Top Players to Add in Week 10
A great draft can make a great team, but leagues are won on the waiver wire. Injuries happen, top draft picks become busts, and no names become household names. Successfully navigating the waiver wire will lead to a winning season.
As a reminder, I’ll be covering Waivers every Tuesday morning right here on QBList.com. You can also catch me and Brian Hartman (aka @TooMuch_Brian) on the Waiver podcast every Tuesday morning and the Start/Sit podcast every Thursday morning, wherever you listen to podcasts. If you like my work, give me a follow on Twitter @marioadamojr. With that out of the way, let’s dive into it.
Here are my top five targets, as well as some honorable mentions, to help you win through the wire this week.
An important thing to consider: this article focuses on players who are rostered in 60% or fewer leagues. There could be players rostered in over 50% of leagues that are available in your league. Be vigilant; watch your league’s Free Agency pool and look for players who were given up on too early.
| Player | Position | Team | Roster % | Week 10 Opponent | |
| 1 | Audric Estime | RB | NO | 7% | v CAR |
| 2 | KC Concepcion Jr | WR | CLE | 69% | v HOU |
| 3 | Kaleb Johnson | RB | GB | 2% | v MIN |
| 4 | Jordan Watkins | WR | SF | 2% | @ DAL |
| 5 | Corey Kiner | RB | NE | 5% | v DET in Madrid |
1. Audric Estime – At this point, I’m not sure if we’ll ever see Travis Etienne Jr. again. I hate to see a fellow Jr. kept down, and I was looking forward to saying his new name all season. Alas, we march on, and the Saints are marching to the tune of Audric Estime. In Estime’s first game with the team, he saw only two fewer snaps than long-time veteran Alvin Kamara but carried the ball nine more times! Until we hear anything about Etienne, I’m confident this backfield belongs to Estime.
Audric Estime is my top waiver target heading into Week 10.
2. KC Concepcion Jr. – It took ten games, but KC Concepcion Jr. finally hauled in his first touchdown. When Shedeur Sanders was named starter, I was hesitant to fire up any pass catcher, but Sanders seems to have understood the assignment: keep feeding your playmakers. If Concepcion keeps getting six targets a game with the backup, I expect his explosive playmaking to keep him fantasy-relevant. The Browns have a Week 11 Bye, but then have three straight favorable matchups for the position. Concepcion is someone I think will be very startable for playoff teams.
KC Concepcion Jr. is my top wide receiver target heading into Week 10.
3. Kaleb Johnson – Josh Jacobs hurt his finger early on and only played ten snaps. After he exited, the snaps were pretty split between Pierre Strong Jr. and Kaleb Johnson. The difference between them was clear in the production. Johnson saw nearly double the carries and produced nearly triple the yards compared to Strong, and topped it off with a touchdown. While I expect 90% of this offense to be through Jordan Love and the passing game, the red zone touchdowns will be there for whoever is the lead back. Someone with a pulse and touchdown upside is what we’re looking at at this point of the season for waiver running backs.
4. Jordan Watkins – The San Francisco wide receiver room is down bad; the substation is claiming victims left and right. This room comes down to the last man standing, and right now it’s looking like it’s Jordan Watkins. Since Week 6, Watkins leads all San Fran wideouts in targets, catches, yards, and touchdowns. Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle can only do so much; I expect Watkins to continue to be the best wide receiver on the top seed in the NFC. Watkins has a great matchup this week as the 49ers travel to Dallas.
5. Corey Kiner – We know that TreVeyon Henderson is missing time with his own health issues, and now Rhamondre Stevenson has hurt his knee. In Stevenson’s absence, Corey Kiner handled a bulk of the work. The Patriots have a great matchup this week, facing the Lions in Madrid. With this being an international game before a bye, I would not be surprised to see the Patriots play it safe with Stevenson, leaving him stateside. If Stevenson were to miss extended time, Kiner would be a higher waiver target. The Patriots have two favorable matchups for running backs after the bye. The potential of having a starter for those games is worth the waiver bid this week.
Others Receiving Votes
Chris Rodriguez Jr., JAC (31% Rostered) – Bhayshul Tuten has emerged as a star, but he’s dealing with an ankle injury. Chris Rodriguez Jr. rushed 10 times this week, his second-highest of the season. Tuten has been able to enjoy some extra rest since the Jaguars played on Thursday, but he still may not be 100%. This could be another opportunity for Rodriguez to get extra work.
Seth McGowan, IND (19%) – Jonathan Taylor may be traded this week, even if it seems less likely than a week or two ago. If he is, Seth McGowan appears to be the one who would get the lion’s share of the work.
Emmett Johnson, KC (27%) – Every week on the Waiver Pod (drops Tuesday mornings wherever you get podcasts), Brian and I mention there are some handcuffs that need to be rostered, regardless of league size. Emmett Johnson is one of them. Johnson is talented enough to be a starter; he just happens to be behind Kenneth Walker III and his legendary season. This past week was an example of Johnson’s talent. While the price may be higher now, Johnson should be rostered in all leagues.
Justice Hill, BAL (7%) – If the Ravens are going to continue to be blown out of games, they aren’t going to leave Derrick Henry in during garbage time. That leaves room for Justice Hill to get some carries and potentially break free for another 65-yard touchdown.
Caleb Douglas, MIA (25%) – I’ve been standing up for Malik Washington as much as I’ve could, but I finally need to concede that Caleb Douglas might be the wideout to roster from Miami. The Dolphins have a very favorable stretch of games coming up: IND, BUF, NYJ. Douglas is a great injury replacement.
Tutu Atwell, LAR (1%) – Let’s be clear, there is no replacement for Puka Nacua. I don’t expect the workload to fall to just one person. If I had to make a best guess as to who can benefit most, I’m leaning toward Tutu Atwell.
Mike Gesicki, CIN (38%) – I won’t let one bad game ruin my perception of the TE9 of the season. Mike Gesicki still has high touchdown upside and is worth a roster spot in most leagues.
C.J. Stroud, HOU (61%) – Is C.J. Stroud fixed, or did he just play the Chargers? I’m banking that Stroud can carry this positive momentum forward where he has a majority of favorable matchups: CLE (not favorable), IND (favorable), BAL (favorable), PIT (not favorable), WAS (favorable).
Defense Wins Championships
Here’s a pair for the sickos out there: the 26th and 27th-ranked defenses are both on my list this week. And they’re playing each other.
Although the Baltimore Ravens (56%) have scored a combined -1 over the last three weeks, they host the winless Los Angeles Chargers, who can’t help but turn the ball over every single week. On the flip side, the Los Angeles Chargers (31%) will face off against the Baltimore Ravens and newly acquired Jacoby Brissett.
If that game is too out there for you, I really like the Green Bay Packers (32%) hosting the Minnesota Vikings. The Packers should get star Micah Parsons soon, possibly this week. As good as the Vikings’ defense is, their QB room is just as bad.
Photo courtesy of the respective owners | Adapted by Aaron Polcare (@abeardoesart on Bluesky and X)