We have hit midseason, and it's turning out to be a rough time to be a WR1, with A.J. Brown, CeeDee Lamb, Drake London and Chris Olave exiting Week 9 with injuries. Also, it's trade deadline time in the NFL. A number of big-name swaps have already occurred, but I'll be keeping an eye out for any deals before Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET that could have waiver wire ramifications. I should mention we're also only two weeks away from bye-mageddon -- six teams don't have a game in Week 12 (the Bengals, Bills, Falcons, Jaguars, Jets and Saints) -- so it's time to start thinking about how to position your roster for any challenges arising from that scheduling wrinkle.
I know it's a lot, but we have to carry on. Let's get wired.
The only rule here: Players must be rostered in less than 60 percent of NFL.com leagues to be eligible for the list.
QUARTERBACKS
ROSTERED: 50%
Is the old Justin Herbert back? He’s at least letting it fly more, following a conservative start to the season. After posting 6.4 yards per attempt in Weeks 1-4, he’s averaged 8.7 YPA since returning from a Week 5 bye, sixth-most in the league among players with at least 30 dropbacks over that span. He’s certainly producing like a fantasy QB1 of late, averaging 21.4 points per game in his last four contests, including 19.48 against the Browns on Sunday. He has a chance to keep it going in Week 10 at home against the Titans, who have a highly ranked defense in yards allowed but have given up 17.42 fantasy points per game to QBs in the last three weeks. If you need a QB, Herbert might be your best available option right now.
ROSTERED: 2%
Believe it or not, Danny Dimes is the fantasy QB3 in Week 9 heading into Monday Night Football, with a season-high 24.36 points versus the Commanders. In fact, he’s been the QB11 or better in four of nine weeks this season. He’s shown a high ceiling, but as Giants fans know all too well, the floor has been too low for managers to roster him. Now, if you’re truly desperate for a streaming option, playing Jones against the Panthers has the potential to pay off. Quarterbacks have scored 23-plus points vs. Carolina in three of the last five games, with a floor of 12.5 points in that span. New York has a bye in Week 11, but some of the league’s weakest defenses (Buccaneers, Cowboys, Saints) will be awaiting Dimes when the Giants return from the break. Don't turn a blind eye to the reality of the Daniel Jones experience, but if you're willing to accept the bad with the good, take the deepest breath and roll the dice.
RUNNING BACKS
ROSTERED: 51%
Am I going too Giants-heavy in this article? Probably. But after leaving New York's Week 8 game with a concussion, Tracy was cleared to return in Week 9 and led the team with 16 carries for 66 yards (4.1 per). If he’s somehow still available in your league, this could be your last chance to scoop him up. He has a juicy matchup up next against the Panthers, who allow the most FPPG to running backs of any team in the league. Tracy has clearly moved ahead of Devin Singletary in the pecking order and has scored 22 fantasy points or more in two of his last four games.
ROSTERED: 48%
It’s a tough time for waiver wire candidates at running back these days, so I’m turning to an old friend around here. Dowdle last made an appearance in this space heading into Week 6. Since then, he’s further cemented himself as the RB1 in Dallas, posting double-digit fantasy points in each of his last four games, including a season-high 21.7 on Sunday. With Dak Prescott expected to miss multiple weeks after suffering a hamstring injury against the Falcons, the offense might have to run through Dowdle. He’s going to get his touches -- and he’s been making the most of them, racking up 100-plus scrimmage yards in two of his last three games.
Keep an eye on: The 49ers' running back situation. Christian McCaffrey could make his return this week. If he does, that takes a large bite out of the value of backups Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo, who have both proven to be very useful to fantasy managers during McCaffrey's absence. Mason sustained a shoulder injury in San Francisco's last game, so his status is also worth monitoring.
WIDE RECEIVERS
ROSTERED: 53%
Just when managers grew too impatient with Odunze to keep him on the roster, the rookie went off for a team-high 104 yards on five catches (six targets) against the Cardinals. He was responsible for the Bears’ three longest plays of the day with catches of 44, 17 and 17 yards. I know the production had gone ice cold prior to Sunday -- he still has only one TD catch all season -- but it’s not like Odunze wasn’t seeing his share of looks, being targeted at least six times in three of the past four games. The floor is low with so many mouths to feed in the Chicago offense, but the upside is too high to pass on a chance to roster the ninth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, especially with the offense having a decent bounce-back opportunity at home against the Patriots in Week 10.
ROSTERED: 44%
Jennings hasn’t played since Week 6, when he was held under 30 yards for the second game in a row, but a lot has changed since then. There’s now a huge void in the San Francisco receiving corps with Brandon Aiyuk out for the season, and Jennings is going to be asked to help fill it against the Buccaneers in Week 10, as head coach Kyle Shanahan has said he expects Jennings to return from a hip injury coming off the team's bye. He’s already posted 11-plus fantasy points three times this year, including his epic 46.5-point showing back in Week 3. Obviously, we can’t expect him to come anywhere close to replicating that output, but he’s worth a flyer in most leagues if you have a spot for him.
ROSTERED: 35%
ROSTERED: 30%
The Browns have a bye in Week 10, but you might not get a chance to pick up at least one of these rising receivers if you wait much longer to pull the trigger. I’m including Tillman here for the third straight week after he posted 18-plus fantasy points for the third game in a row. If you need receiver help, what more do you want to see? Tillman is tied for the NFL lead in targets since Week 7 with 32 and has three TDs in his last two games. Jeudy tied him for the team lead in targets on Sunday (11) and has posted 12-plus fantasy points in each of the last two games, so he should be getting a look in deep leagues. The Browns have a nice matchup against a reeling Saints defense after the bye, which means both Tillman and Jeudy will be in play for fantasy managers come Week 11.
ROSTERED: 7%
The rookie is looking like a steady fantasy producer. Legette now has a TD catch in four of his last six games and has scored 13-plus points in each of the last two contests, leading the Panthers in targets in both of those games. He hasn’t had the huge outing that gets everyone talking yet, playing in a Carolina offense that has sputtered all year, but the potential is there for him. The Panthers travel to Germany this week to face the Giants, who have allowed 15-plus points to at least one receiver in each of the past three games.
Keep an eye on: Drake London's status for Week 10. He departed Sunday's game with a hip injury, so KhaDarel Hodge and Ray-Ray McCloud become options in deeper leagues if London can't go in a favorable matchup against the Saints.
TIGHT ENDS
ROSTERED: 9%
Welcome back to the waiver wire article, Mike Gesicki! After appearing here early in the season, Gesicki had gone quiet, scoring just 6.4 points in Weeks 4-7 combined. After resurfacing in Week 8 with a 73-yard game, I wasn’t ready to jump back onto the bandwagon, but he has my full attention again after finishing Sunday as the fantasy TE1 with a 27-point outburst. He made five catches for 100 yards and two TDs on six targets against the Raiders. Cincinnati has a short week playing on Thursday night, but the matchup against the Ravens is a favorable one for Gesicki, given Baltimore’s struggles against tight ends this season. He’s clearly been a beneficiary of Tee Higgins’ absence, and it’s not yet clear whether the Bengals’ WR2 will be able to return in Week 10. Plus, Gesicki could be seeing more playing time/targets with promising rookie TE Erick All Jr. suffering a knee injury that could end his season.
ROSTERED: 8%
Hill is the fantasy TE3 in Week 9 heading into Monday Night Football. He was his usual jack-of-all-trades self on Sunday, with nine touches (five rushes, four receptions) for 60 yards and a TD, good for a season-high 16 fantasy points. If Chris Olave is out against the Falcons in Week 10 due to the concussion he sustained against the Panthers, Hill could be in line for more looks on offense, but he should be more widely rostered regardless of Olave’s status. Hill rushed for two scores in the Saints’ last meeting with Atlanta back in Week 4.
DEFENSES
ROSTERED: 46%
The Lions visit the Texans in Week 10, which would have been a matchup to avoid had Detroit been making the trip earlier this season. However, injuries have clearly taken a toll on Houston, as we could all see on Thursday night, when C.J. Stroud and Co. could only muster 13 points against the Jets. Houston's offensive line is crumbling and Stroud is without his top receivers, which means you should pick up the Lions D if it’s available. Detroit is averaging 12.2 FPPG in the four games since its Week 5 bye, and with the Jaguars and Colts up next on the schedule after the Texans, the Lions figure to have staying power on fantasy rosters.
ROSTERED: 5%
If you’re looking to stream a defense this week, consider the G-Men. I know New York’s D/ST failed to produce a single fantasy point in Week 9 against the Commanders, but the unit has scored 13-plus points twice this season and it gets a much more favorable matchup this week versus the Panthers in Germany. Carolina head coach Dave Canales has yet to announce a starting QB for the game, but the Giants are a worthy option, especially in deep leagues, whether it’s Bryce Young or Andy Dalton taking the snaps. Plus, games played overseas tend to be lower-scoring contests. Defenses playing the Panthers have had a safe floor of five points and a ceiling well into the double digits in the past month.
