We’ve reached the bye-pocalypse. Six teams are on a bye this week: Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins. This means that your team will likely need to look to stream a position or two while you cobble together your roster. Look no further than these NFL Week 10 bye week streamers.
Streaming Options
These are all players available in 60% or more of ESPN leagues. Some are shallower options for 10-team leagues. Some are deeper choices for 14-team leagues. All should be looked at if you’re desperate. You never know what’s on your waiver wire until you check for yourself.
QB: Ryan Tannehill v KC (13% owned)
We all know how ugly the Tennessee Titans’ offense is, but when so many teams are on a bye, you are sometimes left with few options. Ryan Tannehill and the Titans will likely be playing from behind, regardless of whether Matt Moore or Patrick Mahomes is at quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, so that means he has more of a chance to be throwing early and often. Add to that the fact that the Chiefs’ defense isn’t exactly stellar against the pass, and you have a perfect streaming choice if you’re up against the wall this week.
QB: Ryan Finley v BAL (2% owned)
With the benching of Andy Dalton this week, we have another first-time starting quarterback as an option to play this week. This pick is more for Superflex leagues, but depending on the depth of your league and how badly you’re affected by the bye-pocalpyse, Finley might not be the worst option. Sure, it’s his first start, and the Baltimore Ravens are pretty good against the pass, but it’s possible the Cincinnati Bengals’ rookie could surprise us plus Joe Mixon looks to continue his slow climb back to relevancy.
It beats just taking a zero at the position, right?
RB: Kalen Ballage @ IND (13% owned)
With Mark Walton’s suspension and last week’s trade of Kenyan Drake, the Miami Dolphins are getting desperate at the running back position, much like many fantasy players who are forced to bench normal starters like Leonard Fournette, James White, and Phillip Lindsay. Kalen Ballage isn’t pretty, and it’s unlikely that you’ll be happy about it, but it’s very likely that he’s on the waiver wire in your league now if you need the help.
RB: Trey Edmunds v LAR (5% owned)
This one is more of a longshot and hinges on whether or not star running back James Conner can play this week for the Pittsburgh Steelers. If he plays, Trey Edmunds is not worth playing in any format. But if Conner misses again, look for Edmunds to get the bulk of the rushing work again this week. He should get at least 10-15 touches and can take any one of those to the house behind that offensive line in Pittsburgh. He’s definitely worth an add as we wait to see if Conner plays but make sure that Edmunds himself will be suiting up as he deals with an injury of his own.
WR: DeVante Parker @ IND (34% owned)
This is more for shallower leagues as DeVante Parker was likely picked up on waivers this week with the injury to Preston Williams that ended his season but take a look anyway. It’s possible that Parker cleared waivers, or better yet, was dropped by someone needing a QB this week. Parker has started building a bond with veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick and should see his fair share of downfield looks. Parker is definitely worth a WR3 or Flex start this week.
WR: Darius Slayton @ NYJ (12% owned)
Darius Slayton is quickly becoming one of the hotter adds in fantasy football but still remains unowned in over 80% of leagues for some reason. It’s likely that Sterling Shepard is done for the year, and it’s very clear that Daniel Jones has no problem tossing the long ball, which is where Slayton tends to live. On top of that, the New York Jets are the sixth easiest defense for wide receivers, making this a slam dunk flex play if he’s still available.
TE: Mike Gesicki @ IND (5% owned)
Yet another Dolphins player makes the streaming list this week in Mike Gesicki. Gesicki wowed audiences and fans alike at the NFL Combine but has been sitting on dynasty benches ever since. Now is the week he gets to see the starting lineup. In redraft leagues, he’s definitely worth an add since players like Noah Fant, Zach Ertz, and Darren Fells are all on a bye. Gesicki is heating up right when fantasy football players need him, making him a perfect NFL Week 10 bye week streamer.
TE: Rhett Ellison @ NYJ (<1% owned)
Rhett Ellison makes the list solely because of the injury to star TE Evan Engram, but he should see plenty of targets this week and it’s more than likely that he’s still on the waiver wire in your league. Ellison hasn’t done much this year, and the Jets aren’t bad against tight ends, but in the current tight end landscape volume is king, and Ellison should see plenty of it this week. Engram should return in Week 12 (after their bye), so after this week, you can safely drop Ellison for anyone else you like, but play him this week with confidence.
D/ST: New York Giants v NYJ (15% owned)
I know I’ve mentioned a couple of New York Giants players to target this week, but the Giants’ defense isn’t a bad play either if you’re looking for a fill-in. The Jets just got beat by the previously winless Miami Dolphins and Le’Veon Bell is banged up. This is the battle for New York, so emotions will be high, and don’t forget that Sam Darnold is playing QB for the Jets. I hear he sees ghosts, so the Giants D/ST might just scare him into some turnovers.
D/ST: Arizona Cardinals @ TB (5% owned)
Tampa Bay is always a good target for streaming options, especially when it comes to defense. The Arizona Cardinals have looked better as of late and are putting up some decent numbers on offense, so this game could be a shootout, meaning added chances for their defense to get turnovers from the pass-happy Jameis Winston and crew. The floor is low for the Cardinals D/ST, but the ceiling is pretty high, as well. A risky play, but one worth taking if you’re desperate.
Injuries to keep an eye on
Here are some fantasy football players who are injured that we’re watching as we approach Sunday and Monday. At the very least, put these guys in your flex spot so you can have more options for replacing them should they be a late scratch at game time.
Patrick Mahomes (Sun Early) – Full participant – Likely to play
Matt Ryan (Sun Early) – Limited – Likely to play
Cam Newton (Sun Late) – IR – OUT
Le’Veon Bell (Sun Early) – DNP – Likely to play
Alvin Kamara (Sun Early) – Limited/DNP – Game-time decision
David Johnson (Sun Early) – Full – Likely to play
Christian McCaffrey (Sun Late) – Limited/DNP – Likely to play
James Conner (Sun Late) – DNP – Game-time decision
Matt Breida (Mon Night) – Full – Likely to play
Adam Thielen (Sun Early) – DNP – Unlikely to play
A.J. Green (Sun Early) – DNP/Limited – Out indefinitely
Sterling Shepard (Sun Early) – DNP – OUT
Curtis Samuel (Sun Late) – DNP – Game-time decision
Davante Adams (Sun Late) – Limited – Likely to play
Brandin Cooks (Sun Late) – DNP – OUT
Amari Cooper (Sun Night) – Limited – Likely to play
Evan Engram (Sun Early) – DNP – Unlikely to play
Chris Herndon (Sun Early) – Limited – Likely to play
O.J. Howard (Sun Late) – Full – Likely to play
Hit us up on Twitter @PFNFantasy with your reaction to these NFL Week 10 bye week streamers as well as all of your start/sit questions for this week’s games. Also, continue to visit the Pro Football Network for NFL news and in-depth analysis like the PFN OSM data while also visiting our Fantasy Football section for more coverage.
Andrew Hall is a writer for PFN covering Fantasy Football. You can follow him @AndrewHallFF on Twitter.