Week 9 was likely frustrating for many fantasy managers. Several star players underperformed, including A.J. Brown, C.J. Stroud, and Marvin Harrison Jr. All three of these players failed to meet expectations by a sizeable margin. If you left Week 9 feeling disappointed, don’t dwell on it for too long. It’s time to regroup and move on to the first item on the Week 10 to-do list: filing waiver claims.
If you lost a player to an injury last week or are just sick of a particular player underperforming, chances are you’ll have to head to the waiver wire to find a replacement. It’s less than ideal, but starter-level production can be found on waivers if you identify strong matchups and players with elevated opportunity within their offense.
Last week, we provided names like Bo Nix and Cedric Tillman as strong waiver pickups. Both of these players went on to have strong performances in Week 9. We’ll be looking to provide another strong batch of candidates as you prepare to file waiver claims for Week 10.
Top fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 10: Quentin Johnston, Ray Davis, Bo Nix among best adds
Roster percentages representative of Yahoo! fantasy leagues.
Ray Davis, RB, Buffalo Bills (21% Rostered)
Ray Davis has thrived with nearly every opportunity he’s been given this season. He went for 152 yards from scrimmage and 18.2 PPR points in his lone start just a few weeks ago. He saw six touches in Week 9 and was able to rip off a 63-yard receiving touchdown on a dump-off pass. Davis has proven to be able to produce when given the opportunity and is a high-end handcuff in fantasy. He should be rostered in all leagues with moderately deep benches.
Quentin Johnston, WR, Los Angeles Chargers (15% Rostered)
Before getting injured in Week 6, Quentin Johnston delivered a few quality performances on the back of big plays and trips to the end zone. He did the exact same thing in his return in Week 10. Johnston accounted for the Chargers’ biggest play of the day, finding the end zone on a 66-yard pitch and catch from Justin Herbert. If Johnston can maintain his knack for hitting paydirt, he can be a high-upside Flex option when Los Angeles is in favorable matchups.
Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos (34% Rostered)
Bo Nix continues to score fantasy points outside of his production through the air. Typically he’s been tacking on points as a rusher, but last week it came as a receiver. A receiving touchdown lifted Nix to 10.8 fantasy points on the day that did not come from passing yards or touchdowns. Nix now has five QB1 finishes in his last five games and has proven that he can be started with confidence in favorable matchups.
Who are the top quarterback waiver wire targets?
Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets (43% Rostered)
Aaron Rodgers looked like his former Green Bay self last week against the Texans. He had a lethal connection with his receivers and every touchdown came through the air. This was the best that the Jets’ offense has looked in some time, and it allowed Rodgers to deliver his second top-10 performance of the season. He is worth a stash for teams without a consistent QB starter in hopes the New York offense lives up to the talent on the roster.
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (44% Rostered)
It’s been a tale of two halves for Justin Herbert so far this season. After not throwing more than 30 passes in a single game through four weeks, Herbert has now crossed that threshold in three of his last four games. Herbert now has two QB1 finishes in a row thanks to the change in offensive philosophy. There have never been serious questions about Herbert’s talent; the issue was whether he’d have the volume to sustain meaningful fantasy production. If Los Angeles continues to throw the ball at a reasonable rate, he can be a QB1 in plus matchups.
Who are the other top running back waiver wire targets?
Keaton Mitchell, Baltimore Ravens (10% Rostered)
The Ravens’ explosive RB2, Keaton Mitchell, is set to make his return in Week 10 after tearing his ACL last December. Mitchell was one of the league’s most explosive and efficient rushers last season, averaging 8.4 yards per carry and having 14.9 percent of his carries going for 15-plus yards. He’s a solid stash for teams looking to roster high-upside running backs.
Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons (39% Rostered)
Tyler Allgeier is in the “handcuff with benefits” category of running back. He’s capable of seeing 10-plus touches in a single game to provide some standalone value, but he also happens to be a premier handcuff. If Bijan Robinson misses any time, Allgeier will compete for an RB1 ranking every week that Robinson is out. Allgeier has proven to have the talent to handle a bell cow role, and this makes him one of the top “one injury away” running backs.
Who are the other top wide receiver waiver wire targets?
Xavier Legette, Carolina Panther (27% Rostered)
The expectation was that Xavier Legette would assume WR1 duties following Diontae Johnson’s departure. That expectation has proven to be true; Legette has led the team in targets in both games without Johnson. The Bryce Young-led offense may not be able to sustain consistent fantasy production for receivers, but a player seeing 6-8 targets per week is well worth a roster spot. If Legette can have the typical second-half uptick in production that we often see in rookies, he could be a contributing member to fantasy rosters.
Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Browns (43% Rostered)
After moving to Jameis Winston at quarterback, the Browns have shown no issues in trying to throw the ball all over the yard. Winston has now attempted 40-plus passes in two straight games, and the receivers in Cleveland have significantly benefitted. Jerry Jeudy now has 19 targets in his last two games and unsurprisingly has some of his best fantasy performances of the year in those games. As long as Winston holds onto the QB1 job, Jeudy can be a Flex option for teams that lack WR depth.
Who are the other top tight end waiver wire targets?
Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals (13% Rostered)
Mike Gesicki has effectively functioned as the Bengals’ WR2 without Tee Higgins on the field. He’s been second on the team in targets across the last two games, trailing only Ja’Marr Chase. The team doesn’t even attempt to use him as a tight end – just 11 percent of his routes have come from an inline formation. The Bengals are on a short week and will head to Baltimore to play on Thursday. If Higgins is unable to play, Gesicki will be a starting option at tight end.
Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints (37% Rostered)
Week 9 was a vintage Taysom Hill performance. He finished with 60 yards from scrimmage while adding four receptions and a score on the ground to bring him to an even 16 fantasy points. Kendre Miller was placed on IR this week, and Jamaal Williams could realistically miss another game with his groin injury. Williams’ absence would lead to another week of increased usage for Hill and make him a high-upside option at tight end.
Who are the top defense waiver wire targets and streamers?
New York Giants (6% Rostered)
Finding a strong defensive streamer is really quite simple. It’s all about attacking the offenses that are either dealing with injuries or are simply bad. The Carolina offense falls into the latter category. Aside from two inexplicable games from Andy Dalton, this has been an offense that is a threat to go for fewer than 200 yards in any given week. Carolina’s offensive struggles catapult the Giants’ defense into the top 12 this week. Their talented defensive line should tee off on Bryce Young and generate sacks that lead to a strong fantasy performance.
Washington Commanders (58% Rostered)
The Commanders’ defense has done a complete 180 this season. They began the year struggling mightily, especially through the air. They have since become one of the league’s better defensive units. Since Week 5, the Washington defense ranks 4th in EPA per play and has allowed just one team to score more than 20 points. They are in a good spot to keep their hot streak going against Russell Wilson and the Steelers this week.