Fantasy Football Today – Waiver Wire! Tyrone Tracy Jr., Sam Darnold, Great DST Options (10/28/25)

Podcast Hosts: Adam Aizer, Jamie Eisenberg, Dave Richard
Date: October 28, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of "Fantasy Football Today" zeros in on week 9 waiver wire priorities—just days before the NFL trade deadline. Adam, Jamie, and Dave break down the most valuable adds, with a focus on running backs Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Donovan (Zonovan) Knight, analyze the available streaming quarterbacks, and outline top defense/special teams (DST) streamers for pivotal fantasy matchups. They also explore deeper-league stashes, FAAB strategy, and the impact of injuries and possible trades. Listeners get actionable, nuanced guidance for both shallow and deep leagues, ideal for seizing those midseason fantasy football wins.

Top Waiver Wire Priorities (01:05–05:52)

Jamie Eisenberg's Top 3 Waiver Adds

[02:36] Jamie:

• 1. Tyrone Tracy Jr. (RB, Giants): "He's going to be a starting running back for the rest of the season."
• 2. Donovan (Zonovan) Knight (RB, Cardinals): "Potential No. 2 RB start this week, with so many injuries and byes."
• 3. Rams D/ST: "No. 1 DST to add and most likely to use—great matchup against the Saints at home."

Dave Richard's Top 3 Waiver Adds

[03:17] Dave:

• 1. Tyrone Tracy Jr.: “Huge opportunity potentially for the rest of the year. ... You don’t see a lot of running backs with this type of opportunity available.”
• 2. Donovan Knight: “If you need a running back badly for Week 9.”
• 3. Troy Franklin (WR): "Excellent last week, available in 38% of leagues."

Additional Considerations

Quarterback Streamers:

• Trevor Lawrence vs. Raiders (good matchup, available in many leagues)
• Sam Darnold vs. Commanders (discussed in depth below)
• Kyler Murray vs. Cowboys (“Cowboys have given up a top-12 QB every week”—Adam, [04:26])

Deeper WRs:

• Taije Spears, Shimray DK, and Christian Watson are noted for longer-term upside and in case of deep-league needs.

Notable Player Deep Dives & Strategic Insights

Tyrone Tracy Jr. Analysis

Tier, Usage & FAAB Recommendations
[09:05] Dave:
“If you need a running back bad enough...it’s time to empty the clip.”

• Jamie compares Tracy to Jalen Warren ("consistent, reliable RB2") and a "better version of Tony Pollard or Chase Brown" ([09:43]).
• Concerns: May lose goal-line/short yardage work to Singletary; history of fumbles.
• FAAB suggestion: >10% (and possibly much more if needy), but only Tracy is worth that high a bid this week ([15:42] Dave).

Comp/Floor-Comparison Players

• Jalen Warren, Ken Walker (comped in terms of opportunity/role), though Jamie stresses "not a perfect prospect" ([11:37]).

Donovan Knight and Trey Benson (RB)

• Knight: Better short-term play, hot add for W9, plays Dallas (terrible against RBs). Upsides limited: faces Seattle W10, an elite run defense ([16:19] Adam).
• Benson: Preferred stash for rest-of-season if you don't need a starter this week. Uncertainty on injury timeline ([12:44] Jamie), but consensus is "rather have Benson rest of season" if healthy.

Wide Receiver Priorities

[31:33] Jamie:

• 1. Troy Franklin – “18 targets last two weeks...hopefully it's something that is going to continue.”
• 2. Chimere DK – “Done well last two weeks, and with Ridley’s uncertainty his role’s big.”
• 3. Darius Slayton – “Opportunity for strong finish, should Giants have to pass more.”

Special Mentions:

• Travis Hunter (if available) would be ahead of all; "arguably the best WR to add," per Jamie.
• Christian Watson / Josh Downs / Trey Tucker: All valid fallback options, none break-the-bank WRs ([32:13] Jamie).

Quarterback Priorities

[25:10] Jamie:

• 1. Sam Darnold (vs. Washington, then solid future schedule)
• 2. Trevor Lawrence (strong matchup vs. Raiders, but tough after)
• 3. Justin Fields or Tua Tagovailoa as speculative options

Kyler Murray vs. Darnold:

• Jamie prefers Darnold for long-term, Kyler as a decent one-week streamer ([26:34]).

DST Streamers

[35:03] Jamie:]

• 1. Rams (vs. Saints): "No better defense... Saints have been miserable."
• 2. Seahawks: (great all-around, excellent upcoming schedule; possibly better rest of season than Rams, per Dave, [36:30]).
• Secondary options: Lions (vs. Minnesota), Jaguars (vs. Raiders)

FAAB/Strategy (13:38–16:57)

• Don’t hoard FAAB at this stage; if you’re 3–5 or 4–4 and need a win, it’s time to “empty the clip” for Tracy.
• Receivers: Let others overspend on flavor-of-the-week WRs (like Franklin); there’s a deep pool, you can zig while others zag.
• Only spend >10% for Tracy (or if rare cases Hunter/Gadsden are available). For everyone else, 5–10% max ([15:42] Dave).

News & Notes (19:37–24:38)

Key Injuries/Developments:

• Lamar Jackson: Expected to play
• Saints QB: Still unsettled; Spencer Rattler or Tyler Shough possible
• Brock Purdy: Status unclear; Giants represent a favorable matchup if he starts
• RB Cam Scataboo: Out for the year, bumping Giants RB opportunities
• WR Travis Hunter: Could be treated as WR1 going forward

Trade Deadline Impact:

• Brian Thomas Jr., Calvin Ridley, Josh Downs, etc.—Pay attention to late-breaking moves; stashes may pay off post-deadline.

Deep League/Stash Candidates

[41:58] Dave:

• RB: Isaiah Davis, Blake Corum, Sean Tucker, Dylan Sampson, Tank Bigsby, Devin Neal, Samaje Perine
• WR: Chimere DK, Darius Slayton, Jalen McMillan, Cedric Tillman, Brandon Aiyuk
• TE: Mason Taylor, Gunner Helm (especially in tight end premium leagues)

Lightning Round: Listener Q&A Highlights

Tracy vs. Woody Marks: Tracy by touches ([17:09] Jamie)
Charbonnet vs. Knight: Charbonnet ([17:33] Jamie/Dave)
Drop Quentin Johnston for Tracy: Yes, if secure at WR ([17:41] Dave)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “It’s time to empty the clip.” (Dave, [09:05])
• “A better version of Tony Pollard at his worst.” (Jamie on Tracy Jr., [09:43])
• “Franklin Stein—little team name Tuesday for Troy Franklin. ... It’s thematic! It’s Halloween week.” (Adam, [17:47])

Key Timestamps

• [02:36]: Jamie’s top 3 priorities
• [03:17]: Dave’s top 3 priorities
• [09:05]: Deep dive on FAAB/discussion of Tracy
• [13:38]: Trey Benson injury situation
• [25:10]: Top 3 QB priorities
• [31:33]: Top 3 WR priorities
• [35:03]: DST streamers
• [41:58]: Deep league stashes
• [51:30]: Drop-o-meter segment

Host Tone & Chemistry

• Playful and conversational, with plenty of banter (“Franklin Stein” team name, “sassy pants” jokes).
• Practical, no-nonsense analysis with relatable metaphors ("empty the clip").
• Quick pivots between shallow and deep-league recommendations, always with an eye on late-breaking trade and injury news.
• Reassures listeners facing tough decisions—emphasizing flexibility and roster construction over chasing short-lived hype.

Final Takeaways

• Tyrone Tracy Jr. is the clear prize this week, but his hold on short-yardage work is uncertain. Don’t overspend on WRs unless an elite talent like Travis Hunter or Gadsden is out there.
• Quarterback streaming offers Darnold, Lawrence, Kyler, with Purdy as an interesting fallback if available.
• Rams DST headline defensive streaming, but Lions, Seahawks, and Jaguars are strong alternatives.
• Deep league managers should focus on high-upside stashes—Isaiah Davis, DK, Taylor, and more—especially in light of the trade deadline.
• FAB management should be aggressive now, as the time to make a difference is running short.

Next Up: Trade talk on tomorrow's show!