Fantasy Football Week 10 Waiver Wire Pickups
Is your fantasy team in need of new blood? Each week I’ll bring to you the best pickups to make ahead of the waiver deadline. All the players I list will be owned in fewer than 50 percent of leagues, with the ownership percentage coming from Yahoo.com.
Quarterbacks
Josh McCown, Jets (36% Owned): McCown finally had his streak of two-touchdown games snapped last week, as he put forth a pedestrian 140-yard, one-touchdown game against the Bills. Expect McCown to return to the realm of useful fantasy QBs with a matchup this Sunday against the wretched Bucs defense. Tampa Bay ranks 31st (per Football Outsiders) vs. the pass, so if you have a regular starter with a bad matchup, or you’ve been streaming all year, fire up McCown.
Jacoby Brissett, Colts (24% Owned): Brissett is sneaky competent, putting up two games this year of 300+ passing yards, and rushing for three touchdowns. He’s a fine backup in four-point per passing touchdown leagues, so even if I’d avoid him this week vs. Pittsburgh, Brissett could be useful as an emergency option.
Running Backs
Rob Kelley, Redskins (32% Owned): Kelley, if you watch him, just looks like an awful NFL running back. But in fantasy, talent is very, very secondary to opportunity. Despite averaging a pitiful 1.68 yards per carry in his last two games, Kelley has scored three touchdowns and been relevant. That is going to continue; you’ll never feel comfortable starting him and he will sometimes be utterly useless, but as a starting RB he has to be owned.
Damien Williams, Dolphins (33% Owned): Despite a semi-impressive performance last week, Williams is very much like Rob Kelley. Over three-plus seasons in Miami, Williams has never risen to the occasion or forced the Dolphins to give him the lead role. That won’t change with Jay Ajayi’s departure. Williams racked up 47 yards and a touchdown on six catches last week, indicating a steady third-down role, but he registered 14 yards on seven carries. That’s pathetic. Kenyan Drake is the ‘Fins back to own, but Williams does have a role here and he has value in deep leagues.
Matt Forte, Jets (44% Owned): Forte turned the clock back vs. the Bills, rushing for 77 yards and two scores on 14 carries. He added four catches and 19 yards through the air. Forte’s unreliable because he shares time with Bilal Powell, and even rookie Elijah McGuire to a lesser extent, but he’s worth owning in case Powell gets banged up.
Marlon Mack, Colts (49% Owned): Mack turned in a huge dud last week, but don’t be discouraged. That doesn’t change the fact that he’s still the Colts’ best all-around back, and by far the most explosive backfield option when compared to Frank Gore, who is downright plodding at this point. Mack is going to be much more valuable in games when Indianapolis falls behind, because his value is as a multi-dimensional RB. That’s gonna be most weeks with their horrendous defense.
Latavius Murray, Vikings (45% Owned): Murray has carried the rock 15 or more times in three straight games, and that kind of volume can’t be ignored. It hurts him that Jerick McKinnon has been way more explosive and consistent, but until that workload is reduced, Murray is a must-own.
Wide Receivers
Josh Doctson, Redskins (29% Owned): Doctson hasn’t had a monster game yet, but he is by far the most exciting name on this list. He’s clearly the preferred Redskins receiver now, and a breakout is coming. Two weeks ago he made the most of his one catch, finding the end zone, and last week he came up a few inches shy of another spectacular, long TD catch. This guy is huge, healthy, and has incredible ball skills. Go get him.
Jermaine Kearse, Jets (50% Owned): Kearse’s targets have been dwindling as Robby Anderson emerges as the big play threat, but Kearse has two plus matchups coming up (Tampa Bay, Kansas City), and he’ll be a threat as long as McCown continues to play well. Kearse is definitely limited to deep leagues, but he’s a highly serviceable WR3 in these formats.
Kenny Stills, Dolphins (47% Owned): Stills has been downright passable since I rage cut him in a league a few weeks ago, so file him in the Kearse category of deep-league usefulness. Stills has shown the ability to find the end zone when the Dolphins’ offense is in a groove, so he would be a sneaky little trade target if you’re hunting for WR depth.
Tight Ends
Charles Clay, Bills (13% Owned): Clay’s status is up in the air, but if you need a TE grab him now and wait. Before getting hurt, Clay was easily the No. 1 option for Tyrod Taylor. Since his injury, Kelvin Benjamin has joined the fray, and Jordan Matthews is back. So, Clay is possibly still Taylor’s favorite option. Upon his return he’ll be a weekly Top 10 play.
David Njoku, Browns (6% Owned): Njoku is very talented, but maddeningly inconsistent. He has a cake matchup vs. the Lions this week though, who are 31st vs. opposing tight ends, so if you’re looking to gamble he has good odds of producing.