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Week 9 Review
Here’s a look back on my Top 5 picks from this week. Check out last week’s waiver wire article to see how the “Other Adds” panned out (like Garrett Wilson):
- Romeo Doubs caught an 18-yard pass on the Packers’ first offensive play and left the game. He could be facing a multi-week ankle injury.
- Kenyan Drake hasn’t played Monday Night Football, but Gus Edwards is almost certain to sit out. Drake should fill in as the top option for Baltimore this week but could share snaps with Justice Hill.
- Rondale Moore paid off with a ten-target, eight-reception game in Week 9’s loss to Seattle. Moving forward, he has flex value with upside.
- Kyren Williams wasn’t activated off injured reserve but remains a valuable stash for the Rams.
- Isiah Pacheco got the “start” for Kansas City, but he’s part of a three-man committee. I’m comfortable stashing Pacheco, but he’s not sniffing a starting roster spot.
The trade deadline had more drama than we’ve seen in a while, giving rise to more opportunity–and more confusion–around several teams’ depth charts.
Top Players to Add in Week 10
Teams on Bye: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots, New York Jets
Perhaps this goes without saying, but…remember those SIX teams that were on a bye last week? They’re back for Week 10, so there are a lot of directions you could go on the waiver wire. I’m prioritizing pickups that could turn your season around if they hit, but it may take a couple of weeks to know if it’s the right call. In addition to the top picks listed below, check your leagues for players who may have been dropped out of desperation (e.g. George Pickens, Brandon Aiyuk) and plan accordingly:
1. Jeff Wilson Jr. (52% Yahoo, 50% Sleeper) – This is kind of a cheat here, but Wilson is close enough to the 50% rostered threshold that I have to mention him. I hope you didn’t drop him with the Christian McCaffrey trade to San Francisco, but odds are someone in your league did. So here we are. Wilson did a darn good CMC impression in his first week, scoring a touchdown and earning an even timeshare with Raheem Mostert. Miami is one of the few places that can support two fantasy running backs, and I’d go as far as saying I prefer Wilson and his pass-catching chops over Mostert.
2. Michael Gallup (39% Yahoo, 54% Sleeper) – It’s been excruciating to wait and wait for Michael Gallup’s breakout. He didn’t light up the scoresheet before Dallas’ Week 9 bye, but he was on the field for 84% of the offensive snaps in a game where Dak Prescott looked like he was #back. I want to see Gallup’s involvement with Noah Brown active and Dalton Schultz’s role more defined, but I’m taking a shot at the WR2 on a good offense.
3. Jaylen Warren (7% Yahoo, 10% Sleeper) – This pick could end up worthless, or it could win your league. Simply put, Jaylen Warren has been better than Najee Harris when given the opportunity this season. I’m prioritizing Warren in the hopes that Pittsburgh used their bye to work him into the game plan. It’s a zero-RB manager’s dream, and I want him on my bench in case Mike Tomlin sees the light.
4. Wan’Dale Robinson (25% Yahoo, 45% Sleeper) – Robinson probably wouldn’t be on this list if the Giants didn’t go on bye in Week 9, but he’s got a good chance to be the top receiving option for Daniel Jones. Plus, the schedule shapes up nicely for Robinson with matchups against Houston and Detroit before taking on Dallas in Week 12. For managers looking ahead to the fantasy playoffs, you can look forward to games against Washington, Minnesota, and Indianapolis in Weeks 15-17.
5. Greg Dulcich (35% Yahoo, 38% Sleeper) – Is it simultaneously thrilling and terrifying to put a tight end in my top five? Yes, it is. Is it thrilling and terrifying starting a tight end on your fantasy team every week? Also yes. Greg Dulcich is another name that wouldn’t be on this list if not for the huge bye week, but he has a chance to be a set-it-and-forget-it tight end. For solid teams who punted on the position in the draft, Dulcich could be a league winner.
Drops: If you need roster space, you can say goodbye to: any receiver on the Jets not named Garrett Wilson, Allen Robinson (67%), Romeo Doubs (66%), Hunter Renfrow (51%), Marquez Valdes-Scantling (44%), Drake London (68%).
Other Players to Consider
Wide Receiver
DeAndre Carter (31%) – As long as Mike Williams and Keenan Allen remain sidelined, Carter is a solid streaming option with big-play upside.
Odell Beckham Jr. (23%) – OBJ is ahead of schedule in his ACL recovery and might sign with a contender before December; he could provide a lot of value in the fantasy playoffs.
Terrace Marshall Jr. (7%) – Carolina’s QB situation is in flux again; however, Marshall scored his first touchdown in Week 9 and looks set as the WR2 in Charlotte moving forward.
Treylon Burks (17%) – Stash for leagues with IR spots.
Running Back
Chuba Hubbard (33%) – D’onta Foreman should keep early-down snaps, but the pass-catching role is Hubbard’s to lose when he returns from injury. The Panthers should find themselves playing from behind a lot.
Jordan Wilkins (0%) and Zack Moss (4%) – A deadline-day trade saw the Bills and Colts swap Moss for Nyheim Hines. Deon Jackson picked up a knock during the game, and Jonathan Taylor is still dealing with an ankle injury. Moss is still acclimating to his new team, but I could see him getting early-down work and Wilkins as the receiving back if Jackson and Taylor both miss more time.
Latavius Murray (31%) and Chase Edmonds (48%)– Edmonds’ trade to Denver further muddies the waters. We could see Melvin Gordon further marginalized, opening the door for Murray and Edmonds to carve out early-down work and pass-catching duties, respectively. Whether that would translate to fantasy relevance remains to be seen.
Isaiah Spiller (3%)– For leagues where backups are all rostered, Spiller seems to have locked down the role behind Austin Ekeler.
Streaming Positions
Tight End
Besides Greg Dulcich above, we might be seeing the belated TE1 season for Cole Kmet (23%). Perhaps the rising Justin Fields lifts all ships in Chicago, and Week 10’s soft matchup against Detroit is an excellent spot for Kmet to do more #emotionaldamage to those who drafted Kmet and dropped him. Cade Otton (11%) led all Buccaneers receivers in Week 9 and is a solid streaming option as long as Cameron Brate is sidelined.
Quarterback
Marcus Mariota (33%) carries weekly risk and reward each week, but he put up 24 fantasy points in Week 8 against Carolina. Chicago has given up back-to-back big weeks to opposing quarterbacks, and Justin Fields’ on the other side of the ball could present a shootout scenario for Jared Goff (49%) in Week 10. Assuming he’s still the Saints’ starting quarterback in Week 10, Andy Dalton should have a solid day against the Steelers, who are giving up the 5th-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.
Defense
There are several good options for Defense/Special Teams in Week 10, but my top choices are the New Orleans Saints (37%) taking on Pittsburgh, the New York Giants (7%) at home against Houston, and the Las Vegas Raiders (15%) against the hapless Colts. If all of those options are somehow unavailable, I don’t mind grabbing my hometown Atlanta Falcons (7%) in a divisional matchup against the Panthers. Bonus: If stashing defenses is your thing, the Patriots take on the Jets in Week 11.
(Photo by Andrew Dieb/Icon Sportswire)