Justin Boone Fantasy Analyst Mon, October 19, 2026 at 5:45 PM UTC · 16 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Every Monday during the season, Justin Boone breaks down the recommended waiver-wire pickups.
Roster percentages are generated from Yahoo leagues. Free-Agent Budget (FAB) amounts are based on a $100 salary cap. Only players rostered in less than 50% of leagues are considered.
It's not a great week for fantasy quarterback options, which isn't great news for managers in search of bye-week replacements for Josh Allen, Trevor Lawrence and Jayden Daniels.
There's always the usual crop from streamers listed below, as well as a potential new starter in J.J. McCarthy, who flashed after Jameis Winston was benched. However, I'll remind everyone that Mayfield is expected to return this week.
While his early-season results left a lot to be desired, a healthy Mayfield is in the mix as a fantasy starter. The veteran is one year removed from averaging the fifth-most fantasy points among passers in 2024. He also managed QB15 stats during an injury-riddled 2025 campaign for the Bucs offense. Mayfield also has a softer schedule coming up, with the Panthers, Falcons, Bears, a bye, Lions and Panthers again. All of those defenses rank inside the top half of the league in fantasy points allowed to QBs.
Kyler Murray is 51% rostered but would be the No. 1 QB add, if available.
Risky streaming options (if starter is out)
Desperation streaming options (if named starter)
Ashton Jeanty and Klint Kubiak professed all week long that the Raiders' starting running back was finally healthy after battling ankle issues in the opening month. Given the good matchup with the Bills, it seemed like the perfect springboard to a strong fantasy outing.
Unfortunately, Jeanty struggled with efficiency once again, managing just 22 yards on 10 carries, while adding another 36 yards on four receptions. A touchdown saved his fantasy day, but he was held under 60% of the snaps for the second straight week.
Meanwhile, Washington played a season-high 35% of the snaps and turned his 10 touches into 50 scrimmage yards. That was aided by Jeanty only getting limited playing time in the second half, which was strange considering the game was tied 13-13 at halftime.
Despite their claims of Jeanty's health last week, it doesn't seem like the 22-year-old is playing at 100%. It's unclear if the team will consider resting him, the same way the Cardinals did with Jeremiyah Love in Week 6, but it's a possibility.
Either way, Washington needs to be rostered everywhere. Not only is he the next man up in Vegas, he's also looked good with the volume he's been given. The rookie is currently an RB3/flex option with top-15 upside if Jeanty ever misses time.
The Saints' backfield has been a frustrating three-man committee all season, regardless of which backs are healthy. Fortunately, we might have some clarity for Week 7.
Alvin Kamara has battled injuries the last two games and simply can't handle a significant workload at 31 years old. He's settled into more of a complementary pass-catching role, which he's splitting with CJ Donaldson.
That left Miller with the majority of the early-down work, resulting in a season-high 20 carries and 70 yards in a positive game script Sunday against the Giants. Miller also has two touchdowns on the year.
Travis Etienne Jr. won't be available to return from injured reserve until after the team's Week 8 bye, so we'll get at least one more game with the current trio. That makes Miller a high-end RB3 with RB2 upside against the Steelers. Kamara should only be viewed as a risky flex option.
We don't know if Cam Skattebo's sudden disappearance from the offense will continue or whether it was a one-game punishment . But considering the team's interest in other running backs this offseason and willingness to sign Najee Harris, it doesn't seem like they view Skattebo as a meaningful piece of the offense.
The committee approach in Week 6 didn't exactly solve the Giants' woes in the rushing attack. Devin Singletary played 40% of the snaps and turned five touches into 33 yards, while Harris failed to make a dent with just two yards on four carries.
Tracy made the most noise from a fantasy perspective, generating 45 yards and two scores on eight touches and a 38% snap share. There was no doubt he had the most juice from this group, so now we'll wait to see if the coaches felt the same way. Remember, Tracy topped 1,000 scrimmage yards in each of the past two seasons. He's more than capable of leading this backfield if he gets the chance. I highly recommend stashing him and monitoring the situation.
If Coleman was dropped, you should be stashing him in your IR spot. J.K. Dobbins has found the end zone in each of the past two games, but he hasn't played well this season. RJ Harvey has also failed to make a case for the lead back role.
Meanwhile, Coleman flashed with 58 yards, three catches and a touchdown the last time he was on the field. The rookie is a no-risk investment that could pay off in a big way in the second half of the season, especially if Dobbins' durability issues return.
This is an extreme long shot, but Conner is a potential trade candidate who's sitting on IR in Arizona. I have the veteran stashed in several leagues, just in case the Cardinals send him to an RB-needy roster before the deadline.
Rachaad White is 56% rostered but would be the No. 1 RB add, if available. Just note that he is on bye in Week 7.
Risky flex options (if healthy and starter is out)
Dart-throw flex options (if starter is out)
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The Jets' offense has been a revolving door with injuries to Cooper, Adonai Mitchell, Kenyon Sadiq, Mason Taylor and Breece Hall in the first five weeks. However, Cooper has made the most of his opportunities when he's been on the field.
The rookie played five snaps in the opener before getting hurt, but came away with a 30-yard catch in his debut. After spending a month on IR, he returned this week with a six-catch, 103-yard, one-touchdown effort on seven targets in a full-time role. He also had a second TD called back on a penalty.
Whenever a first-round wideout is immediately productive, fantasy managers should take notice. Mitchell is still week-to-week after undergoing surgery on his finger. Even when he returns, it's impossible to push Cooper aside based on what he's put on tape so far.
The Jets also have some favorable matchups in the next month, including the Dolphins, Raiders and Bills in three of their next four outings. Don't overlook Cooper's performance, he's a must-add to see if he can keep this up.
Lane is in a similar situation to Cooper, as a rookie who got hurt in the opener and returned from IR with a solid performance in Week 6.
Lane only caught one of his three targets (though Lamar Jackson was looking for him in the end zone) before fracturing his wrist in Week 1. Thankfully, he made a full recovery and, on Sunday, began to show why the Ravens used a third-round pick on him in April.
The 22-year-old earned five targets against the Browns, finishing with four receptions and 40 yards while catching passes from backup Tyler Huntley. Rashod Bateman suffered a shoulder injury in the game, which could sidelined him for multiple weeks, depending on the severity.
With Lamar Jackson expected back, possibly as soon as this week, Baltimore's passing attack will be a much more dangerous unit. That's important since they'll be squaring off in potential shootouts with the Bengals, Bills and Jaguars over the next three games.
Lane might not have the same draft capital investment as Cooper, but there's a path to him emerging as a fantasy WR3/flex option in Declan Doyle's scheme.
Noel is finally showing the world what he can do as a consistent part of the Texans' offense. The sophomore receiver has at least 50 yards and/or a touchdown in four of his six appearances this season, while only playing 62% of Houston's snaps or less in every game.
The 24-year-old is on a three-game hot streak at the moment with stat lines of 3-85-0, 5-41-1, and 4-107-1 on Sunday.
The Texans have found very little success on the ground this season and with the arrival of Marvin Harrison Jr. and how well C.J. Stroud is playing, it makes complete sense for them to take to the air more.
Nico Collins, MHJ and Noel can form a very threatening trio, but don't discount Noel's potential production in that group. He's a WR4/flex with some upside and should benefit from defenses focusing on his more well-known teammates.
We know the deal with Tucker, so fantasy managers should understand how to value him by now. He can't be trusted as a consistent weekly producer, but when bye weeks and injuries hit your lineup, you can absolutely start him as a home-run swing.
We've seen him deliver on two occasions this year, a five-catch, 119-yard, one-touchdown performance in Week 2 against the Chargers and a five-catch, 97-yard, two-score afternoon versus the Bills on Sunday. Those also happen to be his two easiest opponents this season, so keep that in mind.
You don't need to break the bank to acquire Tucker, but if you're searching the waiver wire for someone who can help you overcome a deficit, he's a strong spot start in the right matchups. If you just need a steady high-floor, low-ceiling WR4/flex, then you could consider Malik Washington instead.
Germie Bernard is 50% rostered but would be the No. 1 WR add, if available.
Jordyn Tyson is 48% rostered but would be the No. 2 WR add behind Bernard, if available.
Jakobi Meyers is 47% rostered but would be the No. 3 WR add behind Bernard and Tyson, if available. Just note that he is on bye in Week 7.
Alec Pierce is 51% rostered but can be added as an IR stash, if available.
Dart-throw flex options (if starter is out)
It's been a bizarre stretch for Hockenson the last three weeks, starting with him hauling in all 13 of his targets in Week 4 en route to a 119-yard day against the Dolphins. He wasn't able to repeat that effort because he suffered a concussion in Week 5 after just two snaps.
Now, coming off the bye week, Hockenson should be ready to roll in a very friendly matchup with a floundering Colts franchise. Indy has also been lit up by several tight ends this season, including 9-101-1 to Travis Kelce and 5-44-2 to Pat Freiermuth.
A week later, Hockenson will take on a Lions defense allowing the most fantasy points to tight ends. So at worst, you can start him as a high-end TE2 streamer in those games.
This is the third Raider that I've written about in this column, which probably sets a new record. However, there's value to be found in an offense that's been competitive this season with Klint Kubiak leading the way in Vegas.
Mayer isn't your traditional No. 2 tight end, because Brock Bowers plays more of a receiver role in the offense. You could argue that Mayer is actually the starting tight end in this offense and the results have been there more often than not in the last month with 32 yards and a touchdown in Week 3, 82 yards in Week 4 and 95 yards on Sunday.
Tucker is a boom-or-bust receiver, so you can expect this passing attack to operate through Bowers and Mayer most weeks. That puts Mayer on the TE2 streamer radar with a higher ceiling than most players in that range, who are just TD-dependent.
Hunter Henry is 51% rostered but would be the No. 1 TE add, if available.
Pat Freiermuth is 46% rostered but would be the No. 2 TE add behind Henry, if available.
Will Reichard is 59% rostered but would be the No. 1 K add, if available.
Quarterbacks: Jalen Hurts, Bo Nix, Justin Herbert
Running Backs: MarShawn Lloyd, David Montgomery, Kenny Gainwell, Keaton Mitchell
Wide Receivers: Josh Downs, Chris Godwin Jr., Cortland Sutton, Michael Pittman Jr.
Tight Ends: Mark Andrews, Jake Ferguson, Dalton Schultz
MarShawn Lloyd got hurt and failed to come through in what might be his final start for the Packers. With Josh Jacobs expected to return this week, Lloyd goes back to being a one-injury-away backup and given how he performed in the last six weeks, he doesn't need to be stashed unless you're in a very deep league.
When Josh Downs posted back-to-back 70-plus yard games in Week 2 and Week 3, it appeared he might have a chance to unlock a new ceiling the rest of the way with Alec Pierce sidelined. Unfortunately, he's failed to reach 50 yards in any game since and has settled into the low-ceiling flex territory for fantasy. A matchup with the Vikings defense in Week 7 isn't going to help his outlook.
Mark Andrews hasn't topped 50 yards in a game this year and has been held under 30 yards in each of the past three weeks. The veteran is just a TD-or-bust fantasy TE2, who only has one score on the season.
Source: Sports
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