Pigskin Papers- 2022 Waiver Wire Week 10
Danny Dimes: The Consummate Fantasy QB2
(Published November 7, 2022)
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Welcome to the Waiver Wire, Week 10. Navigating the Fantasy Football Waiver is like rifling through a sale rack or bargain bin in a clothing store, or walking through a neighborhood tag sale. Sometimes you get there and you find a few things that you really want or need, and other times it’s just a useless pile of crap that nobody wants. This week’s free agent offerings are a lot closer to the latter than the former, and if you’re sitting on a big pile of FAAB dollars, you might want to wait another week or 2 to pounce. Still, 4 NFL teams have a bye in Week 10, and with the fantasy season hitting a pretty critical stretch, fantasy managers will once again look to the Waiver Wire for help. I’m here to assist as you sift through that crappy bargain bin.
***NOTE: This article is posting BEFORE the Week 9 Monday Night game. I’ll revise it on Tuesday as necessary.
The Week 10 BYES: Ravens, Bengals, Patriots, Jets
The Process: Each week, I try to identify the top Waiver Wire targets and evaluate the short and long term prospects of those players. I also do my best to identify which players who are coming off a big week are fool’s gold. And finally, as we move through the bye weeks I’ll spend a little time on streamers at each position who might help you in a pinch. Note that this advice is primarily intended for Season-Long leagues, and NOT Dynasty leagues.
Some of the players I’ll talk about won’t be available in your league. As a general rule, I list players who are available in more than 50% of leagues. But what does that even mean? A 10 team league with 6 bench spots will have a much larger free agent pool than a 14 team league with 8 bench spots. Most leagues fall somewhere in between. This isn’t “one size fits all.”
LOOKING AHEAD: Week 11 BYES: Dolphins, Seahawks, Bucs, Jaguars - I like to plan ahead when I can, to avoid getting shut out on guys I might want, or having to overpay for them. Take a look at the Week 11 schedule if you’re going to need a streamer at QB, TE, PK or D/ST next week. Grab them now if you can.
Week 10 - A Chance to Ride the Goff Roller Coaster
WEEK 10 WAIVER WIRE:
QB
Justin Fields and Geno Smith should be rostered everywhere by now, but Daniel Jones is still available in a lot of leagues. He’s been getting it done with his legs more than his arm, and he’s the QB 15 on the season right now on a fantasy points per game (FPPG) basis. That’s not great, but it makes him a higher-end QB2, and his points have been pretty steady. This week the Giants face a Texans team that’s OK against the pass, but awful against the run, and then next week they face a Lions’ defense that’s been atrocious all year. Jones is a good option as a streamer or Superflex QB2.
Jared Goff is a decent streaming option for this week. The Lions visit the Bears, who’ve given up 77 points in their last 2 games, and who recently traded away 2 of their best defensive players. Goff has been bad on the road, but I think he’ll put up points this week in what should be a high scoring divisional game.
Andy Dalton is also a potential streaming option this week, as the Saints will travel to play the Steelers. Pittsburgh has been pretty terrible against the pass all year, but they’re coming off a bye and should have T.J. Watt and a few other starters back, plus it’s a road game. I’d probably look elsewhere.
Jimmy G and Marcus Mariota are 2 guys who you can keep adding and dropping all year, trying to find the right matchup. Both are mid-range QB2s that are streamable this week.
If you’re brave and need a streamer this week, P.J. Walker is expected to get the start Thursday night, at home against a Falcons’ defense that has allowed the 4th most FPPG to QBs. Yes, he just got benched, but he’s had some decent games.
Matt Ryan got dropped in a lot of leagues and I think he’s an OK stash and especially in Superflex leagues. Sam Ehlinger clearly isn’t the answer, and with Jeff Saturday coming in as interim HC, I suspect Ryan will get the job back fairly soon. The Colts’ offense has been a dumpster fire, and that’s actually an insult to dumpsters, but they do have some talented players on offense.
Deshaun Watson is set to return in a few weeks. He remains an intriguing stash candidate.
No, I wouldn’t add Malik Willis. He hasn’t thrown for more than 100 yards or a TD in either of his 2 starts. The Titans can’t get Ryan Tannehill back fast enough.
It Didn’t take Long for Jeff Wilson to Pay Dividends for Miami
RB
Not much to see here, folks, as all of the backups who got thrust into duty in recent weeks (too many to name) have been scooped up. If those players are still out there, consider them. See our Week 9 waivers column for more: https://www.thepigskinpapers.com/posts-1/pigskin-papers-waiver-wire-2022-week-9 .
I do think Jeff Wilson is worth an add, as he’s clearly going to get a decent workload in an offensive scheme he’s familiar with. Wilson backing up Mostert - what year is this, and what city are we in?
Cam Akers is back in the mix for the Rams. He’s tough to recommend, given how bad they’ve been at running the ball, and how pedestrian he’s looked going back to last year’s playoffs. But the Coaching staff seems determined to keep trying with him, so if he got dropped, he’s not a bad speculative add.
I’ve been cautioning against adding Isiah Pacheco - I’ll say it again. If you have the space, fine, but he’s barely worth a roster spot. Instead, I’ll recommend a different Isaiah - Spiller. He got worked into the mix for the Chargers this week behind Ekeler and I think he’s worth a look.
I’d also take Jerrick McKinnon over Pacheco, because of his passing game and two-minute drill usage, if I felt compelled to pick up one of the available RBs in this 3-headed backfield.
Raheem Blackshear came out of nowhere to lead the Panthers’ backfield in total yards and fantasy scoring this week. I’m guessing most of you had never heard of him before yesterday. I’d be cautious here - Chuba Hubbard didn't play, most of his yards came through the air, and the game was completely out of hand by the middle of the second quarter.
If you’re truly desperate, here are a few names you can consider. These are mostly just bench depth that could turn into more if an injury or something else creates an opportunity: Kenneth Gainwell, Kyren Williams, James Cook, and JaMycal Hasty.
Duvernay Steps It Up as the Ravens Top Wideout
WR
Not much to see here either, folks. Move along….But before you run off, I’ll say this: If Devin Duvernay or Rondale Moore is still available in your league (they shouldn’t be), grab them, in that order. I think I’ve mentioned both of them at least 5 times in this column so far this year. Hopefully, somebody listened.
OK, if you need help at the position there are ALWAYS bodies you can grab. Terrance Marshall has been quite involved the last 2 weeks (23% target share over those 2 games), so I think you can add him. Most of that came with P.J. Walker, and the good news is he’s getting another start this week, against an awful Falcons’ pass defense.
Jarvis Landry is a speculative add. We’ll see what he does in his anticipated return on MNF (this article is posting before the end of that game). With Michael Thomas out for the rest of the season, there’s a nice sized opportunity.
Mecole Hardman is finding the end zone pretty regularly these days, and making the most of his usage. He’s hard to trust and especially with the addition of Kadarius Toney. There are a lot of mouths to feed in KC, but Hardman is definitely a guy you can flex and then cross your fingers.
A few more depth names you can consider if you’re in need, most of which have been mentioned in here before: Wan’Dale Robinson, Kadarius Toney, Darius Slayton, Philip Dorsett, Christian Watson, and Scotty Miller. Miller got a lot of looks on Sunday, but I think that’s hard to trust.
Stashes: OBJ, Treylon Burks, and Josh Reynolds.
Is the Kmet Arrival Real?
TE
I’ve mentioned Greg Dulcich every week since he came off IR, but on many platforms his ownership is still below 50%. It shouldn’t be. He’s quickly developed a rapport with Russ and a good role in the offense. TE is a wasteland - add him if you can. If nothing else, he’s a decent stream this week against the Titans.
Cole Kmet was droppable after the first handful of games, back when the Bears couldn’t get a first down much less a passing TD. Suddenly they’re a juggernaut led by a superhero, and Kmet is relevant again. I wouldn’t go crazy - he still only has 19 catches for 200 yards for the entire season. But he does have 3 TDs in his last 2 games and with the arrow pointing up for this offense, and with the Bears likely to play a lot more 35-32 games, I like adding Kmet as a guy with second-half upside.
Cade Otton has been in this column a few times, and he finally delivered a big game this week. Maybe it’s the start of something? He’s worth an add and you can stream him this week.
Even when Mark Andrews returns, I think Isaiah Likely is worth a stash. I’ve held onto him for most of the season in 2 leagues and I think the preseason buzz was real. With this offense again sustaining multiple injuries to key weapons, it might be able to support 2 TEs for fantasy.
PK Streamers: C. Santos (vs. DET), R. Bulluck (vs. DEN), R. Gould (vs. LAC)
D/ST Streamers: NYG (vs. HOU), KC (vs. JAC), LV (vs. IND)
Good luck with your waiver claims!
DH
***This column (Waiver Wire) and the Weekly Fantasy Recap appear each Monday and Tuesday, and the Weekly Fantasy Preview each Thursday. Please bookmark the site and come back often. You can also follow on Social Media - on Instagram (thepigskinpapers) and Twitter (@PigskinPapers). I appreciate your patronage and welcome your feedback. You can post in the comment boxes or email pigskinpapers@gmail.com.***
