There's a number of critical offenses on bye this week, and it doesn't get much better for Week 11 either. I'll be updating this article regularly with Tuesday's newest update reflecting a ho-hum NFL Trade Deadline.
Looking to upgrade your roster? Check out our trade analyzer and stay in the know with breaking news that drives every deal.
For the audio and video component of the article, I also went through a fully developed list on the RotoWire YouTube channel that you can view below.
Teams with Week 10 Bye: Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Tennessee Titans
Tuesday Update: Jacoby Brissett, Jack Bech, update on Parker Washington
Wednesday Update: Ray Davis, Emari Demercado, Cedric Tillman
Thursday Update: DeMario Douglas
Quarterback
Sam Darnold, Seahawks - Darnold is rostered in 50 percent of leagues already, but Sunday night's thrashing of the Commanders should have been a reminder of how potent this offense could be. I couldn't have been more wrong about Seattle entering the year. I figured the team would be reliant on Cooper Kupp as the second target, and given the veteran is incapable of staying healthy, the offense so to would crumble. That obviously didn't matter against Washington, and frankly I'm at the point where I'm not going to doubt Darnold any longer when he's not facing a top-10 defense. There's going to be moments against good pass rush where we'll see a repeat of last year's playoff loss to the Rams, but I don't think that happens anytime soon. FAAB: 7 percent if you need a streamer or ROS starter
Bryce Young, Panthers - There's very few options if you're just trying to find a one-week streamer as the usuals like Trevor Lawrence, Michael Penix and Tua Tagovailoa have difficult matchups. I think Young might be something like one of the five-worst starting quarterbacks in the league, but that doesn't really matter against a New Orleans defense that seems to have given up. FAAB: 0 percent of budget
Jacoby Brissett, Cardinals - I'm a bit surprised Arizona's brass had the cojones to bench the five-year, $230 million quarterback, but Brissett has been undeniably better than Kyler Murray this season. It doesn't sound as if the Cardinals are hiding behind Murray's supposed foot injury either, which is all I need to recommend Brissett as the best of the lower-tier bad options currently out there. Marcus Mariota has some utility given his scrambling, but guys like Dillon Gabriel and Tyler Shough don't come close in two-QB leagues from a fantasy perspective. FAAB: 0 percent of budget
Running Back
Devin Singletary, Giants - It was assumed Tyrone Tracy would operate as the team's lead back after Cam Skattebo's season-ending ankle injury last week, but Singletary ended up out-touching the converted college wide receiver 10 touches to eight, and played a slightly higher percentage of the snaps (55 to 45 percent). That was with a favorable passing game script, which presumably should have benefited Tracy too. I just categorically don't understand the rationale of a 2-7 team ceding more playing time to seven-year veteran as opposed to the second-year back who had promising stretches in 2024, but maybe this is why the Giants are where they are. I'd be willing to buy low on Tracy, but Singletary evidently needs to be rostered in just about every league format too. FAAB: 4 percent of budget
Terrell Jennings, Patriots - Rhamondre Stevenson failed to practice all last week due to a toe injury, opening the door for rookie second-round pick TreVeyon Henderson to finally make his long awaited breakout. Oh wait, that only happened in my dreams, that's right. Henderson did at least have a career-high 18 touches, but it was Jennings, an undrafted second-year back, who still recorded 12 touches and scored the lone touchdown from the backfield. There's been little evidence to suggest Stevenson's injury is a potential long-term issue, but with the Patriots reportedly sniffing around available backs on the market, it seems relatively certain Jennings' playable fantasy value might be a blip on the radar no matter the status of the highly paid veteran. FAAB: 0 percent of budget
Jeremy McNichols, Commanders - Any hope of a relevant Washington offense took a dramatic hit after Jayden Daniels suffered a gruesome elbow dislocation Sunday night. Even before that, the ever frustrating status of Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) was already severely hampering the team's ability to consistently score points. As a result, McNichols has compiled 13 targets the last three weeks after seeing four total the five weeks prior. Part of that stretch came with Austin Ekeler (Achilles) healthy, but still, Washington is obviously going to be in more favorable game scripts, which gives McNichols some deep-league utility. FAAB: 0 percent of budget
Tank Bigsby, Eagles / Dylan Sampson, Browns - As of this writing Monday, we don't know the status of either Saquon Barkley (groin) or Quinshon Judkins (shoulder). Neither injury was reportedly serious, but it's worth some keep-'em-honest bids in the event we get more concrete information throughout the week. FAAB: 2 percent of budget if your roster can withstand a zero
Ray Davis, Bills - Cook didn't practice Wednesday due to a foot/ankle injury that occurred in Sunday's win over the Chiefs. It's entirely possible Buffalo wants to give its star running back a bit of rest after an eight-week pace that will easily project for the fourth-year back to explode for a career high in touches. That being said, whoever starts against Miami this week is primed for a massive fantasy day, and Davis figures to be the one to take on more of the rushing volume while Ty Johnson would get a bit more work as the pass-catching threat. FAAB: 4 percent of budget
Emari Demercado, Cardinals - I'm truthfully entirely done with this backfield, but other fantasy managers might just be desperate enough to wade into these waters once again. Trey Benson (knee) didn't practice Wednesday despite being eligible to be activated off injured reserve this week. If the second-year back ultimately is unable to play, Demercado saw the extra workload in Monday's win over the Cowboys with Bam Knight taking a lesser role. Why the Cardinals continue to play ineffective running back charades is beyond me, but it appears like Demercado currently has the upper hand. FAAB: 0 percent of budget
Wide Receiver
Parker Washington, Jaguars - With Travis Hunter (knee) on injured reserve for the foreseeable future, there was some thought Brian Thomas would officially return to the level of fantasy dominance expected by his investors to begin the year. Instead it was Parker Washington who consumed nine targets, repeating his performance that was seemingly ignored in London two weeks prior. The third-year wideout undoubtedly has a rapport with Trevor Lawrence, and with coach Liam Cohen's tendency to air it out, Washington has tangible value given the lack of consistency as a whole in Jacksonville. Two difficult matchups upcoming, at Houston and then home against the Chargers, could handicap Washington's breakout, but he's seeing too much volume to ignore at this point.
EDITED FOLLOWING TUESDAY'S DEADLINE
The Jaguars acquired Jakobi Meyers from the Raiders for a fourth and sixth-round pick this year. That's hardly a small price tag, especially for an organization dealing with the ramifications of April's trade up for Travis Hunter. Still though, we know it takes time for a quarterback to develop a rapport with a wide receiver, and Meyers strikes me more like a Diontae Johnson level addition than an Emmanuel Sanders level of success story. People are going to be scared off from Washington on waivers thanks to Tuesday's trade, but I'm holding firm to the idea Washington is the Jacksonville wideout to target rest of season.
FAAB: 6 percent of FAAB
Christian Watson, Packers - Matthew Golden injured his shoulder during Sunday's embarrassing loss to the Panthers. It's unclear the severity of the injury, but with Tucker Kraft (ACL) likely done for the year and Jayden Reed (shoulder/foot) at least a month away from returning, Watson might be immediately thrust back into prominence as a volume pass catcher anyhow. Green Bay's offense is so frustratingly erratic that I hesitate to really recommend anyone, but Watson's big-play potential is going to be a crutch of sorts until Matt LaFleur figures out how to call a competent offense. FAAB: 2 percent of budget
Rashod Bateman, Ravens - Baltimore was hardly threatened Thursday against a Miami team that seemed hellbent on shooting itself in the foot, but Bateman has more touchdown upside. Outside of a potentially difficult matchup against the Patriots in Week 16 and likely a messy game against Cleveland in Week 11, there's really no game where I'd expect Bateman not to be a flex consideration in 12-team leagues. With Lamar Jackson healthy, and the return of crucial blocker Patrick Ricard, there's going to be more explosive plays on the menu for Bateman, who quietly scored nine touchdowns last year. FAAB: 0 percent of budget
Jack Bech, Raiders - Bech actually made the Week 9 waiver wire article as a reminder to look for him after the team's bye, but the second-round rookie somehow sunk to fourth on the team's depth chart in Sunday's loss to Jacksonville behind newly signed veteran Tyler Lockett. It seems like the absolute worst sort of process to play a veteran one step away from retiring over a rookie the front office seemingly liked seven months ago especially on a 2-6 team, but the Raiders got to this point precisely because they're this consistently moronic. With Jakobi Meyers now in Florida there's going to be more playing time regardless, but I'd be surprised if the team didn't eventually pivot towards the future in Bech. FAAB: 0 percent of budget
Cedric Tillman, Browns - I think even in a 12-team league it's entirely safe to drop Jerry Jeudy, so it feels incredibly dumb to recommend a worse pass catcher, but I just wanted to put it on everyone's radar that Tillman is set to be activated off injured reserve after a four-game absence due to a hamstring injury. I have zero issue with someone saying Tillman is a talented wide receiver, but this current Cleveland offense is so risk adverse, and unconsciously incapable of passing to wide receivers specifically, that I really don't want much part of this situation. FAAB: 0 percent of budget
DeMario Douglas, Patriots - Kayshon Boutte didn't practice either Wednesday or Thursday, which could open the door for Douglas to have a larger role come Sunday. The diminutive wide receiver is still only playing in the range of 15-20 snaps per game in recent weeks, but Douglas is still seeing targets despite the lack of playing time. He set a season high in targets in last week's win. FAAB: 0 percent of budget
Tight End
Luke Musgrave, Packers - As mentioned, it appears as if Tucker Kraft suffered a serious knee injury in the catastrophically dumb loss to the Panthers. There's going to be incorrect analysis from every other fantasy provider suggesting Mugrave becomes a must-add pickup as a result. Ask any Packers fan and they'll tell you the third-year tight end is far more likely to trip without anyone near him than make an explosive play in the passing game. He's the exact antithesis of Kraft in terms of yards after the catch, and it's why the Packers had largely phased Musgrave out of the gameplan despite drafting him higher than the now injured star tight end. Green Bay is going to need to pass more to be competitive in a difficult upcoming schedule so Musgrave might see fantasy-relevant volume by default, but this isn't just a plug-and-play one-for-one replacement. I'd rather have Mason Taylor, Harold Fannin, Colston Loveland and Juwan Johnson rest of season than the new starting TE in Green Bay. FAAB: 6 percent keep-'em-honest bid
Colston Loveland, Bears - I really really wish Loveland's breakout happened last week so I could look more like an oracle, but I guess it's better late than never. It's worth reiterating half of the rookie's yardage came on the absurdly open game-winning touchdown and that Cincinnati's defense is historically helpless, but Loveland still produced in the situation. What's more, Cole Kmet left in the first half with a concussion and was already banged up in the weeks prior. Loveland should be in for another cushy game against yet another porous defense in the Giants. FAAB: 4 percent of FAAB if you need a streamer
Dalton Schultz, Texans - C.J. Stroud left Sunday's loss to the Broncos early with a concussion, opening the door for Davis Mills to pepper Schultz with a multitude of targets. The veteran tight end did net 47 of his near season-high 77 receiving yards on a pass from Stroud, but the extra target volume feels far more associated to Mills than a schematic change. I have an unexplainable negative bias toward the 29-year-old because he's well on pace to see close to 90 targets once again this season, the sixth consecutive time he'll be on pace to achieve that feat, but there just doesn't seem to be an upside that's worth rostering in shallower leagues. FAAB: 0 percent of FAAB
