Fantasy Football Week 10 WR Preview: Mecole Hardman's absence could open the door for Kadarius Toney

Patrick Mahomes told us before the season it would be a different Chiefs wide receiver every week. While JuJu Smith-Schuster's emergence has changed that a little bit, there has been a mysterious element to this Chiefs offense, that's the red zone touchdowns.

Early in the season Clyde Edwards-Helaire was used in a variety of unique ways in the red zone and scored five touchdowns in the first four weeks of the season despite averaging just 13 touches per game. Edwards-Helaire fell out of favor in Week 5 and it's been Mecold Hardman, not a running back, who has benefitted.

Hardman has scored four touchdowns in the past three Chiefs games, including two on rush attempts in Week 7. In that stretch he only has one game with more than 42 receiving yards and only one game with more than four touches. In other words, it seems unsustainable, but the red zone usage along makes him a No. 3 wide receiver....if he plays.

Hardman missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday with an abdominal injury, which could open the door for the Chiefs newest addition, Kadarius Toney.

Toney is a former first round pick who never meshed with Brian Daboll and was dealt to the Chiefs at the deadline. He also happens to be exxactly the type of player you'd like to get in space in Andy Reid's system. Toney only played nine snaps in his Week 9 debut, but the Chiefs plan on using him more moving forward. If Hardman is out in Week 10, they may use him a lot more this week.

Toney remains more of a stash and a DFS lottery play this week, but the difference between him and Hardman is that he could actually become a feature receiver in some point in the future. While we're hopeful he inherits the red zone role, by the time the playoffs role around he could simply be the Chiefs' No. 3 option.

Here is the rest of the Week 10 WR Preview:

Week 10 WR Preview

Who's Out

Numbers to Know

Matchups That Matter

Waiver Wire Targets

DFS Plays

Projections

WR Preview

Who's Out

The following players are not being projected to play in Week 10 at this time. Here's what it means:

Romeo Doubs WR

GB Green Bay • #87
Age: 24 • Experience: 3 yrs.

Allen Lazard is the only wide receiver worth starting in Green Bay

Josh Reynolds WR

DEN Denver • #8
Age: 29 • Experience: 7 yrs.

Kalif Raymond is a deep sleeper in Detroit

WR Preview

Numbers to Know

• 75 -- Combined receiving yards for Michael Pittman in two games with Sam Ehlinger under center.
• 30.3% -- Target share for Rondale Moore in Week 9. 
  
• 26 -- Targets for Christian Kirk over the last three games.
  
• 55 -- Allen Lazard has at least 55 receiving yards or a receiving touchdown in every game he's played this year. 
  
• 7 -- Seven straight games for Chris Olave with double-digit PPR Fantasy points. 
  
• 325 -- Receiving yards for JuJu Smith-Schuster in the last three games.
  
• 4.2 -- DeVonta Smith has just as many games under 4.2 Fantasy points as he does over 15 Fantasy points. That's an epitome of a boom-bust wide receiver. 
  

WR Preview

Matchups that matter

Matchups that matter

Christian Kirk WR

JAC Jacksonville • #13
Age: 27 • Experience: 7 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown

@ KC KC -9.5 O/U 50.5

OPP VS WR 19th

PROJ PTS 13

WR RNK 12th

YTD Stats
REC 43	TAR 70	REYDS 574	TD 5	FPTS/G 14.4

Terry McLaurin WR

WAS Washington • #17
Age: 28 • Experience: 6 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown

@ PHI PHI -11 O/U 44.5

OPP VS WR 6th

PROJ PTS 11.1

WR RNK 22nd

YTD Stats
REC 38	TAR 62	REYDS 609	TD 2	FPTS/G 12.5

Darnell Mooney WR

ATL Atlanta • #11
Age: 26 • Experience: 5 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown

vs DET CHI -2.5 O/U 48.5

OPP VS WR 25th

PROJ PTS 11.1

WR RNK 30th

YTD Stats
REC 32	TAR 52	REYDS 407	TD 1	FPTS/G 8.8

D.J. Moore WR

CHI Chicago • #2
Age: 27 • Experience: 7 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown

vs ATL ATL -3 O/U 43.5

OPP VS WR 32nd

PROJ PTS 13.8

WR RNK 24th

YTD Stats
REC 35	TAR 71	REYDS 449	TD 3	FPTS/G 11.3

WR Preview

Waiver Wire Targets

Week 10 Adds (WR Preview)

DeAndre Carter WR

LV Las Vegas • #3
Age: 31 • Experience: 6 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown

@ SF SF -7 O/U 45.5

OPP VS WR 16th

WR RNK 41st

ROSTERED 23%

YTD Stats
REC 24	TAR 34	REYDS 282	TD 1	FPTS/G 7

If Mike Williams and Keenan Allen are both out again this week, Carter will be a No. 3 wide receiver with more upside than he showed in Week 9.

Terrace Marshall Jr. WR

CAR Carolina • #88
Age: 23 • Experience: 4 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown

vs ATL ATL -2.5 O/U 42

OPP VS WR 32nd

WR RNK 40th

ROSTERED 39%

YTD Stats
REC 13	TAR 23	REYDS 201	TD 1	FPTS/G 6.5

Terrace Marshall has earned 15 targets in two games since the Panthers traded away Robbie Anderson and Christian McCaffrey. He's averaged 13.5 PPR Fantasy points in those two games and faces a Falcons defense that has allowed the most FPPG to opposing wide receivers this season.

Stashes (WR Preview)

Wan'Dale Robinson WR

NYG N.Y. Giants • #17
Age: 23 • Experience: 3 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown

vs HOU NYG -6.5 O/U 40.5

OPP VS WR 3rd

WR RNK 42nd

ROSTERED 43%

YTD Stats
REC 12	TAR 16	REYDS 107	TD 1	FPTS/G 7.2

There's little doubt that Robinson is the Giants' most talented pass catcher and it's very common to see rookies get a boost in opportunity after the team's bye. A role worth seven-to-nine targets a week is still possible if everything clicks in the second half with Daniel Jones.

WR Preview

DFS Plays

Top DFS Play

Jaylen Waddle WR

MIA Miami • #17
Age: 25 • Experience: 4 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown

vs CLE MIA -3.5 O/U 48.5

OPP VS WR 9th

PROJ PTS 16.9

WR RNK 7th

YTD Stats
REC 47	TAR 70	REYDS 812	TD 6	FPTS/G 18.2

Waddle and Tyreek Hill are both top-six wide receivers for me this week and you'll get a much better price on Waddle quite possibly with a lower roster rate. Just don't mistake that for lower upside. Waddle has twice as many touchdowns from Tua Tagovailoa as Hill does.

Contrarian DFS Play

Diontae Johnson WR

CAR Carolina • #18
Age: 27 • Experience: 6 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown

vs NO NO -1.5 O/U 40

OPP VS WR 22nd

PROJ PTS 11.9

WR RNK 30th

YTD Stats
REC 43	TAR 76	REYDS 372	TD 0	FPTS/G 10.6

As you should know by now, I'm a big fan of betting on touchdown regression. I also love the fact that Johnson looks to be locked in as a double-digit target guy now that Chase Claypool has been shipped off to Chicago. There's a chance Johnson is a top-20 wide receiver from this point forward. Buy the dip.

WR Preview

Heath's Projections