Free Agency and Injury report week 10 2019v

By Kyle Dvorchak

Week 10 didn't have as many surprising fantasy performances as it did actual NFL performances with the Saints and Rams taking major losses. The few injuries that did occur may prove pivotal to the final weeks of the fantasy season. Let's get to it.

#TeamPreseason Comes to Life
Brian Hill has been a player who's balled out in the preseason but he's never been given much of a shot after August. This might be his big break as Devonta Freeman went down with a foot injury. Hill carried the ball a whopping 20 times and caught a pass as well. He found the end zone on his lone receptions.

With Ito Smith on IR and Freeman out, the Falcons had only Hill and Kenjon Barner left to carry the ball. They showed no interest in using Barner, who recorded one touch on Sunday.

With Hill being the Falcon's back of choice until Freeman returns, he's a player worth blowing the rest of your FAAB on. He should also be prioritized over any other player on waivers this week. Running backs with the chance at a three-down role don't come around this late in the season very often.

Austin Hooper Unable to Finish Off the Upset
The Falcons may have scored a meaningless win over the Saints, but it cost them Austin Hooper's health. He took to the sidelines in the fourth quarter and did not see the field for the rest of the game.

If Hooper misses any time, all of the receiving options would get a significant upgrade in targets on a weekly basis. Hooper is second on the team with an 18% target share. Julio Jones only has a 22% target share on the season. This injury could elevate him closer to his 28% target share he saw in 2018. That would be a major boon for his fantasy value.

Russel Gage would be the other beneficiary if Hooper is out for an extended period of time. Without their stud tight end in the lineup, Atlanta would likely show more wide receiver-heavy sets which means more Gage.

Gage is second on the team in targets (14) through two games without Mohamed Sanu in town. This would solidify his role as the team's No. 3 option in the passing game.

Lions Running Back Woes Continue

Ty Johnson suffered a concussion on Sunday and was later ruled out. J.D. McKissic led the team with 10 carries. He added six touches through the air. Paul Perkins totaled just eight touches on the day.

McKissic quietly ran added the bulk of the rushing value left behind by Johnson despite being a receiving-back by trade. Perkins has no value running back McKissic and getting little passing-game work.

If Johnson is out in Week 11, McKissic will be a solid flex option. McKissic is 34th in the NFL in targets among running backs this season. That's in spite of playing just 21% of the team's snaps before today. Now, in a full-time role within the Lions offense, McKissic has sneaky value as a rusher and receiver.

Saquon Turned Saquoff on Sunday

The Giants have been unable to get Saquon going this season. In no game was that more evident than versus the Jets when he rushed 13 times and gained one yard. He caught five passes for 30 yards as well. Barkley got X-Rays after the game but the extent or type of his injury is unknown.

The Giants are in the bottom half in yards and points as an offense and have given the ball away more than any other team this season. It's hard for any back, even Barkley, to put up fantasy numbers in those conditions. The volume he sees i the passing game makes him an-every week starter. However, you have to start viewing him as a high-floor play with a heavily capped ceiling until his offense turns around (don't plan on this happening in 2019).

Tyler Boyd Gets a Lot of Targets, Disappoints, and Gets Injured

A staple of any Bengals game, Tyler Boyd receiving a lot of targets (8 this week) and didn't do much with them (6-62-0). This week he mixed things up by getting injured late in the game. He did not return.

A.J. Green still seems to be a few weeks out from playing and he doesn't have much incentive to anymore. His free agency is looming and the Bengals are all but eliminated from the post-season.

That leaves Auden Tate and Alex Erickson to take over as the lead-receivers for Cincinnati. This doesn't mean much as the Bengals have capped out at 23 points this season. That was five games ago. They haven't eclipsed 17 since.

There's no upside to playing any Bengals players and Ryan Finnley just threw for 5.6 yards per attempt. Any receiver on this team has a basement-level floor because of the quality of the targets they're seeing. There's simply no reason to play Bengals players in fantasy football this season.

Emmanuel Sanders Injury Paves the Way for Deebo Samuel

Emmanuel Sanders left holding his chest versus the Seahawks on Monday Night Football. He was not able to return. Deebo Samuel took over as the team's No. 1 receiver and did not miss a beat.

It remains to been seen if Sanders' injury is a long-term issue but if it is Samuel has to be owned in every league. As his team's lead-receiver, Samuel should not only be rostered in every league, any team that isn't loaded at wide receiver should be starting Samuel.

Kendrick Bourne was second on the team in targets (X) but doesn't garner the same consideration as Samuel. The 49ers' run-first offense hasn't supported a second receiver all season and that isn't changing anytime soon.

And the Tight End Streamer of the Week Is…

Seattle entered Monday Night Football with Luke Willson as their starting receiver but they left with the best fantasy tight end you can still get off the waiver wire: Jacob Hollister.

Willson injured his hamstring and did not return which left Seattle with a single healthy tight end on the roster. Over his past two games, Hollister has posted a 7-56-3 line.

Anyone playing a majority of the Seahawks' snaps with Russel Wilson under center is interesting. When that player plays a position as thin as tight end, they're a borderline starter in most fantasy leagues.

Tyler Lockett Ends a Thriller on the Sidelines

The Seahawks won the game of the year through ten weeks on Monday night but they did so without Tyler Lockett's help. Lockett did not play a snap in overtime while dealing with a lower left leg injury.

The Seahawks have a bye in Week 11 which should help both Willson and Lockett get healthy. However, if Lockett can't suit up in Week 12, it's wheels up for Josh Gordon (but for real this time).

Gordon was targeted twice on two pivotal plays and came up big. He brought both targets in and helped keep Seattle alive. With an extra week to learn the playbook, he's the one to step up in Lockett's absence as the team's No. 2 receiver.

D.K. Metcalf has been targeted 8.3 times per game in his last four outings. With Lockett out, he'll slide in as Wilson's top receiving option. You were already playing Metcalf before this news but you can that much more confident now that he's a bonafide alpha receiver on his team.