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Antonio D'Arcangelis | Archive | Email |
Staff Writer


Through The Wire - Week 10
11/4/19; Uupdated: 11/5/19

Targeting weekly waiver picks is a completely subjective business, but this column hopes to point out some obvious and not-so-obvious selections to help your team from week to week while you strive to collect fantasy wins, reach your league playoffs and win the elusive title that your friends say is out of your grasp. While I’m a big proponent of making trades to bolster your roster, the waiver wire can be an almost limitless resource when it comes to discovering fantasy value in strange places. Each week, I’ll highlight some of the popular (and not-so-popular) players who can help your squad and may still be available in your league.

Feedback is always welcome, appreciated and encouraged. I’ll get to as many e-mails as I can.


Quarterbacks

Ryan Fitzpatrick, MIA – Josh Allen (85-90% owned) and Kyler Murray (85-90% owned) are obvious adds with great Week 10 matchups if they are available in your leagues, but we might see Fitzpatrick (just 4.4 percent owned in ESPN leagues) become a hot QB pickup this week after the win over the Jets. The veteran completed 24-of-36 passes for 288 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday. He’s really starting to connect with his wide receivers and TE Mike Gesicki.

Philip Rivers, LAC – Rivers is 60 percent owned and got solid performances from Mike Williams and Hunter Henry in Week 9 in the win over the Packers, though he passed for 294 and no TDs. Still, he’s got a great matchup in Week 10 against the Raiders and should be a top streamer as a bye-week fill-in for Deshaun Watson owners.

Derek Carr, OAK – The matchup against the Chargers doesn’t look as good after they shut down Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, but Carr is playing well – completing 20-of-31 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Detroit. He’s owned in just 35-40 percent of ESPN leagues.

Other QBs to consider: Ryan Tannehill, Brian Hoyer (if Brissett is out), Mason Rudolph

Updates:

Gardner Minshew, JAC – We may have seen the last (for now) of Minshew, who played poorly in London (309-0-2) and is on a bye in Week 10. There’s a chance he retains the starting job once Nick Foles gets back in uniform in Week 11, but it’s a long shot. He’s safe to drop in redrafts.

Sam Darnold, NYJ – Darnold started off okay and threw a TD pass on the opening drive but retreated into ghost mode and ended up completing 27-of-39 passes for 260-1-1 in the Jets’ Week 9 loss to the Dolphins. He’s not learning from his mistakes, and he’s very careless with the football, which is a problem – though the matchup in Week 10 against the Giants should be a chance to get right.

Jimmy Garoppolo, SF – Garoppolo was sharp on Thursday night, completing 28-of-37 passes for 317-4-0 in the win over the Cardinals. He’s now the only undefeated QB who’s played in all of his team’s games.

Brandon Allen, DEN – Allen showed poise in his NFL debut, completing 12-of-20 passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns in Denver’s Week 9 victory over the Browns. He didn’t really need to be flashy, and questions about his arm strength remain a concern. Still, he proved to be a capable game manager in his first game.

Running Backs

Damien Williams, KC – He had a monster game on Sunday against a tough opponent (125 rushing yards and a TD on 12 carries, 2-3-0 receiving) and is owned in about 70 percent of ESPN leagues. I even dropped him in a 10-team format where I needed to make some room, but he’s back! Williams should be added if an owner in your league made the same mistake I did.

Ronald Jones, TB – UPDATE: No longer “Bad Ronald,” Jones had 20 touches (18 carries, two targets) last week against Seattle and scored a TD for the third time in his last five games. Bruce Arians said he’s “been more explosive” and has earned the right to start for the Bucs – a role Jones (35-50 percent owned) is taking advantage of and could lead to decent numbers in a Week 10 matchup with Arizona.

J.D. McKissic, DET – McKissic rushed the ball just four times and tallied 32 yards on the ground while catching three of four targets for 40 yards and a TD during Sunday’s 31-24 loss to the Raiders. He’s the clear pass catching back and seemed to do well even in a more traditional RB role when asked this week. He should be added in 12-team PPR leagues, as he could play a larger role in the Lions’ upcoming road matchup with the Bears.

Kalen Ballage, MIA – UPDATE: Mark Walton’s four-game suspension (related to his three offseason arrests) vaults Ballage (8-15 percent owned) into a workhorse role ahead of the Week 10 matchup in Indy. The team may choose to add another live body, or utilize backup RBs Patrick Laird or Myles Gaskin, but those backs haven’t seen any real action this year and Ballage knows the system. He’s a viable flex option this week and moving forward.

Ryquell Armstead, JAC – He’s only a super deep league PPR add, but his 5-65-0 receiving output in Week 9 ensures he could be part of negative game script for the Jags – and they have those occasionally.

Gus Edwards, BAL – As good as the Ravens running game is, just about anybody succeeds behind this excellent offensive line. Edwards had 27 rushing yards and a TD on Sunday night and is a fine handcuff if you’re an Ingram owner, or bench stash if you’re stockpiling backup RBs in good spots.

Other RBs to consider: Trey Edmunds, Rex Burkhead, Dion Lewis

Updates:

Derrius Guice, WAS – Guice sat out Week 9 but is still on track to play in Week 11, and with Adrian Peterson looking good as a workhorse back, he may have a tough road even when healthy.

Tevin Coleman, SF – Coleman finished with just 23 yards on 12 carries in the 49ers’ Week 9 win over the Cardinals, adding 3-13-0. Coleman couldn't find much running room while Matt Breida (questionable heading into the game) had some big runs.

Jaylen Samuels, PIT – Samuels rushed eight times for just 10 yards in the Steelers’ Week 9 win over the Colts, but he went nuts in PPR leagues with 13 catches (on 13 targets) and 73 receiving yards. He almost scored but was stopped inches short of the goal line. We’ll keep an eye on the injuries to the Steelers backfield.

Jamaal Williams, GB – The Packers lost and Williams was better than Aaron Jones on Sunday, though he rushed only twice for 10 yards. The versatile, tough RB added six receptions for 39 yards and a touchdown, and he could be getting more looks as teams focus on stopping Jones.

Kenyan Drake, ARI – Drake had a career-type day with his new team, rushing 15 times for 110 yards and a touchdown in the Cardinals’ Week 9 loss to the 49ers, adding four receptions for 52 receiving yards. His value is dependent on the Arizona backfield injuries, but he’s clearly still an effective back when he gets a chance in a decent offense.

Darrell Henderson, LAR – The Rams were on a Week 9 bye, so we’ll have to wait and see what’s up with Henderson and this bizarre backfield situation once they head into Pittsburgh in Week 10.

DeVante Parker

Wide Receivers / Tight Ends

Jamison Crowder, NYJ – If Darnold could have gotten out of his own way in the second half on Sunday, Crowder (55-60 percent owned) may have had an even bigger day. As it was, the veteran WR finished with 8-83-1 (on nine targets) Sunday and is a big part of the Jets’ offense.

Mohamed Sanu, NE – We liked him before, and now we like him even better, as the former Falcon was a popular target for Tom Brady on Sunday night. Sanu (60-65 percent owned) hauled in 10-81-1 on 14 targets and will be the No.1 WR add if he’s not already rostered.

TE Vance McDonald, PIT – McDonald caught 5-30-1 on Sunday on seven targets and ha a great matchup in Week 10 against the Rams. He’s just 45-50 percent owned and had enormous upside this week.

TE Noah Fant, DEN – To say that Allen and Fant got off to a god start is an understatement. The rookie finished with 3-115-1 in the win over Cleveland and could see plenty of targets in the coming weeks. The promising TE is rostered in just 5-10 percent of leagues,

DeVante Parker, MIA – He had 4-57-1 on six targets Sunday and could benefit from even more targets with Preston Williams out for the season. Only 20-25 percent owned, Parker is a solid waiver wire option in all formats.

UPDATE: Williams is out for the year and Parker will be popular this week. Albert Wilson and Allen Hurns (and to a lesser degree Jakeem Grant) should see increased targets as well.

Other WRs/TEs to consider: A.J. Brown, TE Mike Gesicki, Zach Pascal, Andy Isabella, Keelan Cole, TE Kyle Rudolph, TE Foster Moreau

Updates:

D.K. Metcalf, SEA – Metcalf hauled in six spectacular catches for 123 yards and a TD on nine targets in the Seahawks’ Week 9 win over the Bucs on Sunday, including several huge grabs in the fourth quarter and OT that were essential to Seattle’s victory. He’s one of the most athletic and exciting WRs in the NFL.

Danny Amendola, DET – Amendola was quiet Sunday (3-29-0 on five targets) in what became a shootout that focused on bigger throws to Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones. He’s still an option in deeper leagues and will be boom-or-bust depending on game plan/script factors.

Michael Gallup, DAL – UPDATE: Gallup had an acrobatic circus catch-and-dive TD in the fourth quarter, giving him 2-33-1 on six targets on the day. It was his first score since Week 5 and second of the season, and he’ll be a WR3/4 or flex option next week facing the Vikings in Dallas.

Darius Slayton, NYG – UPDATE: Slayton caught just one his four targets for 6 yards in the Giants’ Week 9 loss to the Cowboys and failed to get in the end zone. With Evan Engram healthy and Golden Tate and Cody Latimer getting frequently targeted, he might be safe to drop in most formats.

Hunter Renfrow, OAK – Renfrow followed up his breakout game with another big week, recording 6-54-1 on seven targets. He’s becoming a viable WR3 in the Oakland offense.

TE Ryan Griffin, NYJ – Griffin finished Sunday with six catches for 50 yards on eight targets, but the loss to Miami may have been avoided had he hauled in a second-quarter score that was overturned on review. Officials ruled he never had full possession as he made an athletic grab near the back of the end zone. Darnold ended that possession with a terrible INT that he clumsily threw toward the goal line into the arms of a Miami DB.