Halfway there.
We are now halfway through the 2021 NFL regular season and even further along in your fantasy season. It always seems to fly by.
Week 9 of the 2021 NFL season was a reminder of how much things can change during the course of the week. When the games concluded on Sunday night of Week 8, none of us anticipated that the following 72 hours would bring a blitz of news involving several high-profile stars.
Monday morning included news that Derrick Henry would be out for possibly the rest of the season, and by Wednesday, Aaron Rodgers had landed on the COVID-19 list and the days of Odell Beckham Jr. with the Browns began to feel numbered.
We don't expect many weeks like that in any season -- it was an atypically unpredictable few days -- but it was a bit of a reminder that even fantasy-roster management is an all-week exercise.
As always, that roster management starts with the waiver wire. Here is the ESPN Fantasy Football Week 10 waiver adds of note.
Note: All players below are available in over 50% of leagues on ESPN.com.
Week 10 byes: Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, New York Giants, Houston Texans
Jordan Howard, RB, Philadelphia Eagles (8.1%): When Miles Sanders went down with an ankle injury, we presumed it would be Kenneth Gainwell taking over in a larger role. That wasn't the case, as both Howard and Boston Scott rushed for two touchdowns in Week 8. And then it was Howard -- the veteran on the practice squad -- who looked best in Week 9, rushing for 71 yards on 17 carries and finding the end zone. Sanders is out for at least one more week, and Howard would seemingly have the chance to lead the way in terms of carries once again. He's a must-add.
Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers (45.6%): Aiyuk's curiously slow start to the season didn't make much sense, but it was clear that he had lost the trust of head coach Kyle Shanahan. He appears to have turned the corner in recent weeks and had six catches for 89 yards and a touchdown in Week 9. Aiyuk has star-level traits and can be a game-changer for the 49ers' offense. Frustrated managers dropped him after that slow start, but be sure to rectify that right away.
Tim Patrick, WR, Denver Broncos (24.7%): I'd prefer not to keep writing about Patrick on the waiver wire as frequently as I have so far this season, but he has been so, so, so good for the Broncos, and that continued in Week 9. He had 85 yards on four catches and a beautiful long-distance touchdown to help Denver to its rout over the Cowboys. I've long felt that "underrated" is one of the most overused terms in sports, but Patrick qualifies as one of the league's most underrated amongst wideouts. Add him!
Elijah Moore, WR, New York Jets (15.3%): The catches have piled up lately for Moore, as the rookie is looking like the player who was amongst the best on the field during the Jets' training camp. He has 13 catches over the past two games and found the end zone twice in Week 9, setting a career high with seven catches and 84 yards in the process. While the Jets' offense has been up-and-down this season, throwing has been popular recently, as Mike White and Josh Johnson have thrown for more than 400 and 300 yards passing in a game, respectively. Zach Wilson should be back soon and Moore should be amongst his preferred targets. He's a smart bench stash.
D'Ernest Johnson, RB, Cleveland Browns (45.2%): With the news that Nick Chubb and Demetric Felton have been placed on the COVID-19 list, the Browns' running back room is down to Johnson amongst its healthy options on the active roster. While Chubb has not been ruled out for Sunday against the Patriots as of yet, it's no sure thing that he will play. Johnson has already filled in once as the Browns' starting back, rushing for 146 yards and a touchdown in Week 7. He's a must add and a top 20 play if Chubb is not activated for the game on Sunday.
Carlos Hyde, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars (25.0%): With James Robinson unavailable in Week 9, it was the Carlos Hyde show for the Jaguars' backfield. He handled 21 of 22 total touches for Jaguars backs this past Sunday, albeit in an inefficient fantasy effort (fewer than seven fantasy points). While it sure sounds like Robinson has a chance to return this weekend, Hyde is an important add for anyone that has a running-back-depth need, as he should remain busy for this team until Robinson returns.
Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots (6.1%): The best showing of Stevenson's young NFL career came in Week 9, as he totaled over 100 yards on 12 opportunities. Stevenson is a capable receiver and a shifty and powerful runner who plays in an offense that is unafraid to lean heavily on the run. Both he and Damien Harris left the game early for the Patriots because of head injuries, but if Stevenson were to be available this week and Harris were not, he'd have the opportunity to be a top-20 or so consideration. He's got a bright future.
Pat Freiermuth, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers (32.9%): A name that we've had on this list in recent weeks, Freiermuth just keeps on impressing. The second-round pick snagged a pair of touchdowns and had five grabs for 43 yards on Monday night, flexing his natural receiving skills and imposing frame in the red zone. There's really no excuse for him to be available in so many leagues, as anyone with a tight end quandary needs to seize the opportunity to add him.
Logan Thomas, TE, Washington Football Team (47.3%): Thomas' stint on injured reserve forced his roster percentage to plummet, but savvy managers will jump on the opportunity to add him back. Thomas was playing almost literally every snap for the Football Team prior to his injury and is a strong pass catcher in an offense that needs more of them. He had at least 9.5 fantasy points in the three games he started and finished this season and should see similar production going forward.
Darnell Mooney, WR, Chicago Bears (46.6%): Mooney has been featured on this list previously as he seems to have a natural rapport with Justin Fields. He caught another touchdown in Week 9, added another on a designed run play and now has at least five targets in every game but one this season, with 10 or more fantasy points in six games. Those are all indicators that he needs to be well past the 50% roster mark.
Ty Johnson, RB, New York Jets (20.5%): The Jets have found their featured back in Michael Carter, but Johnson has been on a bit of a hot streak himself: He has double-digit fantasy points in three straight games and has been showing up as a pass-catcher in those outings. The Jets figure to be in the right game script (playing from behind) to keep those passing-game opportunities up for Johnson, and he'll earn a handful or more of carries per game as well. Those combine to make Johnson a worthwhile deeper-league add.
Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR, Cleveland Browns (4.6%): The Browns have moved on from Odell Beckham, Jr. and while he had not been a consistent fantasy factor for their offense, his absence does create a void. In the first game without OBJ, Donovan Peoples-Jones stepped up with a pair of catches for 86 yards and a touchdown in Week 9. He was trendy preseason sleeper after a strong training camp and should be considered in deeper leagues -- he's a fun player to watch.
Eno Benjamin, RB, Arizona Cardinals (0.1%): With Chase Edmonds set to miss some time after spraining his ankle in Week 9, per Adam Schefter, James Conner -- who is rostered in 96% of ESPN+ leagues but was started in only 26% of them -- should be a very busy man in the Arizona backfield. But Benjamin could have a role as well, as he handled nine carries in Week 9 and found the end zone. This is a deeper-league add only, but if Benjamin gets to play close to 40% of the snaps in a very good offense, that would be enough to validate his addition to your roster.