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Alright, fantasy junkies, strap in! My apologies for missing last week's column, but we will run this piece up until the first week of the fantasy playoffs. We're knee-deep in the NFL fantasy frenzy and Week 10's bringing the heat with many stars across the fantasy landscape sitting on a bye. This means your start/sit decisions might be a tad difficult and you might not have the luxury of stashing anyone away this week. Remember, mastering the art of the waiver wire is not just about being smart; it's your stealthy superpower. Not every player spotlighted here is destined for fantasy stardom, but catching a rising star before they hit the big time? That’s how you play the long game.
The requirement for players to qualify for waiver stashes for the purposes of this article is to be rostered in under 40% of ESPN and 40% of ESPN leagues. One such player on the cusp of qualifying is Seahawks RB Zach Charbonnet, who is rostered in 45% of Yahoo leagues, but in just 31% of ESPN. Charbonnet has out-snapped fellow RB Kenneth Walker III over the last two games, but it was likely due to being in a negative game script. Nonetheless, he's a talented RB who should be added everywhere just in case of injury to KWIII.
Now let’s jump into the hidden gems of the Week 10 waiver wire! And just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, the powers that be decided to mix it up with some juggernaut offenses in the Chiefs, Dolphins, Eagles, and the Rams hitting the bye-week beach. The NFL sure knows how to keep us on our toes. If you’re the captain of a ship in deeper, 14-team leagues or sitting on extra bench spots, stashing away a future MVP might just be your golden ticket. Remember, no matter how stacked your roster, the chase for upside never ends!
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Weekend Waiver Wire Stashes Before Week 10
Demario Douglas, (WR) New England Patriots
37% rostered on Yahoo, 27% on ESPN
The Patriots' offense has been beyond frustrating for fantasy football this season, but Douglas has been one of their lone bright spots. The talented rookie known as 'Pop' was taken in the sixth round out of Liberty and has seen a heavy dose of targets (20) over the last 3 games. New England has a bye coming up in Week 11, but if you need someone who could be a flex or WR3 for you this weekend, Douglas has potential. He is primarily a slot receiver and is undersized at 5 foot 8, 192 lbs., but it's easy to see that he's got some serious pop in the open field and as a receiver. Douglas is worth a look this week against a Colts secondary that has been relatively easy to throw on.
Cade Otton, (TE) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
21% rostered on Yahoo, 19% on ESPN
Otton is currently third on the team with 38 total targets. While the Bucs' offense hasn't been spectacular by any means, the second-year tight end found the end zone twice last week. So far on the year, Otton has 28 receptions for 245 yards and 3 TDs. You likely need to see a little more production out of him before being able to start Otton with any kind of consistency, but being such a young player there is still room for him to get better. Otton has had 21 total targets over his last three games. He's got two tough matchups coming up against the Titans and 49ers, but keep your eye on him just in case.
Quentin Johnston, (WR) Los Angeles Chargers
30% rostered on Yahoo, 34% on ESPN
QJ has no doubt been troublesome for fantasy purposes, and many of us expected him to step in and contribute after WR Mike Williams was lost for the season earlier in the year with an ACL injury. However, Johnson has played 54, 70, and 83 percent of the team's offensive snaps over the last three games and saw a total of six targets in Week 8. The Chargers are starting to use him more and their offense desperately needs a downfield threat who can strike fear into the heart of opposing defenses. You can't start him with confidence right now, but rookie wide receivers tend to get better in the second half of the year and Johnson is well worth stashing just in case.
Taylor Heinicke, (QB) Atlanta Falcons
18% rostered on Yahoo, 11% on ESPN
The Cardinals are like a fantasy quarterback's dream buffet, dishing out the eighth-most points to QBs and tying for sixth in the league for handing out passing TDs like Halloween candy (14 in total). Last week against Minnesota, Heinicke slung it for 268 yards with a touchdown and an interception. If he can dodge those pesky turnovers, fantasy managers might just be sitting pretty with a solid floor from him this week.
And hey, let's not forget about wideout Drake London. He took a break last game thanks to a pesky groin injury. But guess what? He's tiptoeing back into the action with a limited practice on Wednesday. If London makes his comeback in Week 10, Heinicke's fantasy stock could shoot up faster than a rocket at a Fourth of July show. Keep those fingers crossed! Atlanta's offense has been very frustrating for fantasy this year, but the upside is there.
Khalil Shakir, (WR) Buffalo Bills
15% rostered on Yahoo, 7% on ESPN
Shakir is a talented WR in his own right who showed some flashes as a rookie last year. However, he was injured during the preseason and missed several games earlier in the year, but is now starting to be eased in and see the field. Nonetheless, Shakir has been quietly stealing the show these past three weeks, even outshining the Bills' No. 2, Gabe Davis. In this impressive run, he's snagged 14 receptions for a cool 184 yards. Talk about making a statement! And here's the kicker: his time on the field has been on the rise, hitting 65% and 71% of Buffalo's offensive snaps in the last two games.
Looking ahead to Sunday's showdown against Denver, Shakir's sitting pretty for a potentially sweet matchup. But, let's play it smart and see if he keeps snagging both the clock and those fantasy digits before we slot him into our starting lineups. For those with an eagle eye on the waivers, Shakir's looking like a pretty smart grab right about now. Keep an eye on this one, he could be a fantasy goldmine in the making!
Joshua Kelley, (RB) Los Angeles Chargers
20% rostered on Yahoo, 15% on ESPN
In fantasy football, we always want to be targeting running backs who are just one spot away on the depth chart from seeing significant playing time. While Kelley disappointed us earlier in the year when RB Austin Ekeler was out, he's still a fine add in most formats. Kelley had 7 rushes for 75 yards in Week 7 against the Chiefs, but unfortunately hasn't done much as a receiver.
Los Angeles is still getting into a groove offensively under new offensive coordinator, Kellen Moore, but they have evened the score at 4-4 and have gotten back into the AFC Playoff race. You can't start him right now with much confidence, but there's always a chance if Kelley gets on the field that it will look a lot better than it did earlier in the season,
Kenneth Gainwell, (RB) Philadephia Eagles
26% rostered on Yahoo, 17% on ESPN
The buzz around Gainwell as the Eagles' main man was humming early on, especially after Coach Sirianni rocked that Gainwell tee on Day 1 of training camp. Plot twist: D'Andre Swift has been stealing the spotlight, sprinting ahead as the Eagles' top dog in the backfield. This shift has seen a lot of fantasy managers waving goodbye to Gainwell on the waiver wire.
Now, Swift's been nothing short of spectacular, but those elusive rushing TDs have been slipping through his fingers, courtesy of his QB Jalen Hurts' red zone antics and the infamous tush-push. Gainwell, with his zippy legs and knack for catching out of the backfield, doesn't quite fit like a glove in the Eagles' playbook. But, should Swift face any sideline time, Gainwell's up next as RB1.
On the other hand, Rashaad Penny's mostly been MIA, and Boston Scott? More like Boston Not-a-Lot. Gainwell might seem like a bit of a letdown considering his late-summer draft buzz, but in the NFL, one injury can flip the fantasy script really quickly. We're not wishing injuries on anyone - it's just the nature of this hard-hitting game. Moral of the story? Keep that fantasy bench stocked and ready for anything.
Tank Bigsby, (RB) Jacksonville Jaguars
9% rostered on Yahoo, 6% on ESPN
After getting hyped for much of the summer, Bigsby has largely been a fantasy disappointment this year. He had a costly fumble earlier in the season, as well as a dropped pass that resulted in an interception by the defense. Fellow RB Travis Etienne has been nothing short of awesome this year and it's no knock on Bigsby. There's still a chance that he could start to receive more of the goal-line and work and with the Jaguars off in Week 9, Bigsby could see a little bit of a post-bye week bump. Nonetheless, due to how high-powered this offense is, Bigsby is worth stashing in just about all formats as someone who could have a lot of upside in case of injury.
Michael Wilson, (WR) Arizona Cardinals
12% rostered on Yahoo, 7% on ESPN
Wilson has shown some flashes this season as a rookie and incumbent QB Kyler Murray is set to make his season debut in Week 10. Wilson has seen 11 total targets over the last two weeks and he's had five games with 56+ receiving yards this season. Wilson found the end zone twice in Week 4 but hasn't scored otherwise. If Murray can revert back to form, it could be a huge boost to Wilson's upside as well as the Cardinals' offense as a whole. He's a good, young player who is flying well below the radar right now.
Honorable Mentions
Here are a few players to also keep in mind as deeper stashes in bigger leagues (14 or 16 teams) or ones with larger bench spots just in case they should start seeing more playing time.
Quarterbacks
Jacoby Brissett (WAS) - 0% rostered, Sam Darnold (SF) - 0% rostered, QB Jarrett Stidham (DEN) - 0% rostered
Running Backs
Chris Rodriguez Jr. (WAS), 0% rostered, Pierre Strong Jr. (CLE) - 2% rostered, Treyveon Williams (CIN) - 1% rostered
Wide Receivers
Braxton Berrios (MIA) - 3% rostered, Trenton Irwin (CIN) - 1% rostered, Jauan Jennings (SF) - 2% rostered
We hope you like these selections ahead of Week 10 and good luck in your leagues this season! Even if you don't have room to pick up some of these players, it's important to stay ahead of your league mates and preserve FAAB so that you have it at the end of the year when you need it. Feel free to follow me on Twitter for more waiver and player analysis throughout the season!
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