Week 10 Waiver Wire: Fantasy Football's Top Breakout Candidates and Pickups

Working the waiver wire in any fantasy football league requires constant vigilance and a never-ending effort to stay ahead of the curve.

That's the case again after another unpredictable weekend of games, which saw a number of afterthought players emerge into viable fantasy options. Whether you're in a deep league or not, there should be plenty of those players at your disposal.

Let's take a look at some of the best waiver-wire pickups to make entering Week 10, only considering players well below the 50-percent ownership threshold on ESPN. 

Pos.	Player	Team	Week 10 Opp.	% Owned
QB	Marcus Mariota	Titans	Panthers	37.2
QB	Jameis Winston	Buccaneers	Cowboys	31.9
RB	James Starks	Packers	Lions	40.6
RB	Shaun Draughn	49ers	Bye	3.8
WR	Dorial Green-Beckham	Titans	Panthers	8.8
WR	Marques Colston	Saints	Redskins	38.2
TE	Richard Rodgers	Packers	Lions	29.6
TE	Owen Daniels	Broncos	Chiefs	22.3
D/ST	Kansas City Chiefs	Chiefs	Broncos	22.8

Must-Add Targets

Marcus Mariota, QB, Tennessee Titans

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome back to fantasy relevance, Marcus Mariota.

The Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback returned from a two-game injury absence Sunday and did so in style. He gashed the New Orleans Saints defense for 371 passing yards and four touchdowns, not turning the ball over once in the process.

Mariota shattered a record in the process, per ESPN Stats & Info:

The 2-6 Titans have newfound life in the AFC South race—yes, you read that correctly—after their comeback overtime win, and Mariota is getting the pass protection needed after some offensive line reshuffling. You might want to leave him benched for a tough Week 10 outing against the Carolina Panthers, but Mariota is well worth a spot on your roster.

Shaun Draughn, RB, San Francisco 49ers

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It was anyone's guess as to which running back would turn into the San Francisco 49ers' feature back in the wake of Carlos Hyde's injury and various other backfield issues. Now, it's obvious that man is Shaun Draughn.

The running back had a good first outing in Week 9 during the 49ers' upset of the Atlanta Falcons, taking 16 carries for 58 yards. Even more important is that he got the bulk of the snaps, as Nathan Jahnke of Pro-Football-Focus.com reported:

While quarterback Blaine Gabbert proved he's the guy moving forward under center for San Francisco, Draughn may have done the same in the backfield. With the 49ers facing a Week 10 bye, it would be wise to snatch Draughn for the second-half stretch of the season.

Owen Daniels, TE, Denver Broncos

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The Broncos went out and traded for tight end Vernon Davis last week, but maybe that just woke up Owen Daniels.

Daniels hadn't reached the double-digit plateau in fantasy points once this season, until Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts, that is. He caught six balls for 102 yards and a touchdown, proving the trade may have inspired him as Matthew Berry of ESPN noted:

Quarterback Peyton Manning has a plethora of options to work with in the passing game, but Daniels proved to be among the most reliable in a tough game against the Colts Sunday. That should suggest he's worth a spot on your roster heading down the stretch.

Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Tennessee Titans

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With Kendall Wright going down with an injury, the Titans desperately needed one of their young receivers to step up for Mariota. That's exactly what Dorial Green-Beckham did.

Stepping into Wright's role, Green-Beckham proved his consistency for the first time in his young NFL career. He caught five passes for 77 yards, led the Titans in targets with 10 (more than 25 percent of Mariota's attempts) and stood out in a big way.

He didn't catch a touchdown, but with two early-season scores and a massive frame, he's already proven dangerous in the red zone. Now, DGB appears ready to be more of a complete receiver.