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The purpose of a waiver-wire column should be to highlight players who may be on the verge of a breakout. After all, trying to land that player after his breakout is exponentially more difficult. Additionally, waiver-wire moves should always be made to add high-upside depth for later in the season or improve your chances of winning the upcoming week.
Not all of these columns will feature a future stud or no-brainer add, but we can usually find help for our fantasy teams if we try hard enough. Furthermore, I will try to avoid recommending players coming off a 10-catch or three-touchdown game because it should be incredibly obvious to most that they need to be on a roster at that point.
The players listed below are available in at least 75 percent of ESPN leagues and stand at least a decent chance of making some kind of impact in the coming weeks:
Fantasy Football Week 10 Waiver Wire Pickups: Quarterbacks
Joshua Dobbs, Minnesota Vikings
Week 9 stats: 158 yards passing, 66 yards rushing and three total touchdowns
Minnesota likely had designs on making Dobbs its Week 10 starter before last weekend, but any hope of easing him into a new offense went out the window when Week 9 starter Jaren Hall (concussion) was lost for the day late in the first quarter. While his relief effort did not come without blemishes (three fumbles, two lost), the fact he was able to lead a game-winning, two-minute drive just days after he was acquired from Arizona - and with no first-team practice reps - is nothing short of remarkable.
Dobbs has predictably already been named the starter for Week 10 against the Saints. While few quarterbacks could hope to play at the same level Kirk Cousins was operating at before his Achilles injury in Week 8, a case can be made that Dobbs can be every bit as valuable in fantasy when his rushing ability is factored into the equation.
The Vikings rank second in the league in pass attempts (351) and seem unlikely to dial that back given their current personnel. The combination of a high-volume passing game and a solid rushing floor means Dobbs has a realistic chance to be a league-winning kind of addition to fantasy teams this week.
ESPN ownership: 16.4 percent
Other potential strong add(s): Gardner Minshew, Colts (12.0 percent); Aidan O'Connell, Raiders (2.2)
Fantasy Football Week 10 Waiver Wire Pickups: Running Backs
Keaton Mitchell, Baltimore Ravens
Week 9 stats: Nine carries for 138 yards and a touchdown; one catch for -4 yards
Mitchell was a featured add in this space just three weeks ago and has been mentioned as a strong/priority add in just about every waiver-wire column that I have done this year. In Week 9, we saw why I have been such a strong proponent of his for so long. While there were many positives to take away from the undrafted rookie free agent's breakout performance, one of the best parts might have been that he broke off multiple explosive runs when the game was still close in the first half.
Of course, it was in the second half of Baltimore's 37-3 rout of the Seahawks in Week 9 that Mitchell went from a deep-league stash to a potentially serious second-half fantasy contributor. The East Carolina product displayed his speed and tackle-breaking ability on a 40-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter and again on a 60-yard burst on the next possession.
The Ravens appear plenty happy - and rightfully so - with Gus Edwards handling most of the early-down and goal-line chores, but there is an opportunity for Mitchell to emerge as a Jaleel McLaughlin-like fantasy contributor (maybe even a poor man's De'Von Achane) if he can pass Justice Hill on the depth chart. That could happen as soon as next week if Mitchell can show off his explosiveness again versus the Browns.
ESPN ownership: 1.1 percent
Other priority add(s): Kenneth Gainwell, Eagles (18.3 percent); Leonard Fournette, Bills (13.4);
Other potential strong adds (especially in deeper leagues): Tank Bigsby, Jaguars (6.1); Rico Dowdle, Cowboys (3.6); Pierre Strong Jr., Browns (2.3)
Fantasy Football Week 10 Waiver Wire Pickups: Wide Receivers
Demario Douglas, New England Patriots
Week 9 stats: Five catches for 55 yards on seven targets
It is rarely easy to find an impactful receiver on the waiver wire of most competitive leagues at this point of the season, so sometimes the most fantasy managers can ask for is a player that provides occasional low-end WR3 or flex value. That summation describes Douglas well, as he now appears to be a featured player in what has become a low-upside New England offense.
At 5-8 and 192 pounds, Douglas will unlikely ever be asked to serve as a primary red zone target for the Patriots, which obviously caps his upside. However, he has been consistently productive when given enough playing time. In all four games in which he has played at least 40 percent of the team's offensive snaps, Douglas has drawn at least six targets and caught at least four passes. Even with a bye looming in Week 11, the sixth-round rookie has enough favorable matchups coming up (Colts, Giants and Chargers) to provide WR3 value in a pinch.
ESPN ownership: 21.9 percent
Other priority add(s): Jameson Williams, Lions (20.7); Michael Wilson, Cardinals (6.9); Marvin Mims, Broncos (5.1); Khalil Shakir, Bills (3.7);
Other potential strong adds (especially in deeper leagues): Jayden Reed, Packers (17.0); Jonathan Mingo, Panthers (9.4); Wan'Dale Robinson, Giants (6.1); Rashod Bateman, Ravens (3.8); Noah Brown, Texans (1.0); Jalen Tolbert, Cowboys (1.0); Trey Palmer, Buccaneers (0.5); Cedric Wilson, Dolphins (0.2)
Fantasy Football Week 10 Waiver Wire Pickups: Tight Ends
Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 9 stats: Six catches for 70 yards and two touchdowns on nine targets
Otton has been trending toward a priority add in recent weeks but slid under the radar for a multitude of reasons. A combination of game script, talent and a great matchup for a tight end (the Texans) came together nicely for the second-year pro en route to a career day in Week 9.
Following a slow start in which he topped three catches and 20 yards in only one game, Otton has ripped off three consecutive solid performances and finds himself as the overall TE12 (fantasy points per game) over that span. Some of the reason for that surge is the Buccaneers' realization that the running game isn't working, so there have been more targets to go around. All of that is to say that Otton can continue producing like a low-end TE1 so long as Baker Mayfield continues to throw it as much as he has since Week 6.
ESPN ownership: 7.9 percent
Other potential strong add(s): Luke Musgrave, Packers (17.2 percent); Tyler Conklin, Jets (12.0); Juwan Johnson, Saints (9.1); Michael Mayer, Raiders (4.5)
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