Welcome to the Week 10 waiver wire watch! Consider making a waiver claim in your fantasy football leagues for the following players (available in at least 50% of ESPN leagues).
Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers
After a month of establishing the run, Los Angeles is letting Herbert cook. He’s averaging 33 attempts in his last four games and threw for 275-plus yards and 2 scores in the past two weeks. The Chargers have a favorable upcoming schedule and their pass-catchers are ascending, including Quentin Johnston and Josh Palmer. They each scored on Sunday and are worth mentioning as viable waiver claims in their own right.
Cam Akers, RB, Minnesota Vikings
Akers finally took the no. 2 role from Ty Chandler in Week 9 after the Vikings traded for him in mid-October. He played 16 snaps and had 8 touches for 53 yards on Sunday Night Football while Chandler didn’t log a single snap. Aaron Jones saw 25 touches of his own and remains the top dawg in Minnesota, but the soon-to-be 30-year-old has a lengthy history of soft tissue injuries. Akers would be a starting-caliber fantasy back if he were to start in Kevin O’Connell’s offense, which ranks eighth in points per game.
Ray Davis, RB, Buffalo Bills
Davis has always been valuable as a handcuff back in a prolific offense. After scoring his second touchdown in three weeks on a 63-yard catch and run, the fourth-round rookie may be fantasy-relevant even with James Cook still starting. Davis was a draft favorite of offensive coordinator Joe Brady and will continue getting reps, which is always notable for a Josh Allen teammate.
Jalen Coker, WR, Carolina Panthers
Xavier Legette, WR, Carolina Panthers
Legette, the 32nd overall pick, is among the best waiver claims to make this week. He caught 4 of 6 targets on Sunday for 33 yards and a touchdown — his fourth score in six weeks. The Panthers also got 36 yards from Coker, an undrafted free agent out of Holy Cross, who’s actually had a better rookie campaign. He leads all Panthers in yards per reception, yards per target, yards per route run, first downs per route run, and passer rating when targeted.
Jalen McMillan, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The third-round rookie missed Week 9 with a hamstring injury and has caught just 10 balls for 109 yards this season. Still, McMillan is worth adding if available in your league. Tampa Bay’s offense ranks BLANK in pass attempts and is without Chris Godwin for the rest of the year.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, WR, Tennessee Titans
All-Pro receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is the only player with a longer active touchdown streak than Westbrook-Ikhine, who’s hit pay dirt in four straight games. It’s not sustainable, considering he has 10 catches in the same span, but he has played 95% of offensive snaps in the past two weeks since DeAndre Hopkins’ departure. In any event, his recent performances feel worth mentioning for any fantasy managers in ultra-deep leagues.
Mike Gesicki, TE, Cincinnati Bengals
With Tee Higgins out on Sunday, Gesicki became the first Bengals tight end to record 100-plus receiving yards and multiple touchdowns in a game since Tyler Eifert in 2015. He also had 7 catches for a team-high 73 yards the week before. Higgins may be held out again in Thursday Night Football, though even if he returns, Gesicki will benefit from the absence of Erick All. The rookie tight end had played over 40% of offensive snaps in five straight weeks but unfortunately tore his ACL.
Taysom Hill, TE, New Orleans Saints
The undermanned Saints turned to its veteran utility man for a goal line touchdown plunge against the Panthers. It was just the third touchdown of the season for Hill, who’s missed multiple games due to injuries, but his other two scores came in Week 4 against the Falcons. Guess who New Orleans hosts this week?
