Waiver Wire: Week 10

Welcome to the 10th edition of Waiver Wired for the 2017 season. Thankfully, the big bye weeks are gone, but we also lost a big-time quarterback with Jameis Winston out at least a “couple weeks” as the Bucs attempt to get his shoulder injury under control. Tampa will also be without Mike Evans, who was suspended one game for hitting Marshon Lattimore with a cheap shot well after the whistle. In a bit of a surprise, Evans will be the only player suspended following a day with several fights, with A.J. Green the most shocking participant to not pick up a ban. Fantasy owners will take it, however, along with another week with relatively few injuries of note.

As a reminder, the drop list consists of players who are no longer must-owns, recommended adds are available in at least 50 percent of Yahoo leagues, the watch list consists of players worth keeping an eye on, and deep cuts are players owned in five percent or fewer of Yahoo leagues.

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The Drop List
QB: Jameis Winston
RB: Buck Allen,

David Johnson
WR: Terrelle Pryor, Jermaine Kearse
TE: None

Winston is being shut down for a “couple weeks” to rest his shoulder, and coach Dirk Koetter’s comments made it sound like he could miss even more time. Winston was on his way to a pretty good fantasy season before the injury, but he is not worth wasting a bench spot on the possibility he may come back for the playoffs. Allen is not a must-drop by any means, but he is on bye this week and likely to cede work to a returning Danny Woodhead after that. Holding him to see what happens certainly makes sense if possible, but I would bet his role almost completely disappears when Woodhead gets back. Based on what both the coach and GM said last week, it does not look like Johnson will be returning this season. If Pryor is not going to do anything when the rest of the offense is injured, it is not happening. Kearse has basically been unusable when he is not scoring touchdowns, and he has 81 yards total the last three games.

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Quarterbacks
1. Josh McCown
2. Ryan Fitzpatrick
3. Jay Cutler
4. Eli Manning

Running Backs
1. Danny Woodhead
2. Marlon Mack
3. Matt Forte
4. Thomas Rawls
5. Latavius Murray
6. Darren McFadden
7. Rex Burkhead
8. Damien Williams
9. Devontae Booker
10. Corey Clement

Wide Receivers
1. Corey Davis
2. Josh Doctson
3. Corey Coleman
4. Josh Gordon
5. Robert Woods
6. Marqise Lee
7. Chris Godwin
8. Marquise Goodwin
9. Curtis Samuel

Tight Ends
1. Tyler Kroft
2. Charles Clay
3. C.J. Fiedorowicz

Defense/Special Teams
1. Detroit Lions
2. Chicago Bears
3. New England Patriots
4. New York Giants
Looking Ahead: Cincinnati Bengals

Kickers
1. Chris Boswell
2. Kai Forbath
3. Mike Nugent
Looking Ahead: Chris Boswell

QUARTERBACKS
1. Josh McCown, Jets – Owned in 34 percent of Yahoo leagues
In a matchup of dueling #RevengeGame narratives, McCown looks like the better fantasy bet. Last week’s game against the Bills was the first time McCown did not throw for multiple scores since Week 4, and he still managed to have a decent fantasy day with a rushing touchdown, his second in three weeks. Now he gets a much easier matchup with a Bucs defense which has given up at least 18 fantasy points to five of eight quarterbacks this season.

2. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bucs – Owned in 1 percent of Yahoo leagues

While McCown is the better option, Fitzpatrick is a fine streamer as well in almost as good of a matchup against a Jets defense which has given up 12 passing touchdowns in the last five games. Fitzpatrick has four touchdowns of his own on just 48 attempts this season. While his touchdown upside does take a hit with Mike Evans suspended, Fitzpatrick is still a good option this week.

3. Jay Cutler, Dolphins – Owned in 14 percent of Yahoo leagues

Cutler does not have a particularly good matchup in Carolina on Monday night, but he has quietly been pretty good his last three games including throwing for 311 yards and three touchdowns against the Raiders. In fact, he has seven scores on his last 91 attempts after finding the end zone just three times on his first 131. The Panthers have given up good fantasy games to non-bottom-barrel passing attacks this year, and it looks like Miami’s is improving by the week.

4. Eli Manning, Giants – Owned in 45 percent of Yahoo leagues
Manning has not played well nor been a great fantasy option in the last several games, but his receiving corps is healthier now that Sterling Shepard is back, and he has an excellent matchup with a 49ers defense which just allowed Drew Stanton to throw for two touchdowns. He is not an exciting option, but Manning is on the streaming map in deeper leagues.

Watch List: C.J. Beathard has a great matchup and has been adding points with his legs, but it is tough to trust him as a streamer with the 49ers unable to offer even a hint of protection, creating a big risk for in-game injury. That said, he will certainly grace some of my DFS lineups…Jacoby Brissett has turned it on as a passer lately, throwing for two scores in back-to-back games while topping 300 yards against the Texans, but the Steelers own one of the toughest pass defenses in the league…Blake Bortles has had decent outings the last two games, but the Chargers are not a great matchup. There are better options…Neither Jimmy Garoppolo nor Teddy Bridgewater is likely to play this week. They are both just stashes in two-quarterback formats. The same is true of Paxton Lynch, who should take over the starting job when he is healthy…Case Keenum did manage to put up a good fantasy day against the Browns, but Washington has been playing pretty good pass defense this season while Keenum has not shown the ability to have a good fantasy day outside of cake matchups…Do we really need to talk about Brock Osweiler, Mitchell Trubisky, or Drew Stanton?

~RUNNING BACKS
1. Danny Woodhead, Ravens – Owned in 27 percent of Yahoo leagues
Perhaps Woodhead should not top this list because the Ravens are on bye this week and it is not 100 percent he returns in Week 11. It is pretty close to certain he will be back, however, and his six snaps of work before he suffered a hamstring injury resulted in three catches for 33 yards and a rush for four yards. If he comes back healthy, he should return solid RB2 value in a pretty good schedule down the stretch.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 10-team leagues

2. Marlon Mack, Colts – Owned in 49 percent of Yahoo leagues

Mack saw his snap share and carries decrease on Sunday while surprisingly failing to see a target, but he did get four carries inside the red zone and two inside the 10-yard line. Mack is clearly behind Frank Gore at this point, but he is worth stashing in all formats to see what happens down the stretch.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 10-team leagues

3. Matt Forte, Jets – Owned in 42 percent of Yahoo leagues

Forte found the end zone twice in a great fantasy game against the Bills, but the most promising takeaway was Forte more than doubling Bilal Powell’s snap total and seeing 18 touches in all. With a great matchup against the Bucs this week, Forte will be worth starting in most leagues.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

4. Thomas Rawls, Seahawks – Owned in 13 percent of Yahoo leagues

With the Seahawks playing on Thursday night, it seems unlikely Eddie Lacy will be able to recover from his groin injury, leaving Rawls as the lead back, a role he was able to convert into 70 total yards over the final three quarters against Washington. This backfield is not an exciting investment, but Rawls will at least be usable if he is the clear lead back.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

5. Latavius Murray, Vikings – Owned in 45 percent of Yahoo leagues

Murray has not been good by any means outside of an outlier game against the Ravens, but he has at least 14 touches in each of the last four games including 38 over the last two. He also has 10 touches inside the red zone and four inside the 10 in the last five games. If he keeps getting work, especially near the goal line, he is going to be usable in deeper leagues.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

6. Darren McFadden, Cowboys – Owned in 34 percent of Yahoo leagues

The simple reality is we have no idea if Ezekiel Elliott will play week to week, and it sounds like Alfred Morris will be the lead back even if Zeke is out. Still, McFadden is worth a bench spot in deeper leagues if possible.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

7. Rex Burkhead, Patriots – Owned in 8 percent of Yahoo leagues

With the Patriots actually playing this week, we will get to see if Burkhead’s role before the bye – 27 snaps, seven more than James White, and seven targets, one more than White – was a one-game mirage or a sign of things to come. He is worth keeping on the bench to find out in most leagues.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

8. Damien Williams, Dolphins – Owned in 33 percent of Yahoo leagues

The touchdown was a good play, but Williams was woefully ineffective on the ground, and he actually ran fewer routes than Kenyan Drake in addition to being less effective. His usage is worth a look in deeper leagues, but his fantasy output on Sunday night should not be overvalued.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 14-team leagues

9. Devontae Booker, Broncos – Owned in 4 percent of Yahoo leagues

It is possible it comes to nothing in a bad offense, but Booker has played 34 percent of the snaps in back-to-back games with 17 touches over that span. That is not enough to give him standalone value outside of deep leagues, but C.J. Anderson seems to be trending the wrong way, potentially opening up more work for Booker – Jamaal Charles looks like he will be kept in a limited role all season.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 14-team leagues

10. Corey Clement, Eagles – Owned in 1 percent of Yahoo leagues

The lopsided game likely played a role in this, but Clement played 28 snaps against the Broncos, 11 more than Jay Ajayi and 12 more than LeGarrette Blount. He also has 22 carries in the last two games. That split will likely change after the bye when Ajayi is ready to take on more of a full-time role, but 16 of Clement’s snaps against the Broncos were on passing downs according to Pro Football Focus, and it appears as if the Eagles trust the undrafted rookie to protect Carson Wentz. As long as that is the case, he is going to have a role and get touches, making him worth a speculative add in deep leagues.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 14-team leagues

Watch List:

Rob Kelley fell into the end zone twice, but he has averaged 1.8 yards per carry since returning from injury and is averaging 22 snaps a game. Perhaps he can keep his fantasy value alive with short touchdowns, but that is a risky bet…D’Onta Foreman took back the No. 2 job, but that spot is considerably less valuable with Deshaun Watson out for the season…Jonathan Stewart fumbled twice against the Falcons and proceeded to play his fewest snaps of the season. He has not topped 50 yards since Week 4…Chris Ivory and T.J. Yeldon should be kept on standby after what happened over the weekend, but coach Doug Marrone said Leonard Fournette will be back this week…Eddie Lacy did take over the backfield as the coaching staff promised, but he left with a strained groin which will almost certainly keep him out of Thursday’s game. C.J. Prosise is expected to play in that contest, but he is not a realistic fantasy option…Wake me up when Jamaal Charles sees more than 10 touches…With Marshawn Lynch playing, Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington returned to backup roles…Matt Breida was a complete non-factor before Carlos Hyde was ejected against the Cardinals…Perhaps game script will force the Cardinals to use Andre Ellington more in the future, but right now he has almost no role…Wayne Gallman appears to be clearly behind Orleans Darkwa in the Giants’ backfield…Theo Riddick had a 63-yard catch, but he gained 10 yards on his other eight touches Monday night. Deep Cuts: Malcolm Brown has double-digit carries in back-to-back blowouts. That is not going to continue, but he has at least shown he would be a viable fantasy option if something happened to Todd Gurley…It likely had something to do with the score, but Elijah McGuire got 13 carries and played five more snaps than Bilal Powell against the Bills…Like McGuire, Peyton Barber’s workload probably had something to do with the blowout, but he led the backfield in snaps while getting 11 carries.

~WIDE RECEIVERS
1. Corey Davis, Titans – Owned in 45 percent of Yahoo leagues
My big concern with Davis was workload in a crowded pass-catching corps coming off a long injury layoff, but those worries appear to be unfounded. The rookie only managed two catches in his first game back, but he saw five targets and played 39 snaps, just three fewer than Rishard Matthews and 16 more than Eric Decker. The road does not get any easier with the Bengals and Steelers up next, but Davis has a pretty good schedule after that.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 10-team leagues

2. Josh Doctson, Redskins – Owned in 29 percent of Yahoo leagues

Doctson came up with a huge catch to set up the game-winning touchdown, and he again played over 80 percent of the snaps. While it would be good to see him get more targets – he has not had more than five this season – that kind of snap share in this offense should pay off eventually, especially with his talent and involvement in the red zone.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 10-team leagues

3. Corey Coleman, Browns – Owned in 11 percent of Yahoo leagues
4. Josh Gordon, Browns – Owned in 35 percent of Yahoo leagues

This may look like a difficult decision on the surface, but Coleman is the clear winner. He is eligible to return two weeks sooner, he is more likely than Gordon to hit his target date, and he has actually played football in the last two and a half years. With all that Gordon has gone through, it is not close to a given he will come back as the same player everyone remembers, and it is likely Coleman remains the No. 1 receiver if both are healthy. Gordon is worth a speculative stash for teams already locked into the playoffs as a potential late-season boost, but that is it whereas Coleman should help a few teams get to the knockout rounds.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 10-team leagues

5. Robert Woods, Rams – Owned in 34 percent of Yahoo leagues

Woods had been a steady fantasy option most of the season, but he has not flashed any real upside. That changed when he went for two touchdowns against the Giants including an impressive run after the catch on a 52-yard screen. The Rams do not have a great schedule the rest of the way, but Woods will be an option in most leagues if he is going to supplement his steady production with some blow-up games.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 10-team leagues

6. Marqise Lee, Jaguars – Owned in 37 percent of Yahoo leagues

Lee was not on this list last week because I was worried about the arrival of Dede Westbrook, but the rookie was left on injured reserve for another game while Lee once again had a good fantasy day. Perhaps Westbrook actually returns and has a role this week, but the fact they left what everyone agrees is a healthy player on injured reserve suggests they do not have massive plans for him right out of the gate, which makes sense considering how much time he has missed. Likely to remain the No. 1 receiver the rest of the way, Lee is worth rostering in most leagues. Westbrook is just a bench stash right now.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

7. Chris Godwin, Bucs – Owned in 0 percent of Yahoo leagues

DeSean Jackson and Cameron Brate are the obvious beneficiaries with Mike Evans sidelined, but third-round rookie Chris Godwin is a name to watch as well. An explosive athlete who made some big plays in the preseason, Godwin should perform if he gets the targets, and he has a good opportunity with Evans on the sidelines. He is worth a one-week add in deeper leagues.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 12-team leagues

8. Marquise Goodwin, 49ers – Owned in 12 percent of Yahoo leagues

Goodwin did not have an efficient day against the Cardinals, but he did haul in two passes for 68 yards and, most importantly, was tied for second on the team with eight targets behind just Carlos Hyde. The 49ers will have to throw to someone with Pierre Garcon out for the season, and it looks like Goodwin is going to get a lot of those looks. If Jimmy Garoppolo is able to bring some stability to the quarterback position once he gets in there, that could mean good things for Goodwin’s fantasy value.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 14-team leagues

9. Curtis Samuel, Panthers – Owned in 9 percent of Yahoo leagues

Samuel only caught three passes and totaled 37 yards against the Falcons, but he saw five targets and actually ended up playing one more snap than Devin Funchess and 11 more than Russell Shepard. Coach Ron Rivera expressed some concern about the team “asking too much of [Samuel] too soon” a few weeks ago, but that appears to be out the window with Kelvin Benjamin now in Buffalo. If Samuel keeps getting this kind of work, he is talented enough to return value in deeper leagues.
Recommendation: Should be owned in 14-team leagues

Watch List: I made a mistake listing Travis Benjamin as an add last week with a bye and then the Jaguars up next. If his workload sticks around against Jacksonville, then he will be worth a look against the Bills in Week 11…Danny Amendola has been trending the wrong way the last couple games, and he has a matchup against the Broncos this week. Assuming Chris Hogan plays, he does not need to be in fantasy lineups…With DeVante Parker back, Kenny Stills’ usage nosedived. He is not an option in most leagues…The Steelers kept Martavis Bryant and say he will have a role, but how big remains to be seen…Allen Hurns has topped 45 yards twice this season and has not scored since Week 3. That is unlikely to get any better with Dede Westbrook likely to return this week…Eric Decker found the end zone for the first time as a Titan, but he played clearly behind both Rishard Matthews and Corey Davis…Jordan Matthews had one of his better games of the season against the Jets, but it amounted to just 46 yards. Zay Jones had easily his best game of the year, but he suffered a knee injury which could sideline him. With Charles Clay coming back and Kelvin Benjamin likely to be active, both Matthews and Jones can be left on the wire…John Brown had a long catch, but he is not someone to bet on with Drew Stanton at quarterback…Cole Beasley has four touchdowns in two games. He has 14 catches for 118 yards total in his other six. Terrance Williams also had a fluky game against the Chiefs, gaining almost as many yards as he had in his previous six games. With Dez Bryant looking likely to play, both can be left on the wire…Mike Wallace found the end zone against the Titans, but he has not topped 30 yards in his last three games and six-of-eight contests so far this year.

Deep Cuts:

Mack Hollins played just one fewer snap than Torrey Smith against the Broncos. He could end up stealing the No. 3 job…With the 49ers’ receivers dropping like flies, Kendrick Bourne got some work in the second half and came up with two big catches. If Marquise Goodwin and Aldrick Robinson continue to be inefficient, perhaps Bourne will get a shot…Mike Williams has yet to see more than two targets, but perhaps the Chargers begin to use him more coming out of the bye…Deonte Thompson has two blow-up games in the last three, but it is difficult to see that continuing with the passing game getting healthy and adding Kelvin Benjamin…Tavarres King appeared to be the outside receiver of choice against the Rams. If that continues, perhaps he carves out some deep league value…Corey Coleman and Josh Gordon are coming, but Ricardo Louis is the No. 1 in Cleveland for now…It probably does not matter, but Breshad Perriman did see seven targets against the Titans...The Bears need receivers and traded for Dontrelle Inman for a reason. It will be interesting to see how quickly he gets involved…OC Josh McDaniels said the team wants to get Phillip Dorsett more involved, but that seems unlikely unless Chris Hogan has to miss time.

~TIGHT ENDS
1. Tyler Kroft, Bengals – Owned in 41 percent of Yahoo leagues
Kroft only saw two targets as the Bengals were shut down against the Jaguars, but he turned one of them into a 59-yard gain with an impressive run after the catch. The offense should fare better overall this week against the Titans, especially with A.J. Green avoiding a suspension, and Tennessee is a better matchup for tight ends than it appears on paper.

2. Charles Clay, Bills – Owned in 12 percent of Yahoo leagues

It is not guaranteed Clay returns this week, and he will not be coming back to a good matchup even if he does. Still, he had played his way into every-week TE1 status before the injury, and even with Kelvin Benjamin likely to play this week, the Bills need pass catchers. If he plays, he can be put back into starting lineups.

3. C.J. Fiedorowicz, Texans – Owned in 10 percent of Yahoo leagues

Like Clay, this depends on him actually returning this week, but that appears likely. Unfortunately, Fiedorowicz will be returning to an offense quarterbacked by Tom Savage, but that did not stop him from catching four passes for 46 yards before leaving early against the Jaguars Week 1. The matchup against the Rams is nothing special and he is a risk coming off a long injury layoff, but Fiedorowicz could end up returning TE1 value the rest of the way if he is healthy.

Watch List: I want to use Eric Ebron or Darren Fells against the Browns, but neither has given much reason to trust them week to week…With George Kittle out, Garrett Celek looks like the starting tight end in a great matchup with the Giants. He is a desperation option…Julius Thomas had a shocking performance Sunday night considering what he had done to that point in the season, and it could be a sign of things to come considering he set a season-high with eight targets. Still, the showing likely had more to do with the Raiders’ defense than Thomas, and the road gets considerably more difficult this week against the Panthers…Even with the Dolphins up next, Ed Dickson has not done enough in the last month to feel comfortable putting him in a lineup…Jesse James is in a good spot against the Colts, but he has yet to top 45 yards this season and does not have a red-zone target since Week 3…New England’s defense has tightened up recently, and A.J. Derby is not getting enough consistent work to be a reliable streamer…David Njoku is averaging six targets a game in his last three, but he has yet to turn those opportunities into consistent production…Since his 6/98/2 explosion, O.J. Howard has three catches for 22 yards in two games…Jermaine Gresham scored his first touchdown against the 49ers, but he has topped 25 yards just twice this season…Even with Zach Miller out for the season, Dion Sims and Adam Shaheen are not reliable fantasy options…It is tough to call Greg Olsen a must-add considering he is not eligible to return until Week 12, but teams with an open injured reserve slot could do worse.

DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
1. Detroit Lions – Owned in 57 percent of Yahoo leagues
I am cheating a bit with the Lions here because they are still available in 43 percent of Yahoo leagues and get the Browns, Bears, Vikings, Ravens, a potentially Jameis Winston-less Bucs team, and the Bears again in the next six weeks. Even with a disappointing pass rush, they should be a solid option the rest of the way.

2. Chicago Bears -- Owned in 8 percent of Yahoo leagues

I am not sure how, but I really missed the mark with the Bears this week on my first pass. They are tied for ninth in the league with 23 sacks and have forced eight turnovers in their last three games. They are a great option at home against the Packers.

3. New England Patriots – Owned in 38 percent of Yahoo leagues

The Patriots have been playing better defense of late, and they get a date this week with an offense which decided starting Brock Osweiler was their best option. If New England is going to find a pass rush, this will be the week it happens.

4. New York Giants – Owned in 26 percent of Yahoo leagues
The Giants’ defense is simply bad, but the 49ers’ offensive line is worse. C.J. Beathard has been sacked 14 times in the last three games and has been hit on seemingly every play. The 49ers are a set-it-and-forget-it matchup at this point.

Looking Ahead: It is possible the Broncos make the switch to Paxton Lynch by the time they face the Bengals in Week 11, but even if they do, it will be a great matchup for Cincinnati.

KICKERS
1. Chris Boswell, Steelers – Owned in 24 percent of Yahoo leagues
Boswell has attempted multiple kicks in all but two games this season and been one of the most consistent options at the position. Now he gets a great matchup with the Colts in the comfy confines of Lucas Oil Stadium. With the Titans up next week, Boswell is a two-week add.

2. Kai Forbath, Vikings – Owned in 17 percent of Yahoo leagues

Forbath has been fantasy gold the last three games, kicking at least three field goals in every contest and six against Baltimore in Week 7. He should be able to keep it going in a great matchup against Washington this week.

3. Mike Nugent, Cowboys – Owned in 13 percent of Yahoo leagues

Nugent did not get to attempt a field goal against the Chiefs, but he had five the week before against Washington and has a great matchup in what should be a high-scoring game in Atlanta, which has the added benefit of being indoors. Assuming Dan Bailey continues to sit, he will be a good option.

Looking Ahead: Boswell has another great matchup against the Titans next week, making him a great two-week add.