Fantasy Football Week 10 Waiver Wire: Aaron Rodgers And More Top Free-Agent Pickups

The 2024 fantasy football regular season is reaching the home stretch. Just five matchups remain in most leagues, making this an utterly critical time to patch up rosters and prepare for the playoffs.

That endeavor has become more difficult due to fierce waiver wire competition. There was a noticeable lack of high-profile injuries and breakout performances in Week 9, meaning there is little usable talent to be found in the free agency pool and plenty of desperate managers trying to land one of the few potential starters still lingering there.

It’s become more crucial than ever to identify waiver targets who can provide value not only in their upcoming Week 10 matchup, but over the course of several games. Fortunately, we’ve identified five free agents—available in 50 percent or more of Yahoo! Sports leagues—who should provide a great return on investment over the final weeks of the campaign.

Read on for a look at which players you should be targeting on waivers who will help secure some much-needed victories during a postseason push.

Fantasy points and rankings courtesy of FantasyPros‘ PPR data taken prior to the weeks’ Monday Night Football matchup. Suggested free-agent acquisition budget (FAAB) bids are based on a $100 dollar starting budget.

Suggested FAAB Bid: $2-4

Aaron Rodgers just had the best outing of his New York Jets tenure, completing 22-of-32 passes for 211 yards and a trio of touchdowns in a must-win game against the Houston Texans.

Rodgers’ longstanding rapport with Davante Adams was on full display in the contest, as the veteran receiver led the team with 91 yards and a score on seven catches.

It was reassuring to see Adams shine again following a pair of lackluster performances in the wake of the blockbuster trade that brought him to the Big Apple. More importantly, that Week 9 contest revealed that both Adams and Garrett Wilson can star when Rodgers is firing on all cylinders.

Wilson secured nine of his 10 targets and nearly matched Adams’ yardage total with 90 while pacing the squad with two touchdowns. Wilson’s season-high 30 fantasy points resulted in a WR2 finish—four spots ahead of Adams for the week.

With a pair of wideouts who both have weekly top-10 upside at his disposal, Rodgers has a real chance to evolve into a high-end starting fantasy quarterback in the back half of the campaign. While he failed to record a finish high than No. 10 over the first eight games, Rodgers’ recent QB9 showing could be a stepping stone to stronger placements down the stretch.

It wouldn’t be outlandish to expect Rodgers to put up top-five marks in each of the next two weeks. Both the Arizona Cardinals and Indianapolis Colts—respectively New York’s next two opponents—are allowing an average of 17.1 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks and look ripe to be dissected by Rodgers as he desperately tries to lead his team back into the playoff hunt.

With eight teams set to go out on bye over the next fortnight, Rodgers represents a strong pickup for any manager who will be without their starting QB during that span. Lock him up and strap in for some quality outings before the Jets go on a break of their own in Week 12.

Suggested FAAB Bid: $7-10

It’s another lean week for managers in need of a running back, but Jaylen Warren could be a boon to those lacking a suitable bye week or injury fill-in for their usual starters.

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ backup RB has had a relatively rough 2024 campaign—failing to record a single top-30 finish after logging 12 last year—but his status as the team’s top pass-catcher out of the backfield should give him plenty of value in the coming weeks.

Since returning from an injury that cost him two games in Weeks 4 and 5, Warren has seen at least three targets in every contest. He saw his ground usage start to tick up in Week 7, earning a season-high 12 carries before logging another nine totes the following game.

Now back from bye and well-rested, Warren is poised to help a Steelers team on the cusp of squaring off with some of the league’s top rushing defenses. Only one of the opponents Pittsburgh will face over the remainder of the season currently ranks outside the top 11 in fantasy points allowed to RBs.

With this slew of ferocious fronts set to grind down a No. 8-ranked Steelers ground attack, Warren should start hearing his number called far more often than he did in the first half of the campaign.

It remains to be seen if Warren can capitalize on an increase in volume by bringing up his tepid efficiency metrics, but there are few, if any, backs widely available in free agency pools who have anywhere near his upside right now.

This may be one of the last chances managers will get to secure a viable running back on waivers, so don’t be afraid to overpay for Warren if you are desperate for assistance at the position.

Suggested FAAB Bid: $4-6

Quentin Johnston, a popular waiver pickup earlier this season, is once again on the fantasy radar following his impressive Week 9 outing.

The Los Angeles Chargers receiver returned to action following a two-game layoff and showed no lingering ankle issues. He reeled in four of his five targets for a whopping 118 yards and a score and even got involved on the ground by taking his lone carry for two yards.

While most managers dumped Johnston back onto the free-agent scrap heap after he followed up a 22.1-point explosion in Week 2 with a stretch of poor performances as well as an injury layoff and bye week, the second-year wideout is worth picking back up in wake of his career-best WR7 finish.

The 22-point Week 9 showing marked the third time in Johnston’s last five appearances that he’s scored at least 12.4 fantasy points. He has a real chance to keep putting up double-digit numbers over the next three weeks as the Bolts are scheduled to play the Tennessee Titans, Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens during that span.

Although the Titans lead the league in passing defense, they have given up 12 touchdowns through the air and that vulnerability gives Johnston scoring-based upside in Week 10. The wideout should do even more damage in Weeks 11 and 12, as both AFC North foes have been struggling against the position. The Ravens, in particular, rank dead last in fantasy points conceded to WRs this year.

There’s always a chance Johnston puts up a dud because of his low volume in L.A.’s run-heavy offense, but the upside here is undeniable. Any receiver-needy squad should make Johnston a top waiver target before he posts a monster stat line during the Chargers’ soft upcoming slate.

Suggested FAAB Bid: $1-3

The Jacksonville Jaguars may be suffering through a nightmarish season, but Parker Washington is at least beginning to make the most of his opportunity to contribute in an injury-ravaged offense.

Washington stepped into a starting role in the wake of Christian Kirk’s season-ending injury and is seeing a correlated uptick in volume. The second-year receiver hauled in three of his four targets for 46 yards in Week 8 and followed that up this past Sunday with another three catches on six looks for 41 yards.

While these numbers don’t jump off the page, Washington’s 19 percent target share against the Philadelphia Eagles was quite promising. Better fantasy performances are on the horizon with that type of usage, especially with Jacksonville set to match up with some of the league’s softest receiving defenses over the next two weeks.

Washington first goes up against a Minnesota Vikings squad that has given up the second-most fantasy points to slot receivers this season. He’ll then face a Detroit Lions defense in Week 11 that concedes the most fantasy points by far to the position.

Managers won’t be able to find a receiver on waivers with more ideal matchups than these, making Washington a great sleeper pickup for both Weeks 10-11 and potentially beyond as he continues to integrate himself into Jacksonville’s gameplan.

Suggested FAAB Bid: $3-5

Mike Gesicki has become a go-to target in the Cincinnati Bengals offense while Tee Higgins has been sidelined with a quad injury.

The tight end struggled earlier in the year—logging just a single top-10 finish during the first eight games of 2024—but has started coming on strong in recent weeks as the next man up in Cincy’s passing attack.

Gesicki’s strong stretch began in Week 8 when he tallied seven catches on eight targets for 73 yards. His true breakout occurred on Sunday, however, as the 29-year-old notched a TE1 finish—only the second such finish in his seven-year NFL career—by hauling in five of his six looks for 100 yards and two scores.

While Gesicki may come down to earth when Higgins returns to action, he’s clearly earned Joe Burrow’s trust and could remain more involved regardless of the receiver’s status.

After finally securing the first touchdowns of his Bengals tenure, Gesicki should quickly add to that tally this coming week. The Bengals are set to square off against a beatable Baltimore Ravens defense on Thursday night—Baltimore has allowed more passing yardage per game than any other team in 2024.

With Higgins’ status for Week 10 still up in the air, Gesicki is going to be the best streaming option managers will be able to find in most leagues. Scoop him up and start him with confidence for this impending primetime clash.