Waiver Wire

Waiver Wire Pickups Week 10

By Will Holtz

Posted on November 7, 2023

Waiver Wire Pickups Week 10

Oh man, what a week for previous (and maybe current) waiver-wire candidates. CJ Stroud went crazy, Sam Howell continued to air it out with the best of them and Dalton Kincaid took over once again. It’s no secret that the waiver wire can win you a fantasy championship, so let’s look at some low-rostered players that can help lift your team above the rest ahead of Week 10.

Quarterback

Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos (55% ESPN, 46% Yahoo)

Could we finally be seeing the rise of Russell Wilson and the Broncos? That, I’m not sure of, but Wilson has been finding his groove as a fantasy football quarterback at the very least. Before the bye week, he threw for three touchdowns against a Chiefs defense that just held Miami (who has the highest-scoring offense in the NFL) to just 14 points. Wilson has shown the ability to put up sufficient numbers and considering he should be in shootouts for the remainder of the season, I’m on board with picking up the nine-time Pro Bowl QB as a matchup-dependent streaming option or a bye-week fill-in.

Will Levis, Tennessee Titans (39% ESPN, 44% Yahoo)

Will Levis came back down to earth against Pittsburgh last week, throwing for just 262 scoreless yards while throwing an interception. This was a less-than-inspiring effort following a breakout performance one week prior, which probably means that he will be easy to grab post-waivers ahead of Week 10. I don’t think I want to waste priority on him this week, but I would certainly advise checking to see if he’s still available after waivers have gone through. Levis is still a talented quarterback, he just fell into a trap game last Thursday night. The Steelers have a solid defense and it was a quick turnaround after his first career start just four days prior. Better days are ahead for Will Levis and he should still be considered a must-roster player in all formats.

Honorable Mentions:

Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Joshua Dobbs, Minnesota Vikings

Running Back

Keaton Mitchell, Baltimore Ravens (1% ESPN, 5% Yahoo)

It seems like a Baltimore Ravens running back is included in this article every week. In this installment, Keaton Mitchell makes another appearance after rushing 138 yards and a touchdown in a blowout victory over Seattle last week. On the surface, this is extremely impressive and will open some eyes. Beyond the numbers, I think there’s even more to be excited about when thinking about adding Mitchell to your roster. While he finished with a mere 18.4% snap share, he led the team in touches per snap at 71.4% while Justice Hill and Gus Edwards combined for 62.8%. Mitchell also outgained the other two running backs’ combined yardage totals by 42 yards from scrimmage with the help of a pair of explosive carries in the third quarter. While I don’t think he earned the starting role in Baltimore just yet, I do think he earned more snaps and touches moving forward. He’s worth a stash as he could break out into a large role over the next few weeks.

Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks (30% ESPN, 44% Yahoo)

We could be seeing a changing of the guard in the Seattle backfield sooner rather than later. While this does come as a surprise to me, I’ll be the first one to jump on it before it’s too late. Zach Charbonnet just outsnapped Kenneth Walker III for the second straight week and seems to be getting more and more involved in the passing game. Slowly but surely, he’s turning into the third-down back for the Seahawks and it’s only a matter of time before he starts to see close to the same amount of touches as Walker. Neither running back was impressive last week in the loss to Baltimore, but Charbonnet was the back Seattle played while on passing downs and looks to have a similar role to that of Jaylen Warren in Pittsburgh. If the rookie continues to see an increase in snaps, the bump in touches will be inevitable. Add Zach Charbonnet before he breaks out.

Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans (33% ESPN, 41% Yahoo)

I’ve been singing the praises of Tyjae Spears as the most elite handcuff in fantasy football this season, but he could be even more than that if things keep going the way they’re going for Tennessee. The Titans just lost their third game in four weeks and show no signs of being a true contender in the AFC South. This makes me wonder what the plan is for 29-year-old running back Derrick Henry. He’s already being consistently outsnapped by Spears and one can only assume he would see a significant decrease in snaps and touches if the Titans continue to fall out of playoff contention. This would make Tyjae Spears an extremely valuable fantasy football player and could prove to be a league-winner down the stretch if he were to take on the bell-cow role in Tennessee. Of course, this is all speculation and there have been no indications that Henry will sit. I do, however, think it’s a possibility later in the season and by then Spears could be rostered in your league. Like Levis, Spears could be added after waivers have gone through. Nevertheless, he’s one of my favorite sneaky adds ahead of Week 10.

Honorable Mentions:

Antonio Gibson, Washington Commanders
Leonard Fournette, Buffalo Bills

Wide Reciever

Tank Dell, Houston Texans (56% ESPN, 48% Yahoo)

If Tank Dell is available, go get him. He should be the No. 1 priority in most leagues this week and there should not be much of a discussion. CJ Stroud is the real deal and Dell seems to be one of his favorite targets. That’s really all you need to know when considering adding the rookie receiver. Last week, he caught six of his 11 targets for 114 yards and two touchdowns. This was his second 100-plus receiving-yard performance this season and his third game in which he saw at least seven targets. Right now, Dell is probably too volatile to be considered a weekly start in fantasy lineups, but he should garner FLEX consideration in plus matchups and could work his way into weekly WR3 discussions if he continues to provide explosive stat lines as a part of one of the most exciting passing offenses in the NFL.

Demario Douglas, New England Patriots (22% ESPN, 34% Yahoo)

Volume is king in fantasy football and that’s what Demario Douglas is seeing right now on a pretty consistent basis. Over the last three weeks, he’s a total of 20 targets which ranks 19th in the league over that span. During that stretch, he caught 14 of his 20 targets for 134 yards while seeing some involvement in the running game with three carries for 24 yards. It’s no secret that the Patriots are hurting in the weapons department and Kendrick Bourne tearing his ACL certainly didn’t help. Douglas should continue to serve as the WR1 for New England as he seems to quickly be gaining a rapport with Mac Jones. In PPR formats, he is a must-add.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks (56% ESPN, 58% Yahoo)

Speaking of rookie receivers seeing an increase in usage, let’s talk about the 20th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Since Week 7, Jaxon Smith-Njigba has seen a 21.2% team target share and has caught the second most passes for Seattle over that span. Yes, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are still the top dogs in the Seahawks passing attack for now, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the rookie pass-catcher sees a true breakout performance sooner rather than later. Last week, he surpassed 60 receiving yards for the second time in three games and has scored twice during that stretch. He was a first-round pick for a reason and should continue to get more comfortable in the offense as the season goes along. Pick him up before he experiences his rookie breakout.

Honorable Mentions:

Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers
Odell Beckham Jr., Baltimore Ravens
Darnell Mooney, Chicago Bears

Tight End

Jonnu Smith, Atlanta Falcons (27% ESPN, 28% Yahoo)

We all knew that Jonnu Smith was going to be the Atlanta Falcons tight end to roster before the season started, right? Right. His production has been volatile, which is right on theme for the Arthur Smith-led Falcons team, but he’s explosive when he’s being used. Last week, he caught five of his six targets for 100 yards and a touchdown. He has now caught at least six passes for 60-plus yards in three of his last six games despite seeing just four targets over the previous two weeks before this breakout performance against Minnesota. Like many streaming options at tight end, Smith is hit or miss. This is why I like him as a matchup-dependent addition if you’re streaming the position or need a bye-week replacement, rather than a weekly mainstay in your lineups.

Honorable Mentions: