Week 9 is almost in the books and it feels like the theme this week was "nothing but patience (and a little bit of luck)." We had multiple unfortunate injuries that led to key fantasy players stepping up; plus, we had backfield changes that gave a spark of life back to some fantasy managers. Even though Cole Kmet was back in action, for instance, it was rookie Colston Loveland who walked away with two touchdowns (and WOW what a second TD it was):

Kyle Monangai had a 100+ rushing yard day, Rico Dowdle managers were able to celebrate an RB1 role and Jaylen Warren finally found the endzone again.

Of course we can't have all good things — there were some injuries before and during Sunday's games that we're going to have to monitor moving forward. There are also four teams on bye in Week 10 — we'll be without the Bengals, Cowboys, Chiefs and Titans. And of course the NFL trade deadline is something we have to keep an eye on! The deadline is this Tuesday, November 4th at 4:00pm ET and we could potentially see some big fantasy names on the move. 

For now, let's get to what we can... the first look at the Week 10 waiver wire!

All rostership percentages are from Yahoo and, as always, I try to focus on highlighting players less than 40% rostered. Also, don't forget our Waiver Wire Tool, which will have even more targets on a weekly basis.

Week 9 NFL Injuries

• Travis Hunter (IR)
• D'Andre Swift (groin)
• CJ Stroud (concussion)
• Matthew Golden (shoulder)
• Kayshon Boutte (hamstring)
• Aaron Jones (shoulder, AC sprain)
• Tucker Kraft (knee)
• Cole Kmet (concussion)

Week 10 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire

J.J. McCarthy, QB, Vikings (29% rostered)

Welcome back, J.J. McCarthy!  I am sorry that I ever doubted you! There are plenty of ways this game could have gone, but McCarthy was able to help lead the Minnesota Vikings to a win against the Detroit Lions... and he gave us fantasy points while doing it. McCarthy finished the day completing 14 of his 25 passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns while adding 12 yards and one touchdown on the ground. This was all good for 18.92 fantasy points (your scoring may vary, naturally) and was a solid return for the sophomore quarterback. We'll still have highs and lows from this team, but it will probably be another good week for McCarthy and Co. facing the Ravens in Week 10.

Luke Musgrave, TE, Packers (0% rostered)

We absolutely cannot have nice things, as is evident with the latest Tucker Kraft injury. After the Packers' loss to the Panthers, the team got more bad news from head coach Matt LaFleur — Kraft's knee injury "does not look good." We'll have to wait for more news, but if Kraft misses an extended period of time then Luke Musgrave will be the next tight end up in this offense. 

Musgrave finished Week 9 with three receptions for 34 yards. I wouldn't unload all your FAAB on him — after all this is still an offense that had 10 different players catch a pass from Jordan Love in Week 9.

DeMario Douglas, WR, Patriots (6% rostered)

Kayshon Boutte went down in Week 9 with a hamstring injury and DeMario Douglas was the guy who popped off in this matchup against the Falcons (see what I did there? Come on that was good!). Drake Maye has been having an excellent season and Douglas took advantage of this opportunity, finishing the day with 100 receiving yards and a touchdown off four receptions. He saw his second-most targets on the season (6) and showed off that big play ability. He'll be a good add with the Patriots going on the road to take on the Buccaneers in Week 10. 

I want to highlight New England's next four games, though, because they really have a chance to smash. They take on the Buccaneers, Jets, Bengals and Giants — sign us up for some good fantasy matchups over that stretch.

Dylan Sampson, RB, Browns (16% rostered)

Quinshon Judkins went down with a shoulder injury in Week 8 and while the team said at the time he was day-to-day we have to always be prepared for the worst — in case Judkins comes off this bye not ready to play. If Judkins misses time then Dylan Sampson would be in line for a big workload. Against the Patriots in Week 8, he had three carries for zero yards, but notched five receptions for 26 yards. He has a ton of value in the passing game and should be rostered more just in case Judkins re-injures his shoulder.

Emanuel Wilson, RB, Packers (10% rostered)

You've seen Emanuel Wilson on this list before (and Jake wrote about him last week as a great stash), but I'm adding him again just to showcase how important these RB2s can be in fantasy. If you have Josh Jacobs you need to absolutely be handcuffing him with Wilson just in case the injury bug comes to town. Wilson locked down six carries for 16 yards on Sunday and while we never want injuries, he would step into a much bigger role if we ever saw Jacobs go down, especially with Marshawn Lloyd still on IR.

Alec Pierce, WR, Colts (26% rostered)

Alec Pierce is going to continue being a highlight on the waiver wire column because of the great flex appeal he carries. On Sunday he was able to lock down a season-high 17.5 fantasy points off of his six receptions and 115 yard day. Will he get 13 targets every single week? No, but Pierce is averaging 10.5 fantasy points and he should be rostered in more leagues.

Trade Deadline Specials: Speculative Deeper League Moves 

Isaiah Davis, RB, Jets (12% rostered)

Let's call this a trade deadline special. There have been rumors that Breece Hall could be on the move and if he does get dealt by Tuesday then Isaiah Davis would be the RB1 in this backfield. Braelon Allen was placed on IR in early October, but his timeline for a return was set for 8-12 weeks. Is this a sexy offense? No, absolutely not! But we always want to follow the volume and there is potential here for Davis to have a big role after Tuesday. Even if Hall doesn't get traded, Davis should be the handcuff to prioritize if you're a Hall GM.

Keaton Mitchell, RB, Ravens (2% rostered)

This is the opposite conversation from what we just talked about with Isaiah Davis. Keaton Mitchell is not going to jump his way up a depth chart with Derrick Henry and Justice Hill there, but he could find himself in a better role if he gets traded. He's been involved in trade rumors for the last couple weeks and some teams are linked to needing running backs, like the Patriots, Texans and Chiefs. This is an add for deeper formats with the chance that he ends up in a better position heading into Week 10.

Jaylen Wright, RB, Dolphins (1% rostered)

Again, this is another deep stash for fantasy managers in those larger leagues. Jaylen Wright had a good amount of hype heading into the 2025 NFL season, but it has been Ollie Gordon in that RB2 role for the Miami Dolphins. Wright has been listed as a running back who will be available for teams to grab before the trade deadline.

Malik Washington, WR, Dolphins (1% rostered)

If the Miami Dolphins really are just selling everyone, what happens to this team if Jaylen Waddle gets dealt? We don't necessarily love this offense, but Malik Washington would immediately rise to WR1 ranks if Waddle does move. He's worth a stash just to see what this team does in the coming days.

Tre Tucker (39% rostered) / Jack Bech (2% rostered), WRs, Raiders

Jakobi Meyers has been more than vocal about his willingness to be traded from the Las Vegas Raiders. This is not an ideal offense to target, but let's call this a "just in case" waiver wire highlight for Tre Tucker and Jack Bech. Both would rise up the depth chart if Meyers was shipped off to a different team.

The Other Guys To Consider:

• Tank Bigsby, RB, Eagles
• Brian Robinson, RB, 49ers
• Chimere Dike, WR, Titans
• Olamide Zaccheaus, WR, Bears
• Christian Watson, WR, Packers
• Brashard Smith, RB, Chiefs