Most people searching for the top fantasy football waiver wire options in deep leagues already know the choices are slim by this point in the season. That said, whether you are leading your league's standings, right in the middle, or need to win out to make the playoffs, you should always be looking to improve the depth of your roster.
The top waiver-wire adds are often obvious for traditional 10- and 12-team leagues, but a larger pool of players is in consideration in leagues of 14 teams or more. Some of these Week 10 deeper-league waiver-wire suggestions could have value right away, while others are simply bench stashes that could help your fantasy team in the future.
We won't cover chalk waiver-wire pickups for shallower leagues like Cedric Tillman and Jauan Jennings. Instead, we'll only mention players who are under 40% rostered in Yahoo! leagues except a few players narrowly over that mark. Without further ado, here are the top deeper-league waiver-wire targets for Week 10, including Tyler Allgeier, Ray Davis, Ricky Pearsall, Xavier Legette, Quentin Johnston, Mike Gesicki, Drake Maye, and more.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:- Quarterback fantasy football rankings
- Running back fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
- Tight end fantasy football rankings
- Kicker fantasy football rankings
- FLEX fantasy football rankings
- Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
- Superflex fantasy football rankings
- IDP fantasy football rankings
- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Running Back Waiver Wire Targets for Deep Leagues
Tyler Allgeier scored his second touchdown of the season in the win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. He remains arguably the most valuable handcuff RB in all of fantasy football, and he's a viable desperation flex play for fantasy managers in a tough spot. Allgeier is averaging 5.0 yards per carry this year and has seen at least six carries in seven contests. He has league-winning upside if something happens to Bijan Robinson.
Ray Davis continues to look great in the RB2 role behind James Cook. Against the Dolphins, he scored on an explosive 63-yard receiving touchdown. It's a bit surprising that the Bills have not featured him more, but that does not mean they won't in the back half of the year. At worst, Davis is another elite handcuff to stash.
RAY DAVIS. 63-yard TD for the lead!
📺: #MIAvsBUF on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/N5btgphjZ2— NFL (@NFL) November 3, 2024
Braelon Allen has been given four or fewer touches in three of the four games since Nathaniel Hackett was stripped of his play-calling duties. However, he's flashed at times and would enter a workhorse role if Breece Hall misses a game or two down the stretch.
Trey Benson totaled 55 yards and a touchdown on nine touches in Week 9. He has been a fixture in this column all season long, as starter James Conner has not played a full season of games in his NFL career. Even if Benson draws just one start, you'll regret not having him stashed.
Emanuel Wilson remains a viable bench stash as long as MarShawn Lloyd remains on IR. The second-year runner is averaging 4.6 yards per carry and has scored two touchdowns this year as Josh Jacobs' breather back.
Emanuel Wilson is in for the @Packers TD!
📺: #DETvsGB on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/C2q7xbOe2z— NFL (@NFL) November 4, 2024
Isaac Guerendo is averaging 6.1 yards per carry through his first 37 career attempts. Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) and Jordan Mason (shoulder) are likely to play in Week 10, but in deep leagues, he remains a stash since both have been injured or underwhelmed in 2024.
Blake Corum is not a factor in the L.A. offense as long as Kyren Williams remains healthy. That said, the undersized Williams spent time on the Injured Reserve list in 2022 and 2023, so the Michigan rookie could be pushed into the RB1 role for a short or long-term period at a moment's notice. The Rams' offense is ascending, so he'd have at least mid-range RB2 upside in that case.
Jaylen Wright is averaging 5.0 yards per carry to Raheem Mostert's 3.9. The 32-year-old running back also had a critical fumble in the Week 9 loss to the Buffalo Bills, so it's fair to wonder whether Miami could give Wright more run as the team is headed toward a lost season.
Khalil Herbert is now a Cincinnati Bengal, and he could soon be the clear RB2 in one of the league's best offenses.
IR Stashes: Keaton Mitchell, Gus Edwards, MarShawn Lloyd
Note: Any direct backup running back, especially one in a good offense, should be considered a bench stash in deep leagues.
Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Targets for Deep Leagues
Ricky Pearsall has hauled in seven passes in his first two NFL games. With Brandon Aiyuk out for the season with a torn ACL, expect the 49ers to get Pearsall more involved. The first-round rookie could be a significant fantasy football factor in the second half of the season given the injury-plagued Niners' WR room.
Quentin Johnston tallied four receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's win over the Cleveland Browns. The sophomore wideout from TCU looks to be a boom-or-bust play, but with L.A.'s passing offense beginning to heat up, he's firmly on the fantasy radar in deep setups.
air it out, 10!!
📺 | @nfloncbs pic.twitter.com/8M54uZygJe
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) November 3, 2024
Xavier Legette ranks third in touchdown grabs (four) and sixth in receptions (26) among rookie wideouts in 2024. With Diontae Johnson now in Baltimore, he could emerge as the clear WR1 in Carolina, though the upside of the offense is capped. Either way, he's a decent flex play in favorable matchups moving forward.
DeMario Douglas registered nine targets in Week 9, marking the fourth time in the last seven games he has reached that mark. He hasn't put up eye-popping yardage numbers in the lifeless New England offense, but his target volume makes him a must-add in deep PPR formats.
Jalen Tolbert has seen at least five targets in three of his last four games, and he's reached the end zone twice during that stretch. Unfortunately, Dak Prescott is expected to miss multiple weeks with a hamstring injury, but if CeeDee Lamb (shoulder) has to miss Week 10, Tolbert would be a viable flex option even with Cooper Rush at QB.
Michael Wilson was game-scripted out of the Cardinals' dominant win over the Chicago Bears, so we should throw out his zero-point performance in Week 9. Prior to that game, he saw at least six targets in four of his last six contests and found the end zone twice. The big-bodied wideout is a premier end-zone target for Kyler Murray in the ascending Arizona offense.
Adam Thielen is eligible to return from IR any week now, and although it's tough to trust Bryce Young at quarterback, it's important to remember that Thielen racked up over 1,000 receiving yards last season with Young as his primary distributor.
Demarcus Robinson has hauled in four touchdowns in his last two games. Although he's tough to start with confidence if Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua are in the lineup, both star wideouts will continue to carry injury risk. After Robinson's recent performances, he is now at least a low-end flex option in favorable matchups.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine has shockingly caught a touchdown in each of his last four games. Chasing touchdowns is not a strong strategy in fantasy football, but he is becoming more involved in the offense each week, and DeAndre Hopkins is out of town. NWI saw a season-high in receptions (five), targets (six), and yards (50) in Week 9.
Most consecutive games with a touchdown catch in the NFL:
1. Amon-Ra St. Brown (5)
2. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (4)— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) November 3, 2024
Noah Brown became a hero in Washington after catching a game-winning Hail Mary in Week 8. Obviously, we're not projecting him to catch a Hail Mary every week, but his five-catch, 60-yard day in Week 9 was notable. Remember, Brown had two games of at least 150 receiving yards last year. He's playing in one of the best offenses in the NFL, so spike weeks could be coming.
Joshua Palmer has tallied at least 63 receiving yards in each of his last three games and has the most chemistry with Justin Herbert among all Chargers' pass-catchers. His touchdown grab in Week 9 put him on the fantasy football radar, and it will be interesting to see if he can become a weekly producer while competing with Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston for targets.
Troy Franklin was overthrown on a potential touchdown pass in the Week 9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, but he has played at least 40% of the Broncos' offensive snaps in three of the last four games, and his role could continue to grow in an offense that is exceeding expectations under rookie QB Bo Nix.
Tight End Waiver Wire Targets for Deep Leagues
Taysom Hill racked up 60 yards and a touchdown on nine touches in Week 9. With Kendre Miller on IR, Chris Olave likely out in Week 10, and Jamaal Williams banged up, he should remain involved as a runner and receiver. He's a rare player who sees goal-line carries and has TE eligibility in lineups.
Mike Gesicki exploded for 100 yards and two touchdowns in Week 9. In the last three games with Tee Higgins out of the lineup, he has secured 19 receptions for 264 yards and two scores. He's basically a "handcuff" for Higgins but after rookie tight end Erick All Jr. suffered what is expected to be a season-ending injury over the weekend, Gesicki could have a high ceiling even when Higgins is back.
Mike Gesicki scores his first touchdown with the Bengals and brings back the Griddy 😂
🎥: @NFL pic.twitter.com/Yo2yMWwAIe
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) November 3, 2024
Hunter Henry has at least five catches or a touchdown reception in all four games started by rookie QB Drake Maye. With how scarce tight end production is, that puts him on the path to a TE1 finish in PPR leagues.
Zach Ertz had a quiet one-catch day on Sunday, but that doesn't change the fact that he saw between five and 11 targets in the prior four games. He's a key target for star rookie QB Jayden Daniels and remains on the fantasy radar as a part of one of the league's best offenses.
Jonnu Smith surprisingly has at least six targets in each of his last four games and has seemed to overtake Jaylen Waddle in the Miami target pecking order. Smith is an explosive player at the TE spot who can rip off long touchdowns, so he has plenty of streaming appeal against the Rams, who have allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to the position.
Quarterback Waiver Wire Targets for Deep Leagues/Superflex Leagues
Drake Maye is averaging 49.3 rushing yards per game in his four career starts and has scored at least 17 fantasy points in three contests. Although his supporting cast leaves a lot to be desired, he has made up for it with rushing production and play-making ability.
DRAKE MAYE MAGICCCCCCCCC!!!!!!!!!
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/UvIB3dRi8k
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 3, 2024
Bo Nix has far exceeded fantasy expectations in his rookie season, posting at least 21.7 fantasy points in three of his last five games. He's probably not worth starting against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 10, but matchups with the Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders, and Cleveland Browns in Weeks 11-13 present fantasy upside.
Russell Wilson has looked comfortable in his first two starts with the Pittsburgh Steelers, totaling four touchdowns. Following the Week 9 bye, there's a chance we could see Russ cook in the second half of the season. Despite the perception of his Broncos' career, he was a fringe QB1 in 2022 and 2023.
Daniel Jones is tough to trust in starting lineups, but he has posted four QB1 performances this season and draws a favorable matchup against the Carolina Panthers defense in Germany on Sunday morning.
Cooper Rush is in line to start for the Cowboys for the next handful of games with Dak Prescott sidelined. Rush isn't viewed as a great backup quarterback, but Dallas leads the NFL in passing attempts per game (40.8). He could provide solid fantasy numbers due to pure volume for those in Superflex and 2-QB leagues.
Backup Quarterbacks to Stash for Two-QB/Superflex Leagues
- Skylar Thompson, Dolphins
- Tyrod Taylor, Jets
- Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Browns
- Desmond Ridder, Raiders
- Andy Dalton, Panthers
- Anthony Richardson, Colts
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