Week 10 of the fantasy football is here, and the waiver wire is getting thinned out as we near the playoffs. One potential waiver wire option for fantasy managers is Kansas City Chiefs running back Jerick McKinnon. We’re examining whether you should add the playmaker against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 10.
Should You Add Jerick McKinnon From the Waiver Wire for Week 10?
We knew the Chiefs’ running back rotation would eventually be problematic. It took until Week 7 for Isiah Pacheco to outproduce Clyde Edwards-Helaire and for the unit to look ready to embrace their depth. Then, Week 8 saw McKinnon shoot out of a cannon with his season-high in receiving yards and snaps.
McKinnon made waves after landing in Kansas City last year despite earning only 25 touches in 13 games. Every time he touched the ball, he played with a new aggressiveness and power that was missing from the unit. His career was all but over until 2021.
Coming back to Kansas City was a risk as the team also added Ronald Jones and Pacheco. But McKinnon’s toughness and receiving ability made him an attractive potential rotational piece. No other back on the roster plays exactly as McKinnon does.
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The 30-year-old has only seven rushing attempts in his last three weeks, so he is a unique backup. Until the last two games, he’s been irrelevant for fantasy managers. However, he finished Week 9 as RB21 thanks to his six receptions for 40 yards, which came one week after producing 36 receiving yards.
Edwards-Helaire has seen his workload drop in four straight weeks and is basically unplayable for fantasy managers. If you have him, drop him off immediately and pick up Pacheco or McKinnon. He was far too dependent on touchdowns all season, and we pumped him up as a sell candidate after his big game against Tampa Bay.
McKinnon may not be the preferred option compared to Pacheco as a replacement, but he is a viable roster addition as this trio becomes a true rotation.
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Is Jerick McKinnon a Good Play Against Jacksonville?
The Jaguars are close to average than bad against running backs, but they also haven’t faced an offense like the Chiefs. Jacksonville is giving up only 83.4 rushing yards per game but has been hurt in the red zone and against receiving backs. They’ve allowed the third-most receiving yards to backs in the NFL, but somehow not a receiving touchdown.
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I don’t expect McKinnon to ever be a big threat on the ground with this current version of the Chiefs’ offense. They simply don’t run the ball enough and have two better ball carriers for their scheme. But he is a terrific weapon in the passing game and has the ability to maximize even two or three opportunities.
That being said, I think playing McKinnon will always be a big gamble. With only one touchdown and 51 touches on the season, there’s not enough of an upside for me to prioritize playing him against Jacksonville unless you’re really down to the nubs for roster options.
