Fantasy Football Week 10: Tua Tagovailoa and Other Top Waiver-Wire Targets
The middle part of the NFL season can be a tough road to navigate for fantasy football managers. Injuries tend to pile up as the season progresses, and bye weeks can be an Achilles' heel for even the most well-drafted squads.
The 2020 season has brought the added uncertainty of the reserve/COVID-19 list, which can take a player out of the lineup on short notice. Naturally, the waiver wire has become a valuable resource in early November.
With the Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs and New York Jets on bye in Week 10, many managers will look to the wire to round out their starting lineups.
Here, we'll examine some of the top waiver-wire targets for Week 10. We'll be looking specifically at players who are rostered in less than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues, and we'll start things off with one of the rookie sensations of 2020.
All picks are based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.
Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins (24 Percent Rostered)
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Rookie quarterbacks Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert have already established themselves as reliable fantasy quarterbacks. While Miami Dolphins rookie signal-caller Tua Tagovailoa isn't there just yet, he provided some legitimate signs of promise in Week 9.
Tagovailoa passed for 248 yards and two touchdowns against the Arizona Cardinals while rushing for another 35 yards.
While he isn't a dual-threat in the Kyler Murray mold—he only ran twice for zero yards in his Week 8 starting debut—he should provide some weekly rushing upside, which is a bonus for fantasy managers. Most importantly, he appears to be 100 percent healthy with a good grasp of coordinator Chan Gailey's offense.
"The stage wasn't too big for him tonight, he played well," head coach Brian Flores told reporters after Sunday's win.
Tagovailoa should be good for 200-plus passing yards against the Los Angeles Chargers' 16th-ranked pass defense. He's rostered in just 24 percent of Yahoo leagues and 20 percent of ESPN leagues.
Baker Mayfield, QB, Cleveland Browns (33 Percent Rostered)
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield hasn't been a reliable fantasy option since his rookie season in 2018. However, he tends to be serviceable against bad defenses, which is what he will face in Week 10.
The Houston Texans rank just 23rd in pass defense, 22nd in yards per attempt allowed and 29th in points allowed. Their defense has logged just two interceptions on the season, the lowest total in the NFL. Since turnovers are one of Mayfield's biggest concerns, this matchup should allow him to be a viable Week 10 spot start.
Don't expect huge numbers from Mayfield, especially with running back Nick Chubb likely to return. However, the former Oklahoma star has tossed at least one touchdown in every game except one this season and has thrown multiple touchdowns five different times, including five against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7.
Poor conditions hampered Mayfield in Week 8, but he should bounce back to see 200-plus yards and a couple of scoring throws against the Texans. He is rostered in just 33 percent of Yahoo leagues and 18 percent of ESPN leagues.
Joshua Kelley and Kalen Ballage, RBs, LA Chargers (42 and 1 Percent Rostered)
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The pickings are getting slim at running back, which is bad for those rostering players like Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Todd Gurley this week. However, one injury may have opened the door for a couple of viable Week 10 flex plays.
Chargers running back Justin Jackson suffered a knee injury early against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. That allowed running backs Joshua Kelley and Kalen Ballage to see fairly significant opportunities. Ballage racked up 69 rushing yards, 15 receiving yards and a touchdown, while Kelly caught five passes and totaled 59 scrimmage yards.
Neither player should be viewed as a high-end play, but both should be serviceable PPR options against the Miami Dolphins and their 25th-ranked rushing defense.
Ballage should be widely available since he's rostered in 1 percent or less of both Yahoo and ESPN leagues. Kelley is rostered in 42 percent of Yahoo leagues and 48 percent of ESPN leagues. It's worth putting in a waiver claim for one of the two, though managers will want to monitor Jackson's status leading up to Sunday.
Gus Edwards, RB, Baltimore Ravens (37 Percent Rostered)
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Baltimore Ravens running back Gus Edwards is another potential bye-week fill-in. As is the case with Joshua Kelly and Kalen Ballage, though, managers will want to follow Baltimore's backfield situation closely before committing to him.
Starting back Mark Ingram II missed a second straight game with an ankle injury in Week 9. That opened the door for Edwards, who logged 34 scrimmage yards, two receptions and a rushing touchdown. Rookie JK Dobbins, meanwhile, logged 12 carries to Edwards' 11 and also caught two passes.
Edwards and Dobbins will likely continue to split carries, and if Ingram returns to the starting lineup, both their values will take a hit. If Ingram remains out, though, Edwards could be a sneaky-good play against the New England Patriots and their 28th-ranked run defense.
In a pinch, he could probably be started even if Ingram does make his way back.
Though not as available as Ballage, Edwards is rostered in just 37 percent of Yahoo leagues and 10 percent of ESPN leagues.
Jalen Reagor, WR, Philadelphia Eagles (24 Percent Rostered)
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The waiver-wire options are also somewhat limited at receiver, which is bad news for those rostering the likes of Julio Jones, Tyreek Hill and Amari Cooper. However, Philadelphia Eagles rookie wideout Jalen Reagor could be a nice bye-week option as the Eagles are eager to get him more involved.
According to special teams coach Dave Fipp, Philadelphia may try the first-year wideout as a return man.
"He had not been able to practice for a long time. We didn't just want to throw him back there in that situation. I'm sure as we get going, we'll work him back in and see him more and more back there," Fipp said, per Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Obviously, return yards aren't relevant in most fantasy formats. However, the team's desire to get Reagor involved could extend to the offense.
He caught three passes for 16 yards, rushed once for six yards and scored a touchdown in Week 8—Philly was on bye in Week 9—and he also saw six targets. It's not outlandish to think he could receive double-digit targets against the rival New York Giants this week.
While the Giants defense has been fairly solid this season, it does rank 25th against the pass. Reagor could have a legitimate breakout game in Week 10, and he's rostered in 24 percent of Yahoo leagues and 15 percent of ESPN leagues.
Tim Patrick, WR, Denver Broncos (21 Percent Rostered)
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While Jalen Reagor is a bit of an upside-based play, Denver Broncos wideout Tim Patrick has a fairly high floor. He had a down game two weeks ago, catching three passes for 44 yards, but returned to relevance in Week 9. Against the Atlanta Falcons, he caught four passes for 29 yards and a touchdown.
Patrick has hauled in at least three passes in each of his last five games, and he topped 100 yards in both Weeks 4 and 6. He doesn't appear likely to fade from the game plan, either, as he had nine targets against Atlanta.
While the Week 9 emergence of Jerry Jeudy could lead some managers to overlook Patrick, don't be one of them. He should be a reliable option against the Las Vegas Raiders and their 26th-ranked pass defense in Week 10.
Patrick is rostered in 21 percent of Yahoo leagues and 14 percent of ESPN leagues.
Austin Hooper, TE, Cleveland Browns (41 Percent Rostered)
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Like Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns tight end Austin Hooper appears ready to return in Week 10.
"Hooper, who missed the past two games after undergoing an appendectomy, says he feels great, ready to get rolling again," Tony Zarrella of 19 News Cleveland tweeted.
While Hooper hasn't been the centerpiece of the Browns passing attack, he has caught five passes in each of his last three games and topped 50 yards in each of his last two. He should be a solid PPR replacement for players like Travis Kelce and Hayden Hurst while they're on bye.
We've already discussed the Houston Texans' 23rd-ranked pass defense and why it represents a favorable matchup for Baker Mayfield and the Browns. Expect Hooper to have a solid floor with some scoring upside.
He is rostered in 41 percent of both Yahoo and ESPN leagues.
Jimmy Graham, TE, Chicago Bears (49 Percent Rostered)
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Like Austin Hooper, Chicago Bears tight end Jimmy Graham is more of a spot-start candidate than a reliable long-term option. However, he's been solid against the right opponents. He's caught at least five passes in four games and a touchdown pass in four contests this season, and he'll have a solid matchup in Week 10.
The Minnesota Vikings rank 30th in pass defense and 25th in points allowed.
Against the Tennessee Titans in Week 9, Graham caught all six of his targets for 55 yards and a touchdown. That's roughly what managers should expect against Minnesota even if his Week 8 dud suggests otherwise.
While Graham only had two receptions for 13 yards against the New Orleans Saints, he was targeted seven times. He's been targeted at least six times in each of his past four outings and should again be one of Nick Foles' first options.
Graham is rostered in 49 percent of Yahoo leagues and 56 percent of ESPN leagues.
Yahoo and ESPN roster percentages from FantasyPros. Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference.
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