Fantasy football waiver wire, Week 10: Bye week replacements for Falcons, Colts, Chargers, 49ers

The bye weeks are almost over, which will be a massive relief to fantasy owners. But first, we’ve got two more weeks of byes to navigate, and in Week 10 there will be more teams off, with some big names among them.

This week, the Atlanta Falcons, Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers and San Francisco 49ers are off in Week 10. That leaves huge fantasy stars like Julio Jones, Devonta Freeman and Philip Rivers unavailable this week, along with other upper-level stars such as T.Y. Hilton, Andrew Luck and Frank Gore.

With so many big names on bye, the waiver wire is going to be particularly important this week. We’ll go position-by-position to look at the best potential one-week replacements. All players listed below are owned in 50 percent or less of Yahoo! leagues.

Players on bye: Matt Ryan, Andrew Luck, Philip Rivers, Blaine Gabbert, Colin Kaepernick

Waiver wire options

Tyrod Taylor, Buffalo Bills: Came back from injury to deliver borderline QB1 value again. Has a tougher matchup with the New York Jets.
Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears: Having something of a career renaissance in OC Adam Gase’s offense.
Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans: Out-dueled Drew Brees in the Superdome, but the Carolina Panthers have a much more imposing defense.
Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Hasn’t thrown a pick since Week 4. Gets a middling Dallas Cowboys defense next.

Players on bye: Devonta Freeman, Tevin Coleman, Frank Gore, Ahmad Bradshaw, Melvin Gordon, Danny Woodhead, Carlos Hyde, Shaun Draughn, Pierre Thomas

Waiver wire options

Alfred Blue, Houston Texans: Is the clear lead back with Arian Foster gone, but he’ll never be exciting. A low-end RB2/flex at best.
James Starks, Green Bay Packers: Whatever is wrong with Eddie Lacy, Starks keeps outplaying him. Something has to give in this backfield.
Karlos Williams, Buffalo Bills: It’s become clear that Williams will have standalone fantasy value even with LeSean McCoy healthy. And McCoy is now dealing with a shoulder injury. Fire up Williams in your flex spot.
Charles Sims, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Still has a low ceiling, but his floor could increase if Doug Martin can’t hold on to the ball.
Joique Bell, Detroit Lions: Now healthy again and clearly the lead back with Ameer Abdullah disappointing.
Brandon Bolden, New England Patriots: Should get a bigger role with Dion Lewis done for the year, but good luck predicting the Patriots backfield.

Players on bye: Julio Jones, Roddy White, Leonard Hankerson, T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief, Andre Johnson, Stevie Johnson, Malcom Floyd, Anquan Boldin, Torrey Smith, Quinton Patton

Waiver wire options

Marvin Jones, Cincinnati Bengals: As boom-or-bust as they come, but he belongs on 12-team rosters.
Kamar Aiken, Baltimore Ravens: The next man up with Steve Smith’s season over.
Nate Washington, Houston Texans: Still not someone you want to trust every week, but has a decent WR3/WR4 floor in deeper leagues.
Dorial Green-Beckham, Tennessee Titans: Finally got substantial playing time in Week 9. Will he keep it up? Kendall Wright is expected to miss another week.
Cole Beasley, Dallas Cowboys: We’ve probably seen his best game of 2015 already.

Players on bye: Jacob Tamme, Coby Fleener, Dwayne Allen, Antonio Gates, Ladarius Green, Garrett Celek

Waiver wire options

Heath Miller, Pittsburgh Steelers: Could easily turn back into a pumpkin with Ben Roethlisberger injured again. Only start if you’re desperate.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Getting close to returning from a shoulder injury.
Owen Daniels, Denver Broncos: Had a season-best game even with Vernon Davis in the fold. Look for his role to decrease as Davis learns the offense.
Eric Ebron, Detroit Lions: Maybe the bye week will help new OC Jim Bob Cooter inject a pulse into the offense, but Ebron remains a touchdown-dependent risk.
Crockett Gillmore, Baltimore Ravens: One of the candidates to step up in Smith’s place.