Here are some players to consider picking up this week, if available, to get ahead of the other managers in your league. Remember, your roster can always improve, and even if you don’t need a player, you still want to keep another manager from picking them up. We are in the middle of the bye weeks, with next week being the bye-pocalypse. As you start to look to the playoffs, make sure you are not stuck trying to fill your roster with players who aren't playing.
Bye Weeks
- Week 10: Bears, Broncos, Buccaneers, Eagles
- Week 11: Browns, Falcons, Packers, Patriots, Rams, Seahawks
- Week 13: Colts, Jets, Raiders, Ravens
- Week 14: Cardinals, Cowboys
Beat the Waiver Wire: No-Brainers
In most leagues, these guys aren't available. But if you're fortunate enough to see them on the waiver wire, grab them.
Kyle Monangai, Chicago Bears (72.2% rostered on ESPN)
Monangai has been battling injury and has been out since Week 5. It is unclear when he will return, but when he does, he could easily slide back into his previous role, strongly backing up D'Andre Swift. The duo gave the team a solid 1A/1B rotation, and if Swift happens to get injured, Monangai would be the main guy.
Beat the Waiver Wire: Quarterbacks
Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints (68.7% rostered on ESPN)
Shough started off hot, but he has a run of a few average games that may have put him on the waiver wire. With Week 11 looming and six quarterbacks on a bye, Shough should be right back in the conversation. The Saints get the Bears that week, a team giving up the eighth-most FPG over average. There is the potential to hold onto Shough for the following week against Cincinnati too - they are also a good matchup for quarterbacks.
Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans (4.4% rostered on ESPN)
This is a scary one, but in many leagues, you just will not have many options. In Week 11, the Titans face the Dallas Cowboys in a dome in Dallas. That is a fantastic game environment, and QBs, on average, are scoring over 21 fantasy points against the Cowboys - the sixth most.
Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders (3.0% rostered on ESPN)
Kirk Cousins returns to Minnesota, leaving the reins to Mendoza. This is a speculative add, but we are in a world where third-string quarterbacks are taking the field on a weekly basis, and the number one pick therefore seems like a bettable asset. Mendoza has a rough run of games coming up, but there are hopes that he could find his footing quickly.