There are some heavy hitters on bye for Week 10 as the Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets all take a seat.
Ok, maybe you’re not losing sleep over New York, but the rest? Absolutely! I’ve outlined five players owned in less than 50 per cent of most fantasy football leagues to consider scooping up off of the waiver wire.
As always, ask me any fantasy questions on Twitter @AndyMc81 using #AskAndy
Duke Johnson, RB, Texans
Yahoo! League Ownership: 16%
This is a situation to track as starter David Johnson is in concussion protocol. If he sits, then Duke Johnson becomes a volume-based Flex/RB3 in PPR formats. The problem is that you’ll need to add Duke before we for sure know David’s status.
It’s a nice matchup for the Miami Hurricanes alum, who will be facing the team that drafted him in Cleveland. Myles Garrett is No. 2 for sacks in the NFL and his disruptive force makes Duke a prime candidate for quick dump off tosses from Deshaun Watson. As the lead running back after the injury to David, the 27-year old scored a touchdown along with 16 carries and four receptions in the victory over Jacksonville.
Duke will need to make his mark as a pass-catcher since he’s never been a successful in-between-the-tackles rusher.
Rashard Higgins, WR, Browns
Yahoo! League Ownership: 24%
I think Rashard Higgins could be the best under-the-radar waiver pickup of Week 10. The man they call “Hollywood” is fresh off Cleveland’s bye as the second receiver behind Jarvis Landry. Many analysts will ignore Higgins after the entire offence fell flat in a 16-6 loss to the Raiders two Sundays ago. The stat line was awful all around, primarily due to rain, snow and unpredictable gusting winds that made throwing the ball a bad idea for much of the afternoon.
Don’t discount the bond between Higgins and Baker Mayfield. The quarterback seems to find the six-foot-one, Texas native in the endzone and when chains need moving “Hollywood” actually gets meaningful snaps. The week prior to the Las Vegas defeat, Odell Beckham Jr. tore his ACL in the first quarter of the Bengals game and Higgins was elevated on the depth chart. Six catches and 110 yards later, the young veteran demonstrated his value once again.
Something else to keep in mind is that star running back Nick Chubb is expected to return, which should ease outside coverage as the Texans must focus on the Chubb-Hunt ground combo. Houston’s allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to wide receivers so far in 2020.
Jordan Reed, TE, 49ers
Yahoo! League Ownership: 23%
The shallow depth of fantasy-relevant tight ends makes Jordan Reed a high-priority target for those in need. He was rushed back from the I.R. last Thursday and now has had an additional 10 days to heal further. When Reed was healthy back in Week 2 filling in for George Kittle, he exploded for two touchdowns, and now gets a similar opportunity vs. New Orleans. The Saints are ranked 28th when it comes to giving up fantasy points to TEs.
Ross Dwelley’s presence is concerning as someone that could syphon snaps away from Reed. Dwelley out-touched him this past weekend, but Reed is the superior athlete and should get plenty of chances with the slew of injuries that plague San Francisco.
J.D. McKissic, RB, Washington
Yahoo! League Ownership: 24%
Don’t look now, but Washington may actually possess two legitimate fantasy running backs. Dynamic rookie Antonio Gibson is still the star, but J.D. McKissic has emerged as a solid PPR flex option.
The dink and dunk passing of Alex Smith definitely benefits McKissic, who’s quickly developed a rapport with his QB. Smith targeted the undrafted back a surprising 14 times in the loss to the Giants and incredibly, he led the entire NFL in passing routes for Week 9 at 31. That type of volume can’t be ignored, especially battling a Lions defence that’s second-worst in FPTs allowed to RBs.
Philadelphia Eagles, Defence
Yahoo! League Ownership: 47%
Coming off their bye, the Eagles sit as the sixth most productive defence in fantasy football. Their NFC East rivals New York Giants are next with an anemic offence that’s averaging the second-fewest points per game at 18.7. A high likelihood of turnovers presents itself as Daniel Jones has chucked nine interceptions to just eight touchdowns as well as five fumbles this season.
Philadelphia’s defence must be rostered wherever available.
