At the midpoint of the season, many fantasy teams will already be eliminated due to massive injuries. Sixteen teams still haven’t had their bye and in Week 10 the Ravens, Bengals, Patriots, and Jets get a chance to rest after playing nine games.
Here’s a look at some of the early options on the waiver wire heading into Week 10:
Quarterback
Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
Last week, Fields established himself as a viable every-week starting quarterback in all formats after he delivered a season-high three scores against the Cowboys. Chicago added Chase Claypool at the trade deadline, which should help his value in the passing game. Fields turned into a beast in Week 9 (301 combined yards with four touchdowns). His floor has been sensational in the run game over the past four matchups (12/88, 14/82/1, 8/60/1, and 15/178/1), but he has only passed for over 200 yards in one contest (208/1). Fields should be considered a top-eight quarterback at this point of the season, with an exciting second half of the year expected. His matchup against the Lions in Week 10 points to another elite outing.
Baker Mayfield, Carolina Panthers
The Panthers called on Mayfield in the second half of a blowout game against the Bengals. He responded with 155 yards and two touchdowns, pointing to him starting on Thursday night against the Falcons. Atlanta came into Week 9 ranked 29th in quarterback defense (24.98 FPPG). So Mayfield only makes sense this week for someone digging deep in the quarterback pool to cover while Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow are on bye.
Running Backs
The juice in the Colts’ offense left the building after injuries to Matt Ryan and Jonathan Taylor. With Nyheim Hines shipped to Buffalo, Deon Jackson jumped to the starting running back in Week 9. However, his ceiling is much lower, with Indy playing with a backup quarterback (only 36 combined yards with two catches against the Patriots). Next week, Moss should be the Colts' backup running back if Taylor doesn’t play. For now, Moss is only an insurance card until he shows more life on the field and there is a better update on the health of Taylor’s ankle issue.
Cordarrelle Patterson, Atlanta Falcons
After missing four games with an ankle injury, Patterson returned to action in Week 9 against the Chargers. Atlanta gave him 14 touches, leading to 53 yards with two touchdowns and one catch. The Falcons will continue to rotate in two backs, but Patterson has the best all-around skill set. He should be in the free agent pool in short roster formats with no injured reserve slots.
I’m sure Dillon has been kicked to the curb in many home leagues with limited roster slots after a dull start over the first eight weeks (8.05 FPPG in PPR formats). However, Aaron Jones left his matchup with a left foot injury, giving Dillon a path to a starting job next week at the very least. He tends to be a better cold-weather runner, so his value should naturally improve over the second half of the year. Dillon should be a top-15 running back if Jones is out for multiple games.
Wide Receivers
Samori Toure, Green Bay Packers
The wide receiver position continues to be an area of weakness for Aaron Rodgers. Romeo Doubs left this week’s game with an ankle injury that looks like a multiple-week issue. In addition, Christian Watson took another hard hit, leading to an early exit with a potential concussion. The next man up appeared to be Samori Toure, who has eight targets over the past two weeks with three catches, 71 yards, and one score. Green Bay drafted him in the seventh round this year and while his ceiling doesn’t project too high, a starting role may lead to a bye-week cover in Week 10.
DeAndre Carter, Los Angeles Chargers
After battling an injury heading into Week 9, Carter was able to play against the Falcons. He finished with five catches for 53 yards on six targets while working as the Chargers’ second wide receiver. If Joshua Palmer (8/106) isn’t in the player pool, Carter would be a viable fill-in wideout in deeper formats until Keenan Allen returns from his hamstring injury.
