RADIO
Michael Florio's sneaky fantasy football starts, pivot plays, and post-waiver waiver pickups for Week 10. Start 'em as under-the-radar fantasy sleepers.
What a week it has been in the NFL. We saw a TV analyst get hired to be a head coach and if I knew they were going to go that route, I would have thrown my hat in the ring! We also have injuries starting to pile up as well as four teams on bye in the Bengals, Jets, Patriots, and Ravens. That takes some very good players out of our lineup this week.
We are also past the trade deadline now and while there are still many teams in contention, we are starting to see those who do continue to fall. We are not there yet where teams start playing rookies and young kids to see what they have in them, but we are quickly getting there. This article may be even more vital each week when we start to see changes like that made.
We are also at the point of the season where many managers are fighting for a playoff spot. You do not want to lose a week because you didn’t have a backup plan for your player that was up in the air. And you certainly don’t want to lose because you just pick any name off the waiver wire! Between the injuries and the byes this week though, you may be searching for a replacement option or several to get into your starting lineup. This will give you options at all the vital fantasy positions. The higher a player is on the list, the more preference I would give them!
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Quarterback Pivot Options for Fantasy Football
If QBs Josh Allen and Ryan Tannehill don’t play, you can pivot to…
Marcus Mariota is coming off a down performance, but do not overlook him just because of that. First of all, he has still scored over 17 fantasy points in three of his last five, largely because of what he gives you with his legs. One of those games was against the Panthers when he scored over 22 fantasy points – while throwing for 253 yards and three touchdowns, as well as rushing for 43 on the ground. That fantasy total is despite him throwing two picks. And speaking of his rushing ability, he has been the most effective QB at running between the tackles, a spot the Panthers struggle mightily. Mariota is a great streaming option and pivot this week.
Daniel Jones is low-key the QB15 overall on the season. He has been a better fantasy asset than he gets credit for – the only knock is he does not bring the safest floor. A low game for him is around 12-13 fantasy points, which I mean is a good game for some veterans now. He does bring a decently high ceiling, especially when he scores a rushing TD. Jones has rushed for over 20 yards in all but one game and three times has eclipsed 60 yards.
In the games he has scored a rushing touchdown, he has topped 21 fantasy points and flirted with 30 at times. This week, he faces the Texans, who have a good secondary but allow more production on the ground than anyone. Expect to see a ton of Saquon Barkley, but we know Dimes can get in the mix. If you need an option and miss out on Mariota, go with him.
P.J. Walker is coming off an awful game where he scored -3 fantasy points and was benched at halftime for Baker Mayfield. The week prior to that, he threw for 317 yards and a touchdown while running for 20 as he scored 16.7 fantasy points against the Falcons. He gets Atlanta again this week, who has allowed a ton of fantasy production to opposing QBs. This is more about the matchup than Walker but if you need a deeper name, he is in play.
Running Back Pivot Options for Fantasy Football
If RBs Jonathan Taylor, Aaron Jones, Gus Edwards, and Chuba Hubbard don’t play, you can pivot to…
Jeff Wilson Jr. played more snaps than Raheem Mostert while being fresh off a cross-country flight after being traded last Tuesday. Wilson played 51 percent of snaps to Mostert’s 45 percent. They each saw nine carries, but Wilson saw three targets to Mostert’s two. He also turned those touches into 72 yards and a touchdown. Again, this was just days after he was traded. He could see an even larger role this week, especially against the Browns, who have allowed the fifth-most fantasy PPG to running backs (27.1).
Rachaad White has been seeing more work as of late. He’s carved out a role where he plays around a third of the snaps each week, with around five to eight carries and three to five targets per week. He’s seen enough work that it has annoyed Leonard Fournette! It's not a whole lot, but for those needing to dive a little deeper, it helps. Plus, we know White is a good talent, so the potential for him to have a big game even on limited volume is there. If you’re diving deeper, he is an option this week, plus he comes with more upside down the road.
Nyheim Hines barely saw the field in his Bills debut, but that is largely because his role in this offense is more of a pass catcher than a running back. That matters because it's much more complex to learn the passing game than the running one. Hines needs to not only learn routes but blocking schemes as well. Another week acclimated likely means more opportunities for Hines. He gets a boost as well if Josh Allen sits, as I would anticipate not only more running out of the Bills' offense but even more check downs from Case Keenum. Hines is purely a deep play, but there is some upside potential here.
Jaylen Warren is the cause of chatter that he could eat into Najee Harris’ workload. If Harris has struggled in this offense, I don’t see how Warren will fare much better. In deeper leagues, any running back that is seeing the field can be useful. Warren is more of a speculative add than he is a streamer – but if you are desperate, he is an option you can take this week.
Wide Receiver Pivot Options for Fantasy Football
If WRs Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Brandin Cooks, Mecole Hardman, Christian Watson, and Russell Gage don’t play, you can pivot to…
George Pickens was dropped in a good amount of leagues after he failed to score a fantasy point and then had a bye week. But with Chase Claypool now playing in Chicago, there is more volume up for grabs in Pittsburgh. Talent has never been a question for Pickens, who has looked like an alpha WR1 at times this season. He has also had fantasy success, having scored over 13 fantasy points in three of his past five weeks. If he can be had in your league, take the gift and run.
Terrace Marshall Jr. has been trending up for the last couple of weeks and others are starting to take notice. He has barely left the field, playing at least 86 percent of snaps in three straight weeks and over 92 percent in the last two. He has seen 15 targets in his last two weeks but the thing that really caught my eye – he has seen five endzone targets in the last two weeks. That is tied for the most on the Panthers all season and it came in a two-week span. He is getting more opportunities and making the most of them. Marshall is a strong pivot option this week.
Elijah Moore has been on a milk carton for the last few weeks. After not being traded, the Jets are looking to get the most out of their second-year receiver by putting him in the slot more. Coming out of college, Moore thrived in the slot. He also had success there last season. He can be an explosive big slot receiver – one player that he was reminded of during the pre-draft process was Tyler Lockett. I know it has been rough, but if the Jets put Moore in a better position, there is still a lot of juice here. He’s worth a flier this week and brings more upside rest of the season in this new role.
Julio Jones disappointed again last week, but he remains healthy and that is what is most important. He saw five targets last week, which ties a season high. While he did not score a touchdown, he continues to be one of the Bucs' best red zone weapons. Jones still can play and the more he is on the field getting reps, the more production should come his way. He’s not a smash start anymore, but if you are diving deeper, he is in play.
Let's get deep! Samori Toure is an option solely because he is on the Packers and is healthy. That's about all it takes right now. The Packers' receivers are so banged up that it should lead to more opportunity for the rookie, who has shown some explosiveness. He has racked up four targets in two straight games and could see even more work this week as the Packers are thin in the passing game. This is more about banking on opportunity than anything else.
Tight End Pivot Options for Fantasy Football
If TEs Mark Andrews, Darren Waller, and David Njoku don’t play, you can pivot to…
Cole Kmet has scored three touchdowns in the past two weeks after not scoring any all of last season or the first half of this season. He is also coming off a game with a season-high six targets. Plus, he faces the Lions, who have allowed the fourth-most fantasy PPG to tight ends this season (15.7). We have a hot player who has been seeing more work in an ascending offense, and who also happens to have a great matchup. Kmet is very much so in play this week.
Cade Otton caught the game-winning touchdown on fourth down in Week 9 against the Rams, with just seconds left on the clock in a game that Brady said the Bucs had to win. It doesn’t get much bigger than that. You have to think that Otton is winning over Brady’s trust now. And if that wasn’t enough, he was the Bucs' leading receiver with 68 yards on five catches. He has now topped double-digit fantasy points in three of his past five games. This week he faces the Seahawks, who have been tough on receivers but struggled against tight ends. Seattle has allowed the second-most fantasy PPG to tight ends both this season and in the last four weeks. Otton is a strong start at tight end this week, especially if you are in need of a pivot option.
Greg Dulcich is coming off his bye, but don’t forget how well Greggy D had been playing. He debuted in Week 6 and caught a touchdown. Then he saw nine targets, catching six of them for 51 yards in Week 7. Then he played a season-high 80 percent of the snaps with five targets, four catches, and 87 yards in Week 8. That means he has topped double digits in every game he has played. That makes him the greatest tight end ever or something. All jokes aside, it certainly is enough to make him a pivot play this week and potentially moving forward.
Make sure to follow Michael on Twitter, @MichaelFFlorio
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