Fantasy football: Ryan, Howard, Peoples-Jones among best Week 10 adds

MIAMI, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Week 10's waiver wire comes at the halfway point of the 2021 NFL season, meaning regular-season fantasy football games start to take on more importance.

Matt Ryan, Jordan Howard and Donovan Peoples-Jones are among the players to target on the waiver wire to improve your fantasy team.

Waiver wire targets depend on respective fantasy team needs, but Howard is my top priority based on a scarcity of healthy players at the running back position. He is a stream-worthy start this week and could provide value in additional games.

His RB2 production should boost your team as you make your run to the fantasy football playoffs.

Ryan is another player who should provide season-long value, but also can be plugged in as a streamer. Peoples-Jones continues to emerge as a great pass-catching option for the Cleveland Browns, especially after the departure of fellow wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

Four NFL teams were on bye in Week 9, which means several valuable players or defenses were likely dropped in your league. Scan your waiver wire for those options to provide depth for your roster.

Make sure to bench players from the Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, New York Giants and Houston Texans, as those teams get byes in Week 10.

Keep an eye on your opponent's roster for your matchup. You could snag a player that they might need, giving yourself an advantage.

Waiver wire additions should be players either who can contribute to your roster immediately or players you can put on your bench in hopes they will provide value down the road.

I have added some of my favorite players to target on this week's waiver wire and separated them by priority and position. The players I have listed ahead of Wednesday's waiver period have low ownership percentages in standard-size leagues.

Here are my top players to add to top players to drop for Week 10:

ALL-ADD TEAM

QB | Matt Ryan, Teddy Bridgewater; RB | Jordan Howard, Eno Benjamin; WR | Donovan Peoples-Jones, Brandon Aiyuk, Elijah Moore; TE | Pat Freiermuth; D/ST | Titans; K | Ryan Succop

HONORABLE MENTIONS

QB | Taylor Heinicke; RB | Brandon Bolden, Rhamondre Stevenson, Nyheim Hines; WR | DeSean Jackson; TE | Gerald Everett; D/ST | Chiefs; K | Daniel Carlson

TOP DROPS

QB | Justin Fields; RB | Chase Edmonds, Chuba Hubbard; WR |Tyler Boyd, DeVante Parker; TE | Cole Kmet; D/ST | Dolphins; K | Graham Gano

QUARTERBACK

Matt Ryan remains available in most fantasy football leagues. The Atlanta Falcons quarterback logged his best performance of the season in Week 9, with 343 passing yards, two passing scores and a rushing touchdown in a win over the New Orleans Saints.

This week, Ryan's Falcons face the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys allowed the seventh-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks through nine weeks. Look for Ryan to continue his hot streak and provide low-end QB1 production Sunday in Arlington, Texas.

RUNNING BACK

This week's waiver wire does not include a lot of depth at running back, but Jordan Howard of the Philadelphia Eagles deserves roster consideration.

You also should keep an eye on the backfield situation for the New England Patriots this week. Patriots running backs Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson each sustained injuries in Week 9. Brandon Bolden is the next man up on the depth chart.

The Patriots head into a tough matchup against the Cleveland Browns, but their starting running back still should provide low-end RB2 value.

Howard appears to own the backfield in Philadelphia amid starter Miles Sanders' injury absence. Howard totaled 12 carries in Week 8 and 17 carries in Week 9. He didn't gain a lot of yards, but scored in both of those games.

This week, the Eagles face the Denver Broncos. The Broncos defense isn't terrible against opposing running backs, but Howard should get the goal line work in Week 10. He is a nice fill-in streamer if your normal RB2 is on bye or faces a tough matchup.

Eno Benjamin is another player to target if you have enough room on your bench. The Arizona Cardinals backup could be in for an increased role due to the recent injury to running back Chase Edmonds.

WIDE RECEIVER

Donovan Peoples-Jones of the Cleveland Browns is my top wide receiver target. Peoples-Jones totaled at least 70 yards in each of his last three games. He scored in his last two appearances.

The Browns should continue to pepper this weapon with targets. Peoples-Jones will benefit most from Odell Beckham Jr.'s departure. I expect WR3 production from Peoples-Jones for the rest of the season, when he gets a good matchup.

TIGHT END

Pat Freiermuth of the Pittsburgh Steelers is my top fantasy football tight end target for Week 10. Freiermuth gained at least four catches and 43 receiving yards in each of his last three games. He scored in each of his last two appearances, including a two-touchdown performance in Week 9.

He should be on your radar as a TE1 streamer for the rest of the season. Freiermuth is a must-add player if you play in a league that requires starting tight ends and you need production at the position.

The Steelers face the Detroit Lions in Week 10 in what I expect to be a blowout victory. Look for Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to find Freiermuth for a score for the third-consecutive game.