Waiver Wire Week 10: Mecole Hardman, Jaylen Warren, Rachaad White
In Week 10, only four teams are on a bye, which should be a relief after six teams sat out Week 9. That doesn't mean there aren't some heavy hitters that won't be available this week with the Bengals, Jets, Patriots and Ravens taking a breather. So fantasy managers should plan accordingly.
Note that Josh Allen and Aaron Jones both left Week 9 a bit banged up, so also keep an eye on them this week. After further imaging, their status for Week 10 should be clearer, but both need to be watched to see how much they practice this week.
Teams on bye: Baltimore, Cincinnati, New England, New York Jets
Quarterback
Daniel Jones, New York Giants (40 percent rostered)
It’s not a flashy pick, but Jones has quietly been putting up decent fantasy numbers. This is primarily because he has been running the ball himself. He has only thrown for six touchdowns so far (and three of them were in Weeks 1 and 2). However, he has found the end zone three times with his legs. Jones had a 100-yard rushing game in Week 7, and while that may not occur again in Week 10, the matchup against the Houston Texans makes him a viable streaming option.
Running Backs
Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (34 percent rostered)
Leonard Fournette still had more touches in Week 9 than White, but the tide is turning. White seemingly is the better back, if only the Bucs will acknowledge it. Odds are, White will officially take over after their Week 11 bye, but fantasy managers should grab him if possible before then. In Week 9, White had 27 rushing yards on eight carries, while Fournette had nine carries for 19 yards. In the passing game, White had three receptions for seven yards and Fournette had five receptions for 41 yards. It’s a split backfield for now, but at some point, that should change in White’s favor.
Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers (8 percent rostered)
Warren is a speculative add for those that are looking to take a shot in the dark (hey it worked for those that grabbed James Mitchell in Week 9). Warren is looking better than Najee Harris, but the Steelers aren’t just going to hand him the starting role. This looks to be a bit of a split backfield for a bit, but Warren should eventually win out. Whether or not that happens this season in time for fantasy managers is unclear, but if Harris were to miss time, Warren will absolutely take over this backfield. In Week 8, before the bye, he had 50 rushing yards on six carries and an additional 25 yards on three receptions. That’s not a terrible fantasy day in itself.
Other RBs to consider: Justice Hill, Kyren Williams
Wide Receivers
Mecole Hardman, Kansas City Chiefs (48 percent rostered)
With touchdowns in the past three games, Hardman has carved out a role for himself in the Chiefs' offense. With Patrick Mahomes slinging the ball, any player on the Chiefs has the potential to have a big game at any point. In the past four games, he has had at least four targets. He’s turned those into under 45 yards in two games and more than 70 yards in the other two. Hardman is definitely hit or miss, but with four teams on a bye, he has WR3/4 value.
Terrace Marshall Jr., Carolina Panthers (6 percent rostered)
It’s hard to recommend any players on the Panthers' offense, especially considering how much of a disappointment DJ Moore has been, but Marshall is the No. 2 in an offense that does throw the ball. In Week 9, he had six targets. He caught three of them for 53 yards and a touchdown. In Week 8, he had four receptions for 87 yards. Clearly, he has a role on this offense, but it is a role that will be bigger in some weeks than others. The Panthers face the Falcons in Week 10 and that should be a decent matchup for Marshall.
Other WRs to consider: Treylon Burks, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Wan'Dale Robinson, Darius Slayton
Tight Ends
Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears (23 percent rostered)
Kmet was a popular draft pick back in August, but has since been dropped in most formats. He started the season with back-to-back weeks with zero receptions. He slowly made his way into the offense, but it wasn’t until Week 8 when he finally found the end zone that fantasy managers started to consider starting him again. Those that took the risk in Week 9 were rewarded with five receptions for 41 yards and two touchdowns. The Bears face the Detroit Lions in Week 10, and they should continue to utilize their tight end.
Greg Dulcich, Denver Broncos (36 percent rostered)
Dulcich has been a solid tight end since starting for the Broncos in Week 6. He was on a bye last week, but in his three games prior, he has 50 yards or a touchdown in each of them. Even with Russell Wilson struggling, Dulcich has been a part of the offense. The Broncos face the Tennessee Titans in Week 9, and he should be ranked as a TE1 for that matchup.
Defense/Special Teams (DST)
New York Giants (8 percent rostered)
The Giants face the Houston Texans in Week 10, a team that has struggled on offense. The Giants aren’t a particularly great defense, but the matchup is too good to ignore. The Giants are coming off a bye and the Texans just played on "Thursday Night Football," but both teams may struggle to score points in Week 10. It’s not clear if Nico Collins and/or Brandin Cooks will be available, but their absence certainly helps the outlook for the Giants DST in Week 10.
— Written by Sarah Lewis, who is part of the Athlon Contributor Network and lives, eats, and breathes fantasy football. Have a fantasy football question? Send it to her on Twitter @Sarah_Lewis32.
