Here’s an early look at the fantasy players you’ll be targeting off the waiver wire this week. None of these players are rostered in more than 50% of Yahoo! leagues. The actual Yahoo! ownership percentage is included in parentheses. Players are listed from the most owned to the least owned after Sunday’s games. Be sure to check out Jen Piacenti’s expanded list of waiver-wire players every Tuesday!
Tank Dell, WR, Texans (47%)
Dell got cut in some fantasy leagues after getting hurt and failing to score double digits in three straight games. Those who held onto him benefited this week, however, as the rookie hauled in six passes for 114 yards with two touchdowns and 29.6 fantasy points in a win over the Buccaneers. The Texans passing offense has been solid with C.J. Stroud under center, so Dell needs to be widely rostered.
Russell Wilson, QB, Broncos (46%)
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Wilson was released in a lot of fantasy leagues since the Broncos were on a bye, so he’s a free agent in over 50% of Yahoo! leagues. That shouldn’t be the case after next week, though, as the quarterback position is a disaster and Wilson hasn’t been bad this season. He does have a tough matchup in Buffalo next, but this is more of a rest-of-the-year move rather than a one-week fix. Go grab Wilson now.
Demario Douglas, WR, Patriots (35%)
With Kendrick Bourne out, the Patriots turned to both Douglas and JuJu Smith-Schuster (19%) as their top wideouts in terms of chances. They were both targeted seven times in a loss to the Commanders, and each of them scored double digit points in PPR formats. Douglas played far more snaps and is the Patriots wide receiver to target, however. He’ll be a viable flex starter next week against the Colts.
Quentin Johnston, WR, Chargers (31%)
Johnston doesn’t play until Monday night, but he could see a bigger role in the Chargers offense moving forward. The team placed Joshua Palmer on the injured list, so he’s going to miss at least the next four games. That opens up a chance for the rookie out of TCU to make a bigger impact both on the field and in the world of fantasy football. He can be added as soon as possible in some leagues.
Jonnu Smith, TE, Falcons (28%)
Smith isn’t the most consistent player at tight end, but he is coming off a huge, 21-point performance against the Vikings. He has now scored double digits in four of his last six games, and he’ll play a bigger role in the offense while Drake London is on the sidelines. With a matchup against the Cardinals next on the schedule and four teams on a bye, Smith could be a low-end starter in many leagues.
Luke Musgrave, TE, Packers (22%)
Musgrave didn’t see a ton of volume against the Rams with just four targets, but he did turn them into three catches and a touchdown. The tight end position is thin, and the Packers might be without Christian Watson, who suffered both chest and back injuries and might have had a concussion. In that scenario, Musgrave could push for low-end No. 1 tight end value. He’s available in most fantasy formats.
Joshua Dobbs, QB, Vikings (16%)
Dobbs was thrust into action after the Vikings lost Jaren Hall in the first quarter, and he didn’t disappoint. The newly acquired quarterback threw two touchdowns, rushed for a third and scored 24.9 fantasy points in a huge win over Atlanta. He has now scored 20-plus points three times this season, and his rushing chops make him a viable matchup-based starter at what is a brutally thin quarterback position.
Cade Otton, TE, Buccaneers (5%)
Otton is coming off a big stat line, catching six passes for 70 yards with two scores and a career-best 23 fantasy points. He has now scored at least 8.7 points in three straight games, during which time he has seen 21 combined targets. Otton has also quietly scored at least 8.7 points in five of his last seven games, and three of those contests were double-digit performances. He faces the Titans up next.
Keaton Mitchell, RB, Ravens (3%)
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The fantasy community has been waiting for Mitchell to have his breakout game, and it finally came in a blowout win over Seattle. The speedy back put up 138 yards on nine carries and found the end zone, finishing with 20.4 points. I don’t think he’ll usurp Gus Edwards, who is scoring plenty of touchdowns lately, but I can see the talented Mitchell getting more touches in the Ravens offense moving forward.
Cedric Tillman, WR, Browns (0%)
If you play in a deeper league, you might want to take a flier on Tillman. While he was mostly non-existent in the stat sheets with just one catch, the rookie played 43 of a possible 51 snaps according to PFF. In fact, Tillman played four fewer snaps than Amari Cooper and nine more snaps than Elijah Moore. With Donovan Peoples-Jones no longer on the roster, Tillman could get a chance to shine soon.
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