Week 10 matchup on paper seems rough against the 49ers, though they have been middle-of-the-road against fantasy wide receivers this year.
Next three games: at 49ers, vs. Chiefs, at Cardinals
Mecole Hardman, Chiefs (48%)
I am wary of chasing Hardman touchdowns, which can feel a bit like fool's gold. That said, the Georgia product has posted his third quality game in a row, scoring five touchdowns in that span. He recorded season highs in all receiving categories against the Titans, catching 6-of-9 targets for 79 yards and a score.
Since Week 6, Hardman is the WR8 on a per-game basis in half PPR. He remains touchdown dependent, though if that's your profile then the Chiefs are a good team to be on.
Hardman has a nice two-game stretch coming up against the below-average pass defenses of the Jaguars and Chargers.
Next three games: vs. Jaguars, at Chargers, vs. Rams.
Donovan Peoples-Jones, Browns (21%)
Peoples-Jones is coming off of his best fantasy game this year. He reeled in all four of his targets for 81 yards and finished as the WR30 in half PPR before the Browns' Week 9 bye.
Peoples-Jones will be well-rested in Week 10 to face Miami's porous pass defense and could offer at least one-week value in that matchup in deeper leagues. He could also be a stash with David Njoku out and Deshaun Watson inching closer to his return.
Next three games: at Dolphins, at Bills, vs. Buccaneers
Odell Beckham Jr., Free Agent (23%)
This is a purely speculative add as Beckham has yet to be signed.
The free agent, who's been rehabbing a torn ACL he suffered in the Super Bowl, has been floating around since the end of last season. The teams rumored to be interested in his services are the Bills, Packers, Rams, Cowboys and Giants.
The Packers, Rams and Giants strike me as the neediest of this list. Green Bay would likely be Beckham's best bet (though he would already know the Rams' playbook should he rejoin his old squad).
Next three games: Unknown.
Other wide receivers to consider: Scotty Miller, Buccaneers (0%), Marvin Jones Jr., Jaguars (6%)
Fantasy Waiver TEs to Target
Greg Dulcich, Broncos (35% rostered)
Dulcich had yet another strong fantasy performance in what was otherwise a dull affair in the Broncos' 21-17 win over the Jaguars in London. He caught 4-of-5 targets for 87 yards and was the TE8 for the week in half-PPR scoring.
Since joining the team in Week 6, Dulcich is the TE4 on a per-game basis behind only George Kittle, Travis Kelce and Dallas Goedert (good company to have!).
I recommended adding Dulcich ahead of this week, though I suspect most managers did not have the luxury of adding a player on bye (with five other teams on bye).
I view Dulcich as a long-term solution as opposed to a one-week fill-in. The rookie is everything we hoped Albert Okwuegbunam would be and should be considered a TE1 in the next few weeks against three below-average pass defenses.
Next three games: at Titans, vs. Raiders, at Panthers
Cade Otton, Buccaneers (11%)
Otton shined and had his best fantasy game in the Buccaneers' win over the Rams. The rookie caught 5-of-6 targets for a team-high 68 yards and was the lone Buccaneer to find the end zone. He is currently the TE3 in half-PPR scoring heading into Monday Night Football.
I have been on the Otton hype train for a while and had high hopes for him entering the season with Rob Gronkowski retiring. He is widely available and faces the Seahawks before Tampa Bay's Week 11 bye.
Seattle is giving up the most fantasy points to tight ends this year, which should vault Otton into the one-week streamer conversation for Mark Andrews, Hayden Hurst, Hunter Henry or Tyler Conklin managers.
Next three games: vs. Seahawks, BYE, at Browns
Cole Kmet, Bears (23%)
Kmet had a monster game in the Bears' loss to the Dolphins. He caught 5-of-6 targets for 42 yards and a pair of touchdowns and is currently the TE1 in half PPR with one game left to play.
To say that Kmet had a slow start to the year would be a gross understatement. He bageled in back-to-back weeks to start the season and was the overall TE34 from Weeks 1 through 7.
Kmet and the Bears' offense, however, have shown major signs of life in the last couple weeks. He found the end zone in Week 8 against the Cowboys as well and finished top 12 at the position. He will have prime opportunities to repeat this success over the next two weeks against the Lions and Falcons, whose defenses are two of the worst against the pass and have allowed the fifth-most and eighth-most fantasy points to tight ends this year, respectively.
Next three games: vs. Lions, at Falcons, at Jets
Other tight ends to consider: Noah Fant, Seahawks (10%), Hunter Henry, Patriots (34%), James Mitchell, Lions (0%), Harrison Bryant, Browns (2%)
