Fantasy Football Week 10 WR Waiver Wire: Best replacements for Josh Palmer's trip to the IR ft. Tank Dell

Considering the likes of Tank Dell and Quentin Johnston have started to move up the ranks, the fantasy football waiver wire presents an opportunity for managers to improve their rosters during each week of the NFL season, especially when it comes to WRs in Week 10.

Unlike the trade market, which requires surrendering valuable assets to get others in return, waivers come at little-to-no cost. Even without an open roster spot, managers may simply drop their worst bench player to add a new option.

Week 10 of the 2023 fantasy football season has seen several wide receivers emerge as potential waiver wire targets. This has always been one of the most popular positions when the weekly waivers roll around because it has more depth than any other position. More wide receivers are capable of providing relevant fantasy value, especially with the high-flying modern passing game in the NFL.

As each week passes during the NFL season, players' fantasy values can drastically change based on a number of different factors. Injuries to relevant players and changes in offensive roles are among the most common reasons. For example, an injury to a quarterback may decrease the value of a wide receiver, while an injury to a player above them on the depth could increase their potential usage.

One of the key wide receivers to suffer an injury ahead of Week 10 is Los Angeles Chargers WR2 Josh Palmer. He has been a popular lineup target since replacing Mike Williams, who is now on the injured reserve list. Palmer recently joined him on the IR with a recent knee injury. Fantasy managers will now have to look for replacements. The waiver wire is one of the best ways to do so.

For any fantasy team looking to replace Palmer or any other injured player, or those simply looking to upgrade their roster, here are the top wide receivers to target on the Week 10 waiver wire.

Top Fantasy Football WR Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 10

Week 10 WR waivers

1] Quentin Johnston

The most logical replacement for Josh Palmer in fantasy football leagues is his direct replacement for the Los Angeles Chargers, rookie Quentin Johnston. He was selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, which means he is extremely talented and the team eventually planned on making him a major part of their offense. While the circumstances may have sped up the timeline, that time is now.

The Chargers feature one of the most high-powered passing attacks in the entire NFL with superstar quarterback Justin Herbert, so being their WR2 holds fantasy football value on its own. In his first partial opportunity in this new role, after Palmer exited with an injury in Week 9, Johnston turned in five receptions on six targets, both season-highs.

Palmer will be forced for at least the next four weeks, making the rookie one of the waiver wire targets this week.

Buccaneers Texans Football

2] Tank Dell

The Houston Texans entered a complete rebuilding phase during the 2023 NFL offseason, including signing new head coach Demeco Ryans and drafting rookie quarterback CJ Stroud. They made many roster changes ahead of Week 1 with a brand new look and scheme. Stroud has rapidly developed into a star and given his wide receivers plenty of fantasy football upside.

One of the beneficiaries of Stroud's success has been another rookie, Tank Dell. The speedy wide receiver planted himself on the fantasy football radar early on in the season, posting WR19 and WR7 finishes in PPR leagues in two of his first three career games. Many managers added him from the waiver wire initially but then dropped him after his production basically disappeared.

Dell ranked outside of the top 75 fantasy football wide receivers in two of his next three games but bounced back in a huge way in his most recent performance. He couldn't have been much better than he was, finishing as the overall WR1 with six receptions on 11 targets for 116 total yards and two touchdowns.

Managers who dropped him are now likely regretting it, but he can be added once again on the Week 10 fantasy football waiver wire.

3] Khalil Shakir

The Buffalo Bills have featured one of the best passing offenses in the entire NFL over the past three seasons with superstar quarterback Josh Allen under center. The one skill position that they haven't been quite able to figure out is their slot receiver spot. They may have finally solved it with Khalil Shakir, who has turned in two consecutive solid performances.

Shakir has quietly recorded at least four receptions in each of his past three games, totaling 184 yards during that span. In his first opportunity at a full-time WR3 role in a single game, he set career highs with six receptions on six targets for 92 yards. He appears to be thriving in his new role, making him a decent speculative addition from the fantasy football waiver wire.

While Shakir's numbers have still been relatively weak overall, context is important. He's more than doubled his season-long receiving totals in just the past two games alone. It's also reasonable to anticipate that those numbers improve even further as he continues to develop chemistry with Allen.

He's a solid replacement in traditional fantasy football formats and one of the best buy-low candidates in Dynasty leagues.

4] Demario Douglas

The New England Patriots are in desperate need of playmakers as their offense has been one of the worst in the NFL over the past two seasons. Their troubles got even worse last week when leading receiver Kendrick Bourne suffered a season-ending injury. With the 2023 NFL trade deadline having already passed, they will need someone on their roster to step up to replace him.

Demario Douglas could very well be the player they are looking for as he has emerged as a legitimate target for Mac Jones over the past three weeks. During that time he has totaled 17 touches on 23 targets for 158 scrimmage yards. He also led all Patriots receivers in their most recent game in their first contest without Bourne in the lineup.

It's reasonable to expect that Douglas will serve as their WR1 for the remainder of the 2023 NFL season. This likely won't result in massive fantasy football performances in their struggling offense, but he can still be a valuable piece in fantasy lineups.

Bourne ranked among the top 15 wide receivers in PPR leagues three times this year serving in a similar role to what Douglas will likely have moving forward.

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What time does the waiver wire open in fantasy football?

In ESPN leagues, the waiver wire process clears between 3-5 AM Eastern Standard Time. Once it's past 5 AM ET, if players aren't claimed on the waiver wire, they join the free-agent pool.

The same time slot goes for Yahoo fantasy football leagues.