RADIO
The rookies have officially taken over the RB landscape. Ownership levels reflect that already, which means most of the best remaining options are veterans. This is also a good time to look for players coming off injuries or bye weeks that may have been overlooked by your competitors. As always, it's best to know your league's rules to see which players might benefit you the most.
As usual, this article will aim to highlight Week 10 waiver wire adds for running backs, players that you should consider targeting on your league's waiver wire if available. Running backs will be split up into three tiers - from most desirable, to most desperate.
I will also include RBs at the bottom of this list that you might consider cutting in order to make room for your new additions and a suggested percentage of your FAAB to spend on each player.
Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers won two writing awards and received 12 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. A big congrats to our very own Byron Lindeque (Golf) and Jordan McAbee (NASCAR) for both winning Writer Of The Year awards! Be sure to follow RotoBaller's analysis and advice all year long, and win more. Win More With RotoBaller!
Frontrunners for Week 10 - Waiver Wire Running Backs
Matt Forte, New York Jets - 42% owned (10% FAAB - PPR)
Forte keeps creeping his way up this list somehow. Nothing much has changed for him, except that he reached the end zone twice on Thursday night. They were his first scores of the year, so too much shouldn't be made of it. The Jets keep juggling running backs, so it's also hard to say that Forte will be a reliable option down the stretch if the Jets fall out of contention, but he seems to be fairly safe in the pass-catching role. In fact, his four catches in Week 9 were his lowest in the last four games. He compensated by carrying the ball a season-high 14 times for 77 yards. It seems his complaining worked, but for how long? He has a great matchup against Tampa this coming week, but the Jets will be among the last to have a bye after that so don't reach too deep in your pockets if you can't spare the roster space.
Rob Kelley, Washington Redskins - 32% owned (8% FAAB - Standard)
How's this for an interesting trend? Rob Kelley has 76 yards in his last 36 carries, yet he has three touchdowns in the last two games. There's only been one game all season in which Kelley has run for more than 30 yards. Kelley has been both injured and ineffective, but is still providing fantasy value as the only short-yardage back that coach Jay Gruden trusts. Despite the terrible rushing average, Kelley is still the RB1 for a decent offense and can give standard league owners some hope in these dark days.
Danny Woodhead, Baltimore Ravens - 27% owned (5-15% FAAB - PPR)
If you are ready to roll the dice and have room to stash an RB the next couple of weeks, it's Woodhead time. He won't be eligible to play until Week 11, but he's already practicing and could immediately resume the pass-catching role that Buck Allen currently holds. Woodhead caught three passes on the first drive of the season before getting injured, putting him on pace for 192 catches if he'd stayed healthy. While he won't reach those lofty stats, he should have a nice floor in PPR leagues and could be worth a pretty penny if your league's RB list is dry.
In The Running - Week 10 Waiver Wire Running Backs
Kenyan Drake, Miami Dolphins - 51% owned (5-8% FAAB)
He's taken in many competitive leagues, but he is close enough to the threshold to warrant mentioning. Drake wasn't even the official starter on Sunday night, but he outrushed backfield mate Williams 9-7 and had an impressive 69 yards on those few rush attempts. Drake can't have more than RB3/flex appeal given his circumstance, but he has some speed and has a clearer path to touches than most other backs in this tier.
Damien Williams, Miami Dolphins - 33% owned (5-8% FAAB)
It's still a committee and the Dolphins still rank among the worst offenses in the league, but Williams looked the more promising of the two RBs in terms of PPR value for Miami on Sunday night. While he barely got going on the ground, Williams reeled in six passes for 47 yards and scored a touchdown in his first extended action of the season. He's more experienced than Drake and didn't put the ball on the ground like Drake did either. Both Dolphins RBs will be tough to recommend for fantasy owners vying for a playoff spot, as the Fins have one of the toughest schedules remaining.
Chris Ivory, Jacksonville Jaguars - 33% owned (2% FAAB)
A surprise starter against the Bengals, Ivory surpassed 100 total yards from scrimmage for the first time this season. Assuming Leonard Fournette returns to the field next week, Ivory reverts to a handcuff again. The way Fournette's season is going lately, Ivory is still worth owning for situations such as this and is an essential hold for Fournette owners.
Honorable Mentions: D'Onta Foreman (10% owned), Marlon Mack (50% owned), Latavius Murray (45% owned)
Dark Horses - Week 10 Running Backs Waiver Wire
Devontae Booker, Denver Broncos - 4% owned (1% FAAB)
Many believe that Booker is the Broncos' best running back, but it may not matter. Whether it's Trevor Siemian or Brock Osweiler at the helm, the offense looks lost. Booker finished with eight touches for 30 total yards in Week 9's embarrassing loss; those numbers don't distinguish him in any way from Jamaal Charles or C.J. Anderson. It will take an injury to one of the other running backs in order for Booker to be worth playing, even in the deepest of leagues. It wouldn't hurt for them to have a real QB either. As of now, he's merely a depth stash.
Corey Clement, Philadelphia Eagles - 1% owned (0% FAAB)
Normally we'd be really excited about a two-touchdown game for a rookie RB, but context really matters here. Clement is the third-string running back and will get less carries once Jay Ajayi is comfortable in the offense. Plus, although it seems as if the Eagles could blow out any opponent the way they're playing lately, it's not going to happen. Clement and the Eagles ran over a Broncos defense that looked like a shell of its former self in Week 9, but he just can't be considered as anything but a desperation play on a weekly basis.
Malcolm Brown, Los Angeles Rams - 0% owned (0% FAAB)
God forbid something should happen to Todd Gurley, but if so then Brown has shown he would have immediate value. He finished with 57 yards on 15 carries in mop-up duty in Week 9. He's still under four yards per carry on the year, and certainly is no Gurley, but he is one of the better handcuffs available for free on the wire.
Honorable Mentions: Jamaal Charles (20% owned), Mike Tolbert (1% owned), Rex Burkhead (8% owned)
Time To Say Goodbye
T.J. Yeldon, Jacksonville Jaguars - 30% owned
He probably wouldn't have seen more than five touches on the day had Leonard Fournette not done whatever it is he did to get suspended. He wasn't bad, carrying 11 times for 41 yards and catching a pair of balls for 11 yards, but he simply won't get enough usage to be worth considering once Fournette returns for real.
Matt Breida, San Francisco 49ers - 10% owned
Most of you already caught on, as Breida's ownership has plummeted the last two weeks. He carried exactly one time for one yard against the Cardinals and has a total of 13 carries in the last four games. Carlos Hyde is the lead back here and even he has little value in this complete rebuild. Throw in the fact that after this week the Niners have a bye and then face Seattle the following week and you have no business owning him outside of dynasty leagues.
Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers - 45% owned
I'm hoping that the 45% who still have Stewart either have really deep rosters or are winless teams that really don't care any more. If you're playing or even stashing Stewart with the thought he might help you at any point this year, you're doing fantasy football wrong. Stewart managed to lower his rush average further with 21 yards on 11 carries and lost two fumbles. He's done.
