If we have seen anything this season, it’s the impact of the quarterbacks in fantasy football; and boy, does Justin MF’N Fields fit that category! The man just went to level 9000 against the Dolphins, where it felt like no matter what Miami did, they could not stop Fields. He’s the truth, and I am thrilled to see the community catching on. It’s Fields and everyone else on waivers this week. You will likely need to break the bank, as we have a rare chance at a difference-making fantasy player still available on waivers. If you miss out, know that you are passing on a potential top 5 fantasy QB for the rest of the year. We always select from players rostered in less than 50% of ESPN leagues.
Quarterback
Justin Fields Rostered in 47.4% of ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues (25% FAAB)
Blow it all on Fields. Given that the community has caught onto Fields, you will need more FAAB to get him. Add in a Josh Allen elbow injury; even Allen managers will want to grab Fields as a backup plan. We now have five, that’s right, five straight weeks of top-12 QB production; and Fields has Detroit and Atlanta on the schedule for the next two weeks. It would not surprise me to see him put up back-to-back QB1 performances. Get in before it’s too late.
Marcus Mariota Rostered in 35.5% of ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues (5% FAAB)
Mariota is perennially a high-floor play in fantasy. Mariota hits the ceiling when he goes up against bad NFL defenses, and guess who is up on the slate in Week 10? The Carolina Panthers. The Panthers are one of the worst defenses in football. Add to the mix an Atlanta defense that cannot stop a nosebleed, and this is how it comes together for a blowup game from Marcus Mariota. It will be a surprise shootout, repeating precisely what happened in Week 8 when the Falcons beat Carolina 37-34. Mariota finished with 22 fantasy points. Expect a similar outcome for him in Week 10.
Daniel Jones Rostered in 44.6% of ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues (3% FAAB)
Another Konami quarterback is playing against a suspect defense. The kicker for Daniel Jones is Houston being near the bottom of the league against the run. Jones is 4th amongst quarterbacks in rushing attempts and yards. He brings that aspect to fantasy, which we love to see. Jones and Saquon should be big beneficiaries in the matchup versus Houston. It would not shock me to see New York for over 200 yards this week.
Running Back
Jeff Wilson Jr. Rostered in 44.6% of ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues (10% FAAB)
In Jeff Wilson’s first week in Miami, he split the rushing role with Raheem Mostert and saw more of the passing game work. So it was a pleasant surprise to see Wilson have that big of an impact in Game 1. Add on to the fact that Wilson looked like the better running back. It will likely be a split, but with Miami having one of the better offenses in football, you want a piece of that backfield. Wilson is a cheap flier and could pay huge dividends if Raheem Mostert suffered an injury.
Chuba Hubbard Rostered in 30.4% of ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues (10% FAAB)
Chuba would be my number 1 target, except he is still working his way back from injury. If you want an even cheaper option than Mr. Wilson, target Chuba Hubbard for Carolina. Most will pass over the Carolina backfield, as D’Onta Foreman did not succeed in Week 9. The key takeaway was Raheem Blackshear leading the team in receptions. Chuba will take over the passing game role and cut into Foreman’s rushing work. There is a sneaky upside to him securing a sizeable workload on a team looking to develop talent. I expect fireworks from both sides for the Week 10 matchup against Atlanta, and Chuba will be a beneficiary.
Isiah Pacheco Rostered in 27.3% of ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues (5% FAAB)
We want one of three things to be true for our fantasy running backs. Either the running back is in a good offense (check), the running back sees a heavy workload, or the running back sees the high-value touches. What Pacheco is doing is that he sees more and more work in the Patrick Mahomes-led offense. The great thing about Kansas City is a running back does not need a heavy percentage of the work to be a fantasy asset. Therefore, he is the perfect flier to take at the running back position; because if he ever earns the RB1 chair in Kansas City, he will be a player every manager wants.
Wide Receiver
Wan’Dale Robinson Rostered in 20.3% of ESPN Leagues (8% FAAB)
With Wan’Dale coming off a bye week, he will not be on top priority lists for players. He is one of the few playmakers this Giants’ offense has. Wan’Dale has shown in the limited time that good things happen in New York when he gets the ball. While his Week 8 fantasy output did not show it, Wan’Dale set new highs in routes run and snap share. Go pick up Wan’Dale and be a week early on the player who has a straightforward path to the WR1 chair in New York.
Terrace Marshall Jr. Rostered in 8.4% of ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues (3% FAAB)
Terrace is back from the dead. With only D.J. Moore as competition for targets, Marshall has taken hold of the WR2 job in Carolina and is not giving it back. Marshall is coming off back-to-back double-digit fantasy performances and gets a matchup against Atlanta. Marshall could put up a third consecutive double-digit fantasy day on Sunday.
Michael Gallup Rostered in 41.0% of ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues (1% FAAB)
Gallup feels forgotten about, but we must remember he is coming back from an ACL injury. This takes time for players to return to the player they were pre-injury. Dak Prescott is returning to the elite form we previously saw, and Gallup is the WR2 in Dallas. Sometimes it’s as simple as betting on talent in a good situation to win out. Gallup checks the boxes for players you want to bet on. Back from the bye in Week 9, Gallup will see his involvement tick closer to what it was pre-injury, as he has been trending up as the season has gone along.
Tight End
Greg Dulcich Rostered 28.9% of ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues (10% FAAB)
For the third consecutive week, I am pounding the table for Greg Dulcich. I am trying to figure out what this man needs to do to earn respect from the fantasy community. Dulcich saw his percentage of snaps and routes increase for a third consecutive week and is the TE6 of the year. Truly break-out material from a rookie tight end, almost doubling Kyle Pitts in points per game. Given there are almost no difference-makers at the tight end position, grab Dulcich before it is too late.
Cade Otton Rostered 5.2% of ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues (3% FAAB)
Cade Otton was on the field a lot against Los Angeles and came through when fantasy managers needed it most with a game-winning touchdown catch. The underlying numbers are good for Cade. You should have confidence firing him up against Seattle, one of the worst teams in the NFL against tight ends.
Dan Arnold Rostered 0.2% of ESPN Fantasy Football Leagues (1% FAAB)
Evan Engram suffered a back injury, and Dan Arnold took over for him. It’s almost identical to what happened to Cade Otton, which allowed him to step into a significant role. Arnold will be able to fill the same function Engram does. Given the inability of any receiver outside of Christian Kirk to establish themselves, there is room for Dan Arnold to once again be a positive asset to fantasy teams. The matchup versus Kansas City is good, as Lawerence will need to force the issue against Mahomes.
Jesse Moeller
Jesse Moeller is a fascinating character. By day, he's a restaurant manager, but during his free time, he transforms into a fantasy football analyst. He's been playing fantasy football since 1999, which means he's been around the block a few times. But his passion for the game has never waned. Jesse is a devoted husband to his wife Andrea, whom he's been married to for five years. They have a lovely daughter Cecilia, who is now four years old. Jesse's journey into content creation began with The League Winners in 2021, and he hasn't looked back since. Dynasty is his passion, and his love for the game is infectious. Jesse is a true degenerate who loves the fantasy football and the community that supports it.