Fantasy Football Waiver Wire power rankings, Week 10: Taysom Hill and Bo Nix blossom

Each week during the 2024 NFL season, FanSided fantasy football expert Lior Lampert creates a hierarchy of ideal waiver wire pickups. He'll base his ranks on performance, usage, coachspeak, injury news/analysis, stats, upcoming matchups, FAAB value and more. Every player mentioned is available in at least 50 percent of Yahoo fantasy leagues.

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire power rankings, Week 10

Week 9 gave us much to discuss, including remarkable highlights from some of the NFL's most exciting talents. Garrett Wilson may have saved the New York Jets' season with an outstanding touchdown reception that's surely a catch-of-the-year candidate. Days later, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith returned the favor with a breath-taking score of his own.

Not only did Wilson and Smith rack up style points, but their efforts yielded weekly top-12 positional fantasy football finishes (excluding Monday Night Football). However, more notably, the latter lost his teammate and fellow wideout A.J. Brown to an apparent knee injury. While the issue doesn't seem overly concerning, managers should have a backup plan ready.

Tune in below for anyone needing to fill Brown's void or bolster their roster via the waiver wire. For whatever reason, these players are largely available in Yahoo fantasy leagues.

Dumpster diving, digging for scraps

Xavier Legette has drawn 13 targets in the past two games sans Diontae Johnson, who's now with the Baltimore Ravens. The first-round rookie has scored a touchdown in consecutive contests and looks to be assuming his ex-running mate's role as the Carolina Panthers' top receiver. He's scored at least 13 PPR points in back-to-back outings, good for WR25 during that span.

Speaking of benefitting from the departure of a veteran wideout, Jerry Jeudy has posted at least 73 receiving yards each of the past two weeks. He ranks 11th in the NFL in targets over that stretch (19). Not only is Amari Cooper's trade to the Buffalo Bills getting him additional opportunities, but Jameis Winston under center is elevating the Cleveland Browns offense.

Christian McCaffrey could make his highly anticipated season debut for the San Francisco 49ers in Week 10. Welcoming back their offensive focal point will change the dynamic, but rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall showed flashes before the bye.

The stash-and-save

The Panthers may re-route Adam Thielen at any moment ahead of the league's Nov. 5th trade deadline. Landing in a better situation and offensive environment could make the two-time Pro Bowler fantasy viable. If not, he'll presumably assume a high-usage role in Carolina. Regardless, the 34-year-old is worthy of a flier.

Even after recording their worst offensive performance of the year, Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen says 39-year-old Joe Flacco will remain under center. So, this is only for managers with a roster spot to burn, but Anthony Richardson makes for a solid speculative add. The 2023 No. 4 overall pick's rushing prowess will always make him fantasy-relevant despite his inefficiencies as a thrower.

Dallas Cowboys All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb suffered an AC joint sprain in Week 9 and will undergo an MRI. Meanwhile, veteran Brandin Cooks is eligible to return from injured reserve as soon as the team's upcoming make-or-break contest against the Philadelphia Eagles. There are worse speculative adds than the 11th-year pro.

The educated guesses

Quentin Johnston has enjoyed a bounceback campaign following his disappointing performance as a rookie in 2023. He posted four catches for 118 yards and a touchdown in Week 9, to the tune of a PPR WR7 finish. Moreover, the Los Angeles Chargers' sudden transition to a more pass-happy offense should open things up for the talented 23-year-old.

No tight end has scored more PPR points than Mike Gesicki of the Cincinnati Bengals over the past two weeks (excluding MNF). His production has coincided with the absence of Tee Higgins, who's dealing with a quad issue. Considering the standout receiver didn't feel close to suiting up this week, the seam stretcher has more TE1 juice.

A hip injury and the San Francisco 49ers' bye week have caused Jauan Jennings to be available in 50 percent of Yahoo fantasy leagues. But make no mistake, he's going to step into a sizable role upon his return to the lineup. The former seventh-round pick should see ample opportunity with Brandon Aiyuk out for the year due to an ACL/MCL tear. This may be the last call on the advanced metrics darling.

The 'if you ain't first, you're last'

Hunter Henry's been a top-10 tight end since rookie signal-caller Drake Maye was handed the keys to the New England Patriots offense in Week 6. His 28 targets rank sixth among his position over that stretch. The best part about it is that he's done so while only scoring one touchdown, clearing five catches and 40 yards in every game.

As alluded to with Henry, Maye's installation as the Patriots' starting quarterback has boosted every New England player's fantasy prospects. This year's No. 3 overall selection has demonstrated the ability to be a long-term franchise and fantasy gunslinger, partly thanks to his mobility. Excluding when he left early in Week 8 due to a concussion, the UNC product has averaged 20 fantasy points per game as a starter.

Gotta have 'em

Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos

Bo Nix was mentioned in this portion of last week's column and has since seen his Yahoo rostership increase by nine percent. Managers are finally starting to take notice of the Denver Broncos rookie passer, though it's still not enough.

Even on a day where Nix failed to throw/run for a touchdown and posted a meager 36 rushing yards, he scored 17.7 fantasy points. Yes, it's because he caught his first receiving score, which is virtually impossible to predict for any quarterback. Nonetheless, it counts all the same.

Perhaps the eye test is scaring people away from Nix. After all, it hasn't always been pretty for him and the Broncos. But that doesn't matter from a fantasy standpoint, so don't let it phase you.

Nix has quietly outperformed other quarterbacks who have been rostered in virtually every fantasy league for much of the season. For example, he's averaging more points per game than Patrick Mahomes, Kyler Murray, Kirk Cousins, Jared Goff and Dak Prescott.

Taysom Hill, QB/TE, New Orleans Saints

Staying healthy has been an issue for New Orleans Saints utility man Taysom Hill this season. But he's proven to be a high-upside tight end option when on the field, as Footballguys' Dave Kluge points out:

It may not say much, given the state of the position, but Hill's shown he can be a difference-making fantasy option. Yahoo gave him dual eligibility as a quarterback or tight end, which savvy managers should use to their advantage.

Chris Olave suffered yet another scary concussion. While his status remains unclear as of this writing, the tea leaves suggest he's likely set for a multi-week absence. So, Hill becomes the de facto No. 2 offensive weapon in New Orleans. In other words, we should anticipate several manufactured touches for the foreseeable future.

The Saints deploy Hill in various ways. He's essentially their goal-line back. Plus, his blend of size, speed and strength enables him to run routes and get utilized as a receiving option. Furthermore, as a college quarterback, New Orleans treats the BYU alum's arm as a valuable trick-play asset.

While Hill's usage and production can be difficult to project weekly, his ceiling is as high as any tight end in fantasy. That's worth chasing, especially considering practically no member of the positional group has a reliable floor.