X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

Unexpected Boom Performances: Fantasy Football Risers Include Tylan Wallace, Tanner Hudson, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Alec Pierce, John Metchie III

Alec Pierce - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Week 10 of the NFL regular season was an excellent one. The Chiefs blocked a last-second field goal attempt to survive against the Broncos and advance to 9-0. San Francisco and Pittsburgh both prevailed in close, crucial matchups, and the Panthers topped the Giants in an overtime bout in Munich.

No game was more exciting than the Thursday night matchup between Baltimore and Cincinnati, though. A slew of big plays characterized the 35-34 thriller won by the Ravens. No star shined brighter than Ja'Marr Chase; Chase posted a gaudy stat line of 11 catches for 264 yards and three touchdowns.

Several less-appreciated players also played well this week. Let's take a look at five of this week's unexpected boom performances, beginning with a pair from the TNF battle.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:

 

Tylan Wallace, Baltimore Ravens

Ravens receiver Tylan Wallace had a very quiet first half of the season. Despite playing in each of the first nine weeks of the year, Wallace finished with zero catches in eight of them. With Baltimore's receiving room healthy and now including the recently acquired Diontae Johnson, expectations were minimal for Wallace entering Week 10.

Surprisingly, Wallace led the Ravens in receiving yards against the Bengals. Although he saw just three targets, he caught all three and totaled a career-high 115 yards. Much of that yardage came on a fourth-quarter 84-yard catch and run down the sideline to cut the Cincinnati lead to just one point.

With 19.0 half-PPR points, Wallace currently stands as Week 10's WR4. Interestingly, he was also Baltimore's WR4 in terms of snaps played; all of Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and Nelson Agholor saw more playing time, and Johnson should gradually be incorporated into the offense more as well.

Ultimately, Wallace should be left on waivers. His production largely feels like a fluke given his low snap and target shares, plus his lack of involvement in previous weeks. Fantasy managers searching for receiver help will not find it with Wallace, and they should instead look at other options.

 

Tanner Hudson, Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals tight end Tanner Hudson has been a fantasy afterthought this year. Entering Week 10, Hudson had just four catches for seven targets on the season. Mike Gesicki, Erick All Jr., and Drew Sample were more involved than him over the first nine weeks. The crowded TE room limited Hudson significantly.

On Thursday, things went differently. Hudson caught six of seven targets for 42 yards and a touchdown in the loss. With All on IR with a torn ACL and receiver Tee Higgins absent for the third straight game with a quad issue, Hudson saw more snaps and far more targets than he had been getting.

Hudson and his 13.3 half-PPR points stand as Week 10's TE4 through Sunday's games. He is unlikely to repeat this, though. Gesicki is clearly the team's top TE, and he had nine targets on Thursday. Sample will also continue to eat up snaps as he has each week despite his limited passing game involvement.

As with Tylan Wallace, fantasy managers should ignore Hudson on waivers this week. Even with All out for the season, Hudson should not be on fantasy rosters. There are plenty of other more appealing TE options, including Gesicki if available, out there to be picked up ahead of Week 11.

 

Marquez Valdes-Scantling, New Orleans Saints

Saints receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling did not begin the season in New Orleans. After joining the Bills in the offseason, Valdes-Scantling got off to a slow start. He had just two catches in six games, and on October 15, he was waived by Buffalo. New Orleans proceeded to sign him on October 21.

In Week 9, Valdes-Scantling caught his lone target for five yards in his Saints debut. His Week 10 outing was much more explosive, though. Valdes-Scantling scored two touchdowns against the Falcons, with the longer of the two going for 40 yards. He also had a 67-yard reception that marked the longest play for either team.

Valdes-Scantling's final stat line was three receptions on three targets for 109 yards and two scores. This amounted to 24.4 half-PPR points, giving him the week's tentative WR2 ranking. Valdes-Scantling led New Orleans's WRs in receptions, though RB Alvin Kamara had both more catches and targets.

With the New Orleans receiving corps severely depleted at the moment, Valdes-Scantling is worth a look on waivers. He may be a big-catch-dependent upside play, or he may carve out a substantial role soon with his new team. Either way, fantasy managers in need of receiver help should consider acquiring him.

 

Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts

Indianapolis receiver Alec Pierce has been extremely inconsistent this season. He opened the year with a three-catch, 125-yard performance, and four weeks later he posted a three-reception, 134-yard stat line. Pierce had struggled since that latter outing, however; he posted just six catches for 67 yards over the ensuing four games.

In Week 10, Pierce regained his footing. He matched his season high of seven targets, of which he caught four. Pierce picked up 81 yards with 10 coming on a garbage-time touchdown in the closing seconds. Teammates Josh Downs and Adonai Mitchell had more catches, but Pierce paced the squad in receiving yards.

Pierce currently is the week's WR6 ahead of Monday Night Football. His 16.1 half-PPR points rank as his third-highest figure of the season. Notably, Michael Pittman Jr. missed this game with a back injury, contributing to the higher target number for Pierce. Pittman's situation is one to monitor.

Fantasy managers should search for Pierce on their waiver wires this week. He is far from a reliable fantasy option, but his upside makes him worth rostering. Pierce will be more valuable if Pittman continues to miss time, but he is a viable addition regardless of his teammate's status moving forward.

 

John Metchie III, Houston Texans

Houston wideout John Metchie III was robbed of his entire rookie season in 2022 due to leukemia. Upon his return in 2023, his action was limited. He never topped 25 receiving yards a year ago, nor did he find the end zone. His 2024 campaign began similarly, as through Week 9 Metchie had only 36 yards.

On Sunday Night Football, Metchie broke out. He caught five of his six targets and gained 74 yards in the process. He also made his first trip to the end zone as a pro to put the Texans up 16 before halftime. While Houston ultimately came up short, it was a great night for Metchie, his fans, and his fantasy managers.

Metchie finished the night as Week 10's WR8 with 15.9 half-PPR points. With star receivers Stefon Diggs (torn ACL) and Nico Collins (hamstring) unavailable, the Texans needed Metchie to step up in the way he did. Collins will be returning soon, but Metchie could remain a valuable contributor.

Fantasy managers should keep an eye on Metchie. It may be premature to add him after just one strong showing with Collins potentially back next week. However, Metchie is a candidate to emerge over the back half of the season. He will look to carry this momentum into next week's game at Dallas.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Chris Sale10 hours ago

Wins National League Cy Young Award
Tarik Skubal10 hours ago

Wins 2024 American League Cy Young Award
Paul George10 hours ago

Exits Game On Wednesday, Hyperextends Left Knee Again
Scoot Henderson11 hours ago

Leaves Game On Wednesday, Won't Return
Jalen Johnson11 hours ago

Active On Wednesday Night
Zach Collins11 hours ago

Uncertain To Play On Thursday
Austin Eckroat11 hours ago

Heads To The RSM Classic After Win
Harris English12 hours ago

Finding Form Heading To The RSM Classic
Ben Griffin12 hours ago

Continues Playing Well Heading To The RSM Classic
Denny McCarthy12 hours ago

Returns to The RSM Classic
Patrick Williams12 hours ago

Likely To Miss At Least One Week
Kyle Anderson12 hours ago

Available For Matchup With Hawks
Victor Wembanyama12 hours ago

Out Again On Thursday
Jusuf Nurkic12 hours ago

Available On Wednesday
Stephen Curry12 hours ago

Will Play Against Atlanta
De'Anthony Melton12 hours ago

To Undergo Season-Ending ACL Surgery
Tre Mann12 hours ago

Probable For Thursday Night Matchup Against Detroit
Mike Conley12 hours ago

Appears On Injury Report For Thursday With Toe Injury
Donte DiVincenzo12 hours ago

Questionable Heading Into Thursday
Josh Jacobs13 hours ago

Limited With Multiple Injuries
DeVonta Smith13 hours ago

Misses Practice On Wednesday
Isaiah Hartenstein13 hours ago

To Make Season Debut On Wednesday
Tyrese Maxey13 hours ago

Active On Wednesday
Jarace Walker13 hours ago

Available On Wednesday
Ben Sheppard13 hours ago

Ruled Out For Wednesday
Myles Turner13 hours ago

To Play On Wednesday
Jalen Green14 hours ago

Available On Wednesday
Vince Williams Jr.14 hours ago

Out Versus 76ers
Wendell Carter Jr.14 hours ago

Unavailable Versus Clippers
Seth Jones15 hours ago

Expected To Miss Four Weeks
Sam Darnold15 hours ago

Limited With Foot Injury
Max Domi15 hours ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Jalen Hurts15 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
Connor Ingram15 hours ago

Out Day-To-Day With An Upper-Body Injury
Jake Ferguson15 hours ago

Picks Up A DNP On Wednesday
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen15 hours ago

Returns To Action Versus Kings
CeeDee Lamb15 hours ago

Listed As Limited, Dealing With Two Injuries
Alex Tuch15 hours ago

Available Wednesday
Tage Thompson15 hours ago

Remains Out On Wednesday
Sam LaPorta16 hours ago

Practicing In Full
Jordan Eberle16 hours ago

To Remain Out On Wednesday
George Kittle16 hours ago

Will Play In Week 12
Ludvig Aberg16 hours ago

Looks To Defend RSM Classic Title
Ladd McConkey16 hours ago

Does Not Practice On Wednesday
Si Woo Kim16 hours ago

An Intriguing Option At RSM Classic
Maverick McNealy16 hours ago

In Solid Form Ahead Of RSM Classic
Eric Cole16 hours ago

Chasing First Tour Victory At RSM Classic
San Francisco 49ers16 hours ago

Nick Bosa Does Not Practice On Wednesday
Christian McCaffrey16 hours ago

Does Not Practice On Wednesday
George Kittle16 hours ago

Limited During Wednesday's Practice
Brock Purdy17 hours ago

Limited On Wednesday
Alexander Mattison17 hours ago

Zamir White Not Practicing On Wednesday
Sam LaPorta17 hours ago

Trending Towards Playing In Week 12
Calvin Ridley19 hours ago

Out Wednesday With Illness
Isiah Pacheco19 hours ago

To Practice On Wednesday
D'Andre Swift20 hours ago

Won't Practice On Wednesday
Brandin Cooks21 hours ago

Cowboys Open Brandin Cooks' Practice Window
Mike Evans21 hours ago

Practicing Again On Wednesday
Connor Bedard24 hours ago

Ends Drought With Two Assists
Sam Reinhart24 hours ago

Pushes Point Streak To 11 Games
Mark Scheifele24 hours ago

Celebrates Ninth Career Hat Trick
Evan Bouchard1 day ago

Rocks Senators With Three-Point Period
Connor McDavid1 day ago

Nets Two Goals During Three-Point Night
TB1 day ago

Nicholas Paul Exits Early With Injury Tuesday
Zach Hyman1 day ago

Sits Out Third Period Versus Senators
1 day ago

Guardians' Stephen Vogt Named AL Manager Of The Year
Milwaukee Brewers1 day ago

Pat Murphy Named NL Manager Of The Year
Jonas Brodin2 days ago

Returns To Action
Joel Eriksson Ek2 days ago

Returns To Wild Lineup
2 days ago

Nick Pivetta Declines Boston's Qualifying Offer
Robert Thomas2 days ago

Back For Blues Tuesday
Jose Siri2 days ago

Mets Acquire Jose Siri From The Rays
Alexander Romanov2 days ago

Rejoins Islanders Lineup
Brayden Point2 days ago

Ready To Return Versus Penguins
Conor Garland2 days ago

A Game-Time Call Tuesday
J.T. Miller2 days ago

Takes Indefinite Leave For Personal Reasons
Jake Ferguson2 days ago

"Will Be Hard-Pressed" To Play In Week 12
2 days ago

Phillies To Meet With Juan Soto
2 days ago

Luis Severino Rejects Qualifying Offer From Mets
2 days ago

Willy Adames Declines Brewers Qualifying Offer
2 days ago

Teoscar Hernandez Declines Qualifying Offer From Dodgers
2 days ago

Juan Soto Declines Yankees' Qualifying Offer
Luis Gil2 days ago

Wins AL Rookie Of The Year Award
Paul Skenes2 days ago

Named 2024 NL Rookie Of The Year
Brady Singer3 days ago

Reds, Royals Discussing Jonathan India, Brady Singer
3 days ago

Sean Manaea To Reject Mets' Qualifying Offer
3 days ago

Braves Have Interest In Walker Buehler
3 days ago

Astros Interested In Willy Adames
Charles Oliveira3 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Michael Chandler3 days ago

Gets Dominated At UFC 309
Karine Silva3 days ago

Suffers Her First UFC Loss
Viviane Araujo3 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Mauricio Ruffy3 days ago

Extends His Win Streak To Six
Nick Martinez4 days ago

Signs Qualifying Offer With Reds
4 days ago

Luis Severino Likely To Decline Qualifying Offer From Mets
James Llontop4 days ago

Loses Clear-Cut Decision In Thrilling Fight At UFC 309
Paul Craig4 days ago

Loses Decision At UFC 309
Bo Nickal4 days ago

Remains Undefeated With Lackluster Performance At UFC 309
Stipe Miocic4 days ago

Retires After UFC 309 Loss
Jon Jones4 days ago

Gets TKO Win At UFC 309 To Defend Heavyweight Title
Grayson Rodriguez6 days ago

Orioles Optimistic Grayson Rodriguez Will Have A Full Spring Training
6 days ago

Red Sox Have Productive Meeting With Juan Soto

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 

Video: Week 12 Must-Start Wide Receivers - 2024 Fantasy Football Streamers, Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Analysis

As we head into Week 12 we're dealing with multiple teams on byes. Be prepared to navigate those challenges by checking out our favorite 2024 fantasy football must-start wide receivers for Week 12! RotoBaller's Matt Donnelly discusses his top "Must Start" WRs that will have a fantasy football impact in Week 12, as well as […]


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Steelers vs. Browns TNF Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Jameis Winston, Nick Chubb, David Njoku, Jerry Jeudy, Russell Wilson, Najee Harris, George Pickens

The Week 12 Thursday Night Football game between two bitter AFC North rivals (Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers) is not likely to end up like the Thursday night game from two weeks ago when two different AFC North teams (Bengals and Ravens) battled to a 35-34 shootout. Somewhere deep in the charter of the Pittsburgh […]


Lamar Jackson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Free Week 12 NFL Betting Picks and Expert Predictions

Well, Week 11 turned out to be another week where we were just treading water. We nailed our Chargers moneyline pick as they got the job done against the Cincinnati Bengals. However, the Cleveland Browns let us down as they were completely destroyed by the New Orleans Saints. We dropped 1.02 units on that play […]


Brian Robinson Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings Running Backs, Waiver Wire Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

NFL Survivor Pool Picks: Week 12 Targets and Avoids (2024)

Welcome to our NFL Survivor Pool Picks for Week 12 of the 2024 NFL season! There are so many different pools, fantasy leagues, weekly bets, and futures bets that it's hard to decide what to do with these choices. But survivor pools are the oldest and simplest leagues out there. All you have to do is […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

WR/CB Matchups to Upgrade and Downgrade - Fantasy Football Week 12 (2024)

Welcome back to our WR/CB Matchups for Week 12 of the 2024 fantasy football season. For those unfamiliar, this weekly series looks at fantasy football matchups for wide receivers versus the cornerbacks who are projected to cover them. The data we access for offensive and defensive players continues to skyrocket. Though we mainly focus on offensive […]


Joe Mixon - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Rest-of-Season Fantasy Football Rankings: Week 12 Updates for Top 200 (2024)

We're nearing Thanksgiving and the holiday stretch run of the fantasy football season, which means y'all get an early present with an updated rest-of-season rankings chart! The action isn't stopping so we can't slow down our efforts to constantly re-assess the field. Join us in analyzing risers and fallers with our Week 12 fantasy football […]


Justin Herbert

High-Powered Offenses: Players to Target in Week 12 Lineups Including Justin Herbert, Jared Goff, Quentin Johnston, Austin Ekeler, Will Dissly, More

Hello, RotoBallers, and welcome to our column High-Powered Offenses for Week 12 of the 2024 fantasy football season. Below, you’ll find a recap of the last week's offenses to target, a sneak peek of the offenses to target, a breakdown of the methodology, a snapshot of each metric in a data table, a few key […]


Drake Maye - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Sneaky Starts, Pivot Plays, and Post-Waiver Pickups for Week 12 - Drake Maye, Quentin Johnston, Hunter Henry and More!

Three weeks is all we have left of the regular season. It’s the point of the season where every matchup is critical for those teams fighting for their playoff lives. To make it extra difficult, there are six teams on bye this week.  If you are one of those managers fighting for a playoff spot, […]


Brock Bowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, TE, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

Late Slate: Daily Fantasy Football Week 12 NFL DFS Lineup Picks on DraftKings and FanDuel (2024)

Welcome back to our late slate Week 12 DFS picks article here at RotoBaller! In this piece, I will examine my top daily fantasy football lineup plays for the late slate in Week 12 of the NFL season. In Week 12, we have three games on the NFL DFS late slate on DraftKings and FanDuel […]


Tyreek Hill - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Picks

Fantasy Football Injury Reports For Week 12 (Thursday Updates): Tyreek Hill, Jalen Hurts, CeeDee Lamb, Isiah Pacheco and More

Week 12 of the NFL's 2024 slate is coming up, and as the fantasy football playoffs draw closer, it's becoming more important than ever to stay ahead of injury news for key players. Leaving a hurt player in your lineup can result in disaster. The author of this article missed out on the fantasy playoffs […]


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

PrizePicks NFL DFS Prop Picks - Over/Under Props for Steelers vs. Browns Thursday Night Football

Hello everybody and welcome to our PrizePicks NFL DFS prop picks for Week 12 Thursday Night Football -- Steelers vs. Browns! The 2024 NFL season is now past the midpoint and our friends over at PrizePicks have a TON of great props we can look to take advantage of. Our partners at PrizePicks offer some […]


Tucker Kraft - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Tight Ends Fantasy Football Start 'Em and Sit 'Em For Week 12

We are officially in the home stretch of the fantasy football regular season. Traditional 12-team leagues have three more weeks, making our start/sit decisions even more critical and stressful. Securing a playoff spot is always the goal, but that first-round bye can be the difference between a championship or an early playoff exit. The tight […]


49ers Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Nick Bosa Fantasy Football IDP

IDP Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em for Week 12 - Streamers, Fades, Matchups for Defensive Players

Week 12 is one of the more significant bye weeks of the season, with Week 14 its primary rival in terms of volume and fantasy playoff impact. What arguably makes Week 14 worse than this week's bye is that some fantasy leagues still start their playoffs in Week 14, rendering key players unavailable when you […]