10 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets Heading Into Week 10

Gone are the days when fantasy managers could draft well, mail it in during the season, and still bring home the hardware. These days, if you aren't improving, you're declining, so savvy players need to be active on the waiver wire to maintain their success.

Teams heading into Week 10 with a shiny record should turn their attention to playoff matchups, while others will need to win their next few matchups to get there. This list will take a look at fantasy assets that will help in the immediate future, as well as in the long run.

Ryan Tannehill, QB, Tennessee Titans

Yahoo! Ownership: 18%

In a wild AFC South so far this season, where all teams are separated by only two games, recommending a quarterback streamer like Ryan Tannehill of the Tennessee Titans may seem like an odd choice.

But since being named a starter in replacing Marcus Mariota, Tannehill may be playing better than you realize. He's tossed for over 300 yards in two of his contests, and he's topped 18 fantasy points in three consecutive outings.

Now, peep his upcoming matchups. He will get a Kansas City Chiefs defense that has allowed the 12th-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, despite ranking pretty solidly in our Adjusted Defensive Passing Net Expected Points (NEP) per play rankings (eighth).

If you are looking out longer term, that's where things get really juicy. In the fantasy playoffs, Tannehill faces both the Oakland Raiders (29th) and Houston Texans (16th), per our pass defense ranks, so he could be a solid add.

Brian Hoyer, QB, Indianapolis Colts

Yahoo! Ownership: <1%

During their Week 9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, not only was dropping the contest an issue, but losing signal-caller Jacoby Brissett was an even bigger problem, as he left with a knee injury.

If he can't suit up next week -- and the team is still determining the severity of the injury -- it looks like Brian Hoyer, who came on in relief, could be forced into action. And ooh mama, is this one to wet your whistle.

Hoyer tossed three scores this week -- a solid relief appearance -- but it's the Week 10 matchup against the Miami Dolphins that's so tantalizing. This putrid defense ranks as the league's worst by numberFire's metrics, both overall and against the pass, and that clearly is something we want to target.

It's worth mentioning that the Indianapolis Colts are a run-heavy offense with a 1.13 pass-to-run ratio, but that doesn't mean Hoyer can't provide plenty of short term value if you are in a pinch.

Jamison Crowder, WR, New York Jets

Yahoo! Ownership: 54%

The New York Jets have stumbled quite a bit this season, so Jamison Crowder has struggled to keep things going following his absurd 17-target, 14-catch performance in Week 1.

However, if the last four weeks are any indication, Crowder could be back. He has ratcheted things up with a total of 28 targets, including 8 catches, 83 yards, and a touchdown in a Week 9 loss. Especially in point-per-reception formats (PPR), dude could be good.

In addition, the good news about rostering a pass catcher on a team like the Jets is that at a disappointing 1-7, they are often working from behind, leading to a negative game script worthy of a lot of pass volume. Furthermore, the Jets face the New York Giants, Oakland Raiders, and Miami Dolphins (again), who have all been poor against the pass.

If you need some wide receiver help, peep Crowder.

Kyle Rudolph, TE, Minnesota Vikings

Yahoo! Ownership: 31%

It's 2019, and tight end is still an absolute wasteland of a position. Rinse, and repeat.

Seemingly left for dead just a few weeks ago, Kyle Rudolph of the Minnesota Vikings has suddenly come alive. After scoring under six points in his first six contests this year, including a goose egg in Week 1, Rudolph has showed up in a big way the last few weeks, including a score in two of those three contests.

While there's some reason to have a bit of pause with an offense sporting a 0.87 pass-to-run ratio, it's still a very strong unit -- it ranks fifth in the pass game, and Kirk Cousins owns a 0.33 Passing NEP per drop back mark.

If the volume picks up, or even if Rudolph continues to be a red zone threat, he's worth an add at a tough-to-roster slot.

Jacob Hollister, TE, Seattle Seahawks

Yahoo! Ownership: <1%

Like we mentioned with Rudolph, the bar is low for the tight end position, and we are scrambling for any form of fantasy assets we can find.

But for my money, I want some exposure to the absurdly awesome Russell Wilson, the likely front-runner for NFL MVP. The dude is fantasy's number one player, and his 0.29 Passing NEP per drop back showcases some of his wildly efficient play.

After a Week 8 dud, Jacob Hollister walked things off in style this week:

While it remains to be seen how he gets worked into this passing attack, his six-target, four-catch, two-score day certainly makes you take some notice.

If you are struggling like most are at tight end, Hollister could be a major steal.

Ty Johnson, RB, Detroit Lions

Yahoo! Ownership: 41%

Figuring out the Detroit Lions' backfield situation is a bit perplexing, but Week 9 indicated that Ty Johnson could be the pick to click.

While he didn't own the strongest or most productive day (9 carries, 29 yards), he was heavily involved in the offense for the third week in a row, totaling 26 carries over that span. He also grabbed all three of his targets in Week 9, and that follows on the heels of a four-catch day in Week 7.

Teammate J.D. McKissic did find the end zone on a pass, so he is likely to cut into Johnson's workload. But this is an offense we want to own pieces of. It ranks 11th in pace and 12th in situation-neutral pace, and on the near horizon, it faces the Dallas Cowboys (24th-ranked defense) and Washington Redskins (25th).

Think about Johnson if you are in need of help at the running back position.

Preston Williams, WR, Miami Dolphins

Yahoo! Ownership: 14%

(Update: Dolphins head coach Brian Flores announced on Monday that Preston Williams will miss the rest of the season. DeVante Parker is only rostered in 36% of Yahoo leagues and should see an increased role moving forward. For the season, Parker ranks second for Miami in both target share (18%) and air yards share (29%), per AirYards.com.)

Yes, I want you to consider owning a piece of the dreadful Miami Dolphins. Bear with me as I make my agnostic case for Preston Williams at your flex or third wide receiver slot.

After scaring the Pittsburgh Steelers for a half in Week 8, the 'Fins got into the win column by beating their divisional rivals at home, and Williams was a massive part. He caught five passes on nine targets, racking up 72 receiving yards and 2 scores.

In addition, over the last 6 weeks, he's been a major part of this equation -- he has 49 targets over that time span. Potentially involved in quite a few negative game scripts like Crowder, this could be a pass-heavy offense.

Make sure to check on Williams' injury status, though. After returning from a wrist injury, he was carted off the field late with a potential sprained knee, so he may be a guy you have to stash for later in the year.

Trey Edmunds, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Yahoo! Ownership: 1%

With James Conner out, pundits declared Jaylen Samuels as the Pittsburgh running back we wanted to own.

And they weren't wrong, as Samuels was outstanding in the pass game, racking up a whopping 13 targets. But there's a secondary asset we may want to consider in Trey Edmunds, who stole the show on the ground, ripping off 73 yards on 12 carries, including a 45-yard gainer.

The unheralded runner out of the University of Maryland is likely just keeping things warm until Conner gets back, but he was solid as Pittsburgh's lead rusher. If Conner were to miss significant time, the Steelers get to face Cleveland's 20th-ranked run defense (twice) and Cincinnati's 19th-ranked run defense over the next four contests, so Edmunds could make quite a bit of sense.

Ryan Griffin, TE, New York Jets

Yahoo! Ownership: 3%

2019 was supposed to be the year of the Chris Herndon breakout, but after another week where he was unable to suit up, it may not be a bad time to peek at Ryan Griffin.

While Robby Anderson has been a bit of a dud, Griffin has been pretty strong. In Week 9, passes went to three primary targets -- Jamison Crowder (see above), Le'Veon Bell, and Griffin, as they combined for a 66.7% target market share.

That includes Griffin's eight targets, and he logged a cool 6 catches for 50 yards -- one week after a 4-catch, 66-yard, 2-score day.

With the Giants coming up, who showcase the 25th-ranked pass defense, Griffin could be in for another solid, and overlooked, afternoon.

Indianapolis D/ST

Yahoo! Ownership: 36%

As we continue to pore over the waiver wire for viable fantasy defenses, the Indianapolis D/ST certainly sticks out with a home matchup on tap with Miami.

Despite a Week 9 win, Miami is a struggling offensive unit -- they rank second-worst in the league by numberFire's metrics, and that Indianapolis defensive line could cause problems. They check in 12th in adjusted sack rate (7.9%), which measures both sacks and intentional grounding penalties.

That's a bit frightening for a poor Miami offensive line that's already permitted 29 sacks in 2019, so take a look at Indianapolis' defense.