The Waiver Wire Wizard Week 10 2021

I believe that we can officially title Week 9 of the Fantasy Football season the "Week to Forget" - filled with drama, COVID-19 issues, injuries, massive upsets and poor performances by elite players. Listening to Sirius XM this morning, it seemed that the majority of callers were players that overcame massive projection deficits, with bottom-tier rosters squeaking out improbable victories. Have no fear, there were a few silver linings that we will cover, but this was an odd week to be sure. Hopefully in Week 10 the NFL returns to a somewhat more normal state, with semi-predictable outcomes.
 

Quarterback

Kyler Murray entered Monday spewing positive reports about how much better his ankle was feeling after Arizona's disastrous loss to Green Bay in Week 8. It turns out that was all lip service, as he ended up missing the first game of his career. Colt McCoy played admirably well in his absence, and managed to find Christian Kirk and Rondale Moore on a number of targets. Following the conclusion of the game, head coach Kliff Kingsbury stated that he couldn't commit to Murray being available for Week 10 at this moment - not particularly inspiring words. Fantasy players should continue to prepare for contingency options in Week 10, and monitor status reports of practices starting on Wednesday.

Patrick Mahomes continued his multi-week slide of mediocrity, passing for just 166 yards on 37 attempts against the Green Bay Packers. This marks the third straight contest that Mahomes has failed to throw multiple touchdowns, and it officially has me concerned. It took a while for it to happen, but it appears that the league has figured out the format to stopping Kansas City - make them be patient and check the ball down when possible. Eliminating deep passes to Tyreek Hill and double-covering Travis Kelce constantly has limited Mahomes heavily. Kansas City faces the toughest strength of schedule for the remainder of the year.

It seems that everyone has beat the "Josh Allen vs. Josh Allen" angle into the ground, so I'll make it brief. The entirety of the Buffalo Bills offense was horrendous against Jacksonville on Sunday, especially the offensive line, who opened up zero holes in the running game and kept allowing pressure on their quarterback. Better days are ahead for Buffalo against the New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts, but this was a major dud in a supposedly smash matchup.

It wasn't a major surprise to see Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert finish as the top two performers at the position, but some of the names that immediately followed were interesting. Josh Johnson was forced into duty following the elbow injury to Mike White (who was already filling in for Zack Wilson). Johnson responded by completing 27-of-41 passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns, all in "garbage" time against Indianapolis. That said? Stats are stats, no matter when they occur. It appears that White will be able to suit up in Week 10 against Buffalo, and his presence greatly aids Michael Carter, his favorite checkdown option. New York will also see their top receiving threat Corey Davis return to the field, who will form a respectable 1-2 punch with rookie Elijah Moore.

Trevor Siemian was awarded the start over Taysom Hill in New Orleans, which I was surprised with, at first glance. From a broader perspective this move makes sense, since Hill is coming off of a multi-week concussion absence with limited practice reps. It will be interesting to see who is under center in Week 10, given that Siemian struggled to move the team downfield consistently.

Running Back

Was there any other place that we could start other than James Conner? Normally relegated to goal-line and short distance work for Arizona, Conner stepped into a much bigger snap share after Chase Edmonds was sidelined with a high ankle sprain. Conner was otherworldly in both the passing game (5 receptions for 77 yards and a score) and on the ground (21 carries for 96 yards and two scores). As Fantasy managers well know, a high-ankle sprain is a multi-week injury, and Edmonds is expected to be out for 4-6 weeks at a minimum. Arizona has an unbelievably great playoff schedule (Weeks 13-17 they face Chicago, Los Angeles Rams, Detroit and Indianapolis) making Conner an upside RB2 for the immediate future. Eno Benjamin is an interesting add in 12-team or larger PPR formats, as he is the new "lightning" to Conner's "thunder". I'd be willing to drop 10-15 percent of my remaining FAAB on picking him up.

Jonathan Taylor and Nick Chubb are both STUDS. It was great to see both Cleveland and Indianapolis go back to their roots and run the ball ad nauseam. Pounding their opponents into submission on the strengths of their offensive lines is something each club needs to do repeatedly.

I placed him in the running back category, but Cordarrelle Patterson is a true wolf in sheep's clothing at the position. Let's be honest folks, he's a bigger bodied wide receiver who occasionally runs the ball. Semantics aside, Patterson continues to prove both myself and other doubters wrong - his elite production hasn't fallen off. Patterson has averaged 20 points per week in a PPR setting. If I had shares of Patterson on my team, I'd look to sell-high if possible, as Atlanta faces a very difficult stretch through Week 14 - Dallas, New England, Jacksonville, Tampa Bay and Carolina.

Free Javonte Williams, Denver! FREE THAT MAN! I'll continue to pound the table until they hear me. He's a more talented runner than Melvin Gordon, and it should be evident to anyone who watches Denver each week. I'm fine with Gordon being used as a change-of-pace player, but Williams has deserved more carries. He managed to record 111 rushing yards on 17 carries, and did score a touchdown (the play was ruled short but head coach Vic Fangio never challenged it).

The consensus top pick Christian McCaffrey came back to the field for the first time since Week 3, and he immediately came into 18 touches and over 100 all-purpose yards. He didn't display his normal "burst", and it was definitely evident that he was knocking some rust off. Better days are ahead, if he can manage to stay healthy. I'd hold onto Chuba Hubbard if possible, as he filled in admirably when CMC was injured.

Austin Ekeler posted the second-worst scoring performance of his 2021 season against Philadelphia, as he failed to eclipse 60 rushing yards and he was held out of the end zone. I'm not worried in the slightest.

Wide Receiver

Cooper Kupp is a freak. He's averaged nearly 25 points PER WEEK in a PPR format due to a bevy of targets each week, and I honestly don't see how opposing defenses can shut down this combination. He's a fun player to watch.

Remember how I mentioned earlier that Josh Johnson threw for all of those yards in the second half against Indianapolis? The biggest beneficiary was Elijah Moore, and his long-awaited breakout is finally happening. Extremely quiet through the first 7 weeks of the season, Moore has 13 catches for 151 yards and two scores over the past two weeks. Drafted as the shiftier compliment in space opposite Corey Davis, Moore will be an upside WR3 in PPR formats moving forward. New York will be playing constantly from behind, so don't be surprised to see Moore have Jekyll-and-Hyde first and second halves with the team needing to throw the ball. Moore is somehow only rostered in 15 percent of leagues - I'd be very, very aggressive trying to add him.

It is amazing what happens when Jalen Hurts manages to get Devonta Smith the ball, now isn't it? My twitter timeline each week is filled with "where the heck is Smith?" questions, to which I generally respond "not near the ball". Smith normally sees six or more targets each week, but he has failed to post big numbers consistently, due to inaccuracy issues. Smith is devastating on crossing routes - Philadelphia needs to make it a priority to get him going early and often if they want to compete.

Someone was due to benefit from the absence of Calvin Ridley, but few could have predicted that it would be Olamide Zaccheaus in Week 9. Russell Gage may have seen more targets from Matt Ryan, but Zaccheaus' big-play ability led to two touchdowns inside the ten-yard line. Is he worth an endorsement and addition in standard size leagues? No. However, he's someone to currently add on your watch list for the short-term, with Ridley's status unknown.

One of the most added receivers off the waiver wire in Week 9, Bryan Edwards came away with a goose egg against the New York Giants. Following the much-publicized release of Henry Ruggs after his car accident, Edwards was expected to pick up the slack as a downfield threat for Las Vegas. The team clearly wasn't thrilled with his performance, as they have struck a deal with veteran free agent DeSean Jackson. Even in his advanced age, Jackson remains one of the most dangerous downfield threats when (and if) his mind is right and his body is healthy. Those two variables aren't always in synch, however. I'd be willing to drop a dollar or two on Jackson in standard leagues, or those that award additional points for long touchdowns.

Anyone who follow me on Twitter (@Roto_Wizard for those in the dark) long knows that I've been a supporter of Donovan Peoples-Jones in Cleveland, and I've been clamoring for him to see additional snaps and opportunities. Odell Beckham Jr. and his childish antics forced the teams hand, and now he is a free agent. "DPJ" isn't necessarily a possession-based receiver, but rather a big-bodied downfield threat capable of taking the top off of safeties and cornerbacks alike. Over his last three official "starts" he has seen 14 targets, catching 11 passes for 257 yards and three touchdowns. Yes, Cleveland remains a run-first team, but I'm willing to toss a 5-10 percent bid to add him as depth.

Tight End

George Kittle returned to the field in Week 9, and reports from San Francisco had him pegged on a snap count, so expectations were generally tempered. It turns out (as it often does with the 49ers beat reporters) that they were completely wrong, and Kittle played 73 percent of the team's snaps, running a route on 67 percent of plays.

Speaking of tight ends that returned off of an injury, Darren Waller managed to grace us with his presence in Week 9, and he finally saw double-digit targets from Derek Carr for the first time since Week 1. Waller has been one of the unquestioned busts at the position, due to lack of usage and lingering health issues. Las Vegas will definitely need to throw the ball to stay competitive over the next three weeks, as the team squares off against Kansas City, Cincinnati and Dallas. Waller should remain a focal point of the offense - better days are hopefully ahead.

His overall volume may be low, but few can deny that Hunter Henry is New England's top red-zone weapon. Since Week 4, Henry has caught a touchdown in five of the past six games, which gives him fringe TE1 rankings. He is clearly the alpha player at the position over Jonnu Smith, even though both players were awarded major contracts during the offseason.

Color me surprised that the New York Giants didn't manage to trade Evan Engram by the deadline. There were multiple reports stating that Green Bay was interested in adding the former first-round pick, but apparently the Cheeseheads were unable to match the Giants demands. Engram has seen increased usage due to the team's injury woes at wideout and running back, and he has responded with three consecutive double-digit weeks in PPR formats. New York is on a bye during Week 10, and there is an outside chance that both Sterling Shepard and Saquon Barkley return afterwards. It will be interesting to see if Jason Garrett can continue to dial up plays that capitalize on Engram's athleticism out of the break.

Reports out of Buffalo suggest that Dawson Knox will return to practice soon, suggesting that he could return for the team's contest against the New York Jets in Week 10. Fresh off of a humiliating defeat against Jacksonville, I fully expect Buffalo to come into MetLife Stadium and beat the pants off Gang-Green. Knox will be a major part of that effort to get the team's offense back on track. Prior to injuring his hand, Knox had been a top-5 contributor at the position.

Who said that rookie tight ends can't make an impact? How about Pat Freiermuth in Pittsburgh! The 'Muth is Loose! The Penn State product continued his torrid stretch since taking over for Eric Ebron, catching 5 passes for 43 yards and two touchdowns as part of Pittsburgh's victory over Chicago during Monday Night Football. He has really taken off since JuJu Smith-Schuster was placed on I.R., and I expect this trend to continue. Freiermuth is owned in just 32 percent of leagues, and that number needs to rise. If available, put a 10-15 percent bid to add him.