NFL Waiver Wire: Week 10 Deep Dive

Week 10 will be an important one on the waiver wire because fantasy managers will be without the Chiefs, Dolphins, Eagles and Rams. Most positions are relatively thin, though that's not a reason to take a extended look and find some hidden gems. 

Quarterback

Taylor Heinicke at ARI (five percent ESPN, 23 percent FFPC)

Heinicke's first start with Atlanta wasn't spectacular, but to be fair Minnesota has been tougher against opposing quarterbacks from a fantasy perspective than perception. That won't be the case against the Cardinals as they allow the seventh-most fantasy points per game to QBs. Perhaps the return of Kyler Murray (knee) will make Arizona immediately more efficient, which may push this into a higher-scoring matchup. All of those factors make Heinicke a decent stream for those missing Tua Tagovailoa, Jalen Hurts or Patrick Mahomes.

Aidan O'Connell  vs. NYJ (two percent ESPN, 15 percent FFPC)

In contrast to Heinicke, this isn't the week to stream O'Connell since he'll face a Jets defense that's emerged as dominant when healthy. They appear to be at relatively full strength for Sunday so a Raiders win would likely go primarily through the D and special teams. Setting that aside, O'Connell showed some ability to distribute the ball against the Giants last week (a lackluster defense) and would likely have compiled a better fantasy showing with a different game script. That makes him a decent option against upcoming opponents such as the Dolphins (Week 11), Vikings (14) and Chargers (15).

Carson Wentz BYE (zero percent ESPN, one percent FFPC)              

Wentz signed with the Rams Tuesday as the team enters their bye week. According to Sean McVay, Matthew Stafford (thumb) is likely to be back next week. However, there's still some uncertainty about his status. Even if Stafford does return out of the bye, if pain lingers or he suffers a new injury, he could very well be rested down the stretch as the team see their chances for the postseason dwindle.

Jacob Eason at DAL (zero percent ESPN, zero percent FFPC)

The lack of a logo for Eason means he's on the Giants practice squad, which he joined Tuesday. It's unclear if/when he'll get a chance under center, but Tommy DeVito won't last long and Matt Barkley represents the other QB on the roster. This would be a desperate move, and we may never hear from Eason this season.

Running Back

Jamaal Williams at MIN (27 percent ESPN, 94 percent FFPC)

This might be stretching the interpretation of "deep" as Williams is likely rostered in many of the leagues our readers participate in. He's still worth highlighting because Kendre Miller is dealing with a sprained ankle. The Saints gave indications in Week 9 they wanted to lighten the workload on Alvin Kamara, so Williams could emerge with a bigger role than expected.  

Leonard Fournette vs. DEN (12 percent ESPN, 95 percent FFPC)

Fournette is another player currently on his team's practice squad, yet his roster rate indicates those in leagues with deeper rosters believe he'll eventually be promoted to the active roster and perhaps contribute.

Ty Chandler vs. NO (two percent ESPN, 55 percent FFPC)

Chandler has the opportunity to be the best of this group. Alexander Mattison has only averaged 2.8 yards per carry the last five weeks, with his highest yardage being 44 during that span. Meanwhile, Cam Akers suffered an unfortunate Achilles injury and has no chance to return to leave Chandler as the next man up behind Mattison.

Wide Receiver

Rashod Bateman vs. CLE (four percent ESPN, 86 percent FFPC)

Bateman was rightfully a forgotten player early in the season simply due to lack of production. He commanded a season-best five targets last week, so perhaps he can continue to get more involved. The fact we're noting five targets and three receptions as improvement says everything, so there's considerable risk Bateman fails to emerge. He's listed at the top here due to his roster rate, though there are other options I'd prefer.

Khalil Shakir vs. DEN (four percent ESPN, 65 percent FFPC)

The suspicion that Shakir would get an increased role in the absence of Dawson Knox (wrist) came true and he's gone on to record 10 catches for 149 yards from his last two appearances. This is probably the last week to grab him in the FFPC.

Donovan Peoples-Jones at LAC (three percent ESPN, 71 percent FFPC)

Peoples-Jones was noted last week as the Lions need a second wide receiver to emerge. They were on a bye, so we haven't seen him on the field with his new team. We'll get the first data point in Week 10, and he's worth stashing until we find out more.

Dontayvion Wicks at PIT (zero percent ESPN, one percent FFPC)

Christian Watson can't seem to stay healthy. He's currently dealing with back and chest injuries and battled a hamstring issue earlier in the campaign. In his absence, Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed would be the biggest beneficiaries, though Wicks has displayed glimpses of production.   

Tre Tucker vs. NYJ (zero percent ESPN, zero percent FFPC)

Tucker doesn't currently carry a significant role in the Raiders' offense (he's run six and nine routes the last two weeks), yet that could change if the Raiders fall out of contention. He's topped 50 yards twice the last four weeks due to his explosive play ability, so he could emerge into a player like Rashid Shaheed as he's capable of putting up big points on few opportunities. 

KhaDarel Hodge at ARI (zero percent ESPN, zero percent FFPC)

It's honestly difficult to put any Falcons pass catcher on this list with much confidence as the depth options take turns being productive. That's been Hodge of late with a combined six catches for 135 yards across his last two games. Of course, that's been without much of Drake London (groin), who appears likely to return Sunday. The Atlanta attack can't sustain many pass catchers, so Hodge's relevance could quickly disappear.

Trenton Irwin vs. HOU (zero percent ESPN, zero percent FFPC)

This is a longshot, but Irwin has received some uptick in usage in the absence of Ja'Marr Chase. Chase's availability is in doubt due to a back injury, which makes Irwin a speculative pickup.

Tight End

Tyler Conklin at LV (12 percent ESPN, 91 percent FFPC)

Another offense that can only sustain a few pass catchers is the Jets. Garrett Wilson is obviously the top option, though Conklin has popped up for a few big performances with Zach Wilson under center. He's coming off a 12.6 PPR effort against the Chargers, though much of that came in garbage time.

Juwan Johnson at MIN (nine percent ESPN, 76 percent FFPC)

Johnson looks to be getting healthier after missing a significant chunk of the season due to a calf injury. He notched a TD in Week 9, but more importantly saw his routes run increased from 17 to 25.  

Jack Stoll BYE (zero percent ESPN, zero percent FFPC)

Stoll will be buried on the list of target priorities in Philly, though he's a true deep league option moving forward due to Dallas Goedert's injury. The Eagles are on their bye, so obviously this isn't the week to stream him.