Final-minute pickups for Week 10: Darnold, Singletary, Pierce amongst fill-in choices

At numerous factors throughout the fantasy soccer season, accidents, bye weeks and breaking information could cause you to wish reinforcements on your fantasy lineup. Each Friday all through the 2025 NFL season, Matt Bowen will supply some late-week pickup choices to assist fill these holes, with an emphasis on deeper leagues.

Due to that, this column will focus totally on gamers rostered in fewer than 50% of ESPN leagues, with occasional exceptions.

With Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott and Joe Flacco on byes this week, plus Jayden Daniels now down due to an elbow harm, we'll begin on the quarterback place. And I've three targets who will be performed this week in deeper codecs. There is a vast receiver group to have a look at in right here, plus a number of tight ends, together with one coming off a profession day in Week 9. And we'll finish with some working again fliers and a protection that has a really constructive matchup Sunday.

Quarterbacks

J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings (42.6% rostered; vs. Ravens)

McCarthy scored 18.92 factors in final Sunday's win over the Lions, his first recreation since Week 2 (ankle). He accomplished solely 14 passes for 143 yards, however he tossed two landing passes and was greater than keen to run the ball. McCarthy rushed for a rating, and the Vikings will proceed to make use of designed carries for him within the recreation plan. For deeper codecs solely, McCarthy brings some dual-threat upside to the lineup, and he shall be compelled to maneuver towards a Ravens protection that owns a blitz price of 29.6% (eleventh highest within the league).

Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals (15.5% rostered; at Seahawks)

Brissett had 24.84 factors in Week 9 towards the low-level Cowboys' protection. I get it. However he has scored 19 or extra factors in every of his previous three video games, with a number of landing throws in every. As well as, Brissett has at the very least 5 carries in every of previous two. Certain, it is a harder matchup this week on the street towards Seattle, however we will all see this Cardinals passing recreation is working at a better price with Brissett working the present. He is value a shot in deeper codecs.

Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks (50.4% rostered; vs. Cardinals)

Darnold is simply north of the 50% roster cutoff, however we will preserve writing about him on this house till that quantity actually jumps. Within the Week 9 win over Washington, Darnold had 27.2 fantasy factors. He was surgical with the ball, finishing 87.5% of his passes and throwing for 4 touchdowns. Darnold has 20 or extra factors — and a number of landing throws — in three of his previous 4 video games, and I've but to see a protection lock down his No. 1 goal, Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The addition of vast receiver Rashid Shaheed on the commerce deadline gives Darnold with a bump right here on third-level throws.

Tight ends

Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears (40.2% rostered; vs. Giants)

Loveland's 29.8 factors within the Week 9 win over Cincinnati have been a profession excessive, however I am extra taken with his route deployment — as a result of that is what we anticipated when he was drafted by the Bears. Loveland ran 11 routes from tight alignments, 10 out vast, seven within the slot and one from a backfield set. With that kind of versatility, the Bears can create matchups with their rookie tight finish, and that offers fantasy managers extra upside within the lineup. Let's roll with Loveland as a deeper-league begin Sunday.

Luke Musgrave, Inexperienced Bay Packers (12.2% rostered; vs. Eagles)

With Tucker Kraft (knee) now down for the season, Musgrave will take excessive spot at tight finish in Inexperienced Bay. After Kraft exited the sport final week towards Carolina, Musgrave caught all three of his targets for 34 yards. Although he would not deliver the identical rugged, catch-and-run capacity as Kraft, he is a succesful route runner in a system that creates manufacturing at tight finish. He is a deeper-league match towards the Eagles on Monday night time.

Vast receivers

Olamide Zaccheaus, Bears (4.9% rostered; vs. Giants)

The movement/motion participant in coach Ben Johnson's offense, Zaccheaus had 17.8 factors within the Week 9 win over the Bengals, scoring a landing on a fly sweep within the crimson zone. Zaccheaus has at the very least seven targets and 10 factors in two straight video games, and his deployment on this offense does create catch-and-run alternatives. He is a deeper-league WR3 for Sunday's house recreation towards the Giants.

Darius Slayton, New York Giants (26.1% rostered; at Bears)

Take the matchup right here towards a Bears secondary that's down on numbers due to accidents. Plus, this unit appeared a step gradual on tape final week towards the Bengals. Slayton had his greatest numbers of the season within the Week 9 loss to the 49ers, catching 5 of seven targets for 62 yards (11.2 factors), and we all know he can stretch the sector from boundary alignments. With restricted choices for quarterback Jaxson Dart at vast receiver, Slayton works this week in deeper leagues.

Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts (30.1% rostered; vs. Falcons)

Pierce has scored 14 or extra factors in two of his previous 4 video games. Sure, recreation circulation performed a task in each of these matchups, however you might be betting on Pierce's explosive-catch upside this week towards Atlanta. He's averaging greater than 20 yards per catch because the vertical stretch goal for quarterback Daniel Jones. Pierce, who has 4 video games with double-digit manufacturing this season, is a growth/bust WR3 in Week 10.

Operating backs

Devin Singletary, Giants (28.4% rostered; at Bears)

We anticipated Tyrone Tracy Jr. to steer the Giants' backfield after a season-ending harm to Cam Skattebo, nevertheless it was Singletary who had extra utilization in a Week 9 loss to the 49ers. Singletary out-touched Tracy 10-8, and he was extra environment friendly as a runner, producing 43 yards on eight carries. In any backfield rotation, there's a stage of uncertainty, however Singletary does have deeper-league worth this week towards the Bears.

Isaiah Davis, New York Jets (10.7% rostered; vs. Browns)

This can be a brutal matchup towards the Browns, the league's second-ranked protection towards opposing working backs, however Davis does present some upside as a change-of-pace runner with pass-catching capacity. He caught 5 passes in his final recreation towards Cincinnati, and he has at the very least two receptions in 4 of his previous 5. He's value a dart throw in the event you completely want a again in a deeper league.

D/ST

Carolina Panthers (24.7% rostered; vs. Saints)

Let's play the matchup with the Panthers' D towards Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough, who shall be making his second profession begin. The Panthers have scored seven or extra factors, with at the very least two takeaways, in two of their previous three video games. And this week they get a restricted Saints offense, one which simply traded Shaheed. I am good with beginning the Panthers this week.