Week 10 Fantasy Sleepers: With Puka Nacua Sidelined, Konata Mumpfield and Jordan Watkins Top the Lists

Every fantasy season has a week when the waiver wire stops being optional. For a lot of managers, Week 10 is that week. Injuries have hit the Rams, 49ers, Packers and Patriots, and the trade deadline scrambled depth charts across the league. Here are the sleepers that three major fantasy outlets agree on, plus a few deeper names, starting with tonight's game.

Tonight: Commanders at Giants

J.J. McCarthy gets a friendly matchup for his first home start with the Giants ^[5]. Bleacher Report's Moe Moton noted that Washington allows the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks, ranks 30th in pass defense and has given up 16 touchdown passes in eight games ^[2]. McCarthy, rostered in about 22 percent of leagues, has thrown for 622 yards with one touchdown and one interception in three games and added 51 rushing yards ^[2]. He is a reasonable plug-in for two-quarterback and superflex leagues tonight.

On the other side, Washington receiver Treylon Burks has drawn at least five targets in each of his three games since Week 5 and has seven catches for 147 yards over his last two, good for 19.4 yards per catch ^[2]. The Giants have allowed 14 touchdown passes in eight games, and with Terry McLaurin lost for the season to a knee injury in Week 6, the targets are there for Burks ^[2].

The Rams' Receiver Vacuum

The biggest name on this week's lists belongs to a player most leagues never drafted. Puka Nacua sprained the MCL and PCL in his knee and suffered turf toe on the final offensive play of the Rams' Week 9 win, and coach Sean McVay said he will be out for an extended period, Fox News reported ^[4]. Davante Adams is out as well ^[1][2].

That puts Konata Mumpfield on the radar for Sunday's trip to Arizona. Yahoo's Scott Pianowski, Bleacher Report and FantasyPros all flagged him ^[1][2][3]. His one big game came in Week 3 at Denver, when he caught four of eight targets for 93 yards and a touchdown ^[1][2]. The Cardinals have allowed 19 passing touchdowns in nine games, and Mumpfield is rostered in only about 5 percent of leagues, per Bleacher Report ^[2].

FantasyPros analysts also like Tutu Atwell, who could see five or six targets, and tight end Tyler Higbee ^[3]. Bleacher Report's tight end pick is Colby Parkinson, who has caught 14 of 16 targets for 92 yards and a touchdown over the last three weeks, though he is nursing an oblique injury and was limited in practice ^[2].

Jordan Watkins in Dallas

San Francisco's Jordan Watkins was the other consensus pick, named by all three outlets ^[1][2][3]. Mike Evans is out with an Achilles injury, and Deebo Samuel Sr. was limited in Wednesday's practice with a hamstring problem ^[2]. Watkins has seven catches for 142 yards and a touchdown over the last two weeks, including a contested touchdown grab against the Raiders ^[1][2]. The Cowboys allow the sixth-most fantasy points to receivers, and Moton wrote that "Watkins has a chance to feast on the Dallas Cowboys' pass defense" ^[2]. He is rostered in roughly 3 percent of leagues ^[2].

The Munich Matchup

Sunday morning's Patriots-Lions game in Munich offers two more. FantasyPros noted that Detroit gives up 21.1 half-PPR points per game to tight ends, nearly five more than any other team, which makes Eli Raridon interesting after a career-high six targets last week ^[3]. He has topped 50 yards in three of his last five games ^[3]. Receiver Efton Chism III, coming off back-to-back five-catch games and a touchdown last week, also drew support from FantasyPros analysts ^[3].

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In the New England backfield, Rhamondre Stevenson is dealing with a knee tendon issue and TreVeyon Henderson has missed three straight games with an illness, Bleacher Report reported ^[2]. That opens the door for Corey Kiner, who scored his first NFL touchdown last week and averages 4.9 yards per carry ^[2].

Deep Cuts

In Green Bay, Josh Jacobs has a broken ring finger that could cost him two to three weeks, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport as cited by Bleacher Report ^[2]. Kaleb Johnson ran 14 times for 68 yards and a touchdown last week, but Pianowski cautioned that Minnesota's defense has been outstanding all season ^[1]. Pierre Strong Jr., who led the backfield with 16 touches before Jacobs returned in Week 7, is a deeper stash ^[2].

In Indianapolis, FantasyPros pointed to Ashton Dulin after the Colts traded Keenan Allen and Josh Downs, who had combined for 67 percent of the team's receiver targets ^[3]. In Buffalo, Dawson Knox out-snapped Dalton Kincaid 72 percent to 50 percent last week, Kincaid is nursing a new ankle injury, and the Jets have allowed 22.4 PPR points per game to tight ends over their last four games ^[3].

The Bottom Line

Sleepers are about opportunity, and Week 10 has plenty of it. If you have room on your bench, Mumpfield and Watkins have the clearest paths to targets this weekend, and Raridon is the tight end to stream if your starter is hurt or on bye. Make your claims, set your lineup before tonight's kickoff, and if you want another way to put your football instincts to the test, the free Liberty Bell Fantasy games are open at /fantasy.