Whether you are a casual fantasy manager or fantasy sports “analyst” like myself (I use that term very loosely), we all have one thing in common: Nobody knows for certain what will actually happen on game day. When it comes down to setting lineups, we are all just guessing what we think has the highest probability of occurring. Fantasy sports are often unpredictable and maddening, even when we think we have it all figured out, so it’s important to focus on the few things we know to be true. At this advanced stage of any NFL season, one thing we can count on is players at every position managing injuries to varying degrees.
From now until the end of the season, it will be crucial to stay one step ahead of your league by reading the tea leaves that will provide hints on who should or should not be in your lineup/ on your roster. And by “tea leaves”, I mean monitoring practice reports, following team beat reporters on your media of choice, and doing your best to stay on top of any breaking news. There have been several waiver wire-to-starting lineup candidates in recent weeks that likely have won matchups for astute fantasy managers, particularly at the RB position. In this article, there will be times where the utility of some featured players is dependent on injury status. If anyone featured below is at risk of not playing or is relegated to a bench role late in the week, I will do my best to keep you all updated on Twitter (@BrandonMillerFB). Without further ado, here are some of my top RB/WR/TE streaming options for Week 10.
* Players marked with an asterisk below can also be found in the priority waiver wire adds article referenced at the end. All players below are under 65%-rostered as of 11/11/20.
Running Back
*Duke Johnson (RB, Houston Texans)
Remember what I said in the introduction about “reading the tea leaves” to speculate on players who can go straight from the waiver wire into your starting lineup? This week, it’s looking more and more like Duke Johnson will fit that description. Although usual starter David Johnson (concussion) hasn’t been ruled out as of this article, he has yet to practice this week and has several steps to clear in the concussion protocol before he is deemed fit to play. My bet is on David sitting this week out while Duke takes over as the Texans’ lead back. [Texans interim HC] Romeo Crennel also alluded to this on Tuesday, stating that he feels comfortable with Duke handling a heavy workload. What I like most about him this week is the fact that he is essentially “game script-proof” due to his dual-abilities as a runner and receiving threat. His proficiency in the passing game should provide a safe floor for those in PPR formats, but the volume and yardage floor alone will make him startable in all leagues. Keep an eye on Da. Johnson’s injury status this week before putting Du. Johnson in your lineup, but if things end up as expected, Duke profiles as a solid RB2 play in all formats.
Latavius Murray (RB, New Orleans Saints)
Consider this to be less of a streamer recommendation and more of a Latavius Murray appreciation post. There are other RB options I prefer ahead of Murray this week, but I’ve featured them all here before and could not in good conscience recommend starting any of the remaining names out there under 65%-rostered (preferred options include J.D. McKissic, Zack Moss (57%-rostered ESPN), Matt Breida (if active), and Phillip Linsday). Even though I do not feel Murray is among the top RB streamers this week, he is well-deserving of recognition as one of the few RB handcuffs with the ability to put up Flex numbers on weeks when the starter is also active. He has seen double-digit touches in seven of eight games this year and would be an instant RB1 if Alvin Kamara were to miss time. Whether or not Kamara is on your fantasy team, Murray should be universally rostered and makes for an excellent low-cost, high-upside trade target as we approach the stretch run. For Week 10 streaming purposes, he is a low-end Flex play.
Other names to consider (in order): Zack Moss (top streamer if available, 57%-rostered ESPN), J.D. McKissic, Matt Breida (monitor injury status), Phillip Lindsay, Damien Harris, Rex Burkhead (if no Damien Harris), Gus Edwards (if no Mark Ingram), Wayne Gallman, Joshua Kelley, Adrian Peterson, James White, DeeJay Dallas (if no Chris Carson/ Carlos Hyde), Alexander Mattison (high-end handcuff), Jamaal Williams (high-end handcuff), Jordan Wilkins (ascending handcuff), Cam Akers (stash).
Wide Receiver
John Brown (WR, Buffalo Bills)
Any questions about Brown’s troublesome knee were put to rest in Week 9 after he amassed eight catches on 11 targets for 99 yards. He’s currently on the bubble of eligibility for this article at 58%-rostered in ESPN leagues and 65% in Yahoo, but if he’s available, I think he’s another add-and-start candidate this week (@ Arizona). I expect Cardinals defensive ace Patrick Peterson to shadow Stefon Diggs this week, which will theoretically open up space for Brown to operate. Although Brown has yet to exceed 100 receiving yards in a game this season and hasn’t found the end zone since Week 2, he possesses the game-breaking speed and downfield prowess to collect chunk gains at any time. If you’re the type to buy into narrative and storylines, this is a classic “revenge game” for Brown against the team he spent his first four seasons with in Arizona. Package big-play ability with a handful of targets (five-plus targets in four of eight active games) and you’ve got yourself a solid Flex play with WR2 upside.
*Jakobi Meyers (WR, New England Patriots)
I won’t attempt to oversell this recommendation; the Week 10 matchup against the Ravens’ vaunted defense is unsavory and Cam Newton doesn’t exactly have the best reputation as a passer. However, I believe Meyers has as much potential as anyone else in New England to become a weekly fixture in your starting lineup. My confidence is not solely based on Meyers’ breakout Week 9 performance (12 catches on 14 targets for 169 yards against the Jets), rather, it is rooted in the increasing number of high-percentage targets he is seeing (six-or-more in each of the past three weeks) and the lack of healthy receiving options on the Patriots roster. Simply put, Baltimore gives up next to nothing to opposing RBs, the Patriots will likely be playing from behind, and Newton will have to throw to someone. Despite the tough matchup, I think that “someone” will be Meyers more often than not. His ceiling will be capped by the Ravens secondary, but I still think Meyers will see enough work to finish with a Flex-level stat line.
Other names to consider (in order): Sterling Shepard, Curtis Samuel, Christian Kirk, Deebo Samuel, Jalen Reagor, Allen Lazard (Stash), A.J. Green, Corey Davis, Emmanuel Sanders, Danny Amendola, Nelson Agholor, Cole Beasley, Rashard Higgins, Michael Gallup, Laviska Shenault Jr, Michael Pittman Jr, Henry Ruggs III, Randall Cobb, Anthony Miller, Demarcus Robinson.
Tight End
*Dallas Goedert (TE, Philadelphia Eagles)
At an extremely thin position with few exciting options on the waiver wire, Dallas Goedert and Austin Hooper (featured in Week 6) stand out as the 1A and 1B of priority TE adds. When Goedert was fully healthy over the first two weeks of the season, he outperformed fellow Eagles TE Zach Ertz and was well on his way to being a 2020 breakout player. Some would argue the breakout began as early as last season when Goedert racked up 607 receiving yards and five scores despite operating in a secondary role. There will always be some concern for re-injury or decreased effectiveness when it comes to players who miss multiple weeks (four-plus games due to a lower leg injury in this case), but Goedert has already proven capable of handling a large share of snaps since returning to the lineup (84% in Week 8) and should benefit from an additional week of rest coming out of Philly’s Week 9 bye. Pick him up, put him in your lineup, and hope that it’s all systems go from here so you don’t have to spin the waiver wire TE roulette wheel any longer.
Other names to consider (in order): Austin Hooper, Jordan Reed, Jimmy Graham, Trey Burton, Irv Smith Jr, Mike Gesicki, Dalton Schultz, Logan Thomas.
Looking Back
Accountability is everything, so here’s a quick look back at last week’s recommendations
Matt Breida (RB, Miami Dolphins): Hopefully, you were keeping an eye on the Dolphins’ injury report throughout the week, as Breida was ultimately ruled out with a hamstring injury. If there are players featured in this article who are either at risk of missing their game or ruled out late in the week, I will provide an update on Twitter (@BrandonMillerFB). This week I posted an updated, fill-in recommendation on backup Jordan Howard, who finished with 10 carries for 19 yards and a score. Hold on to Breida if you can (RB2/ Flex when active) while Howard is a desperation, low-end flex play when Breida is out.
Zack Moss (RB, Buffalo Bills): Moss lacked efficiency with nine carries for 18 yards, but made up for it with a rushing score and two catches for 30 yards. Meanwhile, backfield mate Devin Singletary didn’t do much in his own right (two carries for one yard, three catches for 33 yards), so I still feel that Moss is the better rest-of-season option due to a larger share of carries along with short-yardage and goal-line work. At this point, Moss’ biggest threat for goal-line TD conversions is QB Josh Allen. Moss is a Flex with RB2 upside if his role continues to supersede that of Singletary.
Mike Williams (WR, Los Angeles Chargers): Williams has had a highly volatile game log in terms of production this season, but found a happy medium in Week 9 with five catches on seven targets for 81 yards. His solid performance would have looked even better were it not for a near-miss TD on the Chargers’ final drive. Continue to roll Williams out as a solid Flex with WR2 upside on weeks he finds the end zone.
Jerry Jeudy (WR, Denver Broncos): This was the performance fantasy managers have been waiting on all season. Jeudy registered season-highs in targets (14), receptions (seven), and receiving yards (125) while also converting a touchdown. When Denver needed to pass like they did on Sunday, Jeudy was looked to often and, by my estimation, is the undisputed WR1 for the Broncos moving forward. He’s a high-end Flex/ low-WR2 rest of season, with a boost in PPR formats.
Robert Tonyan (TE, Green Bay Packers): Although I still value Tonyan as a low-end TE1 rest of season, he showed how ugly things can get at TE when the targets aren’t there (caught his lone target for five yards). Predictably, Davante Adams soaked up the majority of Aaron Rodgers’ targets (12), and I don’t see that dynamic changing anytime soon. Less predictably, Aaron Jones was ruled active before the game and the Packers destroyed the 49ers, so they didn’t “need” to pass for most of the contest. All you can do is take your lumps, chalk this one up as a dud, and expect better days ahead from Tonyan. However, if guys like Austin Hooper or Dallas Goedert are available on the wire, I would swap Tonyan for them moving forward.
Make sure to check out Myles Nelson’s priority waiver wire adds article every Tuesday for more insights on who you should be submitting claims for heading into each Wednesday. Good luck in Week 10!
(Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire)