We've put a bow on Week 8 of the 2022 NFL season and as head coach Bill Belichick would say, "We are on to Week 9." Now it's time to gaze into the crystal ball and see which players we should target on the waiver wire now for a big payoff later.
Reminder: 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.
Week 10 Early Waiver Wire Targets
QB Daniel Jones, Giants (45% rostered)
Of course, the week the fantasy community starts to trust Jones is the one that he implodes. He was a disappointment in what should have been a positive matchup against the Seahawks, 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 the Giants' Week 9 bye to face the Texans, who rank 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.
QB Marcus Mariota, Falcons (31%)
Mariota has been up-and-down this season. He has finished as a top-10 quarterback in four of eight weeks this year, including Week 8 against the Panthers in the Falcons' dramatic overtime victory. He completed 20-of-28 attempts — his highest completion number since Week 1 — for a season-high 253 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. He added 43 yards on the ground on six rushes.
Mariota was the QB6 last week and is the QB8 this season. He certainly has boom-or-bust potential, but he should have better odds to "boom" in Week 10 against the Panthers once again. He will be a serviceable streamer for managers who miss out on Jones.
WR Wan'Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton, Giants (30% and 6%)
As alluded to before, the Giants did not make any moves for a receiver before the trade deadline. While this is bad news for Jones, it is relatively good news for New York's current pass-catchers.
Robinson was a popular add before the Giants' bye with Kadarius Toney 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 form volume and lack of competition. They should be in flex consideration with the Texans and Lions up next in Weeks 10 and 11.
WR Terrace Marshall Jr., Panthers (4%)
It was the D.J. Moore show in the Panthers’ heartbreaking overtime loss to the Falcons. He has stepped up with Christian McCaffrey out of the picture and is proving to be quarterback-proof opposite P.J. Walker.
Marshall was also impressive in the effort and recorded four catches on nine targets for 87 yards. He was the WR26 in half PPR in what was by far his best fantasy performance of the season.
I expect Marshall to see a bump in target share with Walker playing better than expected. He could be worth an add in deeper leagues, especially with the Falcons on deck once again in Week 10.
WR Kalif Raymond, Lions (2%)
Detroit subtracted at the trade deadline as it sent T.J. Hockenson to Minnesota in a rare intra-division trade.
The loss of Hockenson should vault Amon-Ra St. Brown into fringe WR1 territory and also give Raymond and Josh Reynolds more opportunities. Raymond caught 5-of-6 targets for 75 yards and rushed twice for 20 yards in Week 7 against the Cowboys, finishing as the WR21 in half PPR. He caught 3-of-4 targets for 76 yards in Week 8 against the Dolphins and finished as the WR39.
I am advocating for picking up Raymond for now, as Reynolds is banged up with a back injury and missed practice Thursday. It also looks like the rookie debut of Jameson Williams may be delayed, per head coach Dan Campbell, so Raymond may end up having long-term value as the Lions' de facto No. 2 target.
RB Deon Jackson, Colts (33%)
Jackson has not done much since Jonathan Taylor returned, but he could be in line for an uptick in work. Taylor is dealing with an ankle injury and has missed practice two days in a row. His status for Week 9 against the Patriots remains very much up in the air and could come down to if he logs even a limited practice on Friday.
If Taylor were to miss the game, Jackson would immediately vault into the high-end RB2 tier, even in a difficult matchup. He logged 13 carries for 62 yards and caught four passes for 29 yards in Week 5 against Denver. In the following week against the Commanders, Jackson was the RB1 with 12 carries for 42 yards and a touchdown and 10 catches for 79 yards.
At a minimum, Jackson is a high-value insurance policy for Taylor managers with Nyheim Hines now in Buffalo.
TE Greg Dulcich, Broncos (36%)
Both tight ends in the most recent London game shined in what was otherwise a dull affair. Dulcich had yet another strong fantasy performance and caught 4-of-5 targets for 87 yards. He was the TE8 for the week in half-PPR scoring and the TE4 on a per-game basis since joining the team in Week 6, behind only George Kittle, Travis Kelce and Mike Gesicki.
You may not have the luxury to add a player going on bye, but if you have the space and need a tight end, Dulcich should be your guy. He will be the Broncos’ TE1 moving forward with Albert Okwuegbunam fading into obscurity.
