Week 10 fantasy waiver wire picks
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The gist
Colts rookie Seth McGowan, who scored his first NFL touchdown in Week 9, ranks first on Yahoo's Week 10 waiver list.
Four teams are on bye and the trade deadline looms, so lineup holes need filling.
Background
Week 10 of the 2026 NFL season arrives with the trade deadline on Tuesday afternoon and byes for the Bears, Broncos, Buccaneers and Eagles, leaving holes in fantasy lineups. Seth McGowan is a seventh-round rookie Colts running back and Jonathan Taylor's backup who scored his first NFL touchdown in Week 9. Writers called this one of the more intriguing waiver weeks in a while, especially at receiver, after Week 9 brought injuries and blowouts.
How it unfolded
- Nov 8, 2026Colts rookie Seth McGowan scored his first NFL touchdown and ran for 45 yards on six carries alongside Jonathan Taylor in the Week 9 game against the Dallas Cowboys.
- Nov 8, 2026Browns backup Shedeur Sanders started in place of the sidelined Deshaun Watson, going 19/31 for 297 yards and 2 TDs (22.7 fantasy points, QB5).
- Nov 8, 2026Saints back Audric Estime led the backfield with 15 carries for 72 yards and a TD (14.7 points, RB8) after Kendre Miller was released.
- Nov 9, 2026Week 10 waiver articles published, flagging the Tuesday trade deadline and byes for the Bears, Broncos, Buccaneers and Eagles.
- Nov 9, 2026Yahoo ranked McGowan first among top-10 Week 10 pickups; FantasyPros gave the week a C+ waiver grade.
Key terms
- waiver pickups
- A game where participants manage virtual football teams and earn points based on real players' performances.
- bye
- A scheduled week when a team or player does not play a match while others do.
Source: Wikipedia
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- FantasyPros' Pat Fitzmaurice said there is a good chance the Colts move Jonathan Taylor before the deadline, which would make McGowan the lead back and instantly startable.
- Caution
- Bleacher Report called McGowan possibly the most popular Week 10 pickup but said his outlook is a bit murky.
- Analysts
- Fantasy Life's Alex Cupps named Geno Smith his favorite Week 10 option, citing a Jets matchup against a Bills defense allowing 3 more fantasy points on average to QBs.
- Caution
- Cupps said Sanders should be rostered in superflex/2QB formats but is not a 1QB target, expecting Watson to reclaim the job when he returns.
Still unverified
Whether Jonathan Taylor will be traded by Tuesday's deadline is unconfirmed; his locker-room comments after the Week 9 loss fueled the speculation. Whether Travis Etienne will return from injured reserve in Week 10, which would affect Estime's value, is also unconfirmed, as is whether Deshaun Watson will start in Week 10 after clearing concussion protocol.