Week 10 Waiver Wire Pickups Highlighted by Sam Darnold, Bam Knight, Troy Franklin

As the fantasy football season progresses, the importance of picking up the right pieces to accentuate one's team and make them a legitimate playoff contender becomes of the utmost importance.

Knowing who to add when can be the difference between ensuring a chance to play for the league championship and sitting out the postseason while playing not to be the recipient of the embarrassing punishment for finishing at the bottom of the rankings.

In preparation for Week 10, these three players are poised to benefit lineups and put managers in a position to claim their league's championship by season's end.

All stats via FantasyPros.com unless otherwise noted.

Bam Knight, RB, Arizona Cardinals

AP Photo

Bam Knight may not wow anyone with his numbers but he has become the de facto lead back in Arizona amid injuries to James Conner and Trey Benson, and has a few favorable match-ups on the docket that fantasy managers should jump at the chance to exploit.

First up is a Monday night showdown with Dallas to cap off Week 9 that should see him shred the second worst defense against opposing running backs in the league.

In Week 10, he travels to Seattle to play a middle-of-the-road rush defense giving up 20.59 points to opposing backs.

A player who has seen his time and opportunity increase, including a game plan that saw him rush 14 times for 57 yards in Green Bay in Week 7, and score in each of the two games before that, Knight figures to be a big piece of the Cardinals puzzle moving forward and managers should grab and stash him, at the very least, now.

The North Carolina State product is available in just under 50 percent of ESPN and Yahoo leagues, respectively, suggesting other managers have already caught on.

Troy Franklin, WR, Denver Broncos

AP Photo/Jack Dempsey

Troy Franklin does not have the name that Courtland Sutton does, but the second-year player out of Oregon has become a fixture in the Denver Broncos offense and has impressed fantasy managers who were alert enough to add him to their roster weeks ago.

The 23-year-old finished as the best wide receiver in fantasy in Week 8 following an explosive performance against the Dallas Cowboys. He has been a double-digit performer three times this season and in Week 10, faces a Las Vegas Raiders team giving up the fourth-most points to opposing wide receivers, making him a grab-and-stash candidate.

The Broncos are 7-2 and getting hot. They have become comeback kids of sorts, mounting massive come-from-behind pushes to win their three last games. That means there are plenty of opportunities for Bo Nix to throw the ball and Franklin to be on the receiving end.

He has been targeted 28 times in the last three games and that should be more than enough evidence that Nix and the Broncos offensive play-callers like and trust Franklin to deliver.

Fantasy managers should, too.

He is available in 52 percent of ESPN and 48 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Sam Darnold, QB, Seattle Seahawks

AP Photo/Nick Wass

For all of the talk that Sam Darnold would come back to earth after leaving the comfort of Kevin O'Connell's offense in Minnesota for Seattle, the former No. 3 overall pick has certainly proven doubters wrong, putting his Seahawks in the driver's seat of the NFC West.

Sunday night, the former USC Trojan completed 21-of-24 passes for 330 yards and four touchdowns, a near perfect game against the Washington Commanders.

From a fantasy perspective, it was his fourth top-10 performance of the season and his sixth double-digit showing.

Yet, despite the success he has had, he remains rostered in only 50 percent of ESPN and 42 percent of Yahoo leagues.

He has a tough match-up against a Cardinals defense giving up just 15.14 points to opposing quarterbacks, but the Seahawks are red-hot and managers should expect Darnold to continue rolling, regardless of the opponent.

For those in need at the position due to injury or under-performance, he is a must-have player now before someone else adds him to their roster.