Entering Week 10 of the NFL season, there probably aren’t too many impactful players still available on your waiver wire. But there is one guy who could pique some interest – Odell Beckham Jr.
The stud wideout is reportedly nearing a return to action after suffering a torn ACL during the Super Bowl. He’s got a list of teams he’s interested in – spoiler: they’re mostly contenders – and WR-needy fantasy managers should probably take note of his impending return.
Action Network’s fantasy football experts weigh in below on what OBJ can offer and whether he's worth a bench stash.
Sean Koerner: Initial reports had Beckham returning in December, but he has progressed in his rehab fast enough to potentially return to action as soon as this month.
His most likely landing spots are the Cowboys, Packers, Giants and Rams. The Packers and Giants offer the most upside, considering he would have a path to become the No. 1 target in either offense given their WR struggles. In any scenario, OBJ will likely provide rest-of-season WR3 value, which makes him a priority add for WR-needy teams.
It's tough to find a potential top-36 receiver on the waiver wire this late into the season — OBJ is that guy.
Samantha Previte: 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 already knows the Rams' playbook should he rejoin his old squad).
Mike Triplett: This is probably your last chance to pounce on Beckham if you have high hopes for him and want to beat the rush.
FOX Sports insider Jay Glazer reported on Sunday that Beckham will be “ready and cleared by the end of this week, full cleared, no limitations.” And Glazer said he expects several contending teams to get in a bidding war. Now, some of those teams are more attractive than others — but it’s a safe bet OBJ won’t wind up in an abyss like Carolina or Indianapolis.
He’s worth a flier if you have the bench space, though you need to temper expectations for how long it will take him to work his way back to a significant role. Meanwhile, it’s worth considering both Beckham and receiver Calvin Ridley in deeper dynasty leagues if you already have eyes on 2023.
Ridley is a major unknown after all the time he has missed over the past two seasons, but the Jaguars made a pretty significant investment in him at the trade deadline. They’ll give him every opportunity to return to prominence.