Week 10 of the NFL season kicks off this weekend, and as a fantasy owner you are probably getting tired of shuffling around much of your roster due to the amount of bye weeks that are happening. With that in mind, it is always good scour the waiver wire to find some guys that may be able to help your team get through some of these trying weeks. Below are guys who are not marquee names but are all capable of putting up big numbers and help propel you to a fantasy win this week.
Marquez Valdez-Scantling – Wide Receiver – Green Bay Packers
Don’t look now, but we may be seeing the beginning of a beautiful friendship between Aaron Rodgers and rookie Wide Receiver Marquez Valdez-Scantling. With the injury to Geronimo Allison for most likely the rest of the season, it is virtually assured that Valdez-Scantling will pick up more targets from Rodgers. MVS has broken the 100-yard receiving marker in two of his last three games, while averaging just under 6 targets per game in that span. He is most definitely a big play threat as he has caught passes of 38, 60, 40 and 51 yards so far this season and he looks to be a receiver that is able to shrug off would-be tacklers in order to gain extra yards. According to his Nextgen stats (https://nextgenstats.nfl.com/stats/receiving#avgYAC) MVS is 9th in the NFL this season in yards after the catch per reception with 7.8, which makes him that much greater a threat when he gets the ball. The Packers play at home this week against the Miami Dolphins whose defense is giving up an average of 33 ppg to opposing receivers on the road. Valdez-Scantling is owned in 43.5% of the fantasy leagues in ESPN as of this writing, so he would be a good free agent signing if your team is short on WRs and you need a bye week fill-in. And as we go into the second half of the season and Rodgers does get more comfortable with him, he will be a good guy to have on your bench in case of injury to your top receivers.
Tyrell Williams – Wide Receiver – Los Angeles Chargers
Tyrell Williams is an enigma when it comes to his place on a fantasy roster, he has not shown a consistency that makes him a weekly starter, and he is prone to the game where he can disappear, but as fantasy owners wade through the portion of the season where bye weeks are an important factor to look at, a receiver like Williams has a place on a roster and can be a viable flex option depending on the matchup. This week is just such a game, as the Chargers travel to Oakland to play the Raiders. Over the last three weeks Williams has developed a nose for the end zone as he has scored 4 times with at least 1 TD in each game and has averaged just over 18 fantasy points in that span.
So far this season, the Raiders have averaged giving up 32.4 fantasy ppg to opposing receivers, which puts them at 21st in the NFL and they rank last in average yards per reception allowed with 9.1. They are at the bottom in TDs allowed through the air, as well as fewest interceptions. In week 5 against the Raiders, Williams had 3 receptions for 66 yards, which is in line with what he has averaged in his career vs. the Raiders. While you might have to hold your nose a little bit in ½ or full PPR leagues if you use Williams, history shows that he will get you some pretty good yards against the Raiders; combine that with his recent scoring streak and the Raiders general suckiness, this makes Williams a legit flex option for this week.
Leighton Vander Esch – Linebacker – Dallas Cowboys
Sean Lee is one of the best linebackers in the NFL; Sean Lee is one of the most prolific tacklers in the NFL; what Sean Lee isn’t and never has been in his now 9th year in the NFL is immune from injury. In his 9 years, Lee has never once played a full season without missing games because of an injury. That is one of the primary reasons why the Dallas Cowboys used their second-round pick in 2016 on Jaylon Smith and then why they used their first round pick this year on Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch. With Lee being out once again this week the rookie from Boise State steps into his spot. You want an idea of Vander Esch’s value to the Cowboys when Lee is not in? In the three games this season that Lee has not played, Vander Esch has totaled 30 tackles and averaged over 9 fantasy points per game if one was to look at that level of production for the whole season without anyone starting ahead of him, he would rank 7th in the NFL in average points per game from the linebacker position. Vander Esch is a #tacklingmachine and this week he faces a Philadelphia Eagles offense that has been very friendly to opposing team’s linebackers with regards to their point totals. If you have Vander Esch as an IDP player, this is a good week to use him. If you don’t have him, (still available in 74% of the ESPN Fantasy Leagues) it might be a good time and pick him up and plug him into your starting lineup, as he will probably be very busy this weekend.
D.J. Swearinger – Safety – Washington Redskins
If you are in a fantasy league that allows you to start defensive players in all defensive positions and you have not picked up or started D.J. Swearinger yet, you more than likely have not watched a Redskins game this season. With each passing week, Swearinger makes a stronger and stronger case to make it to his first Pro-Bowl and through the Redskins first 8 games, his numbers more than back up that claim. He is currently tied for the NFL lead in Interceptions with 4, which is more than 6 teams; he has 2 forced fumbles (1 behind the Cincinnati Bengals) and he is averaging 8.1 fantasy points per game. This week will be an active week, particularly for the Redskins secondary as they travel to Tampa Bay to face the #1 ranked passing offense in the NFL. With Ryan Fitzpatrick back in charge of the Bucs offense, Swearinger is going to have ample opportunity to continue to be the ball hawk that he has been this season, as Fitzpatrick has thrown 7 interceptions in his 6 starts. With the recent acquisition of Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, the Redskins secondary looks to be a very dangerous place for the ball to go. Again, if you are in a league that allows for positional defensive players, D.J. Swearinger is a good choice to add to your lineup.
*Also don’t forget to go back and read over our previous IN SEASON ARTICLES. You might find some nuggets of fantasy football gold that could propel you into the fantasy playoffs and even help you win a fantasy football championship!*