Notable Injuries:
- Tank Bigsby (Ankle)
- Tony Pollard (Leg)
- Najee Harris (Ankle)
- Brian Robinson Jr. (Hamstring)
- Tee Higgins (Quad)
- Dalton Kincaid (Knee)
- Sam Laporta (Shoulder)
- Ian Thomas (Calf)
- Dak Prescott (Hamstring)
- Trevor Lawrence (Shoulder)
Teams on a BYE week:
- Arizona Cardinals
- Carolina Panthers
- New York Giants
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Waiver Wire Targets:
Trey Benson (Rostered in 15.9% of ESPN leagues)
Benson makes this list purely as a handcuff option to James Connor. The main point is that Connor has dealt with injuries throughout his career and has never played a full season in his career. I like Benson for much the same reason why the likes of Ray Davis, Tyler Allgeier and Braelon Allen have all made this list. They are effective with their touches and should perform as the lead back should the starter miss time. The Cardinals are also hitting a groove which is never a bad thing. Pick Benson up if needing a quality RB handcuff.
Ricky Pearsall (Rostered in 25% of ESPN leagues)
It’s always a great feeling to see NFL players who faced some adversity at the onset of their career come back and get their first touchdown. After calling Pearsall a “stash and see candidate”, I think I’ve seen enough to say he is worth having on rosters. While Deebo Samuel is firmly planted as the WR1 and Christian McCaffrey is back in the mix, Pearsall is still getting opportunities in the offense. In the last 3 weeks, he is averaging 5 targets and has scored 2 double digit fantasy outings. Pearsall is a good bench option if needing depth.
Noah Brown (Rostered in 12.1% of ESPN leagues)
In Sunday’s loss to the Steelers, Noah Brown saw a down week compared to his last 2 performances in weeks 8 and 9. While that is cause for concern, I still like Brown in deeper leagues. He still saw 7 targets and hit a season high 97% route participation. Brown wont blow up every week but his availability and usage in the offense makes him a decent bench option.
John Metchie III (Rostered in 0.5% of ESPN leagues)
For just about the entire season, Metchie has been an afterthought until his performance against the Lions. In a tough loss Metchie turned 6 targets into 5 catches for 74 yards and a touchdown. That was good for 18.4 fantasy points. Now, do I think this will be an every week kind of performance? The answer would be no. However, I do like Metchie as a stash option. The wonderful people over at Fantasy Life highlighted that he has reached a 69% route participation over the past 2 weeks and is getting the most work in the slot which was a role filled by Stefon Diggs before his injury. I think there is a chance Metchie may continue to see meaningful work in the offense, especially if Nico Collins hamstring injury nags him as the season continues.
Dawson Knox (Rostered in 1.2% of ESPN leagues) Genius Pick of the Week
Dalton Kincaid went down with a knee injury in Sunday’s win over the Colts. Knox is the next man up in a pretty potent offense making him an appealing waiver wire target against the Chiefs. It is also worth mentioning the Chiefs have been vulnerable to tight ends this year as they allow the second most fantasy points to that position.
Justin Herbert (Rostered in 47.8% of ESPN leagues)
Herbie and the gang are finally starting to find their mojo on offense for fantasy purposes. Herbert has had his 3 best fantasy performances of the season in these last 3 weeks and it’s hard to see that stopping in the next few games. Matchups with the Ravens and Bengals should have Herbert owners watering at the mouth. Herbert is a great add and start option.
Russell Wilson (Rostered in 40.2% of ESPN leagues)
I’m going to keep banging this drum. Russell Wilson needs to be on rosters. In my last 2 waiver wire targets lists I highlighted that a deceptively low fantasy point performance before a BYE in week 8 and an easy schedule made Wilson a great roster addition. He dropped 3 touchdowns against the Commanders in what was a pretty crazy game. Wilson and the Steelers are red hot and will face a Ravens secondary that was just torched by the Bengals. While George Pickens and Mike Williams are no Ja’Marr Chase, the Ravens defense is exploitable leaving the door open for Wilson to have a big day.
*Point totals mentioned assume full point PPR scoring
Found this helpful? Follow me on twitter at @The_FFGenius to keep up with my weekly waiver wire targets.