Each week I’ll list the best widely available free agents for fantasy football — I define “widely available” as being owned in around half of all ESPN or Yahoo leagues — and some guys who are probably better off in the free agent pool than collecting dust on your roster.
Follow me on X (formerly known as Twitter) @UTEddieBrown if you have questions throughout the week.
Here’s my NFL Week 10 waiver wire cheat sheet for all league sizes and formats, with players you need to add, drop and stream in your fantasy football league:
ADD
RB Keaton Mitchell, Ravens (ESPN: 1%; Yahoo: 5%): I included Mitchell as a target the week before he was activated off the IR about a month ago. The speedy undrafted free agent out of East Carolina ran for 138 yards on only nine attempts, including a 60-yard carry and 40-yard TD at the end of the third quarter against the Seahawks. It’s a bit premature to compare him to Dolphins’ spark plug De’Von Achane, but Mitchell was a long-shot to make the team, so it’s clear he has fans in the organization. Plus, Gus Edwards hasn’t been a pillar of health during his career. There’s huge upside here if Mitchell gets regular work along side Lamar Jackson in Baltimore’s ascending offense.
QB Kyler Murray, Cardinals (ESPN: 36%; Yahoo: 59%):
Arizona head coach Jonathan Gannon said Murray will start against the Falcons if he fares well while taking first-team reps in practice this week. The dynamic signal-caller has finished as fantasy’s QB7, QB2 and QB10 in his three healthy seasons. He was the overall QB8 before he got hurt in 2022, and if you just lost Kirk Cousins, Murray has the highest upside of all available replacements.
WR Tank Dell, Texans (ESPN: 56%; Yahoo: 48%): Dell is the overall WR23 in standard formats (WR32 in PPR) though nine weeks, while missing parts of Week 5 and the entirety of Week 6 with a concussion. He’s on pace to produce 64 receptions for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns in his rookie season, but that could be a low estimate with the way CJ Stroud has played so far.
QB Russell Wilson, Broncos (ESPN: 55%; Yahoo: 46%): Wilson was the overall QB11 before Denver’s bye week. He’s on pace to throw for 3,428 yards and 34 TDs against only eight interceptions. He’s also running again, averaging 25 yards per game. There’s two potentially difficult matchups on the horizon against the Bills and Browns, but then the schedule is very favorable for the stretch run and fantasy playoffs.
TE Trey McBride, Cardinals (ESPN: 44%; Yahoo: 63%): Don’t hold a stinker against the Browns against him — he had three receptions for 22 yards. McBride has received 30 targets, producing 20 receptions for 208 yards and a TD in the last four games. He can be plugged into lineups going forward, especially with Murray’s return on the horizon.
BONUS: TE Taysom Hill, Saints (ESPN: 40%; Yahoo: 65%): Hill’s usage is unpredictable most weeks, but he’s the overall TE4 in standard formats (TE9 in PPR) this season with only Travis Kelce barely outscoring him the last month in PPR. Against the Bears, all of New Orleans’ running backs and tight ends were healthy, and Hill was still heavily involved, carrying 11 times for 52 yards, catching four passes for 13 yards and a TD, while also throwing a TD to Juwan Johnson.
BONUS: QB Joshua Dobbs, Vikings (ESPN: 16%; Yahoo: 17%): Dobbs completed 20 of his 30 passes for 158 yards and two TDs while running seven times for 66 yards and a TD after starter Jaren Hall left the game with a concussion. Imagine what he could do after he learns the plays and his new teammates’ names.
BONUS: RB Zach Charbonnet, Seahawks (ESPN: 30%; Yahoo: 44%): Kenneth Walker hasn’t been 100 percent thanks to a bothersome calf injury, which has resulted in Charbonnet playing more snaps the last two games. I don’t expect the rookie to take Walker’s job at any point, but he remains one of the more valuable handcuffs headed into the second half of this season.
BONUS: WR Demario Douglas, Patriots (ESPN: 22%; Yahoo: 35%): Douglas caught five of his seven targets for 55 yards and ran the ball once. He’s clearly the best wide receiver on New England’s roster with Kendrick Bourne out for the season.
BONUS: RB Leonard Fournette, Bills (ESPN: 14%; Yahoo: 30%): I’m thinking “Lombardi Lenny” will earn a complimentary role behind James Cook over the next few weeks, likely at the expense of Latavius Murray, and will help spare Josh Allen’s right shoulder in short-yardage scenarios. He’s worthy of a stash.
BONUS: WR Quentin Johnston, Chargers (ESPN: 34%; Yahoo: 35%): Josh Palmer has been placed on injured reserve and most receivers catching passes from Justin Herbert deserve to be rostered, especially those with the talent of Johnston, the 21st overall pick in last April’s NFL Draft.
BONUS: WR Jameson Williams, Lions (ESPN: 21%; Yahoo: 28%): Frankly, Williams has been a disappointment so far, but his downfield prowess could be featured against the Chargers this week. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the former first-rounder get an increase in usage coming out of Detroit’s bye. If he continues to underwhelm, we could see Donovan Peoples-Jones (ESPN: 3%; Yahoo: 5%) get a shot in a high-octane offense.
BONUS: TE Pat Freiermuth, Steelers (ESPN: 40%; Yahoo: 37%): Freiermuth is eligible to come off the IR in Week 11. He has managed to score a TD in two of four games this season and Pittsburgh has several favorable matchups for tight ends the final two months.
BONUS: D/ST Seahawks (ESPN: 35%; Yahoo: 41%): Sam Howell has been sacked 44 times in nine games this season. The Commanders are one of six teams allowing double-digit fantasy points per game to opposing defenses. Seattle’s defense was averaging 10.1 points per game before getting routed at Baltimore.
BONUS: D/ST Raiders (ESPN: 52%; Yahoo: 49%): Zach Wilson has been sacked 21 times in the last four games and has thrown multiple TD passes in only one game this season. The Las Vegas defense has scored the fifth-most fantasy points since Week 6, and the Raiders appeared rejuvenated against the Giants following the firing of unpopular head coach Josh McDaniels.
DROP
QB Daniel Jones, Giants: Jones suffered a torn ACL against the Raiders and will miss the rest of this season.
RB Cam Akers, Vikings: An MRI confirmed Akers tore his left Achilles against the Falcons. He tore his right Achilles tendon in the first week of the 2021 season while playing for the Rams.
WR Treylon Burks, Titans: Tennessee’s offense is in transition with a young QB and Burks has been snake-bitten this season. He only has 18 targets in five games.
RB Miles Sanders, Panthers: Sanders remains rostered in over 70 percent of fantasy leagues across both ESPN and Yahoo. The last time he played over 50 percent of the snaps was Week 3.
TE Darren Waller, Giants: Waller has been placed on IR with another hamstring injury and will be out until at least Week 15 — New York’s on a bye Week 14 — with a quarterback situation that may be the worst in the league.
