As fantasy football playoff brackets begin to take shape, the waiver wire will continue to be a vital part of the process going into the second half of the season.
Teams on a bye in Week 10 include the New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots.
We’ll be taking a look at the top available players rostered in ESPN leagues, using the 75% rostered mark as the threshold. If you have any questions about prioritizing a certain player over another, don’t be afraid to hit me up on Twitter (@KevinHickey11). Your questions, comments, and roasts are always welcome!
We also will be taking a look at some deeper players to stash and the top streaming options for the upcoming week.
Fantasy football waiver wire recommendations refer to 12-team league formats, unless specifically stated.
Check back for any updates throughout Monday and Tuesday as more injury news becomes available.
Priority Free Agents
1. QB Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
This will be the final time Fields will be listed on the waiver piece. He should have been picked up sooner, but he’s still available in a good amount of ESPN leagues. Fields has finished as a top-eight quarterback in each of his last four games and topped that stretch off with a QB1 finish in Week 9. He has a favorable schedule moving forward, and his rushing ability has brought about some rare upside.
Availability: 53%
FAAB: 50%
2. WR George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers
Coming out of the bye week, the Steelers traded away Chase Claypool. They mostly did this because they want to see Pickens in a larger role down the stretch. He’s already flashed high upside and a bigger role could lead to him being a very valuable asset in fantasy for the playoffs regardless of the offense.
Availability: 41%
FAAB: 25%
3. RB Jeff Wilson Jr., Miami Dolphins
The trade from the 49ers to Miami did wonders for Wilson’s fantasy value, and we saw it pay immediate dividends. Despite it being his first game, he out-snapped Raheem Mostert, ran more routes and saw the same amount of carries. He took nine carries for 57 yards and caught all three of his targets for 21 yards and a receiving touchdown. Wilson should have plenty of value with some favorable matchups coming up.
Availability: 55%
FAAB: 25%
4. WR Joshua Palmer, Los Angeles Chargers
As expected, Palmer was the leader in the receiving game for the Chargers with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams both out. He caught eight passes on 10 targets for 106 yards against the Atlanta Falcons. It isn’t clear when Allen and Williams will be back from their injuries so Palmer has WR2 value moving forward. He’s likely already rostered, but it’s worth a look.
Availability: 33%
FAAB: 20%
5. WR Mecole Hardman, Kansas City Chiefs
It’s often said that we shouldn’t chase touchdowns when looking for waiver-wire targets, and while that’s still good process to follow, Hardman seems to be one of Patrick Mahomes’ favorite targets in recent weeks. During Sunday Night Football, Hardman logged a season-high nine targets while securing six receptions for 79 yards and a touchdown—his third game in a row with a score. There are a lot of moving parts in this offense, but Hardman seems to be carving out a bigger role each week.
Availability: 64%
FAAB: 20%
6. WR Devin Duvernay, Baltimore Ravens
With Rashod Bateman expected to miss the remainder of the season after suffering a foot injury, Duvernay steps into the WR1 role in the Ravens offense. Assuming all goes well Monday night, he should be a target on the waivers going into Week 10. Duvernay has flashed some big-play ability throughout the season, and even though the passing offense for the Ravens has left much to be desired, Duvernay will be the top target for Lamar Jackson until Mark Andrews returns. Additionally, the Ravens have one of the best upcoming schedules for wideouts.
Availability: 49%
FAAB: 10%
7. RB Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers offense is nothing to get excited about right now, but White’s increasing usage can’t be ignored. Though his stats won’t jump off the page from Week 9, he saw a season-high 11 touches. There’s a chance White continues to see more touches moving forward and at the very least, he could bring immense value if Fournette is to miss time down the stretch.
Availability: 80%
FAAB: 10%
8. TE Greg Dulcich, Denver Broncos
Coming out of the bye week, there’s a chance Dulcich is still available. Considering the landscape of the position, it’s difficult to find the type of usage and production at tight end that Dulcich has provided over the last month. Since making his debut in Week 6, he’s finished as a TE1 in each of his three games while posting target shares of 12%, 20% and 19%, respectively. For those in desperate need of a tight end, Dulcich is a solid option with some upside.
Availability: 70%
FAAB: 10%
Grab-n-Stash
RB Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
It’s more likely than not that the Rams backfield will be a mess for the remainder of the season, especially with Cam Akers back in the mix after the team failed to find a trade partner. Darrell Henderson is still the leader in the room while Akers and Malcolm Brown spelled him in Week 9. Williams is expected to come off the injured reserve list soon, and there was a report just before Week 1 that the rookie was going to have a solid role. It’s best to wait and see what the role will look like, but it wouldn’t be a terrible idea to stash him in case it’s larger than we expect.
Availability: 85%
FAAB: 5%
WR Wan’Dale Robinson, New York Giants
It’s never a bad idea to target rookie wide receivers for the second half of the season. Historical data suggests they often have breakout hit rates than veteran receivers during the second half. Robinson has already flashed some potential and after the Giants traded away Kadarius Toney, Robinson is the clear target in the passing game. It will be a bit rocky considering the volatility of the Giants offense, but he should command a high target share moving forward.
Availability: 79%
FAAB: 5%
RB Kenneth Gainwell, Philadelphia Eagles
This is about the time of the season that managers should be keeping an eye on high-valued handcuffs. Gainwell isn’t seeing enough usage to render standalone value, but he did get a goal-line rush for the first time in a month in Week 9. He also posted three targets, which were his most since Week 1. This is still Miles Sanders’ backfield, but Gainwell has high value as a handcuff and could work his way into a bigger role by season’s end. At the least, he’s worth monitoring.
Availability: 92%
FAAB: 1-2%
WR Treylon Burks, Tennessee Titans
Burks is still currently on the injured reserve list but is eligible to return this week. It isn’t clear if that will happen, but he’s worth a stash in case a second-half breakout is on the way. The Titans need pass-catching weapons in the worst way, and Burks seemed to be finding his groove before the injury. He’s worth a cheap add, especially in leagues with IR spots.
Availability: 78%
FAAB: 1-2%
WR Terrace Marshall, Carolina Panthers
An argument could be made that Marshall belongs in the priority section, but there’s a chance we’re dealing with another quarterback change in Charlotte. Even so, Marshall has been heating up over the last three games and enters Monday night as the WR16 in half-PPR scoring. He’s played at least 86% of the snaps over the last three games while commanding target shares of 14%, 25% and 20% during that span. The Panthers offense is dysfunctional, but Marshall does have some upside as a cheap add.
Availability: 93%
FAAB: 1-2%
TE Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
If and when Cameron Brate comes back, it will be interesting to see if Otton’s role changes. The rookie tight end has been solid over the last month during Brate’s absence and is likely going to finish as a top-five tight end in Week 9. Despite the tough matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, Otton posted five receptions on six targets for 68 yards and a touchdown. He’s not dominating in terms of target share, but he’s been a productive tight end and those are difficult to come by right now.
Availability: 95%
FAAB: 1-2%
Streamers of the Week
QB Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars at Kansas City Chiefs: We’re rolling with Lawrence again after a solid streaming outing in Week 9. The Chiefs have allowed six QB1 finishes in eight games, and Lawrence has been solid for the better part of the last month.
Availability: 42%
QB Davis Mills, Houston Texans at New York Giants: After a surprising outing against the Philadelphia Eagles, Mills takes on a Giants defense that has allowed a top-15 finish to quarterbacks in each of their last five games.
Availability: 97%
TE Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Seattle Seahawks: Though Otton was listed as a stash, he’s a solid streaming option against a Seahawks defense that has allowed six top-15 finishes this season.
Availability: 95%
TE Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions: Kmet finally showed some life in Week 9 with five receptions for 41 yards and two touchdowns. The Lions have allowed a top-15 finish in each of their last seven games.
Availability: 73%
Las Vegas Raiders D/ST vs. Indianapolis Colts: The Raiders defense hasn’t been strong, but the Colts offense is one of the worst in the league, and they just hired Jeff Saturday as their interim head coach after firing Frank Reich.
Availability: 94%
Denver Broncos D/ST at Tennessee Titans: It’s never great going against Derrick Henry, but the Broncos defense is stout, and there’s a chance they face Malik Willis or a hobbled Ryan Tannehill.
Availability: 65%
PK Jason Sanders, Miami Dolphins vs. Cleveland Browns: Getting a piece of this Dolphins offense is a good idea, and this could wind up being a high-scoring matchup in South Beach.
Availability: 87%
PK Robbie Gould, San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Chargers: We could see a high-scoring affair out west, and the 49ers offense seems primed for a breakout with the addition of Christian McCaffrey.
Availability: 90%
