Week 9 was not very fun. The good teams were bad, the bad teams were still terrible, and unless you play in an IDP league, your favorite player probably underperformed in fantasy. Weeks like this will happen. Move on and focus on the playoffs. You’re likely four or five games away from the regular season coming to an end; Is this the roster you want in the playoffs?
You should listen to our writer Zach, who just gave you his favorite players to go after before your trade deadline passes. Of course, you should also work those waivers.
As always, everyone mentioned today will be available in 50% or more Yahoo leagues. Last week, Detroit, Seattle, Tampa Bay, and Washington were on a bye, so be sure to check if any of their better players were dropped out of desperation. On that same note, this week, watch the drop list for any players from Chicago, Cincinnati, Houston, and the NY Giants, as they are all on bye in Week 10.
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Quarterbacks
Matt Ryan (50% Available)
The quarterback pickings are slim right now. I don’t love Matt Ryan, but he’ll be a streamable option due to his schedule over the next few weeks. Ryan has thrown two or more touchdowns in six of his last seven games. With Dallas up in Week 10, he’ll likely do it again.
Tua Tagovailoa (67% Available)
While Tua’s relationship in Miami is undoubtedly strained, the best thing he has going for him is Jacoby Brissett is bad. Again, I don’t love the player, but he has some bad defenses coming up, and we’ve seen him hit four touchdowns in a game this season.
Running Backs
Rhamondre Stevenson (94% Available)
As bad as things are at quarterback, they are worse at running back. Stevenson hasn’t set the world on fire, but we are hitting the point in the season when rookies start to pop (check the WR list). Damien Harris is starting to get banged up, as is Stevenson, but if the rookie sees some starting snaps, you’ll want him on your fantasy team. He looked good before exiting in Week 9 and still has four games to play before a late bye week.
JD McKissic (50% Available)
McKissic has been hit or miss, but who hasn’t? It will be interesting to see how well Antonion Gibson could heal up during Washington’s bye week. McKissic has scored 9+ PPR points in three straight games while Gibson was less than 100%. If that role continues to end the season, McKissic is an every-week RB3.
Wide Receivers
Donovan Peoples-Jones (87% Available)
Game 1 post-Odell Beckham was a good one for the Browns and solid for DPJ. He scored a touchdown and finished with 86 yards. More importantly, he looked like the big-play threat OBJ was supposed to be all along. Peoples-Jones was the talk of the preseason for Cleveland and looks ready to ascend as the new WR2 in this offense.
Darnell Mooney (56% Available)
Mooney presents an interesting case going into Week 10. He and the Bears are on bye, but he is probably the best free-agent WR available. If you have the spot, he should be your priority. He scored two touchdowns is Week 9 and has clearly been Justin Fields’ favorite WR this season.
Russell Gage (84% Available)
I know he isn’t great, but he is the team’s WR1 until Calvin Ridley is able to return. Gage caught seven of eight targets in Week 9 and should not be available in this many leagues.
Rashod Bateman (64% Available)
The week after a bye is always pretty telling in the NFL. Coaches install things they had been waiting on, and rookies tend to get more involved. After two straight weeks with six targets, Bateman came out of the bye with an eight-target game. If not for Lamar Jackson leaning on Marquise Brown in comeback mode, Bateman might have led this team in receiving,
Elijah Moore (73% Available)
Week 9 did see one rookie breakout performance, as Elijah Moore beat up the Colts secondary. Moore brought in seven of eight targets for 84 yards and scored two TDs on Thursday night. The Jets offense is still questionable, at best, and Moore’s success might be tied to who is playing quarterback, but the rookie has a pretty nice schedule to help this newfound success continue past one week.
Tight Ends
Logan Thomas (50% Available)
Thomas is doubly hidden on waivers this week. He’s coming off of the IR and his team’s bye week. Pre-injury, Thomas was the TE7, averaging about five targets per game. Since then, the team has been targeting the TE more, and Thomas is coming back to a very favorable spot in one of the worst positions in fantasy football.
Dan Arnold / Tyler Conklin / Pat Freiermuth (60% Available)
All three were top-15 tight ends yet again. All three are available in far too many leagues. At this point, I have to ask: Do you even want to win?