Vernon Davis (TE, WAS) - Week 10 Waiver Wire Pickups

November 7, 2018

Veteran tight end (TE) Vernon Davis is a waiver wire pickup and a target in leagues for Week 10 of the 2018 NFL season. Daniel Benjamin recommends Davis due to the likelihood of his increased role in the offense as well as his playmaking ability.

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ANALYSIS: Washington Redskins tight end Vernon Davis turned in his best performance of the season against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Davis brought in five of seven targets for 62 yards in the game, which included a long of 20 yards. He also saw his first red-zone target of the campaign, which he turned into a 10-yard gain.

Davis got off to a slow start this season. Despite seeing the most offensive snaps (47) in Week 1 of any of the Redskins' three tight ends, he was only targeted once versus Arizona. The 34-year-old brought in that pass for nine yards. He started against the Colts in Week 2, but only caught one pass for seven yards as he saw action in 27 offensive plays (36.5 percent). It wasn't until Week 3 versus the Packers -- when he earned the start as a wide receiver -- did Davis see multiple passes his way. Davis came up with both of his targets in the game, totaling 70 yards with a long of 50. He then combined for five receptions for 63 yards over Weeks 5 and 6, reaching the end zone against Carolina (Week 6).

Davis has 15 receptions, on 20 targets for 232 yards and one touchdown on the season. Davis currently ranks 24th among all tight ends with 29 fantasy points, per Pro Football Reference. However, he has some appealing matchups in the next few weeks with matchups against Tampa Bay, Houston as well as Dallas. The Bucs have one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL as they have allowed the third most passing yards and most touchdown passes. The Bucs have also permitted the most fantasy points to tight ends in standard league scoring and the second most in PPR leagues. Opposing tight ends have racked up 48 receptions for 650 yards and five touchdowns against the Buccaneers. The Texans rank in the bottom two-thirds of the league while the Cowboys are in the top-third against tight ends.

Davis is extremely reliable, possesses excellent hands and he is a load to bring down -- especially when he gets a full head of steam. 74 of his receiving yards have come after the catch. The DC native tops the 'Skins in yards per reception (15.3), percentage of receptions for first-downs (75 percent) and catches for 20 or more yards (six).

For the reasons stated above and due to the fact that the availability of starter Jordan Reed (neck and back) is in question for the game against Tampa Bay on Sunday, there could be no better time than now to grab Davis off the waiver wire.