Week 10 Waiver Wire Pickups: Is There Finally a Dolphins WR We Can Trust?

Every roster move matters a little more with the fantasy playoffs approaching. From emerging WRs to potential lead RBs, this week's waiver wire offers several opportunities to strengthen your lineup for the stretch run.

Waiver wire targets are generally available in at least 70% of ESPN leagues and are ranked in order of priority by position.

Your bid should vary by format and situation. Need RB help? Prioritize that position. All set there? Then no need to chase the top guys.

Jump to:

• QB targets
• RB targets
• WR targets
• TE targets
• Injuries to watch
• Top RB handcuffs
• Top streaming defense
• Top streaming kickers
• Drop candidates

QB Targets

Jacoby Brissett, Baltimore Ravens

Blind Bid Recommendation: 3-5%
What You’re Getting: Stash

Why Pick Him Up?

Jacoby Brissett was officially traded to the Ravens over the weekend and is set to make his home debut in Week 10.

The Ravens also officially placed QB Lamar Jackson on IR with the thumb injury that’s expected to sideline him for six to nine weeks. This likely keeps Brissett locked in as a starter into the fantasy playoffs, if not all the way through.

He ranked just 23rd among QBs in points per game before the trade but now inherits WR Zay Flowers, who’s producing more yards after contact than any prior weapon Brissett was throwing to. Flowers' 7.5 YAC per reception is the fourth-highest among all WRs.

Brissett will also benefit from a backfield averaging the fifth-most rushing yards per game, a stark difference from the Cardinals' 11th-fewest rushing yards per game. That should help his passing efficiency.

He may not be worth the roster space in 1-QB leagues, but he’s a must-roster in superflex or 2-QB formats.

RB Targets

Seth McGowan, Indianapolis Colts

Blind Bid Recommendation: 15-25%
What You’re Getting: Stash

Why Pick Him Up?

Seth McGowan is coming off a season-high 11.2 PPR points after producing the first TD of his career against the Cowboys in Week 9.

He’s handling a 17.6% carry share on the season that’s second to only RB Jonathan Taylor for the team lead. But his carry share has climbed to 27.5% over the past three weeks amid growing trade speculation surrounding Taylor.

A trade seems likely at this point and would thrust McGowan into the No. 1 role.

Dylan Sampson, Cleveland Browns

Blind Bid Recommendation: 10-15%
What You’re Getting: Stash

Why Pick Him Up?

Dylan Sampson has been on the field more than any other Browns RB since returning from his knee injury in Week 7. He’s accounting for a 55.3% snap share over the past three weeks compared to Judkins’ 41.9% mark.

That has helped Sampson lead the backfield in scoring each of the past two weeks.

Judkins has been largely inefficient as a rusher, ranking 55th among RBs at just 3.3 yards per carry. That likely contributed to a season-low 45.5% carry share in Week 9. Sampson, on the other hand, is averaging 4.9 yards per carry, which would tie for eighth in the league if he had enough carries to qualify.

He’s also commanding a 16.3% target share that ranks fifth among all RBs.

Get Sampson rostered before he siphons even more work from Judkins.

Bam Knight, Arizona Cardinals

Blind Bid Recommendation: 10-15%
What You’re Getting: Stash

Why Pick Him Up?

Bam Knight led the Cardinals backfield in back-to-back weeks, posting RB2 and RB3 PPR finishes before his Week 8 concussion.

Tyler Allgeier failed to capitalize on Knight’s Week 9 absence, though, producing just 6.6 PPR points and finishing RB36 despite a season-high 94.4% carry share. That topped all RBs in Week 9, with RB Chuba Hubbard’s 80.0% mark the closest.

A Week 10 return would pit Knight against a Rams defense that’s forcing the sixth-largest reduction to RB scoring. Beyond that, though, the Cardinals hold the easiest strength of schedule for RBs in the fantasy playoffs.

Rookie RB Jeremiyah Love could be back by then, but he’s no lock to return to the field and stay there after multiple high-ankle sprains this season.

Knight’s uncertain workload for Week 10 will make him difficult to play. But there’s upside to lead the backfield if you’re in need and the chance of more weeks without Love come fantasy playoff time.

Audric Estime, New Orleans Saints

Blind Bid Recommendation: 8-12%
What You’re Getting: Rental, with playability in weeks without Etienne

Why Pick Him Up?

Audric Estime was waived by the Browns last Monday after just one game with the team, only to be picked up by the Saints the following day.

He then faced the Browns in the first week with his new team, scoring the go-ahead TD with less than a minute left in regulation.

Estime finished with a team-high 15 carries for 72 yards and a TD, plus a 5-yard reception, to finish as an RB1 for Week 9. The 72 yards were the most by any Saints RB this season and his 14.7 PPR points the fourth-most.

RB Travis Etienne was eligible to return from IR this past week, but he wasn’t deemed ready. If Etienne remains out for Week 10, Estime would be the best bet to lead New Orleans carries in a favorable matchup with Carolina. The Panthers have been the third-best scoring matchup for RBs by our adjusted fantasy points allowed.

Corey Kiner, New England Patriots

Blind Bid Recommendation: 5-8%
What You’re Getting: Rental

Why Pick Him Up?

Corey Kiner has been the Patriots’ most efficient rusher this season, tying for eighth in the league at 4.9 yards per carry. That puts him 1.0 ahead of TreVeyon Henderson.

Kiner handled a season-high 50.0% carry share last week thanks to a knee injury knocking Rhamondre Stevenson out late in the third quarter and Henderson going inactive with a medical issue. Kiner turned that into a career-high 11.5 PPR points, though nearly all of that came after New England had pulled Drake Maye and other starters.

Stevenson’s now expected to miss a “few weeks,” which could leave Kiner the lead back for at least a Week 10 date with Detroit.

The Lions come in allowing the fourth-fewest RB points per game, so it doesn’t look like a great spot. The schedule gets easier with the Chargers and Bills after a Week 11 bye, but we’ll see about Kiner’s role at that point. He’s worth stashing for now if you have the space.

Jonathon Brooks, Carolina Panthers

Blind Bid Recommendation: 3-8%
What You’re Getting: Stash

Why Pick Him Up?

Panthers HC Dave Canales told reporters that they will determine over the next couple of days whether to open the practice window for Jonathon Brooks coming off core surgery.

Chuba Hubbard has been the lead RB the entire season, but his carry share jumped from 51.2% alongside Brooks to a whopping 79.4% mark that tops all other RBs since Week 3.

We’re not betting that Brooks reclaims his full early season role or that he siphons meaningful work after he returns. So this would be a pure handcuff-level stash.

Kaleb Johnson, Green Bay Packers

Blind Bid Recommendation: 3-5%
What You’re Getting: Stash

Josh Jacobs exited Week 9 early with a fractured finger, while MarShawn Lloyd (knee) was inactive. That left Johnson to lead Green Bay's backfield with 14 carries for 68 yards and a TD. His 34-yard run was the Packers' longest of the season.

Pierre Strong mixed in for 8 carries but managed only 22 yards. He handled more passing-game work, though, posting a 49% route rate and 2 targets compared with Johnson's 29% and 0 targets.

After the win, HC Matt LaFleur offered lukewarm praise for Johnson.

“I thought he did a good job,” LaFleur said, via The Athletic. “I thought when there were lanes there, he hit it. Obviously he broke a couple explosive runs. That was definitely encouraging to see.”

Jacobs is expected to miss at least Week 10, but Johnson draws a brutal matchup with Minnesota before Green Bay's Week 11 bye.

A potential IR stint for Jacobs could leave Johnson meaningful work in Week 12 at the Rams and Week 13 at the Saints, which makes him potentially stashable. But keep in mind that Jacobs may avoid IR and that Lloyd’s return plus Strong’s receiving role could just keep this backfield unpredictable even with Jacobs out.

Khalil Herbert, Atlanta Falcons

Blind Bid Recommendation: 1-3%
What You’re Getting: Handcuff stash

Herbert managed just 1 carry and 3 targets in Sunday's loss to Cincinnati. But his fantasy outlook improved after the Falcons placed Brian Robinson Jr. on IR with a hamstring injury, sidelining him through at least Week 12. 

Herbert now makes sense as a handcuff for Bijan Robinson managers or a speculative stash in deeper leagues.

WR Targets

Caleb Douglas, Miami Dolphins

Blind Bid Recommendation: 15-20%
What You’re Getting: WR3/flex with a stable role

Why Pick Him Up?

Caleb Douglas delivered season highs in target share (38%) and catches (6) in Sunday's loss to Detroit. He also reached 70 receiving yards for the second time in three games.

The rookie has established himself as a near-full-time player, running a route on at least 81% of dropbacks in all five appearances. That usage has helped him overcome Miami's low-volume passing attack.

Douglas has also impressed with his efficiency. Among 76 WRs with 25+ targets, he ranks 11th in catch rate, 14th in yards per catch, and 16th in yards per route run.

That combination of playing time and efficiency gives Douglas a path to WR3/flex value down the stretch, starting with Week 10 against Indianapolis.

UPDATE: The Dolphins placed Malik Willis on IR on Tuesday afternoon. We're downgrading Douglas for the move to Kyle McCord under center, but the rookie is still a WR4 option while we see how this new-look passing game shakes out.

Ryan Flournoy, Dallas Cowboys

Blind Bid Recommendation: 12-20%
What You’re Getting: Stash, with Week 10 starting potential vs. SF

Ryan Flournoy managed only 2 catches on 3 targets despite George Pickens sitting out Week 9 (hamstring). But he did, at least, beat lead Colts CB Sauce Gardner for a 46-yarder late in the game.

QB Dak Prescott also spoke to his confidence in Flournoy after the win:

Flournoy would still carry fantasy-starter potential for a Week 10 home date with the 49ers if Pickens remains out. And Dallas’ No. 3 wideout posted four straight games of 11+ PPR points before Week 9 even with Pickens in the lineup.

He’s at least worth a stash in most leagues of 12+ teams.

DeMario Douglas, New England Patriots

Blind Bid Recommendation: 10-15%
What You’re Getting: Spot-start WR3

Why Pick Him Up?

DeMario Douglas led the Patriots with a 21.9% target share in Sunday's blowout loss to Green Bay. He also paced the team with an 81.3% route rate, turning that usage into 5 catches and a career-high 102 yards. 

A.J. Brown (knee, ankle) will travel with the team to Germany for Week 10 against Detroit, but his availability remains uncertain. Romeo Doubs will remain sidelined, while the loss of Rhamondre Stevenson and potential continued absence of TreVeyon Henderson could force New England to lean more heavily on the pass. Detroit's fifth-ranked scoring offense adds to the potential for a pass-heavy game script. 

Douglas deserves WR3 consideration, especially if Brown misses another game.

Tank Dell, Houston Texans

Blind Bid Recommendation: 10-15%
What You’re Getting: Stash with Breakout potential

Why Pick Him Up?

Tank Dell went over 100 yards Sunday for the first time since Week 9 of 2024. He hauled in 4 of his 9 targets for 105 yards and a TD to finish the week as the WR8 in PPR in just his second game back.

That came with an uptick in usage, from a 25.0% route share to 47.1%. He still ran third among Houston WRs for the game -- trailing Xavier Hutchinson and Nico Collins -- but led the team in targets.

That 24.3% share ignites hope for Dell to remain fantasy-relevant the rest of the way. We’ll need to see more than one game of such involvement before trusting him in lineups in most cases, but the former third-round pick looked like a potential offensive cornerstone before his 2024 knee injury.

If we get continued good usage over the next two weeks, Dell and Houston get the 10th-best schedule for WR scoring from Week 12 on, with no particularly worrisome matchups.

Konata Mumpfield, Los Angeles Rams

Blind Bid Recommendation: 3-5%
What You’re Getting: Stash/Rental

Why Pick Him Up?

The Rams lost Puka Nacua to IR, removing his 13.2 targets per game from the offense.

Mumpfield is far from a one for one replacement. Just last week, he split routes with Tutu Atwell, 66% to 61%, and managed just a 5% target share. But moving forward, we'd take a shot on Mumpfield's upside over that of the undersized Atwell, who's never hit 7 PPR points per game for his career.

As we've pointed out previously, there are at least a couple of data points that say Mumpfield can prove useful on the larger role. Among 120 WRs with 200+ routes since the start of 2025, Mumpfield ranks 12th in Fantasy Points' separation score and 41st in win rate.

Sure, the Rams are likely to lean on the TE group and the run game. But Mumpfield is the pick if you're looking for a Rams WR most likely to step up in Puka's place.

Pat Bryant, Denver Broncos

Blind Bid Recommendation: 3-5%
What You’re Getting: Stash

Why Pick Him Up?

The Broncos activated Bryant from IR on Saturday, and he immediately stepped into a significant role. He posted an 82% route rate and 15% target share, benefiting from Jaylen Waddle's early-game concussion. 

More encouragingly, Bryant played well ahead of Troy Franklin (55% route rate) and Marvin Mims Jr. (24%) despite his five-week absence. Bryant capitalized on the opportunity by catching 4 of 5 targets for 56 yards and a TD. 

Waddle has a Week 10 bye to work through the concussion protocol. But even if he plays in Week 11, Bryant could be a deep-league option against a Raiders defense ranked 26th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to WRs.

Jordan Watkins, San Francisco 49ers

Blind Bid Recommendation: 1-5%
What You’re Getting: Deep league rental

Why Pick Him Up?

Jordan Watkins led San Francisco with an 88.2% route rate against the Raiders in Week 9. He turned that into 4 catches for a team-high 86 yards and a TD. His 16% target share also tied for second on the team.

Deebo Samuel could return for Week 10, but Mike Evans looks likely to remain sidelined. That should keep Watkins involved against a Dallas defense that presents an appealing fantasy matchup.

San Francisco's early implied total of 30 points adds to his upside.

UPDATE: The 49ers traded for Keenan Allen ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline. His arrival takes some shine off of Watkins' fantasy outlook, although the second-year pro still carries some deep-league value as long as Mike Evans is out.

TE Targets

Chig Okonkwo, Washington Commanders

Blind Bid Recommendation: 10-15%
What You’re Getting: Spot-start TE1

Why Pick Him Up?

Chig Okonkwo continues to show the type of usage we want from a fantasy starter.

Sunday marked his third game in four weeks with at least a 20% target share and an 82% route rate. He turned that into 6 catches for 57 yards, 11.7 PPR points, and a TE1 finish.

With Terry McLaurin out for the rest of the season, Okonkwo has a legitimate path to continued TE1 production. He's still available in 86% of ESPN leagues.

Injuries to Watch

• Patrick Mahomes (elbow)
• Justin Herbert (finger)
• J.J. McCarthy (hip)
• Travis Etienne (hamstring)
• Cam Skattebo (hamstring)
• David Montgomery (groin)
• Rhamondre Stevenson (knee)
• Kyle Monangai (toe)
• Jonathon Brooks (core)
• Bam Knight (concussion)
• Luther Burden (concussion)
• DeVonta Smith (hamstring)
• Mike Evans (Achilles)
• Deebo Samuel (hamstring)
• Garrett Wilson (concussion)
• George Pickens (hamstring)
• A.J. Brown (knee/ankle)
• Ladd McConkey (back)
• Xavier Worthy (hamstring)
• Jaylen Waddle (concussion)

Top RB Handcuffs 

1. Kaelon Black, 49ers
2. Emmett Johnson, Chiefs
3. Braelon Allen, Jets
4. Mike Washington Jr., Raiders
5. Sione Vaki, Lions
6. Ray Davis, Bills
7. Chris Rodriguez, Jaguars
8. Seth McGowan, Colts
9. Dylan Sampson, Browns
10. Khalil Herbert, Falcons 

Top Streaming Defense

Baltimore Ravens (vs. Chargers)

Rostered: 47.4% on ESPN (sub-40% on other platforms)

Baltimore draws an ideal matchup against a Chargers offense averaging just 15.1 points per game. Los Angeles also leads the league with 2.4 giveaways per game while surrendering 3.9 sacks, second-most in the NFL.

Baltimore's season-long scoring numbers look concerning, but recent matchups with Cincinnati, Buffalo, and Jacksonville -- three of the league's top four scoring offenses -- have inflated them. The Ravens have also generated 6 takeaways over their past two games, providing encouraging momentum. With the Chargers implied for a league-low 16.5 points, Baltimore offers top-five DST upside.

Top Streaming Kickers

1. Ryan Fitzgerald, Carolina Panthers
2. 2. Tyler Bass, Buffalo Bills
3. 3. Brandon McManus, Los Angeles Rams

Drop Candidates

Devin Singletary, Giants

Singletary managed just 31 yards on 21 carries in a Week 9 spot start at Philadelphia. He's worth stashing in deeper leagues but can be dropped in shallower formats with Cam Skattebo expected back for Week 10.

Chris Godwin, Buccaneers

The Bucs have shifted toward a run-heavy offense, limiting Godwin's fantasy opportunities. He drew just a 9.3% target share from Baker Mayfield on Monday night. Godwin also hasn’t hit 50 yards in a game all season.