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We would love for the waiver wire to be Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory every week, with this article describing the flavor of Wonka bars, everlasting gobstoppers and lickable wallpaper.
Unfortunately, the candy supply this week is terrible. Circus Peanuts, Necco Wafers, black licorice, Good & Plenty, those hard candies your grandma used to keep in a glass dish on her coffee table … yeah, that’s the waiver wire this week. Sorry.
The best advice we can give you in a week where it’s tumbleweeds on the waiver wire? Keep that FAAB money in your pocket. Don’t burn that waiver priority.
Of course, it’s not always possible to skip waivers, especially during the bye weeks.
We always limit this waiver article to players rostered in no more than half of all Yahoo leagues. But there are a few players rostered in more than 50% of Yahoo leagues worth your attention if they’re available in your league.
The Bears’ Justin Fields (69% rostered) is turning into a star before our eyes and shouldn’t be available anywhere. George Pickens (55%) might have been the single biggest fantasy football value gainer at last week’s trade deadline, with Chase Claypool‘s departure from Pittsburgh freeing up targets. Ravens TE Isaiah Likely (58%) figures to be immensely valuable for as long as Mark Andrews is sidelined, and Likely is rosterable even when Andrews is healthy. Kadarius Toney (55%), Gus Edwards (51%) and Jeff Wilson (51%) should probably be rostered in larger leagues.
OK, let’s see what’s available this week. Care to suck on a butterscotch candy while you’re reading?
Week 10 Waiver Wire Grade: D
(Rostership percentages are based on Yahoo leagues, Recommended FAAB bids are based on a $100 budget.)
- Fantasy Football Week 9 Usage Report: Waiver Wire & Trade Advice
- Fantasy Football Kicker Week 10 Guide, Rankings & Waiver Wire Advice
- Let’s Stream Defenses: Week 10
- Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups: Tight End Streamers
- Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups: Quarterback Streamers
- Fantasy Football Rest of Season Rankings
- Fantasy Football Panic Meter
Week 10 Waiver Wire Rankings
Running Backs
Written by Bo McBrayer
Isiah Pacheco (RB – KC): 31% rostered
- Next opponents: JAC, @LAC, LAR
- True value: $8
- Desperate need: $16
- Budget-minded: $4
Analysis: Why would anyone roster a straight-line runner at the top of a three-headed committee? The answer is because it’s the Chiefs. We should not question the wishes of one Andy Reid when it comes to personnel. He must see something in Pacheco that is not completely obvious, like his combination of size and speed. Kansas City’s upcoming schedule is extremely favorable for RBs, so Pacheco might actually be flex-worthy very soon.
Jaylen Warren (RB – PIT): 8% rostered
- Next opponents: NO, CIN, @IND
- True value: $8
- Desperate need: $16
- Budget-minded: $4
Analysis: Jaylen Warren should be a priority add this week. He’s been a high-end handcuff all season long, but now there’s an avenue, per Mike Tomlin, for Warren to usurp Najee Harris as the team’s lead back. Regarding Warren, “He’s a quality back that’s made some plays. We’ll keep giving him an opportunity to do so, and maybe he’ll write that script.” More work is Warren’s for the taking if he continues to produce at his previous per-touch levels. Warren has been among the league’s most efficient backs, ranking eighth in juke rate, seventh in yards created per touch and ninth in yards per touch. Grab him now.
Rachaad White (RB – TB): 34% rostered
- Next opponents: SEA, BYE, @CLE
- True value: $7
- Desperate need: $13
- Budget-minded: $3
Analysis: Although the rookie from Arizona State has been anything but impressive in a dysfunctional Buccaneers offense, his role continues to grow. Leonard Fournette has experienced tough sledding behind a tattered offensive line, and the coaching staff is showing obvious restraint with the veteran’s workload. White is due for some bigger fantasy performances, so it would be prudent to grab him while he’s cheap.
Dontrell Hilliard (RB – TEN): 18% rostered
- Next opponents: DEN, @GB, CIN
- True value: $4
- Desperate need: $9
- Budget-minded: $1
Analysis: Derrick Henry is a total eclipse in the Titans backfield. An interesting observation is that Hilliard is the only RB who even sniffs the field when the King needs a breather. Hilliard is an adept receiver and will occasionally vulture a score on third down. The pickings are slim on the wire for RBs, so rostering players with consistent usage is the best we can do.
Chuba Hubbard (RB – CAR): 34% rostered
- Next opponents: ATL, @BAL, DEN
- True value: $5
- Desperate need: $12
- Budget-minded: $2
Analysis: Hubbard is similar to Pacheco, except he’s smaller and has poor hands. He is also a member of the Panthers, who are the Pluto to the Chiefs’ Sun. Hubbard is also working his way back from an injury and is behind D’Onta Foreman‘s hulking shadow. Even with everything working against him, the former track star at Oklahoma State will have a role when he returns. Don’t be surprised if Hubbard has a couple of big games before the Panthers wrap up their nightmarish 2022 season.
Kenneth Gainwell (RB – PHI): 14% rostered
- Next opponents: WAS, @IND, GB
- True value: $4
- Desperate need: $10
- Budget-minded: $1
Analysis: Memphis RBs are forever underutilized and underappreciated. Tony Pollard has always shared with Ezekiel Elliott. Antonio Gibson is a 200-point RB every season despite Ron Rivera doing everything in his power to bury him on the depth chart. Darrell Henderson always seems to get hurt when the Rams’ backfield is there for him to seize. Gainwell is an explosive ball carrier with incredible receiving chops. He is the distant second fiddle to Miles Sanders for the unbeaten Eagles, but Sanders has never been the picture of reliable production or health until now. Look for Gainwell to remain a “premium stash” who will occasionally turn in start-worthy fantasy weeks and then go bonkers if Sanders ever misses time.
Kylin Hill (RB – GB): 0% rostered
- Next opponents: DAL, TEN, @PHI
- True value: $3
- Desperate need: $8
- Budget-minded: $1
Analysis: In retrospect, Hill should have been a stash all along. We hope Aaron Jones does not miss significant time with the ankle injury he sustained in Week 9, but A.J. Dillon has not earned a full-time nod in his stead with his performance this season so far. Hill was very good in Jones’ absence last season until he went down with a torn ACL. Depending on Jones’ status, Hill could be a very sneaky pick up with upside through the fantasy football playoffs.
Stash Candidates: Kyren Williams, Alexander Mattison, James Cook, JaMycal Hasty, Isaiah Spiller
Kyren Williams is still in line to come off IR soon and relieve one of the worst RB groups in the NFL. He is a rookie from Notre Dame with a well-rounded skill set, especially in the passing game.
Alexander Mattison and JaMycal Hasty are both getting a tiny sliver of the work behind the lead backs on their respective teams. Dalvin Cook and Travis Etienne will continue to dominate the RB snaps in good health.
James Cook handled more snaps than expected in Week 9 immediately after the Bills acquired Nyheim Hines at the trade deadline. I don’t expect that to be a trend going forward as Hines gets up to speed in the new offense.
Isaiah Spiller was back in the rotation on Sunday for the Chargers. He carried the ball seven times for 29 yards in a close game, compared to only one carry for Sony Michel. This should be considered an audition for the rookie while Joshua Kelley is on IR. Should Austin Ekeler miss any time, Spiller is an RB with three-down capabilities and was an elite producer in the SEC with Texas A&M.
Wide Receivers
Written by Derek Brown
Terrace Marshall (CAR): 6% rostered
- Next opponents: ATL, @BAL, DEN
- True value: $3
- Desperate need: $7
- Budget-minded: $1
Analysis: My truther heart can’t be contained. HE’S ALIVE! HE’S ALIVE! After being proclaimed deceased by the fantasy community, Marshall has shown signs of life over the last two weeks. Since Week 8, Marshall has a 22.7% target share with WR29 and WR13 (pending SNF & MNF) finishes. Marshall has stacked back-to-back games with at least 1.70 yards per route run (2.42, 1.70). With a return date with the Falcons ahead this week, Marshall will be a WR3/4. The next two games aren’t as kind, but he’s garnering volume that will still put him in the flex conversation.
Wan’Dale Robinson (NYG): 25% rostered
- Next opponents: HOU, DET, @DAL
- True value: $3
- Desperate need: $7
- Budget-minded: $1
Analysis: Robinson was building momentum heading into the Week 9 bye with WR29 and WR35 weeks before bricking in Week 8. Robinson only saw three targets with 15 receiving yards (WR69) despite a route run rate of 77.8%. Robinson has plus matchups upcoming in Weeks 11 and 12. The Lions have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to slot wide receivers. The Cowboys’ new slot corner, DaRon Bland, allows an 83.3% catch rate (per PFF) in coverage. Robinson will be a low-end WR3/WR4 in those weeks with upside.
Darius Slayton (NYG): 5% rostered
- Next opponents: HOU, DET, @DAL
- True value: $2
- Desperate need: $4
- Budget-minded: $1
Analysis: Slayton has been on a roll since Week 5 with three top-36 fantasy wide receiver weeks (WR22, WR19, WR36). He’s another wide receiver for whom I’m an old-school truther. Brian Daboll has done numerous sharp things since taking over in New York, but an underrated move was giving Slayton a runway to earn playing time in this offense. In Weeks 5-8, Slayton was 18th in PFF receiving grade and 20th in yards per route run (minimum 10 targets). Yes, I have two Giants on this list. If we put aside the names and focus on their production, neither player should be on the waiver wire right now.
Jarvis Landry (NO): 17% rostered
- Next opponents: @PIT, LAR, @SF
- True value: $2
- Desperate need: $4
- Budget-minded: $1
Analysis: With Michael Thomas now likely out for the remainder of the season and Andy Dalton playing good football (yes, I said it), there’s sneaky upside for Landry if his health complies. Landry has plus matchups in the slot over his next three games. The Steelers have allowed the most fantasy points per game to slot receivers this season, while the 49ers are ranked 12th.
Donovan Peoples-Jones (CLE): 21% rostered
- Next opponents: @MIA, @BUF, TB
- True value: $2
- Desperate need: $3
- Budget-minded: $1
Analysis: Peoples-Jones is lower on this list because he’s a plug-and-play option for this week with rough upcoming matchups in Weeks 11 and 12, so if you need a wide receiver to play this week, he’s your guy. I would consider dropping him back to the waiver wire after this week. The Dolphins’ outside corners have been deployed in zone coverage on 56% to 57% of their snaps since Week 6 (per PFF). Against zone coverage, Peoples-Jones has seen 47% of his target volume, ranking 24th in yards per route run and 28th in PFF zone receiving grade (per PFF, minimum 10 zone targets). Peoples-Jones is a nice fill-in for a bye-week roster hole in Week 10.
DeAndre Carter (LAC): 31% rostered
- Next opponents: @SF, KC, @ARI
- True value: $2
- Desperate need: $3
- Budget-minded: $1
Analysis: The health of Mike Williams and Keenan Allen remains up in the air. As soon as they are healthy, Carter returns to obscurity. With that said, he is a nice matchup-based flex in the next few weeks. Over the next six weeks, Carter has dates with SF (12th), KC (second), LV (ninth), and TEN (11th), who all rank inside the top 12 in fantasy points per game to slot wide receivers. (Carter has taken 74% of his snaps from the slot.) If you’re in a pinch with bye weeks or injuries, Carter can fill a need for as long as he remains in the starting lineup over the next six weeks.
Stash Candidates: Parris Campbell, Treylon Burks, Josh Reynolds, Odell Beckham Jr.
Parris Campbell is a good stash if you have players with bye weeks in Week 10, 12 or 15. The floor with Sam Ehlinger under center is frightening, but Campbell has beautiful matchups for slot receivers those weeks. He faces LV (ninth), PIT (second), and MIN (sixth), who are all top 10 in fantasy points per game allowed to slot receivers.
The thesis behind stashing Treylon Burks remains that the Tennessee passing offense desperately needs a receiving option to step forward to spearhead the attack down the stretch. At this point in his career, Robert Woods doesn’t have the juice to fit the bill. Burks could be that guy.
Josh Reynolds makes the stash list with good matchups in Weeks 13 and 14 (JAC, MIN). Reynolds has four top-36 wide receiver weeks on his 2022 resume. With 10 deep targets (18th) and 10 red zone targets (sixth), Reynolds has seen the high-value usage we crave in fantasy. He’s a worthy bye-week plug-and-play stash.
It’s time to consider stashing Odell Beckham Jr. On Sunday, Jay Glazer mentioned the Bills, 49ers and Rams as possible fits for Beckham when he gains clearance, which could be as soon as the end of the week. The talent was still there last season. Beckham could be a strong WR3/flex play in time for the fantasy playoffs if the stars align.
Quarterbacks
Written by Bo McBrayer
Daniel Jones (QB – NYG): 40% rostered
- Next opponents: HOU, DET, @DAL
- True value: $7
- Desperate need: $16
- Budget-minded: $4
Analysis: I was beating the Justin Fields drum for two months, begging you all to get him on waivers. Now look at Daniel Jones. The bye week shadow looms over his prospects, especially since his last game was not stellar. He is as mobile a QB as anyone in the league and is finally under the direction of a competent, possibly amazing, coaching staff. Add to the equation one of the softest remaining schedules in the NFL and Danny Dimes is a potential league-winner.
Jimmy Garoppolo (QB – SF): 39% rostered
- Next opponents: LAC, @ARI, NO
- True value: $6
- Desperate need: $13
- Budget-minded: $3
Analysis: The Christian McCaffrey trade unlocked Jimmy G. Garoppolo was lacking an explosive weapon to whom he could outlet the ball when his precious first read was covered. CMC is obviously that and a whole lot more. It still takes a lot of mental hurdles to exclaim that Jimmy G is a good waiver add, but he has been crowd-surfed to center stage before. It will happen again with this weaponry. Garoppolo doesn’t even have to be good to fill the stat sheet with these weapons around him.
Marcus Mariota (QB – ATL): 33% rostered
- Next opponents: @CAR, CHI, @WAS
- True value: $6
- Desperate need: $13
- Budget-minded: $3
Analysis: We never want to see how the sausage is made. That is Mariota in fantasy. One bad throw intended for a wide open Kyle Pitts was the difference between a solid fantasy outing for both of them, and a win over the Chargers. He has looked awful passing the ball this season but has the rushing upside to overcome it for fantasy purposes. Between Pitts and London – along with the healthy return of Cordarrelle Patterson – the weaponry is very solid.
Andy Dalton (QB – NO): 15% rostered
- Next opponents: @PIT, LAR, @SF
- True value: $3
- Desperate need: $9
- Budget-minded: $1
Analysis: Until further notice, Dalton is the preferred starting QB for the Saints over Jameis Winston. Ironically, the Saints’ defense has been the liability and not their journeyman QB. Dalton has led New Orleans to two wins, with middling fantasy production. His prospects as a waiver pickup are limited to his very nice Week 10 matchup versus the Steelers. His acquisition cost will depend on his performance on Monday night against the Ravens.
Stash Candidates: Malik Willis, Desmond Ridder, Deshaun Watson
Managers in deeper formats have the liberty to stash someone like Watson now, in preparation for his Week 13 return to play. The Browns are surprisingly one of the most efficient offenses in the NFL with Jacoby Brissett, so the potential upside Watson brings to the team is tantalizing.
Malik Willis will likely return to backup duty once Ryan Tannehill is good to go. He looked slightly better in his second career start in Kansas City but was still not up to starter-quality standards. The Titans’ awful receiving corps chipped in and made his job even more difficult.
At the midway point of the season, I wouldn’t quite consider Marcus Mariota to be on thin ice with the coaching staff. That also does not mean he can’t fall out of favor if the Falcons’ grasp on playoff contention slips away in the next few weeks. Ridder’s debut is not as far away as we think.
Tight Ends
Written by Derek Brown
Greg Dulcich (DEN): 34% rostered
- Next opponents: @TEN, LVR, @CAR
- True value: $7
- Desperate need: $12
- Budget-minded: $4
Analysis: Dulcich has continued to kick the rookie tight-end narrative in the teeth. Since hitting the starting lineup in Week 6, he has finished as the TE11, TE7 and TE9 in weekly scoring. Dulcich has commanded a 17.7% target share (11th-best) with a 75% route participation clip (11th-best). With only three games played, he is fifth in deep targets (five) at the position. At this point in the season, the fact that there’s a possible top-12 tight end hanging around on the waiver wire is insane, but that’s what we have in Dulcich. Grab him immediately if he’s available. I have zero issues with anyone bidding more aggressively than I’ve laid out above. I’m willing to push the bid into the $15 range if your tight-end position is in dire need.
Cade Otton (TB): 11% rostered
- Next opponents: SEA, BYE, @CLE
- True value: $2
- Desperate need: $4
- Budget-minded: $1
Analysis: Otton would be in the Dulcich realm of bids, but the looming return of Cameron Brate hangs over Otton’s head. Otton has been fantastic in fantasy in relief of Brate. In his four games as Tampa Bay’s starter, he’s been the TE12, TE10, TE33 and TE3 in fantasy scoring. Much like Dulcich, Otton is playing an every-down role in what looks like a broken offense, but it hasn’t hurt his fantasy value one bit. If Otton is the starter in Week 10, he gets a smash matchup with SEA, which has given up the most-receiving yards per game and the highest yards per reception to opposing tight ends.
Cole Kmet (CHI): 23% rostered
- Next opponents: DET, @ATL, @NYJ
- True value: $2
- Desperate need: $4
- Budget-minded: $1
Analysis: Kmet decided to awaken from his season-long coma in Week 9. Heading into Monday Night Football, Kmet is the TE2 in scoring for the week after spiking two touchdowns against the Dolphins. Kmet could stack back-to-back top-12 TE weeks with a glorious meeting with the Lions incoming. Detroit is 10th in receiving yards and fourth (tied) in receiving touchdowns allowed to tight ends.
Tyler Conklin (NYJ): 28% rostered
- Next opponents: BYE, @NE, CHI
- True value: $1
- Desperate need: $2
- Budget-minded: $0
Analysis: Conklin’s usage has been all over the map in recent weeks. After crushing New England in Week 8, he gets a return trip in Week 11 after the Jets’ bye. Conklin flopped badly in Week 9, with only two targets and seven receiving yards. It just illustrates that any receiving option tied to the erratic arm of Zach Wilson will be a weekly roller coaster. The positives for Conklin in Week 9 are that he played 71% of the snaps and ran a route on 96% of Wilson’s pass attempts. That route volume will put you on the streamer radar any week.
Noah Fant (SEA): 10% rostered
- Next opponents: @TB, BYE, LV
- True value: $1
- Desperate need: $2
- Budget-minded: $0
Analysis: Fant might have finally started to separate himself from Will Dissly in Week 9. Fant played 60.2% of the snaps with a 70.5% route run rate. Fant ran 24 routes versus Dissly’s 14, seeing a 17.6% target share (per PFF). With a Week 10 game vs. Tampa Bay, which is fourth in receptions and sixth in receiving yards conceded to tight ends, Fant could walk away with a TE1-worthy stat line.
Stash Candidate: Foster Moreau
Darren Waller hasn’t been able to stay healthy this season. At this point, we might not see Waller at 100% for the remainder of the regular season. While Moreau hasn’t wowed as Waller’s fill-in, his upcoming schedule puts him on the streaming map if he is the starter. Over the next four games, Moreau gets IND (24th in DVOA against tight ends), DEN (fifth), SEA (28th) and LAC (23rd).
Defenses
Written by Pat Fitzmaurice
Denver Broncos: 46% rostered
- Next opponents: @TEN, LV, @CAR
- True value: $5
- Desperate need: $8
- Budget-minded: $3
Analysis: Only available in over half of Yahoo leagues because it was on bye in Week 9, the Denver defense is among the best in the NFL. Denver’s defensive stinginess hasn’t always translated into fantasy goodness. The Broncos are 13th in fantasy points per game. But with a defense this good, the fantasy scoring will eventually follow. Denver ranks first in defensive DVOA and is allowing a league-low 4,5 yards per play and a league-low 165.8 passing yards per game. The Broncos are giving up just 16.5 points per game. They rank fifth in sacks. The Denver run defense is just OK, and the Broncos haven’t been great at forcing turnovers, with just nine takeaways in eight games. Still, this is an elite defense and well worth a bid in excess of what you’re used to submitting for a defense.
New Orleans Saints: 34% rostered
- Next opponents: @PIT, LAR, @SF
- True value: $1
- Desperate need: $2
- Budget-minded: $0
Analysis: The Saints’ defense was 25th in fantasy points per game going into Week 9, but the upcoming schedule is the allure here. The Saints’ next two opponents, the Steelers and Rams, were fifth and second, respectively, in fantasy points allowed to opposing defenses through the first eight weeks of the season. Streaming defenses is as much about picking on mistake-prone offenses as it is about finding high-quality defensive units. That’s why the Saints are a solid option if you can’t afford the Broncos.
Arizona Cardinals: 22% rostered
- Next opponents: @LAR, SF, LAC
- True value: $1
- Desperate need: $2
- Budget-minded: $0
Analysis: The Cardinals’ defense is a below-average unit in real-life, but it entered Week 9 tied for eighth in fantasy points per game. Arizona can be a solid one-week play against the Rams, who have committed 13 turnovers and allowed 28 sacks in eight games.
Las Vegas Raiders: 15% rostered
- Next opponents: IND, @DEN, @SEA
- True value: $1
- Desperate need: $2
- Budget-minded: $0
Analysis: The Las Vegas defense hasn’t been good either in real life or in fantasy, but the Raiders get a Week 10 date against a seemingly broken Colts offense that’s coming off a 26-3 loss to the Patriots in which Indy QB Sam Ehlinger threw for 103 yards with no touchdowns and one interception and was sacked nine times. The Raiders’ D is playable this week, then drop it like a hot potato before Week 11.
Tennessee Titans: 20% rostered
- Next opponents: DEN, @GB, CIN
- True value: $1
- Desperate need: $1
- Budget-minded: $0
Analysis: The Titans’ defense had been effective at getting to quarterbacks, ranking eighth in pressure rate and 13th in sacks. In Week 10 they’ll face a Denver offense that has allowed 24 sacks in eight games. Tennessee’s defense is tied for 11th in fantasy points per game – a perfectly fine, inexpensive streaming option.
Atlanta Falcons: 7% rostered
- Next opponents: @CAR, CHI, @WAS
- True value: $1
- Desperate need: $1
- Budget-minded: $0
Analysis: The Falcons are banged up in the secondary, but that might not matter in Week 10 against the Panthers and their QB stable of Baker Mayfield, P.J. Walker and Sam Darnold. Carolina benched Walker in a blowout loss to the Bengals on Sunday, letting Baker Mayfield mop up. Atlanta’s defense has been a middle-of-the-road unit for fantasy purposes, but the matchup is a good one. It should be noted, however, that the Falcons somehow managed to give up 34 points and 478 yards of offense to the Panthers in Week 8.
New York Giants: 6% rostered
- Next opponents: HOU, DET, @DAL
- True value: $1
- Desperate need: $1
- Budget-minded: $0
Analysis: The Giants’ D is tied for 23rd in fantasy points per game but gets a Week 10 matchup against a Texans offense that ranks 31st in offensive DVOA. Texans QB Davis Mills has thrown eight interceptions and absorbed 19 sacks.
Stash Candidates: None.
Kickers
Written by Pat Fitzmaurice
Brett Maher (DAL): 18% rostered
- Next opponents: @GB, @MIN, NYG
- True value: $3
- Desperate need: $5
- Budget-minded: $1
Analysis: The biggest selling point on Maher is his team. The Cowboys have a solid offense and a terrific defense that can quickly get the ball back to the Dallas offense. But Maher has been accurate this season, making 15-of-17 FG attempts and 18-of-19 PATs. He was eighth in fantasy points per game among kickers through the first eight games of the season. Go the extra buck and hold Maher through Thanksgiving.
Robbie Gould (SF): 19% rostered
- Next opponents: LAC, @ARI, NO
- True value: $2
- Desperate need: $3
- Budget-minded: $1
Analysis: Gould is averaging only 6.9 fantasy points per game, but the 49ers’ offense got a big boost when it traded for RB Christian McCaffrey. The 49ers have a juicy Week 10 matchup with the Chargers, who were allowing 10.7 fantasy points per game to kickers going into Week 9 (the third-highest total in the league). Gould also has good matchups against the Cardinals and Saints in Weeks 11-12
Graham Gano (NYG): 26% rostered
- Next opponents: HOU, DET, @DAL
- True value: $1
- Desperate need: $2
- Budget-minded: $0
Analysis: Gano was sixth among kickers in fantasy points per game through the first eight weeks of the season. Coming out of a Week 9 bye, Gano gets a Week 10 date with the Texans, who had allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to kickers through the first eight weeks of the season. Gano is 17-of-19 on field goals this year and 14-of-14 on extra points. He hasn’t missed a kick since Week 4.
Jake Elliott (PHI): 47% rostered
- Next opponents: WAS, @IND, GB
- True value: $1
- Desperate need: $1
- Budget-minded: $0
Analysis: Elliott is tethered to one of the best offenses in the league, which is why he’s attempted a league-high 24 extra points (making 23 of them). But Elliott has attempted only eight field goals in seven games – an unfortunate consequence of his team’s offensive efficiency. But all those extra points provide a sturdy floor, and Elliott has a run of favorable matchup ahead.
Chris Boswell (PIT): 4% rostered
- Next opponents: NO, CIN, @IND
- True value: $1
- Desperate need: $1
- Budget-minded: $0
Analysis: The Steelers don’t exactly have a high-powered offense, but Boswell is averaging a respectable 8.1 fantasy points per game. His next two opponents, the Saints and Bengals, entered Week 9 as the two most generous teams to opposing kickers. The Saints had allowed 10.9 fantasy points per game to kickers through Week 8, the Bengals 12.6 fantasy points per game.
Stash Candidates: None.
Fool’s Gold
Raheem Blackshear played only four fewer snaps than Panthers starter D’Onta Foreman in Week 9 and had 5-13-1 rushing and 4-40-0 receiving. However, Blackshear’s role is going to evaporate as soon as Chuba Hubbard returns from an ankle injury, which could be as early as Thursday when the Panthers take on the Falcons.
Mecole Hardman has scored five touchdowns in his last three games, but chasing the TDs would be a mistake. Hardman has played a little more than half of the Chiefs’ offensive snaps this year, and the arrival of Kadarius Toney could further reduce Hardman’s snap share and target share.
Drop recommendations
Droppable
Rashod Bateman and Michael Thomas will both undergo surgery on their foot injuries. Their seasons are over.
The Buccaneers’ passing game isn’t nearly as explosive this year as it was in 2021. As a third wheel behind WRs Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, Julio Jones won’t get the target volume he needs in order to pop. In four games, Jones has 8-125-1 on 16 targets. You can do better.
Droppable with a chance of regret
Mike Gesicki has scored three touchdowns in the last four weeks, but he’s averaging 3.6 targets, 2.4 catches and 26.4 receiving yards a game. That’s not a lot to fall back on when the touchdowns dry up.
Cordarrelle Patterson‘s return from injured reserve makes Caleb Huntley a third wheel behind Patterson and Tyler Allgeier – and the eventual return of Damien Williams could further complicate the messy Atlanta backfield.
Don’t drop yet
There’s just one name on the don’t-drop list this week, and his name was here last week, too. We know how antsy you Drake London investors are, but we’re asking you to hang on a bit longer. His seven targets on Sunday were the most he’d had in a game since Week 5. London was only able to turn those seven targets into 3-23-0, but if the targets keep coming, he’s going to start paying off.
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