It’s all downhill from here. Not only are the NFL and fantasy seasons past the halfway point, but half of all NFL teams have now had their byes. Week 9 was the hardest bye week yet, with six teams all taking a collective breather. Four more teams will get a chance to relax this week, with the Bengals, Jets, Patriots and Ravens all sitting poolside. Whether you’re navigating missing players from that eighth of the league, or you were button-hooked by the latest wave of injuries, the Week 10 waiver wire is your lifeline. We’re highlighting players currently under 50 percent ownership that may have something to offer, either in the short term (as in, Week 10 byes) or ROS. And we’ll also remind you of some names we’ve previously mentioned (in case you’re still on the fence about our advice.)

Reminder that all point totals and rankings are PPR unless otherwise noted. Ownership percentages for this week’s column are based on NFL.com league trends.

Week 10 Waiver Wire Running Backs

Deon Jackson (41.2% owned)

Jonathan Taylor was drafted as the consensus overall number one in fantasy drafts this summer. To this point, he has failed to live up to that ranking, thanks in no small part to a lack of availability. Week 9 was Taylor’s third missed contest of the season. Deon Jackson was the overall RB1 in Week 6 filling in for Taylor. It’s worth noting that Nyheim Hines also missed that game, leading to 10 catches on 10 targets for Jackson.

Taylor is not expected to be placed on IR. But the trade of Hines to Buffalo, coupled with the Colts’ firing of head coach Frank Reich raises an interesting scenario. If the Colts see the season as a lost cause, do they risk further injury to their top offensive weapon in meaningless action? Jackson came back to earth a bit in Week 9 against the Patriots, but is well worth a Week 10 waiver add, especially if you’re a Taylor manager who hasn’t yet found a backup plan.

Jeff Wilson Jr. (38.4% owned)

One of my mantras as a fantasy analyst is that while it’s “fake football” we’re dealing with, it’s not Madden NFL. No matter how good a player is, his “ratings” don’t just transfer with him and translate to instant success after a trade. There’s new terminology to learn and timing with teammates and a host of other things that take time to nail down. But Jeff Wilson joining the Dolphins was as good a chance to buck that trend as any. Wilson was already familiar with Miami coach Mike McDaniel’s system from their time together in San Francisco.

It seems McDaniel may have missed his old running back. Not only did Wilson out-snap incumbent starter Raheem Mostert in Week 9, he saw one more opportunity than did Mostert. Wilson saw three rush attempts and two of his three targets in the redzone. At the worst, this backfield could look closer to the timeshare we all dreaded early in the season with Chase Edmonds. At best, Wilson could become a clear-cut top option. Go grab him if he was dropped after the Christian McCaffrey trade and you’re running back-needy (and really, who isn’t?)

Chase Edmonds (40.5% owned)

Included seemingly as an afterthought in the trade that sent Bradley Chubb to South Beach, Chase Edmonds lands in a better situation than it might first appear. Melvin Gordon has not only failed to take control of the Bronco’s backfield in the wake of the Javonte Williams injury, he’s ceded the lead in the committee to Latavius Murray, who wasn’t even on the roster at the time of Williams’ season-ender. Edmonds himself lost the starting gig in Miami, but could find himself atop the scrap heap that is the Denver running back room. Remember, Edmonds was seventh in targets and receptions among running backs and second in receiving scores just two seasons ago. It wouldn’t be a shock to see him eventually take over as the starter/lead here. He’s worth the speculative add.

Other Running Backs to Consider

Isaiah Spiller (0.2 percent owned) looks to be the handcuff du jour for Austin Ekeler owners. Spiller could find his way to some slight standalone value if the Chargers decide to protect Ekeler a bit… It’s never a bad thing to get a piece of an offense as potent as Buffalo’s. To that end, Nyheim Hines (36.2 percent owned) is a nice add in PPR formats… Other names put forth in previous weeks: Gus Edwards, Jaylen Warren.

Week 10 Waiver Wire Wide Receivers

Devin Duvernay (49.0% owned)

With the injuries to Rashod Bateman, Mark Andrews, J.K. Dobbins, and Gus Edwards, Baltimore is looking for a top option on offense (besides Lamar Jackson, of course.) Duvernay leads the Ravens’ wide receivers in just about every category. He’s been fairly reliable, catching 75 percent of his targets. Not only that, but the Ravens have shown a willingness to get him involved in the running game as well. He ranks right between Gabriel Davis and Diontae Johnson as WR36 on the season. With Bateman out for the season and Andrews battling multiple injuries, he should continue to see opportunities. The Ravens are on the bye in Week 10, but Duvernay could be a boost in the run up to the fantasy playoffs.

Treylon Burks (22.9% owned)

The Tennessee Titans need something to jolt some life into their passing attack. The Titans rank last in the league in attempts, completions, yards, and touchdowns. Yes, some of that can be attributed to the quarterbacks. Ryan Tannehill‘s injury woes and rookie Malik Willis‘s struggles haven’t helped. But Robert Woods has not been the answer as a number one wideout. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine has taken a step back from last season (which wasn’t all that impressive in its own right.) Kyle Phillips has had his own injury concerns. And the tight ends haven’t really had much of a chance to contribute (Chigoziem Okonkwo‘s game-opener last night notwithstanding.)

Treylon Burks wasn’t lighting the league on fire before going down with an injury. But he’s still 6’2″ and still the player who the Titans took with the 18th overall pick just a few months ago. He looks set to return from IR as soon as Week 10. It’s not like he’ll have much competition for targets. Look for whichever quarterback playing to lean on him when he does return. Burks is the future of this offense, but he may need to be its present as well.

Other Wide Receivers to Consider

DeAndre Carter (0.9 percent owned) showed out a bit Week 1 and has seen consistent targets. With Los Angeles missing their top two wideouts, Carter should find the endzone again soon… Over the last two weeks, Terrace Marshall (0.5 percent owned) has 15 total targets and his first career touchdown en route to 27 fantasy points. The Panthers’ quarterback carousel makes this ride less appealing, but Marshall may finally be hitting his stride… Someone has to catch passes from Aaron Rodgers. Samori Toure (>0.1 percent owned) is healthy and essentially free for the taking… Rashid Shaheed (0.2 percent owned) is probably more of a Dynasty grab, but he’s fun to watch operate… Other names put forth in previous weeks: Michael Gallup, Joshua Palmer, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Wan’Dale Robinson, Kadarius Toney.

Week 10 Waiver Wire Quarterbacks

Andy Dalton (11.2% owned)

Most in the industry had Jameis Winston tagged as the more valuable fantasy asset this season, but it’s been Andy Dalton who’s taken command of the New Orleans offense. While not overwhelming, his numbers have been decent. He’s hitting on over 65 percent of his throws- far above his career average- and has been a boost to Alvin Kamara‘s fantasy value overall. Don’t let his lack of time Monday night scare you off. The Ravens don’t have impressive raw sack numbers, but when they do manage to pressure opposing quarterbacks they’ve been very efficient at finishing the job. Dalton’s Week 10 matchup against Pittsburgh is a good one if you need a Lamar Jackson or Joe Burrow fill-in, or a QB2 in Superflex formats.

Russell Wilson (46.6% owned)

Listen, I didn’t feel any better typing it than you did reading it. But they’re coming off the bye in Broncos Country, and a matchup with the Titans is ahead. I wouldn’t be suggesting him if it weren’t the kind of spot where he should pop. Despite their 5-3 record, Tennessee has been outscored on the year and can be had in the passing game. The Titans are fourth in points allowed to opposing fantasy quarterbacks. The Broncos didn’t jettison Jerry Jeudy and added Chase Edmonds over the trade deadline. Russell’s Wolverine blood has had time to work its magic. Hopefully, everyone around him has healed up as well. Wilson is gaining rapport with Greg Dulcich, and the bye should’ve given Denver a chance to self-reflect and get things right. If it’s going to happen for Russ this year, it needs to start in Week 10.

Baker Mayfield (2.6% owned) or Sam Darnold (0.1% owned)

Apparently, the P.J. Walker era is a tenuous one. Walker was benched in favor of Mayfield for the second half of Carolina’s Week 9 loss to Cincinnati and speculation was rampant for most of the next 24 hours. Alas, interim head coach Steve Wilks announced Monday he’s sticking with Walker as the starter for Thursday night’s game against Atlanta. The Panthers did designate Darnold to return from IR, however, and would probably like to see a bit more of both him and Mayfield before deciding which direction to go with the quarterback position this offseason. This is admittedly more of a speculative, desperation add in two-quarterback formats only.

Other Quarterbacks to Consider

He’s not exciting, but he’s a starting quarterback and he offers more in the run game than Carson Wentz. Washington’s Taylor Heinicke (1.9 percent owned) can be used as a matchup-based QB2… Other names put forth in previous weeks: Justin Fields (don’t wait anymore, just do it), Jimmy Garoppolo, Jared Goff, Daniel Jones, Marcus Mariota (for now…)

Week 10 Waiver Wire Tight Ends

Cole Kmet (24.7% owned)

I’ve been loathe to suggest any part of the Bears’ lowly passing “attack” this season, but the Justin Fields surge has had a net positive effect on his receiving corps. Darnell Mooney has been useable recently and scored in Week 9. And Cole Kmet (he of the TE12 ADP, remember him?) has scored in back-to-back games and was TE2 for Week 9. After seeing all of ONE redzone target through seven weeks, Kmet is now four-of-four with three touchdowns on redzone targets in the last two weeks. Deadline addition Chase Claypool may take some redzone looks from Kmet, but he’ll also demand coverage. That could benefit Kmet, and by extension your fantasy team.

Cade Otton (0.7% owned)

Gronk isn’t coming back. Cameron Brate has struggled to stay on the field. Kyle Rudolph has struggled to convince the Buccaneers’ coaching staff to play him. Enter Cade Otton. The rookie fourth-rounder has played well in the absence of more veteran options at tight end in Tampa. Although he went without a target in Week 1, Otton now ranks fifth on the team in targets behind Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Russell Gage, and Leonard Fournette. It all culminated in Week 9 with his best performance to date. Otton scored his first career touchdown and led the team in receiving yards. He has more redzone targets this season than such positional luminaries as Dalton Schultz, Dawson Knox, Dallas Goedert, Kyle Pitts, and George Kittle. His opponent in Germany for Week 10 gives up the most fantasy points to opposing tight ends. Fire him up.

Other Tight Ends to Consider

Despite the Packers’ receiving woes, the tight ends in Green Bay haven’t overwhelmingly benefitted. But with the team searching for answers and implementing a fairly even tight end rotation, Josiah Deguara (0.1 percent owned) is an interesting Week 10 waiver wire deep flyer. He’s coming off a game in which he led the team in receptions and out-gained Robert Tonyan… The bloom is off the O.J. Howard rose in Houston. Brevin Jordan (0.1 percent owned) stepped right into the lead tight end role upon returning from injury. Jordan has over twice as many targets as Howard in the three games since. It hasn’t paid off quite yet, but Jordan is the receiving threat in this stable. He makes an intriguing deep league play in DFS or futures bet in Dynasty… Other names put forth in previous weeks: Tyler Conklin, Greg Dulcich, Isaiah Likely.

Challenge Chase!

Fear not, fantasy fans. Kevin Wilson will return to the weekly waiver article. In the meantime, ever wonder how you stack up against the experts? Now’s your chance to find out! You can use teams you’ve already drafted to take me on for weekly bragging rights with Flex Fantasy. Visit https://www.flex.fan/bellyup to sign up and challenge me, as I’ll be using lineups from my own home leagues. You can play for fun, play for money, or play for both! Look for SttChaseFFB’s teams in the Flex Fantasy Arena and sign up today. I promise I won’t rub it in (much) when I win. Got something to say? Leave a comment below, follow me on Twitter @SttChaseFFB, and catch me on the Belly Up Fantasy Live podcast Sundays and Wednesdays all season long. Slàinte!