Using Predictive Adds To Identify Week 10 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Coming into Week 9, we thought we understood the identities of each team in the NFL. We were quite surprised as it was upset galore across the National Football League. Somehow, the Jacksonville Jaguars clawed their way to a 9-6 victory over the AFC East-leading Buffalo Bills, the Denver Broncos smoked the first-place Dallas Cowboys, the Browns dominated the Bengals in a clash of AFC North rivals, the New York Giants slipped past the AFC West-leading Las Vegas Raiders, the Falcons defeated the Saints on a last-second field goal, and the Tennessee Titans fresh off the loss of Derrick Henry pulled off a Sunday night upset over a Rams team featuring MVP candidate Matthew Stafford. I guess that’s why they play the game.
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Not only was it a crazy week in the NFL, but the scores across the board in fantasy football were very low. Josh Allen failed to score a touchdown against Jacksonville’s leaky defense. CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper were held in check against the Broncos, Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase only linked up for 49 yards (plus Chase lost a fumble), Aaron Jones and Davante Adams did next to nothing with Aaron Rodgers out of the lineup against the Chiefs, Austin Ekeler struggled against Philadelphia’s poor run defense, D.J. Moore pulled a disappearing act against New England, and those are just a few of the strange highlights. Will things level out in Week 10 or will the wild unpredictable nature of the game create another wacky week of action?
As we gear up for Week 10, it’s time to look at FantasySP’s unique Predictive Analytics. With four teams on bye -- the Chicago Bears, New York Giants, Houston Texans, and Cincinnati Bengals -- it will be critical to use the waiver wire to better your roster. We are now getting closer to the fantasy football playoffs so every single waiver wire pickup could be pivotal in your quest for a postseason appearance and a championship. Last week's Predictive Adds helped you identify who other fantasy managers were going after so that you could make a higher bid if you participated in a FAAB league.
Keep reading here to access our Predictive Analytics or log into your account, and utilize the Fantasy Assistant. From there, you can see the predictive adds, drops, trades, and FAAB.
Predictive analytics in a nutshell is a game-changer for fantasy players. No one else in the industry offers these types of insights. You will now be able to analyze the most important fantasy metrics of the current week BEFORE waivers are processed.
Find out the Expected Waiver Interest (EWI) of each player, as well as how much of your FAAB budget it would take to get “your guy” in the average league. You will now have unique insights into which players fantasy owners are giving up on and which players fantasy owners are fighting for in the current week. Now let's take a look at the top 10 most added players heading into Week 10.
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Looking At Predictive Adds:
[predict="add-2021-10"]
Titans DEF/ST
We don’t usually identify kickers and defenses being added since it is so common to stream at those two positions. However, it would be a disservice to fantasy owners to omit Tennessee’s defense from this week’s top waiver wire adds. The Titans’ defense is widely regarded as one of the worst in the NFL, but from a fantasy football perspective, they have been lighting it up the past three weeks. And they did this against three very good offenses. Tennessee sacked Patrick Mahomes four times in Week 7 and forced three costly turnovers while only allowing three points against perhaps the most potent offense in the NFL. And now they have scored touchdowns in back-to-back outings against the Colts in Week 8 and the Rams in Week 9. The Titans are coming off a five-sack performance against Matthew Stafford, and Kevin Byard returned an interception for a touchdown. Tennessee has produced double-digit fantasy points in three straight weeks. In Week 10, they get a New Orleans offense without Jameis Winston. Considering they are playing at home against either Trevor Siemien or Taysom Hill, it’s understandable why this defensive unit is the top add heading into Week 10. All that said, I’d be wary of adding Tennessee to start in Week 10. New Orleans ranks towards the bottom of the league at allowing fantasy points to opposing defenses. They do an excellent job at limiting turnovers and I don’t think Tennessee will have quite as much success against New Orleans as they did against Los Angeles, even against a backup or third-string quarterback. This is where I would zig where everyone else seems to be zagging.
RB Jordan Howard, Philadelphia Eagles
For the second consecutive week, it was Jordan Howard dominating touches in the Eagles’ backfield. Howard was utilized more than other running back as the Eagles came just a field goal shy against the Chargers in Week 9. The former Chicago Bear was the primary early-down rusher and saw a team-high 17 carries for 71 rushing yards. He also scored a touchdown after finding the end zone twice in Week 8. Howard has now turned 29 carries into 128 rushing yards (4.4 yards per carry), and three touchdowns. He has yet to be targeted in the passing game, so he is much more valuable in Standard leagues than PPR formats. Game script is incredibly important and will play a significant factor in Howard’s success moving forward while Miles Sanders is still on Injured Reserve. If the Eagles are leading or in a one-possession battle, Howard should continue to be featured on first and second down. Philadelphia opens as 2.5-point road underdogs against the Denver Broncos in Week 10, which means this game will probably be pretty close. As long as it remains close, Howard will see 15+ touches. He’s largely touchdown-dependent since he doesn’t catch any passes, but the Eagles are incredibly committed to the running game. For that reason, Howard is a must-add ahead of their Week 10 date with the Broncos. Fantasy owners are doing the right thing adding him as much as they are across the board. Philadelphia’s front office sees a clear role for Howard perhaps even when Sanders returns to action.
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WR Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers
Perhaps fantasy owners gave up on Aiyuk a bit prematurely. After all, if you drafted him, you likely had to spend a mid-round pick on the second-year receiver. Aiyuk scored his second touchdown of the season and produced season highs across the board. He caught six-of-eight targets for 89 yards and a score, totaling 20.9 fantasy points in PPR leagues. Four of his catches were contested and in traffic. He seems to be rounding into form at the perfect time.
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It was encouraging to see him do this despite the triumphant return of tight end George Kittle. Kittle was on a pitch count, but it wasn’t noticeable when looking at his stats, as the big tight end also hauled in six receptions for 101 yards and scored San Francisco’s other touchdown. Deebo Samuel was a bit hobbled and not very effective, so Jimmy Garroppolo had to get Aiyuk involved. The Niners have a tough matchup on the horizon against a strong Los Angeles Rams defense on Monday Night Football. While I wouldn’t recommend starting Aiyuk in Week 10, he makes sense as a speculative waiver wire pickup given the 15 targets he has seen over the last two weeks. He could be a difference-maker down the stretch.
[lastten="Brandon Aiyuk"]
WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, Cleveland Browns
With Odell Beckham Jr. officially out of Cleveland, someone in Cleveland’s wide receiver room needs to separate themselves from the pack outside of Jarvis Landry. Although Cleveland will be a run-heavy team as long as Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt are on the roster, the Browns will need to improve in the passing game if they want to make it back to the postseason. The Browns absolutely crushed the Bengals on Sunday, so Baker Mayfield didn’t need to attempt many passes, but Cleveland opens as 1.5-point road underdogs against the New England Patriots in Week 10. If Vegas is correct (and they usually are), Mayfield will have to throw the ball against New England’s strong secondary. Donovan Peoples-Jones is a lightning spark with electrifying speed, incredible route-running skills, and solid hands. Against Cincinnati, DPJ hauled in two receptions on three targets for 86 yards and a touchdown. Peoples-Jones has only seen 18 targets this season but he’s been incredibly efficient, catching 15 of those balls for 314 yards and three scores. In his last three outings, DPJ has 11 catches for 241 yards and three scores. He has clearly earned the trust of Mayfield and is Cleveland’s best deep-ball threat. I have been recommending DPJ as a waiver wire pickup for the last few weeks, so I’m glad fantasy owners are finally adding him at a high rate heading into Week 10.
[lastten="Donovan Peoples-Jones"]
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RB Brandon Bolden, New England Patriots
With Damien Harris and rookie Rhaomondre Stevenson both dealing with head injuries, Brandon Bolden was the last man standing in New England’s backfield last week. If Harris and Stevenson are not cleared in time for Week 10’s matchup against the Browns, Bolden would get the start and would be relieved by fourth-stringer J.J. Taylor. Although the Browns have a good defensive line, Bolden has proven to be more effective in the passing game anyway. Bolden finished Week 9 with eight carries for 54 yards and two receptions for an additional 27 yards. And don’t forget that he hauled in six receptions for 79 yards and a touchdown against the Jets in Week 7. If Harris and Stevenson aren’t able to suit up, Bolden would get the bulk of the work in New England’s backfield. And in fantasy football, we all know that opportunities lead to production. If Harris is deemed out and Stevenson looks poised to return, the rookie would be the higher priority pickup so keep an eye on the injury news out of New England. It helps that the offensive coordinator has such a high opinion of Bolden. No matter who is healthy in this backfield, Bolden will always have a role.
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RB Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots
We discussed Brandon Bolden and now it’s time to talk about the rookie running back in case Damien Harris is ruled inactive. Stevenson had his best outing as a professional in Week 9 before exiting with a concussion. Stevenson eclipsed 100 total yards for the first time in his short career (62 rushing yards on 10 carries and 44 receiving yards on two receptions). However, after Harris entered the five-step concussion protocol, it was reported that Stevenson joined him. New England hopes to have Stevenson back in time for their Week 10 matchup with the Browns. If he’s able to play and Harris is out, Stevenson instantly becomes an RB2 in fantasy football.
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WR Curtis Samuel, Washington Football Team
We haven’t heard Samuel’s name in a long time, mainly because he has barely played any football this season. Samuel started the season on Injured Reserve and only played one full game before injuring his groin in Week 5. Washington is desperate for help in their passing game. After Terry McLaurin, Taylor Heinicke has had no viable weapons. Now, it appears he is getting back tight end Logan Thomas and Samuel ahead of a Week 10 matchup with the reigning Super Bowl champs. If Washington has any shot at keeping up with Tom Brady, they are going to have to throw the ball a ton. Samuel could be a sneaky streaming option in Week 10. He also might have value for the rest of the season considering the lack of production behind McLaurin in Washington’s receiver room. Samuel is worthy of a roster spot if you have the space.
WR DeSean Jackson, Las Vegas Raiders
The black and silver’s newest acquisition is veteran wideout, DeSean Jackson. Jackson will serve as Derek Carr’s primary deep-ball threat now that Henry Ruggs is inactive after accidentally killing someone in a car crash. The Raiders face a Kansas City defense that had been severely struggling against opposing quarterbacks and wideouts before a much-needed meeting with Jordan Love (instead of Aaron Rodgers) in Week 9. The Raiders will likely need to throw the ball a lot to keep up with Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce, so D-Jax could be utilized in the game plan. Vegas will likely need a few deep balls to keep pace with Mahomes. Still, Jackson is more of a dart throw and I’d only recommend adding him if you are desperate at the wide receiver position.
[career="DeSean Jackson"]
WR Elijah Moore, New York Jets
I pinpointed Moore as a top streaming option in Week 9 against the Colts and if you listened, you were highly rewarded. Moore broke out in a major capacity, hauling in seven-of-eight targets for 84 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He did this even though Mike White was replaced after suffering an injury by third-stringer Josh Johnson. Moore has now drawn at least six targets in three consecutive outings. Yes, Corey Davis was inactive for the last two contests and is expected back for Sunday’s meeting with the Buffalo Bills, but Moore is moving up on the depth chart slowly and steadily. The rookie was drafted in the first round by New York and is a major part of the franchise’s plans. He’s also a great player for PPR purposes since he excels in short-to-intermediate routes. The Jets have an incredibly tough matchup against Buffalo’s stifling pass defense, so I don’t recommend starting him this week. That said, Moore is worthy of a roster spot and should be picked up if he is still available in your league. He could be a league-winning option in PPR formats down the stretch in the flex spot of your starting lineup.
[projection="Elijah Moore"]
And that’s a wrap. Head back next week to see which players fantasy owners are flocking towards on the waiver wire ahead of Week 11!
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