The ninth week of the 2016 regular season is just about over with only the Monday Night Football game remaining. Most fantasy football leagues will run their waiver wires late Tuesday or early Wednesday, but we are here to help you get a jump on the best options to consider.
We will be ranking the top five players likely to be available in your league at each of the four major positions. Some weeks there might not be five good options available, but we’ll scour for the best we can find. Additionally, throughout the week, we will update each of these articles as ownership percentages change (via Yahoo!) and news arrives.
Waiver wire running back rankings, Week 10
1. Bilal Powell, New York Jets (48 percent owned)
Powell has been dealing with a toe injury for the past few weeks, but has since recovered, and saw a modest workload for a backup running back. He ran for 22 yards and added four receptions for 29 yards in New York’s loss to Miami. Powell’s sustained usage behind Matt Forte allows for him to have stand-alone value, especially in PPR leagues. The New York passing offense has been somewhat inept regardless of who is playing quarterback, and Powell’s usage should increase as a result.
2. DuJuan Harris, San Francisco 49ers (33 percent owned)
Harris had a very good game filling in for the injured Carlos Hyde in the 49ers’ loss to the Saints. He finished with 59 rushing yards and added 83 yards and a touchdown on five receptions. He also lost a fumble. The veteran running back has performed well in his limited opportunities thus far this season, and appears to have taken over the backup role behind Hyde. If Hyde continues to be sidelined, Harris should continue to produce for fantasy owners. Even if Hyde returns, Harris should have some value as the change-of-pace back for a team that has struggled to move the ball through the air.
3. Chris Ivory, Jacksonville Jaguars (32 percent owned)
Despite coach Gus Bradley once saying that T.J. Yeldon would be the lead back in Jacksonville, Ivory has had more carries in three of the past four games. In Week 9, Ivory ran for an efficient 107 yards on 18 carries, and fumbled once in the Jaguars’ loss to the Chiefs. Ivory is a bruising back that has looked worthy of more carries, and has produced when given the opportunity. He’ll look for another strong performance next week against the Texans.
4. Peyton Barber, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (18 percent owned)
The Tampa Bay backfield has been plagued by injuries in recent weeks, and with Doug Martin not a guarantee for Week 10 — plus Jacquizz Rodgers dealing with a foot injury and Antone Smith out for the season with a knee injury — the de facto starter for the Buccaneers is Barber. In Week 9, Barber rushed for 31 yards and added 24 yards through the air on four receptions. If Tampa Bay’s other running backs remained sidelined, Barber will be a starting running back available in a significant majority of leagues.
5. Paul Perkins, New York Giants (six percent owned)
The Giants backfield has frustrated fantasy owners for multiple seasons now, and it would appear that it’s settled into an even split between Perkins and Rashad Jennings. Perkins ran for 32 yards and added 15 yards on three receptions in the New York win over Philadelphia. Both Perkins and Jennings had 11 rushes and three receptions. While Perkins didn’t post particularly impressive numbers, most owners would be hard-pressed to find similar volume from a running back available on waivers.