Waiver Wire Week 10: Top targets include Baker Mayfield, Jared Goff

The fantasy football playoffs are just a month away, and it’s crucial that you get your Week 10 waiver wire targets and pickups right. There are some fascinating players on the waiver wire this week, with players such as Austin Ekeler and Dallas Goedert returning from injury and potentially available if they were released during the ups and downs of the last few weeks. On the quarterback side, we are getting the likes of Jared Goff and Baker Mayfield back from their bye week, both of who could be available in single QB formats. With those names in mind, let’s take a look at who the top potential waiver wire targets and pickups are in Week 10 of the 2020 NFL season.

Waiver Wire Targets Week 10: Quarterbacks

Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams (vs Seattle Seahawks)

Goff has a juicy matchup against a Seattle defense that has allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season. The Seahawks also have the fifth-highest Defensive Points Allowed Consistency Score (D-PAC), meaning that not only do they give up a lot of points to opposing QBs, but they do so on a regular basis.

Related | Fantasy QB Rankings Week 10: Sleepers, must starts, busts

Goff averaged over 300 yards against the Seahawks last season, and quite possibly he and McVay have their number. Coming off a bye, Goff and the Rams offense should be rested up and ready to go.

Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns (vs Houston Texans)

Baker Mayfield is another QB coming off a bye week with a favorable matchup for fantasy teams this week. QBs are averaging over 20 fantasy points against the Texans this season and just allowed Jake Luton to put up over 20 last week. Mayfield is is a slight uncertainty this week, but that should play into your hands in Free Agent Acquisition Budget leagues, where others might hesitate to chase Mayfield heading into Week 10.

Other quarterbacks to consider adding in Week 10:

• Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles (at New York Giants)
• Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders (vs. Denver Broncos)
• Teddy Bridgewater, Carolina Panthers (vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
• Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (vs. Los Angeles Chargers)
• Nick Foles, Chicago Bears (vs. Minnesota Vikings)

Waiver Wire Targets Week 10: Running Backs

Duke Johnson, Houston Texans (at Cleveland Browns)

If David Johnson is inactive this week due to the concussion he sustained in Week 9, Duke Johnson will be a great Week 10 waiver wire option against the Browns team that moved on from him. One team’s trash is another team’s treasure and revenge games are certainly a thing in professional sports.

Related | Eight buy low, sell high fantasy trade targets in Week 10

The Browns have allowed ball carriers to score in four straight games and RBs are averaging 17 fantasy points per game against them. Additionally, the Browns are consistently allowing opposing RBs to have success, as they have the second-highest D-PAC score against the position in PPR leagues and third in standard scoring.

J.D. McKissic, Washington Football Team (at Detroit Lions)

I love the way McKissic is being used in the passing game, with 14 targets last week. Alex Smith will utilize him moving forward, and he has a solid matchup in Week 10 against a Lions defense that has been weak against opposing RBs. The Lions allow the most points to the position on a per-week basis in both standard and PPR formats. McKissic is perhaps a back that will have slipped under the radar, as he has not logged more than eight carries in any game this season.

Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers (at Miami Dolphins)

The jury is still out on exactly when Austin Ekeler will return, with uncertainty having been a big part of the picture for Ekeler in Week 9 as well. However, that uncertainty entering Week 10 can play into your hands when it comes to Ekeler’s value as a waiver wire pickup. Any time you can identify potential waiver targets that have question marks, they are likely to be less popular than other options who are healthy. Gamble on Ekeler now and then perhaps snag one of the Chargers other running backs for short term insurance.

Other running backs to consider adding in Week 10:

• Joshua Kelley, Los Angeles Chargers (at Miami Dolphins)
• Kalen Ballage, Los Angeles Chargers (at Miami Dolphins)
• Ryan Nall, Chicago Bears (vs Minnesota Vikings)
• Salvon Ahmed, Miami Dolphins (vs Los Angeles Chargers)
• Mark Ingram, Baltimore Ravens (at New England Patriots)
• Wayne Gallman, New York Giants (vs Philadelphia Eagles)
• Jordan Wilkins, Indianapolis Colts (at Tennessee Titans)
• Tevin Coleman, San Francisco 49ers (at New Orleans Saints)
• Malcolm Brown, Los Angeles Rams (vs Seattle Seahawks)
• Nyheim Hines, Indianapolis Colts (at Tennessee Titans)

Waiver Wire Targets Week 10: Wide Receivers

Curtis Samuel, Carolina Panthers (vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Samuel’s value will depend on McCaffrey’s shoulder issue. If McCaffrey is inactive, Samuel should have a solid day against the Buccaneers based on volume alone. It’s evident Teddy Bridgewater and Samuel have great chemistry and he has been targeted often recently.

Darnell Mooney, Chicago Bears (vs. Minnesota Vikings)

Mooney is becoming a target king, seeing 24 in his last three games. Allen Robinson is demanding a lot of attention, which is freeing up a lot of good looks for Mooney. Combine that with his speed and the shots Foles takes downfield, and you have a potential recipe for success with minimal waiver wire investment in Week 10.

Jalen Reagor, Philadelphia Eagles (vs. New York Giants)

The Eagles coming off a bye and Reagor should be back to full health. He is one of the most talented players on the offense, and the Eagles WRs have a favorable schedule moving forward. Reagor was limited in Week 8, but another week of rest should have him primed to return. This week could be tough if he is lined up opposite James Bradberry, but after that, the schedule softens.

Other wide receivers to consider adding in Week 10:

• Allen Lazard, Green Bay Packers (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars)
• Jakobi Meyers, New England Patriots (vs. Baltimore Ravens)
• Danny Amendola, Detroit Lions (vs. Washington Football Team)
• Hunter Renfrow, Las Vegas Raiders (vs. Denver Broncos)
• Michael Pittman Jr, Indianapolis Colts (at Tennessee Titans)
• K.J. Hamler, Denver Broncos (at Las Vegas Raiders)
• John Brown, Buffalo Bills (at Arizona Cardinals)
• Breshad Perriman, New York Jets (Bye)
• Richie James, San Francisco 49ers (at New Orleans Saints)

Waiver Wire Targets Week 10: Tight Ends

Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles (at New York Giants)

Goedert came off IR in Week 8 but wasn’t targeted much as he was eased back into action. Coming into Week 10 off a bye week, I expect that target share to elevate to what we saw at the beginning of the season, especially with Ertz still on IR.

Related | Start ‘em, Sit ‘em Week 10: Allen Robinson, Joe Mixon highlight start/sits this week

Goedert could be the most targetted player on the Eagles roster this week and that is a valuable player to have as part of your pickups on the waiver wire if someone got desperate for bench spots and dropped him a few weeks back.

Other tight ends to consider adding in Week 10:

• Logan Thomas, Washington Football Team (at Detroit Lions)
• Jordan Reed, San Francisco 49ers (at New Orleans Saints)
• Mo Alie-Cox, Indianapolis Colts (at Tennessee Titans)

Week 10 Targets: Defense

Philadelphia Eagles (vs. New York Giants)

Daniel Jones is coming off his best game of the season from a mistakes perspective, but we have enough evidence already to know that with the Eagles strong defensive line, more mistakes are potentially just around the corner.

Green Bay Packers (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars)

Yes, Jake Luton was impressive last week, and yes, the Green Bay Packers defense has been mixed. However, any defense playing at home in the cold against a rookie quarterback making his second start is going to be a player I consider seriously as one of my waiver wire pickups.

When do waivers clear in Week 10 — when can I add and drop?

Let’s quickly review when waiver wires clear and how the process works. You may put in claims on players that are currently free agents, but you will not officially add any players until the waiver process concludes in the early hours of Wednesday morning (in most leagues).

For most leagues, if multiple people put in a waiver claim for the same player, the fantasy manager with the worst record will be awarded the player. In some leagues, waivers are decided by free agency money allotted to each fantasy manager, and thus you must be careful how much and how early you are spending those dollars.

Any dropped player must be on waivers for 24 hours, and at that point, the waiver wire order will decide who is awarded the target, or if no one bid on the player, the player becomes an “undisputed” free agent.

Always check your league settings to understand all of your unique waiver wire details.

Anita Marks is Fantasy Analyst at Pro Football Network. Marks is also a gambling analyst for ESPN and appears on Daily Wager, which airs from 6-7 PM ET on ESPN 2. Her radio show – Weekend Wager – airs on ESPN New York (98.7) FM every Friday at 10 PM ET. Follow her on Twitter: @AnitaMarks.