FantasyPros: Fantasy Football Week 10 Waiver Wire – Must-Have Players to Add to Your Roster
Episode 1816 | November 3, 2025 | Hosted by Ryan Wormley with Derrick Brown and Pat Fitzmaurice
Episode Overview
This week’s episode dives into the Week 10 fantasy football waiver wire with hosts Ryan Wormley, Derrick Brown (“dbro”), and Pat Fitzmaurice (“Fitz”). Coming together immediately after Sunday’s games, the crew gives raw, instant reactions and advice for managers heading into a week with several top-tier teams on bye and limited obvious waiver targets. The hosts break down the thin waiver landscape, discuss injury impact, analyze streaming options, and highlight key players to consider and, notably, those to drop as playoff races heat up.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. State of the Week 10 Waiver Wire
- A Shallow Pool:
- The consensus is the waiver wire is one of the weakest all season, predominantly due to a high volume of injuries and lack of clear replacements.
- “You’re having to go week to week playing matchups…there haven’t been these obvious waiver replacements to fill that [injury gap].” — Ryan Wormley (02:11)
- Committees are Killing Upside:
- Increased prevalence of RB/WR committees across the NFL limits breakout waiver candidates.
- Derrick Brown notes, “There are so many guys that are not playing a full-time route share even inside of their own offense, even when they play well… it’s made it really tough.” (03:22)
- Impact of Byes:
- Week 10 brings four high-powered offenses on bye (Bengals, Cowboys, Chiefs, Titans) — making solid pickups even more vital.
2. Top Waiver Add: Parker Washington (Jaguars WR)
- Uninspired but Necessary:
- “You mentioned the injuries… Parker Washington is going to be the Jaguars lead receiver by default in week 10… his target outlook is probably going to be pretty good for the next three to four weeks.” — Pat Fitzmaurice (05:57)
- Limited Excitement, High Volume:
- 8 catches for 90 yards in Week 9; will face the Texans next, who are a defensive challenge for WRs.
- Not a high-upside, season-long play but may be a “top 40 receiver this week… just because of the target outlook.” — Pat Fitzmaurice (07:06)
- Waiver Bid Guidance:
- Both Derrick and Pat recommend a modest FAB bid (5–7%) in standard $100 formats. (09:21)
3. Backup Running Backs & Handcuffs: The Art of the Stash
Several RBs are grouped for their similar speculative, upside-dependent appeal:
- Tank Bigsby: Value tied to Saquon's health; high-upside if Barkley misses time.
- Isaiah Davis: Stash for potential Breece Hall trade; could be plug-and-play RB2.
- Devin Singletary: More trustworthy for Brian Daboll and could consolidate a bigger share of the Giants backfield.
- Kenneth Gainwell: Steelers RBs collectively see strong usage, and a great run of matchups is approaching. Adds value as a pass-catcher.
- Strategic Approach:
- Fitz: “I like sowing seeds at running back that could grow and flower into something… three or four dollar bids on this week in multiple leagues.” (18:40)
- Derrick: “If you have the bench space, just spray the board… put in 2–4% bids on multiple guys; if you hit Yahtzee on one or two… you’re set at RB2.” (19:08)
- Alvin Kamara is a Drop:
- Both hosts agree longtime fantasy stud Kamara is no longer worth holding, given poor production and lack of upside.
- “He’s just the rare lead back with zero to potentially negative fantasy value…” — Pat Fitzmaurice (20:09)
4. Wide Receiver Pickups & Drops
Top Options
- Alec Pierce: (Colts) Capitalizing on single-high coverage matchups, back-to-back strong matchups (Steelers/Falcons).
- “If you are looking at just this week… Alec Pierce is the top pickup of the week because of the coverage matchup.” — Derrick Brown (28:13)
- Troy Franklin: Still drawing high-value targets; tough defenses in Week 9 but rebounds possible, especially versus Raiders next.
- “Target count is what has our attention… you shouldn’t feel that bad about it [plugging Franklin in].” — Pat Fitzmaurice (30:41)
- Christian Watson:
- Now regularly above 70% route share post-injury and could benefit from further injuries in Green Bay’s receiving corps.
- “He could have some ceiling games in these upcoming matchups… against the Giants and the Vikings… heck yeah, dude.” — Derrick Brown (33:14)
- Tori Horton:
- Capitalizing on temporary opportunity with other Seahawks WRs banged up, and has favorable matchups if Cooper Kupp misses time.
- “If we were to get news… Cooper Kupp goes on IR, nobody should be surprised… and the schedule, guys…” — Derrick Brown (35:36)
Waiver Bids for WRs:
All WRs (except Parker Washington) are typically in the 3–6% recommended FAB range unless desperate/really excited about a one-week upside.
Audible Drops
- “Would you drop any of these guys for Tori Horton?” — Ryan Wormley (37:15)
- Fitz: “I would drop pretty much all of them” (Manor, Keon Coleman, Mooney, etc.)
- “Coleman’s verticality is gone…” – Pat Fitzmaurice (37:27)
5. Streamers for Week 10 (QB/TE/DEF/K)
Quarterbacks
- Sam Darnold:
- “Just the best widely available quarterback on waivers…” — Pat Fitzmaurice (39:26)
- J.J. McCarthy:
- Facing Ravens; “Played extremely well versus the Lions… can be a very solid streamer this week.” — Derrick Brown (40:13)
Tight Ends
- Ko Kieft (Kade Otten):
- “Since week five…a 19% target share…this week versus the Patriots. Yes, sir.” — Derrick Brown (41:32)
- Colston Loveland (Bears):
- “Big day against the Bengals…reminded us why he was drafted in the top half of the first round…” — Pat Fitzmaurice (42:00)
Defenses
- Bills DST:
- “Versus the Dolphins… any narrative works here.” — Derrick Brown (42:59)
- Ravens DST:
- “McCarthy’s thrown four interceptions, been sacked 14 times… Ravens are good.” — Pat Fitzmaurice (43:18)
Kickers
- Cairo Santos (Bears): On a heater of double-digit fantasy points (43:51)
- Matt Prater (Bills): “Going full Bills… keep it simple.” — Derrick Brown (43:59)
Memorable Moments & Quotes
- “You need to be a real sicko to be truly excited about Parker Washington.” — Ryan Wormley (07:00)
- On Kamara: “This is where we get to people misconstruing name value and actual fantasy production... Yes, he’s a drop.” — Derrick Brown (21:42)
- “I’m just here so don’t get fined.” — Derrick Brown (on streamer kicker recs) (44:21)
Top 5 Waiver Wire Adds — Host Rankings (44:57-45:43)
Pat Fitzmaurice:
- Parker Washington
- Tank Bigsby
- Alec Pierce
- Kenneth Gainwell
- Sam Darnold
Derrick Brown:
- Parker Washington
- Alec Pierce
- Tank Bigsby
- Christian Watson
- Kenneth Gainwell
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Waiver Wire Overview & Injuries: 00:32 – 03:58
- Bye Week Overview: 03:58 – 05:57
- Parker Washington Breakdown: 05:57 – 09:44
- Running Back Stashes/Handcuffs: 09:49 – 19:08
- Alvin Kamara Drop Debate: 19:49 – 22:37
- WR Pickups: Alec Pierce, Troy Franklin: 27:29 – 30:57
- Christian Watson & Tori Horton: 30:57 – 37:36
- Streamers (QB/TE/DEF/K): 39:12 – 44:10
- Hosts’ Waiver Top 5s: 44:57 – 45:43
In Summary
Week 10 presents fantasy managers with slim waiver wire pickings, largely due to injuries and committee usage stifling potential breakout adds. Parker Washington leads as a high-volume, low-upside option. The RB market is all about handcuffs, speculations, and stashes with potential rest-of-season value hinging on health, trades, or workload shifts. Top RB and WR targets are best utilized based on your roster situation (short-term streamer vs upside stash). The hosts make the rare call to drop Alvin Kamara, highlighting the need to prioritize production over name value as the fantasy playoffs approach. This week is all about scraping value, prepping for byes, and staying flexible with lower-tier bids.
For lineup-pressured managers, prioritize immediate plug-ins like Alec Pierce or streaming Sam Darnold. For speculative, swing-for-the-fences managers, stash upside RB handcuffs and bench WRs like Christian Watson or Tori Horton. Don’t chase names; chase volume and opportunity, however uninspiring they may look this week.