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The fantasy football season has reached its midpoint, with only five weeks remaining before most league playoffs begin. This stretch is crucial, as bye weeks and injuries continue to thin rosters, making the waiver wire a vital resource—even if it's been largely depleted over the past month.
The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET, and potential moves involving players like Jonathan Taylor, Tony Pollard, George Pickens, Josh Downs, and Dallas Goedert will significantly impact waiver strategies. Managers should monitor trade news closely.
Each week, this column identifies top waiver wire targets, evaluates their short- and long-term prospects, flags players coming off big games who may be fool's gold, and suggests streamers for lineup holes—especially during bye weeks. Players listed are typically available in over 50% of leagues, though availability varies by league size and bench depth. For example, a 10-team league with six bench spots has a larger free agent pool than a 14-team league with eight. This isn't one-size-fits-all; players like Bryce Young, Kirk Cousins, Tyler Allgeier, Devin Singletary, Jordyn Tyson, and Ryan Flournoy are excluded as they're likely rostered in most leagues. Note: This column is written before the Week 10 Monday night game (MIN@BUF).
Week 10 Byes
Bears, Broncos, Buccaneers, and Eagles.
Quarterback
Geno Smith appears on this list for the fifth consecutive week. He struggled against the Chiefs, as expected, in a game played without Garrett Wilson (concussion). Next up are the Bills, forcing Geno into catch-up mode, followed by the Chargers and Dolphins. He remains a viable QB2.
Aaron Rodgers has been decent for fantasy this season and a staple in this column. Coming off a bye, the Steelers face the red-hot, high-scoring Bengals. Rodgers threw for almost 300 yards and three touchdowns against Cincinnati in Week 6. He should get more receiving help soon and is a solid streaming option this week and beyond.
QB2 options have thinned due to injuries and poor play. A telling stat: 47 quarterbacks have started games through Week 9, the second-highest total this century. Several available "starters" aren't worth adding due to limited upside (Joe Milton III, J.J. McCarthy, Gardner Minshew II, any Chargers QB) or uncertainty about their starting duration (Shedeur Sanders, Drew Lock). Carson Wentz is intriguing on Monday night and could be a desperation play; he's ranked ahead of those just listed. McCarthy and Lock aren't locks to be healthy enough to play this week.
Need a Week 10 streamer? Jacoby Brissett might be available. He's not a strong believer, but he should start for the Ravens in Week 10, and a matchup with the Chargers—who showed zero effort on defense against the Texans—could be worse. The Raiders aren't trading or benching Kirk Cousins anytime soon, so stashing Fernando Mendoza isn't worth a roster spot.
Running Back
The trade deadline will have the biggest impact here. Seth McGowan is still available in over half of leagues on some major platforms. If Jonathan Taylor is traded, McGowan's value skyrockets. Even if Taylor stays, McGowan is seeing more work and is one of the better handcuffs to roster. The same applies to Tyjae Spears and Nick Singleton on the Titans if Tony Pollard is traded.
Corey Kiner could start for the Patriots in Week 10 if Rhamondre Stevenson misses time. Stevenson left Sunday's blowout loss to the Packers with a knee injury (and lost a fumble), while TreVeyon Henderson missed the game with an illness. The Patriots have only one game before their Week 11 bye, so don't overspend on Kiner, but he'll be a popular add.
Audric Estime could get more run as the de facto starter, but that may be short-lived depending on Travis Etienne Jr.'s return. Estime ran well as the early-down back on Sunday (15 carries, 72 yards, 1 TD), while Alvin Kamara handled most third-down and passing work. Estime is a competitive add this week; the offense is good, and Etienne's return isn't guaranteed. The Week 10 matchup (CAR) is juicy.
Kaleb Johnson and Marshawn Lloyd are worth adding with Josh Jacobs possibly headed to IR. Green Bay can't run the ball, but volume is volume. Lloyd missed Week 9 with a knee injury, so prioritize Johnson.
Backs who should be rostered: Kenneth Gainwell, Dylan Sampson, Emmett Johnson, and Kaelon Black. Jonathon Brooks (IR stash) is another to consider if you have an IR spot.
Wide Receiver
DeMario Douglas is filling the void left by A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs being out, and he's the top choice at WR. Volume is inconsistent, but he's quietly posted three Top-10 weekly finishes over the past five weeks.
Another Douglas—Caleb Douglas—is emerging as Miami's top target and a decent downfield threat despite the Dolphins' poor passing offense. He's recorded between 70 and 95 receiving yards in three of four complete games.
Kayshon Boutte and Tank Dell both went off in the Texans' rout, but be cautious chasing those performances. Both are boom/bust deep threats, and the Chargers didn't show up.
The 49ers and Rams continue to lose receivers to injury. It's hard to recommend much here, but consider Jordan Watkins, De'Zhaun Stribling (IR stash), and with Puka Nacua joining Davante Adams on IR, one of Konata Mumpfield or Tutu Atwell is likely to step up (and keep an eye on the Rams adding a receiver via trade).
Need depth? Repeat names from recent weeks plus some new ones: Antonio Williams, Pat Bryant, Keenan Allen, Jahan Dotson, Jakobi Meyers, Savion Williams, and Chimere Dike.
Tight End
Mike Gesicki finally didn't score last week. He's very TD-or-bust, and so is Pat Freiermuth. If you need a replacement this week, both are likeable streaming options (their teams face each other).
Darren Waller went off in Week 9 after vanishing for over a month, so he'll be a popular target. Buyer beware: an 8-90-1 line on 10 targets always turns heads, but you might get one catch for four yards next week.
Chig Okonkwo has been in this column for a month. He hasn't popped but has been serviceable.
Terrance Ferguson was expected back last week but wasn't activated. Hopefully his ankle is OK this week, as the Rams will be without Nacua and Adams for at least the next month. Ferguson will compete with other tight ends in L.A., but he should ultimately be the best of the bunch in an offense that will have to feature them.
Good luck with your waiver claims!
Originally reported by yahoo.