How important are waiver wire sleeper picks? I’ll tell you.
As you know, I’m currently competing for a pair of Super Bowl tickets in the P&G-sponsored Blogger Fantasy Football League*. I faced one of my stiffest opponents in Week 9, and I only had a chance to win because of one move: less than 30 minutes before kickoffs of the early games on Sunday I picked up Chargers WR Seyi Ajirotutu.
With Antonio Gates out, and the Chargers facing the Texans, I figured Seyi had a chance to have a good week. Two TDs and 20+ fantasy points later, it turned out to be one of the best moves I made all season.
Granted, I didn’t highlight Ajirotutu in last week’s waiver wire sleeper column, but I did highlight names like Josh Freeman, Willis McGahee, and Nate Burleson, all of whom helped you win if you were paying attention.
Who are this week’s waiver wire steals? Read on and I’ll highlight a bunch of guys with a chance to be the different between winning and losing in Week 10.
Special note: as you know, I’ve been giving away a free P&G gift pack each week to one participant of our Sunday morning live chat. This week’s gift pack is awarded to live chatter AJ Purps. Make sure to tune in next Sunday, as I’ll probably be giving away TWO gift packs!
Fantasy Football Week 10 Waiver Wire Sleeper Picks
The following teams are on by in Week 10:
- Green Bay Packers
- New Orleans Saints
- San Diego Chargers
- Oakland Raiders
Remember, the rules for this post are: a player must be owned in less than 50% of Yahoo leagues to be included; and, I focus on guys who are playing in Week 10, although I’ll recommend players on bye if they especially stand out as valuable long-term acquisitions.
Fantasy Football Week 10 Waiver Wire Sleeper Picks: QB
Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams (at San Francisco, 41%)
Bradford has been a frequent entrant in this space over the last few weeks, mainly because this article is geared towards exactly who Bradford is at this point is very young career: a decent bye week fill-in option.
The 49ers recently made Matt Moore a startable quarterback. Bradford is light years ahead of Moore in terms of presence, poise, and accuracy. Sam’s 11:8 TD:INT ratio isn’t anything special, but he’s a decent option if you own Rdogers, Brees, or Rivers.
David Garrard, Jacksonville Jaguars (v Houston, 27%)
This is the gold star pickup of the week.
Houston has given up 20 passing TDs in 8 games this year. They have by far the worst secondary in the NFL. And in Garrard’s last time out (two weeks ago at Dallas) he accounted for 5 TDs. Oh, and Garrard is usually a much better play at home.
This is as much of a slam dunk as you’ll get for a QB owned in barely more than a quarter of leagues. I imagine he’ll make my top 10 this week, maybe the top 5. I’m not kidding.
Derek Anderson, Arizona Cardinals (v Seattle, 6%)
Derek Anderson is awful as a real quarterback. Ask any Browns or Cardinals fans. However, he can be slightly productive for your fantasy team, because he will take chances down field and has some decent receiving options at his disposal.
In Week 9, Anderson threw for 179 yards and a TD, which is passable for a bye week fill-in. The Seahawks were awful in Week 9 against the Giants, their second week in a row of terrible defense. Since Anderson is available in almost all leagues, desperate owners could do much worse.
Note: I am writing this before anything definitive is known about Matthew Stafford‘s injury. If he is out for Week 10, Shaun Hill is an outstanding sleeper candidate with Buffalo on the schedule if he is healthy enough to play. He’s owned in 95% of leagues, and he had many good weeks filling in for Stafford earlier in the season. Hill returned to practice last week and was the Lions’ emergency QB Sunday.
Fantasy Football Week 10 Waiver Wire Sleeper Picks: RB
Willis McGahee, Baltimore Ravens (at Atlanta, 31%)
Look, I know this is Willis’ 3rd or 4th (5th?) appearance in this column. He and Sam Bradford end up here almost every week. Well guess what? He warrants it.
McGahee scored another touchdown in Week 9, his 5th of the season and the 4th straight game he’s had a carry in which he’s scored a TD. McGahee won’t get more than 8-12 touches per week, but he’s been making the most of them. If you own Darren McFadden and need someone for a flex, why not go for a proven touchdown creator like McGahee?
Donald Brown, Indianapolis Colts (v Cincinnati, 33%)
With Joseph Addai and Mike Hart unable to stay healthy, Donald Brown is the guy running with the Indy first team right now. He hasn’t exactly taken the job by the horns and made it his, but he does have Peyton Manning as his QB. And with Indy having so many injuries, he is perhaps the third most talented playmaker on offense after Wayne and Garcon.
I know Brown has been disappointing, but anyone playing RB for the Colts is worth starting. (So if for some reason Javarris James ends up as the starter between when I post this and next Sunday, I give you my permission to grab him also.)
Chester Taylor, Chicago Bears (v Minnesota, 12%)
Taylor is like a poor man’s Willis McGahee. He is clearly Matt Forte’s backup, but he had 11 touches and scored a TD in Week 9. Plus, he apparently will get the goalline carries. And I always like taking flyers on guys with something to prove. Taylor will be facing his old squad the Minnesota Vikings in a huge NFC North battle. If you’re desperate, Taylor is a decent option.
Some other names I like at RB:
- The Carolina backfield is a quagmire right now. Jonathan Stewart started for the injured DeAngelo Williams, then got hurt and left the Week 9 game early. Tyrel Sutton came in a ran okay. Who will start next week? Who knows. But it’s worth watching.
- If you’re really desperate, LaRod Stephens-Howling gets a few carries a game and is an excellent kick returner. If your league counts return yards, he’s a fill-in option.
- Speaking of the Cardinals, Tim Hightower is an obvious pickup candidate if Beanie Wells doesn’t play next week after Beanie’s 1-carry dud this week.
Fantasy Football Week 10 Waiver Wire Sleeper Picks: WR
There are some big names out at WR this week. Greg Jennings, Marques Colston, Lance Moore, and the Chargers are all on a bye. If you read this site, you know that I’ve been high on all of these guys almost every week. Needless to say, I’m hurting in many leagues this week. Here are some of the guys I’m going to go after to fill in.
Sidney Rice, Minnesota Vikings (at Chicago, 45%)
I have him in a few leagues and have been patiently awaiting his return. With Randy Moss now gone, Rice’s potential to pay huge dividends is increased.
I don’t particularly like Sidney Rice for Week 10, for two reasons: 1) because I’m not sure that he’ll play, and 2) because the Bears are typically very good against opposing passing games. But from Week 11 on, Rice could be a guy who impacts fantasy playoffs in a big way. He’ll be Brett Favre’s #1 downfield option as soon as he’s ready, and patient, forward-thinking owners will be rewarded.
Note: I like Vincent Jackson a lot too, for many of the same reasons as Rice (although he doesn’t have the ceiling that Rice has, since Philip Rivers has SO many options he is comfortable with now). Jackson is on a bye in Week 10, but he’s only owned in 45% of leagues. Prediction: with good reason, VJax and SRice will be owned in 100% of leagues by Thanksgiving.
Danny Amendola, St. Louis Rams (at San Francisco, 35%)
It’s not often that you can get a good QB’s #1 WR option as a bye week fill-in, but that’s exactly what you get if you pick up Amendola. (And note that he’s even more valuable in leagues that count return yards.) Danny has 45 catches in 8 games this year (5+ per game), and he has scored TDs in two straight games.
The 49ers have made guys like David Gettis huge fantasy stars. Amendola will be solid, and that’s what you need for guys who are filling in for your stars.
Mike Thomas, Jacksonville Jaguars (v Houston, 18%)
Scroll up and read what I wrote about David Garrard. Guess what? Someone has to catch those passes. Mike Thomas will be one of those guys. (If Mike Sims-Walker is available, snatch him up too.)
Nate Burleson, Detroit Lions (at Buffalo, 9%)
I didn’t like Burleson’s matchup in Week 9 (Jets), yet all he did was catch 7 passes for 113 yards and a TD. The matchup against Buffalo is much better, and Burleson now has 20 catches over the last three weeks. He’s becoming a great option, certainly for being available in 91% of leagues.
Other names I like owned in less than 10% of leagues: Brian Hartline, MIA; Bernard Berrian, MIN; Blair White, IND; Anthony Armstrong, WAS; Michael Jenkins, ATL;
Fantasy Football Week 10 Waiver Wire Sleeper Picks: TE
Benjamin Watson, Cleveland Browns (v New York Jets, 44%)
Watson was a disappointment with only 1 catch and 24 yards in Week 9, but Brandon Pettigrew caught a touchdown against the Jets in Week 9 and almost had a second. I think New York will blitz the heck out of rookie Colt McCoy, who will respond by calmly dumping it to Watson, Evan Moore, and Peyton Hillis. Watson is hit or miss, but I like him as a hit this week if you need a replacement for Gates, Zach Miller, or Jeremy Shockey.
Greg Olsen, Chicago Bears, (v Minnesota, 48%)
I’m not a huge fan of Olsen, and he’s notorious for screwing you the moment you start to trust him, but he did catch his 3rd TD pass in Week 9. It also marked the fourth straight game in which he’s had at least three catches.
If you’re desperate, Ron Gronkowski (NE) and Kevin Boss (NYG) are halfway decent, but not great, options.
Fantasy Football Week 10 Waiver Wire Sleeper Picks: Defense
Kansas City Chiefs (at Denver, 34%)
It boggles my mind that the Chiefs are still out there in 66% of leagues. This is a good defense that should be owned in nearly all leagues. Against the Broncos one-dimensional offense, the Chiefs are a solid start.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (v Carolina, 18%)
This isn’t as much a vote of confidence for the Bucs – who don’t have a great fantasy defense – as it is a vote of no confidence in Carolina. The Panthers are the worst offensive team in the NFL, and the Bucs have feasted on the NFL’s bad teams this year. I see it happening again this week.
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* – The P&G Blogger Fantasy League (BFL) is a group of 12 digital sports influencers competing on the NFL.com fantasy platform for the chance to win P&G product, a donation to a local charity, and a trip to Super Bowl XLV, all furnished by P&G. The NFL Entities have not offered or sponsored the sweepstakes in any way.