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Dan's top quarterback Week 10 fantasy pickups (2025). The best QB fantasy waiver wire pickups to add and Week 10 QB streamers for 1QB, 2QB, and Superflex leagues.
There were some excellent high-end fantasy performances from quarterbacks in Week 9. Football fans got to enjoy a duel between the fantasy QB1 (Caleb Williams) and QB2 (Joe Flacco) in the same game. In total, nine different quarterbacks scored over 25.0 fantasy points, and six of them had more than 27.0 points. Five quarterbacks threw for more than four passing touchdowns.
Unfortunately, last week’s fantasy points don’t win us this week’s matchups. Fantasy managers will once again have to navigate injuries and four teams on bye again in Week 10. Thankfully, there are plenty of solid options still sitting on the waiver wire.
In this article, I will focus on players under 65% rostered in fantasy leagues while adding a couple of deep sleepers for two-quarterback leagues (less than 25% rostered). Let’s look at who you should consider picking up for Week 10 below. All roster percentages will be from Yahoo fantasy leagues.
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Single-QB Waiver Wire Pickups and Stashes
J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings- 29% rostered
J.J. McCarthy did his best to silence the belief that his time missed this season was due to a “soft benching”. The second-year quarterback didn’t light it up on the field, but he put together a solid game in a key divisional win against the Detroit Lions.
McCarthy still has plenty to work on as a passer, completing 14 of 25 passes for 143 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception through the air. He also added nine carries for 12 yards and a touchdown on the ground. McCarthy’s 18.9 fantasy points were his second-highest total this season.
JJ McCarthy takes it himself for his 3rd TD today!
MINvsDET on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/PRGEFOxAR4
— NFL (@NFL) November 2, 2025
The Vikings have excellent fantasy matchups in the coming weeks, with five matchups against teams allowing the most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks (Baltimore, Chicago, Washington, Dallas, and the New York Giants).
There can be some big fantasy performances on the horizon as the Vikings look to make a playoff push.
Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks- 50% rostered
Sam Darnold bounced back from a poor Week 8 start against the Houston Texans, throwing for over 300 yards and three touchdowns against the Washington Commanders in Week 9.
Darnold continues to operate at a high level with the Seattle Seahawks, putting together his third 22.0+ fantasy performance in his last four games. Darnold has over 1,100 passing yards and 12 touchdowns since Week 4 and has definitively proved his strong 2024 with the Vikings wasn’t a fluke.
The veteran quarterback is probably closer to a high-end QB2 going forward due to his lack of rushing ability, but he continues to prove that he’s got a top 10 ceiling each week in Seattle’s offense.
Marcus Mariota, Washington Commanders- 5% rostered
Jayden Daniels suffered a brutal elbow injury in the fourth quarter of the Commanders' loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The injury almost certainly puts the rest of his 2025 season in doubt and pushes Marcus Mariota back into the starting lineup for the foreseeable future.
Mariota has been solid in spot starts throughout the season, completing 63.6% of his passes for 639 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions. More importantly (for fantasy), Mariota has at least 20 rushing yards in every game he's played this season (minus Week 9).
At the very least, Mariota is set to have good matchups against the Lions and Dolphins before Washington's Week 12 bye.
Joe Flacco, Cincinnati Bengals- 52% rostered
Cincinnati is one of four teams on their bye in Week 10, so if you desperately need a quarterback, Flacco is not the guy for you. But if you are looking for a potential upgrade for a playoff push and can weather the storm for a week, Flacco may go under the radar in single-quarterback leagues.
Flacco has been stellar since he was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals before Week 6. The veteran quarterback has averaged 43.2 pass attempts per game. During those four games, he’s thrown for 1,254 yards, 11 touchdowns, and two interceptions. He’s scored at least 18.0 fantasy points in all four games, including three straight games with 25.0+ fantasy points.
FLACCO DELIVERS AND WE ARE TIED!
CHIvsCIN on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/99KzPaj855
— NFL (@NFL) November 2, 2025
The Bengals will continue to be a shootout offense thanks to their horrific defense, which will allow Flacco to keep putting up video game numbers while throwing to Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in negative game scripts. Flacco has shown he can put up big numbers, despite his lack of mobility, with the weapons he has at his disposal.
C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans- 55% rostered
C.J. Stroud doesn’t rank higher on this list because he will need to clear concussion protocol after taking a big hit against the Denver Broncos in Week 9. However, if Stroud can clear concussion protocol by Sunday, he will be walking into a fantastic fantasy matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jacksonville’s secondary has struggled all season, but things took a negative turn when Travis Hunter (knee) landed on the injured reserve. Hunter wasn’t a full-time defensive player, but he did show the ability to lock down the opposing team’s best player. Their struggles were on full display in Week 9 when they allowed Geno Smith to throw for 284 yards and four touchdowns (26.2 fantasy points!).
Stroud is set to face off against the Jaguars’ secondary in Week 10 if he can clear the league's protocol. Before Sunday, he was enjoying one of the best three-game stretches since his rookie season. From Weeks 5 to 8 (Houston had a Week 6 bye), Stroud threw for 791 yards, seven touchdowns, and two interceptions while averaging 21.3 fantasy points per game.
If Stroud cannot clear the concussion protocol in time, veteran Davis Mills (more on him below) would get the start. Stroud is still an intriguing option with a Week 11 matchup against the Titans on the horizon.
Two-QB Waiver Wire Pickups and Stashes
Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons- 19% rostered
Fantasy managers got an excellent performance from Michael Penix Jr. in a difficult matchup against the New England Patriots’ defense in Week 9. Penix had one of his best games of the season, throwing for 221 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions. His 22.7 fantasy points were his second-highest total of the year.
Drake London one-hands it for the hat trick! 🔥
ATLvsNE on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/cK3oVvGdv2
— NFL (@NFL) November 2, 2025
Penix has been a rollercoaster for fantasy managers this year, but he has at least 14.0 fantasy points in three of his last four starts. He also has quietly had at least two rushing attempts in six of seven games this year, giving him some untapped upside in fantasy.
At the very least, Penix will be able to ride Drake London, Bijan Robinson, Darnell Mooney, and Kyle Pitts Sr. to big fantasy production often. The Falcons have upcoming games against exploitable secondaries like Indianapolis, Carolina, New Orleans, and the Jets.
Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers- 13% rostered
Based on Week 9, Bryce Young has no place on this list. Young scored just 2.9 fantasy points in a win over the Green Bay Packers thanks to a run-heavy offensive attack. Young attempted just 20 passes, his lowest total of the year. The more important thing for Young was that he looked healthy and was able to avoid mistakes against a solid Packers’ defense.
Young has struggled to build on his strong 2024 finish, but there has been more good than bad this season. The third-year quarterback has six games with double-digit scoring, but only two weeks above 13.0 fantasy points.
It doesn’t feel great leaning on Young in fantasy, but he can have a strong game against the Saints in Week 10. New Orleans’ defense has struggled this season, giving Young an opportunity to have an efficient game that could lead to a solid, but unspectacular, fantasy performance.
Davis Mills, Houston Texans- 0% rostered
Davis Mills didn’t do much against the Denver Broncos after Stroud suffered a concussion (56.7% completion rate for 137 yards), but coming in cold against one of the best defenses in the NFL is far from an easy task.
Mills would be set to make his first start in 2025 if Stroud is unable to clear concussion protocol. Mills has proven to be an adequate game manager in his career, completing 62.5% of his passes for 6,190 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 25 interceptions in 39 career games.
He’s worth a speculative add just in case Stroud struggles to bounce back from his concussion.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool:
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2025 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Sam Darnold, Michael Penix Jr., Marcus Mariota, Joe Flacco, C.J. Stroud. These are some common searches for 2025 fantasy football waiver wire pickups.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy football rankings, projections, and more.
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