Week 9 is officially in the books and that means it’s time for Week 10 Waiver Wire Rankings, of course! As you may have noticed, our resident wavier wire guru, Kevin Steele (aka @FantasyWrath13) passed the torch to me last week. I hope you filled your benches/rosters with Tyrod Taylor (must add #1, 31.8 fantasy points), Jared Goff (streamer, 31.6 pts), Matt Forte (must add, 25.6 pts), Kenyan Drake (must add, 16.4 pts) , Corey Clement (deeper league stash, 25.6 pts), Robby Anderson (must add, 14.8 pts), Robert Woods (must-add, 23 pts), Vernon Davis (must add, 13.2 pts), and Tyler Kroft (must add, 9.9 pts). Though Orleans Darkwa (must own, 9.9 pts) fell victim to game script in Week 9, he gets a soft matchup next week with a 49ers defense that just let AP run all over them for 159 yards.

Since these were all mentioned last week, I’ll include these players in my rankings only if they are still under 60% owned. If they’re on your waivers, read Week 9’s article here for rationale and put in your waiver claim stat!

As far as big news and injuries, AJ Green provided #thatescalatedquickly GIFs for years to come with his MMA moves on Jalen Ramsey. Ramsey pushed Green after the whistle (still not OK), but the magnitude of Green’s reaction definitely made me shake my head at a usually level-headed player. Either way, referees ejected both players for unsportsmanlike conduct. As of this writing, neither player was suspended, but either could be fined.

Speaking of suspensions, Mike Evans is suspended for one week for violating the league’s unsportsmanlike conduct and unnecessary roughness rules (blindside hit to Marshon Lattimore). Evans could appeal this suspension, but the situation should be monitored. If he misses time, I see Adam Humphries and Cameron Brate getting a bump up in targets. I’d like to note a bump for DJax too, but long bombs are less likely with Ryan Fitzpatrick under center.

Jameis Winston exited Week 9’s game with a shoulder injury after a hard hit. Bucs already announced he will miss at least two weeks and named Fitzpatrick as the starter against the New York Jets in Week 10. The NFL suspended Jets WR Jeremy Kerley for four games for violating the league’s PED policy. He actually exited the game on Sunday with a foot injury, so his suspension gives him plenty of rest time. I’ll talk more about this matchup when I expand on waiver pickups below, but Kerley’s absence has a minimal impact due to his small overall target share (10%).

My heart and DFS wallet suffered as we watched Dez Bryant leave the fourth quarter against Kansas City with an ankle injury. News emphasized this injury is “not serious”, but it’s something to monitor as Cowboys head to Atlanta in Week 10. As if the Texans needed more offensive injuries, tight end Ryan Griffin entered the concussion protocol and is week-to-week. Leonard Fournette‘s surprise benching this week for violating team rules cost many a fantasy player their matchups. That is unless you snuck in Chris Ivory at the last second. Rest assured, Fournette will be back this week, relegating Ivory back to handcuff-land.

Though he returned to action during the game, San Francisco has already ruled out George Kittle (ankle) for Week 10 as well as WR Trent Taylor (ribs). Lastly, if you trusted Eddie Lacy and his “starting” role in Week 9, I’m sorry. I’m glad you’re reading this now because if you follow me on Twitter at @FF_female920, next time I’ll be around to tell you never to trust Eddie Lacy. He exited the game with a groin injury after running for 20 yards on six carries and adding one catch for 14 yards. Abysmal? Naw. What any risk taker needed in Week 9? Nope. He’ll come back soon to continue muddying the Seattle backfield.

Week 10 Waiver Wire Rankings

Color Coding

Green = Top Waiver Option

Red = Players to who are currently out/injured

Gold = Streaming Target

Blue = Bench Stash

Purple = Deep League Stash

Bye Weeks: Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles

Quarterback

Jared Goff vs HOU Josh McCown vs TB Eli Manning vs SF Ryan Fitzpatrick vs NYJ Teddy Bridgewater

I mention Jared Goff (owned in 74% of Yahoo leagues) here only because I don’t want those that streamed last week to drop him. Hold onto Goff at least through this week. He plays the Houston defense in Week 10, who gave up 308 passing yards and two TDs to Jacoby Brissett last week and 452 passing yards and four TDs to Russell Wilson in Week 8. After that, hold him for two weeks if you can (MIN, NO) and use him in Weeks 13-14 against the beatable secondaries of ARI and PHI.

I understand the 55% of the fantasy community that refuses to roster Eli Manning, I do. I get it. Maybe it was too soon to tell you to use a bench spot on him last week. I didn’t mean to push you too hard. Now’s the time though, especially those Alex Smith, Derek Carr, or Carson Wentz owners. Eli faces San Francisco this week and Kansas City next week. These defenses give up the 22nd and 28th (respectively) most passing yards per game. You can wince as you do it, but just repeat to yourself “the 49ers just gave up 200+ yards and two TDs to Drew Stanton. I can do this. I can add him” and click that button. If you need to. Fire up Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram too.

Ryan Fitzpatrick will start against the NY Jets as Jameis Winston recovers from his nagging shoulder injury. Fitzpatrick holds some appeal this week, believe it or not, as he faces a New York Jets defense that ranks 19th in passing yards allowed to QB and has given up the most passing TDs (19) in the league so far this season. He’s owned in a whopping 1% of Yahoo leagues so … he’ll be available. At the very least, it’s a revenge match, so maybe he can muster some #Fitzmagic one more time. May the force be with you.

Vikings will most likely activate Teddy Bridgewater this week but haven’t committed to whether he will start in Week 10 or not. A start this week versus Washington would be much easier than debuting against the LA Rams secondary in Week 11, but we shall see. Definitely worth an add in 2QB or deep leagues, or if you’re desperate.

Running Back

Matt Forte Kenyan Drake Marlon Mack Danny Woodhead Dion Lewis Rex Burkhead Damien Williams Rob Kelley Corey Clement Darren McFadden Devontae Booker Charcandrick West Thomas Rawls Chris Ivory Tarik Cohen James Conner Matt Breida Malcolm Brown C.J. Prosise Austin Ekeler D’Onta Foreman Andre Ellington Samaje Perine J.D. McKissic Jalen Richard TJ Yeldon DeAndre Washington Elijah McGuire Jamaal Charles Rod Smith Charles Sims Gio Bernard Wayne Gallman Mike Tolbert Peyton Barber

I advised picking up Matt Forte last week and his ownership actually went down. So, let me just say this: Forte out-snapped Elijah McGuire and Bilal Powell (32-20-15 split) in Week 9. The Jets face a horrible Tampa Bay run defense that gave up 145 yards and a TD rushing on top of 86 yards and a TD receiving to the New Orleans Saints running backs last week. I know this backfield makes you nervous, but there’s plenty to go around in week 10. With Forte performing well and getting more touches/snaps than Powell (owned in 71% of Yahoo leagues), he’s worth a roster spot. Elijah McGuire is only a deep stash.

Much as I expected, Miami ran well on Oakland and gave fantasy owners a look at both Kenyan Drake and Damien Williams’ potential usage. Drake slightly out-snapped (37-30) and out-touched (15-13) Williams. However, Williams was more efficient through the air (7.8 vs 5.8 YPC) and hit pay dirt where Drake did not. Drake certainly did his share, gaining 104 all-purpose yards. The moral of the story here is that they both will most likely continue to get opportunities. Though Drake was slightly more efficient on the ground, both performed well and gave PPR owners 15+ fantasy points. They face tough contests in Weeks 10 (CAR) and 13 (DEN), but also draw the New England defense in Week 11 and 14 (first week of playoffs for most). Side note: Corey Clement did just put up three TDs on the Denver run defense in Week 9, and remember Orleans Darkwa’s 100+ yard game against them in Week 6? So even that isn’t as intimidating of a matchup anymore.

This is going to be hot add this week, but temper your expectations and don’t waste your No. 1 waiver priority or tons of FAAB on Corey Clement. Yes, he went nuts on the Broncos. However, this is one of the most crowded backfields in the league with the addition of Jay Ajayi (17 snaps, eight carries for 77 yards and a TD) and the snaps given to LeGarrette Blount (16) and even Wendell Smallwood (6). Yes, this is the result of the Eagles having this game well in hand and controlling the clock, allowing them to spread the love. I expect the Eagles to keep feeding Ajayi if he continues to be that successful, with Blount and Clement added to the mix. Clement’s gotten double-digit touches the past two weeks, so its worth a bench stash. Just pump the breaks if you’re expecting his role to expand much or looking for a repeat performance.

Chris Ivory appears to be the clear back-up to Leonard Fournette, with Yeldon sprinkled in. Over Weeks 7 and 9 with Fournette out, Ivory racked up 150 all-purpose yards and a TD. He possesses minimal standalone value, but if Fournette goes down, he is not only in line for 15+ touches but also showed he’s got some left in the tank.

Wide Receiver

Robby Anderson Robert Woods Marquise Lee Cooper Kupp Jamison Crowder Marquise Goodwin Josh Doctson Corey Davis Adam Humphries Terrance Williams Corey Coleman Danny Amendola Jermaine Kearse Zay Jones Dede Westbrook Kenny Stills John Brown Deonte Thompson Allen Hurns Jordan Matthews Curtis Samuel Tavarres King Josh Gordon Demarcus Robinson Martavis Bryant Kenny Golladay Bruce Ellington Mike Wallace Eric Decker Roger Lewis T.J. Jones Taylor Gabriel Travis Benjamin Mike Williams

Still owned in just 34% of Yahoo league, Robert Woods tops my must adds again this week. He snagged four catches for 70 yards and two TDs. No, you can’t expect monster weeks like this all the time but Woods has averaged six targets per game and gained 50+ yards in six out of the eight games so far this season. Last week, he hit pay dirt for the first time. With Jared Goff showing his talent, Woods looks to continue his success against a Houston secondary that gave up 100+ yards to Paul Richardson and Tyler Lockett in Week 8 and TY Hilton last week. Woods averages 14.5 yards per catch, so he certainly has playmaking ability and provides a high floor and ceiling in PPR formats especially.

Marquise Goodwin received eight targets from C.J. Beathard in Week 9, snagging two for 68 yards. He’s got great speed but will be boom-or-bust due to Beathard’s lackluster accuracy. Even with that risk, I’ve bumped him to a must-add for two reasons. The first because TE George Kittle (ankle) and WR Trent Taylor (ribs) both have been ruled out already for Week 10. The second because SF faces the New York Giants defense who just gave up 4 TDs and 300+ yards to Jared Goff — aka got slain by both Robert Woods and Sammy Watkins.

Adam Humphries looks to benefit the most from the one-week suspension of Mike Evans and Ryan Fitzpatrick taking the snaps. Available in 96% of Yahoo leagues, Humphries represents a sneaky snag in Week 10. As mentioned above, the Bucs draw a New York Jets defense struggling against the pass. Humphries plays in the slot 85% of the time and the Jets gave up 6-46-0 (Jordan Matthews), 6-74-1 (Mohammed Sanu), and 7-93-1 (Jarvis Landry) to slot receivers over the past three weeks. In much deeper leagues, Chris Godwin, who saw 31% of snaps last week, could be worth an add. He’s a dart throw. Side note: speedy downfield guys like Zay Jones and Kenny Stills fared well against this offense as well, but Fitzpatrick’s arm limits that upside for DeSean Jackson.

Though we aren’t sure if Dez Bryant will miss Week 10 at this point, Terrance Williams still represents a great streamer option. Owned in just 10% of leagues, Williams’ Week 9 performance of 144 yards on nine catches surely puts him on fantasy owners’ radar. Instead of just chalking up Williams as an add because of last week, I dug a little deeper. If you look at past successes against the Atlanta defense, receivers lined up on the right side (where Williams plays 53% of the time) away from Desmond Trufant (left side 90% of the time) have done well. Examples include Devin Funchess, Robby Anderson, and Kenny Stills.

Curtis Samuel played 75% of snaps in Week 9. His snap count is increasing, and without Kelvin Benjamin he is worth a flyer in deeper leagues. With Greg Olsen to return soon, we will have to see if Samuel’s involvement continues to progress.

Two wide receivers set to return from injury that I listed as bench stashes last week are Dede Westbrook (expanded on here) and Corey Coleman. The Jags decided not to activate Westbrook last week, but he should return in Week 10 against the Chargers. If you look ahead at the Jags schedule, the next four weeks represent favorable WR matchups (LAC, CLE, ARI, IND). While we are speaking of the Jags receivers, Marquise Lee is only owned in 37% of Yahoo leagues, has double-digit PPR fantasy points five out of the eight games this season. He should be owned in all formats given their upcoming schedule and his 24% overall target share.

The Browns, tight-lipped until this Monday, designated Corey Coleman to return from IR. He’s set to begin practicing this week and bumped up my bench stash rankings this week. Coleman looks to return in Week 11 against the Jags, so I’m not telling you to go all in, but he’s a potential No. 1 WR on a struggling Browns offense bound to throw a lot … always. He caught five passes for 43 yards and a TD in his only game this season. Owned in just 13% of Yahoo leagues, he’s worth a flier.

Tight-End

Greg Olsen Charles Clay Tyler Kroft Darren Fells Eric Ebron Garrett Celek Ed Dickson Jesse James David Njoku CJ Fiedorowicz OJ Howard Ben Watson (bye this week) Tyler Higbee Vance McDonald Trey Burton (bye this week, handcuff to Ertz who should return in week 11)

Greg Olsen is still only 50% owned. There’s now no Kelvin Benjamin for the Panthers, which only means Olsen becomes more integral. Eligible to return in Week 11, drop your dead weight and add him pronto. Charles Clay started the year hot with two TDs in the first three weeks and added a 112-yard game in Week 4 before getting injured (knee) in Week 5. He’ll be a prime target for Tyrod Taylor, but the Bills Coach Sean McDermott announced that Clay did not practice Monday (November 6th). Previously described as “on track” to practice, I can understand the hesitancy here but still consider him a must add.

I’ll keep talking about Tyler Kroft until you get him above 60% ownership folks. Currently owned in 41% of Yahoo leagues, Kroft has finished in the top 12 fantasy TEs the past three weeks in PPR (averaging around 10 pts). That’s his floor. He showed us his ceiling against the Browns in Week 4, finishing as the No. 1 fantasy TE (24.8 pts). Kroft draws TEN this week, who gave up double-digit PPR points to Ben Watson last week, Jack Doyle in Week 6, and both Seattle TEs in Week 3. Clearly, they are beatable. He receives 16% of the red zone target share (with a 75% completion percentage) and 13% of the overall target share (third behind Green and LaFell). His Week 11 and 12 matchups are Denver and Cleveland, both clearly having difficulty against the TE. What are you waiting for?

Both Eric Ebron and Darren Fells have a shot to go off against a Cleveland defense that can’t defend the TE position. Who will it be? That’s a tough one. Ebron gets a higher percentage of overall target share (12% vs 6%), but Fells is more reliable, catching 69% of his passes versus Ebron’s 47% (as of Week 8, MNF is currently happening). The completion percentage differential continues with the red zone target share, with Fells and Ebron getting the same amount of targets (6) but Fells catching 50% and Ebron catching just 17%. I’m leaning Fells, as I just can’t put my trust in Eric Ebron.

Ok, here’s a streamer that might surprise you a little. Garrett Celek. With George Kittle already inactive for Week 10, Celek, who has no more than one catch per game this entire season, gets the start. Still wondering, “Jen, what the hell? Doesn’t sound like a great streamer to me!”. Well, Celek draws a New York Giants defense that has allowed a touchdown to a TE in every game this season. All it takes is one pass to offer TD upside for people really strapped at tight end this week.

The Jets struggle to guard the TE position and with Mike Evans out, Ryan Fitzpatrick may rely on his tight ends as a safety blanket. Cameron Brate benefits the most here, but if you’re desperate, O.J. Howard might snag a couple of targets. C.J. Fiedorowicz should return for Houston this week, just in time as Ryan Griffin is now out. Not a great matchup against the Rams, but he’s widely available since he’s been out since Week 2.

Lastly, Austin Hooper could be decent against the Cowboys this week, who gave up a monster game last week to Travis Kelce. Other TEs had moderate success, so he could be a streamable option but is owned at 65%, so I cheated a little even mentioning him here.

DST

DET vs CLE CHI vs GB NYG at SF LAC at JAX NE at DEN

Kicker

Chris Boswell Mike Nugent Graham Gano Blair Walsh Steven Hauschka Adam Vinatieri Ka’imi Fairbairn

I hope you’ve enjoyed the Week 10 Waiver Wire Rankings and I look forward to helping you rock the second half of your fantasy season!