Welcome to Week 10 of the Release Wire. We’ve seen some significant losses this week, and a few backups will need to be checked on the Weaver wire. With four teams in the bye and one of the top scorers being the Bears, we need some fantasy replacements.
The Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be off next week.
Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots, RB
Stevenson suffered a knee injury in the third quarter and was unable to return. We’ll have to learn more, but if he misses any time, Corey Keener could be ready for a bigger workload.
Jacobs broke his finger in Week 9 against the Patriots and was unable to return to action. Caleb Johnson and Pierre Strong led the way in their absence. It looks like Jacob will try to play with his injuries, so I’ll hold off on adding any backups for now.
Nacua suffered a knee injury in the Rams’ 20-13 win over the Chiefs last game. Naqua said he will undergo an MRI on Monday. If he misses the clock, there are no important carries for the Rams as no one other than Naqua can do anything through the air. The Rams have a good matchup against the Cardinals next week, so maybe Tutu Atwell, Konata Mumpfield or Colby Parkinson could have some value if Naqua is out.
Jaylen Waddle, Broncos, WR
Waddle was forced out of the game in Week 9. The good news is the Broncos have a bye next week, which should help Waddle clean up before their Week 11 matchup against the Raiders.
Ladd McConkie, Chargers, WR
McConkey can’t stay healthy. He was forced to play another game this week. The official reason for the withdrawal was a back injury. With the way the Chargers are playing, it’s hard to imagine any receiver moving up. They have good passing matchups with the upcoming Ravens and Jets, so Trey Harris and Quinten Johnston would be great options if they give up.
Xavier Worthy, Chiefs, WR
Worthy left in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s win over the Jets with the injury. We need to know the extent of the damage, but it could be something that keeps him out of the game or beyond. Kansas City could be more focused on getting a trade target like Brian Thomas or George Pickens or Garrett Wilson or someone with a lot less upside. If they don’t, Jaylen Royals and Cyrus Allen should step up.
Jake Ferguson, Cowboys, T.E
Ferguson injured his knee and was forced out of the Cowboys’ Week 10 win over the Colts. It looks like he’s had a serious illness and it’s no wonder he’s missed time. His absence will help elevate Ryan Flournoy.
Smith was shut out by the Chiefs in Kansas City on Sunday, but that was somewhat expected. He was without Garrett Wilson, who was dealing with a concussion, and the Chiefs pass defense is solid. However, we have seen Smith put up good streak numbers in better matches this year. In Week 10, Smith and company faced a Bills team that pushed them to throw the ball, and gave up the eighth-most fantasy points to QBs this year. As long as Wilson is back, I like Smith’s chances of putting up significant numbers.
Aaron Rodgers, Steelers (33%)
The Steelers will face a Bengals team that has been putting up a lot of late. I expect Rodgers will need to throw the ball to keep this game competitive. The last time these two teams met was in Week 3, when Rodgers threw for 292 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. It was the best game of the year.
Audric Estime, Saints (4%)
The Saints released Kendre Miller and inserted Estime into the leadoff spot against the Browns this week. He caught the ball 15 times for 72 yards and a touchdown and caught one target for five more yards. The team still hasn’t opened Travis Eaton’s practice window, but we’ll see if that happens before Week 10, but Eastham made enough moves to count on the lead in the game against the Panthers.
Corey Keener, Patriots (4%)
Keener rushed eight times for 55 yards and a touchdown against the Packers on Sunday. Most of his production has come late in an accident, but with the lead back, Rhamondre Stevenson was forced out of the game with a knee injury. The Patriots face the Lions next week and then have a bye in Week 11. If Stevenson and Treveon Henderson are both unable to play, Keener could be instrumental against the Lions.
Seth McGowan, Colts (32%)
McGowan played well behind Jonathon Taylor, rushing six times for 45 yards and a touchdown. We still don’t know if Taylor will be traded or not, but the trade deadline is Tuesday, so we should know before we make our release picks. With the Dolphins on tap, McGowan could be a good starter in Week 10 if Taylor is traded.
Emmett Johnson, Chiefs (31%)
Johnson found the end zone again this week, rushing for 34 yards and a touchdown. Unfortunately, it didn’t see much work until the game got out of hand. Clicking Start is hard, but we know the benefits are strong when given the chance. I’d rather have him on my bench than most backup runners in the league.
Caleb Douglas, Dolphins (22%)
Douglas continues to play as a WR1 in Miami, and had his top target this week. The rookie caught six of eight targets for 70 yards in the Dolphins’ 19-9 loss to the Lions. It’s hard to get that many targets in Miami’s offense, but Douglas is working to make it happen. Next week they face the Colts, who have given up odds of 10/195/1 to Sadie Lamb.
Demario Douglas, Patriots (46%)
Douglas continues to scrape together a good nightmarish date. He’s caught four touchdowns over the last five games, and has topped 65 yards in all but one of those games. In Week 9 against the Packers, he had his highest target and receiving yardage of the season, going 5-of-9 for 102 yards. They will face the Lions in Week 10 in what could be the top overall game of the week.
Kayshon Boutte (5%), Tank Dell (13%), Texans
CJ Stroud threw for 384 yards, five touchdowns and one interception against the Chargers on Sunday. It was a beat to be sure. Several Texans put up big numbers, led by Butte and Dell. Bute ended with a line of 4/125/2, while Dale hit 4/105/1. Nico Collins put up a good fantasy line with 4/55/1. No receiver caught more than four passes and four receivers caught touchdowns. This situation will be difficult to plan from week-to-week. Dell saw 55 percent of the snap but only 35 percent. Collins was the only receiver with a full-time rushing touchdown. If I add it is probably Dell, but it can be hit and miss. But his hits can be very big.
Darren Waller, Panthers (7%)
As the Broncos put the screws to the Panthers’ outside receivers, tight ends Tommy Tremble and Waller both scored. But Waller was the leading receiver against Denver, catching 8-of-10 passes for 90 yards and a touchdown. He leads the team in catches, targets and receiving yards. He won’t remain the leading receiver, but his 29 carries were right up there with starters. He looks to have earned a full-time role this week and will get a sweet matchup against the Saints next week.
Chig Okonkwo, Commanders (22%)
Okonkwo caught 6-of-7 targets for 57 yards in the Chiefs’ loss to the Rams. With matchups against the Giants, Cardinals and Bengals over the next three weeks, I like his chances of putting up meaningful numbers. His seven targets are tied for the team lead, while his receptions lead the team and are second in receiving yards.