Notable Injuries from week 9:
- Aaron Jones (Shoulder)
- D’Andre Smith (Groin)
- Samaje Perine (Ankle)
- Matthew Golden (Shoulder)
- Travis Hunter (Knee)
- Brian Thomas Jr. (Ankle)
- Puka Nacua (Ribs)
- Kayshon Boutte (Hamstring)
- Luke McCaffrey (Collarbone)
- Tucker Kraft (ACL)
- Cole Kmet (Concussion)
- Jayden Daniels (Elbow)
- CJ Stroud (Concussion)
Teams on a BYE week:
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Dallas Cowboys
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Tennessee Titans
Waiver Wire Targets:
Trey Benson (Rostered in 49.1% of ESPN leagues)
Fresh off a Monday night win against the Cowboys, the Cardinals are able to activate Trey Benson off IR. Having missed the last 4 games, the Cardinals run game has been less than stellar. Benson would be an immediate upgrade to RB1 in Arizona. If you haven’t been stashing him and he is available, pick him up.
Christian Watson (Rostered in 25.6% of ESPN leagues)
With both Matthew Golden and Tucker Kraft going down with injuries, Christian Watson is primed for more work in this offense. He’s been around a bit with Jordan Love so there is already an established connection. In his return from injury, he is averaging 4 targets a game and about 25 yards per catch. With the offensive injuries, I’m hoping Watson can build into a top option for Jordan Love.
Troy Franklin (Rostered in 51.8% of ESPN leagues)
Just over my usual 50% rostership cutoff, I’ve got my eye on Troy Franklin who has a good matchup against the Raiders this week. These past 3 weeks he has seen 10, 8 and 10 targets which is some crazy volume. Currently running 80% of routes ran, Franklin is also seeing more redzone targets (33%) than Courtland Sutton (28%). There is some value here and would certainly make a good flex play.
Parker Washington (Rostered in 5.1% of ESPN leagues)
This one boils down purely to someone having to catch the ball in Jacksonville. Travis Hunter is on IR, BTJ left with an ankle injury, Dyami Brown is concussed and Brenton Strange is also still out. It is also worth mentioning in his last 2 outings, Washington has seen 19 targets. The big news this morning was that the Raiders traded Jakobi Meyers to the Jags. While this directly impacts Washington’s potential fantasy impact, Washington could still be a flex play in week 10 if Meyers needs time to get into the offense or BTJ is held out with his ankle injury. .
Luke Musgrave (Rostered in 0.2% of ESPN leagues)
Drafted ahead of Tucker Kraft in 2023, Musgrave now has a tremendous opportunity ahead of him. There was a period of time not too long ago where Musgrave had the edge over Kraft but has since landed in the TE2 role in Green Bay. While it is unlikely he will create the same level of fantasy production as Kraft, Musgrave should still be involved in the Packers offense especially since the offensive injuries keep piling up.
Mason Taylor (Rostered in 14.6% of ESPN leagues)
It’s that time again. My weekly endorsement of Mason Taylor. I’ll save the spiel and leave you with my notes from last week.
Here’s what I had to say last week:
Friendly reminder that I think Taylor should be on rosters. At least as your reserve tight end if you believe in that sort of thing. Against the Bengals, Justin Fields looked Taylor’s way 8 times. He also caught his first touchdown of the year from Breece Hall oddly enough. Exiting their BYE week, the Jets matchup against the Browns and Patriots who are both in the top half of points allowed to a tight end. Taylor is a sneaky addition if you can spare waiting a week without playing him.
Cade Otton (Rostered in 32.9% of ESPN leagues)
Otton and the Bucs are coming fresh off their BYE week. Otton is a great option against the Patriots who are soft against tight ends so far this year. It also helps his case that the Bucs are still dealing with a lot of injuries at the wide receiver position. Should those injuries persist, Otton is a solid TE option in week 10.
Sam Darnold (Rostered in 41.9% of ESPN leagues) Genius Pick of the Week
Week 9’s “Genius Pick of the Week” was an absolute smash play against the Commanders as Darnold threw for 330 yards and 4 touchdowns with a crazy 87.5 completion percentage. I called it last week that the Commander’s defense was vulnerable and that proved to be true. Nothing seemed to be able to stop the Seahawks even in a game where JSN didn’t score. Next up is the Cardinals who haven’t been the best defensively. Darnold profiles as another great startable option with 2 new big QB injuries and the week 10 BYE taking Mahomes, Prescott and Flacco out of the mix. Especially with new addition Rashid Shaheed. You may not have another chance to snag Darnold beyond this week.
Here’s what I had to say last week:
Darnold has had an alright season so far and has largely been slept on. I think part of that stems from some early season struggles but he’s in on a new team and in a new system. Prior to their BYE week, Darnold had a rough game against the Texans that may scare away fantasy managers this week. However, I think Darnold is starting to settle in and the Commanders provide a much softer matchup. I watched last night’s game against the Chiefs and it seemed like the Commanders just had a lack of effort defensively. I can’t tell you how many times I saw Mahomes exploit open zones. Give Sam Darnold a try this week if you are looking for a fill in.
J.J. McCarthy (Rostered in 25.6% of ESPN leagues)
A repeat from last week’s list, J.J. McCarthy makes the list again for a couple of reasons. First, I like his matchup this week against a Ravens defense that has not really been able to figure things out. They currently rank 10th in most air yards allowed in the NFL (2,989). Second, In his games played (albeit a handful), McCarthy has shown ability to not only throw the ball but utilize his legs which means added value when it comes to fantasy QBs. Lastly, you can’t ignore the weapons at his disposal. Grab him off waivers if you can.
Joe Flacco (Rostered in 32.9% of ESPN leagues)
The Bengals are headed into their BYE week after a disappointing loss to the Chicago Bears but Flacco has been tearing it up since being traded to the Bengals. If you can be patient and have the roster space, Flacco could help propel you to the fantasy playoffs. Looking at the rest of their schedule, the Bengals have it super easy.
*Point totals mentioned assume full point PPR scoring
Found this helpful? Follow me on X at @The_FFGenius to keep up with my weekly waiver wire targets.