The NFL Trade Deadline has come and gone, and with it, some old faces are set to take the field in new places. 

How, if at all, will those changes be reflected in our list of fantasy football sleepers for Week 10? There’s only one way to find out.

QB J.J. McCarthy, New York Giants

McCarthy is as strong a candidate as any at the quarterback position to rebound in Week 10.

The Giants’ gunslinger tossed for a lackluster 127 yards against Philadelphia last Sunday and left the game briefly with a hip pointer, but on Thursday (assuming he plays), he’ll face a vulnerable Washington Commanders’ defense.

Washington has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks per game (19.6), the fourth-most passing touchdowns in the league (16), and the third-most passing yards per contest (240).  

The other two times he faced a bottom-six pass defense, McCarthy torched New Orleans for 243 yards and a touchdown in less than a quarter, and completed 71.4% of his passes while racking up 252 yards in Houston. We see those performances as a solid indicator of what McCarthy will do against the Commanders.

J.J. McCarthy highlights against Houston. pic.twitter.com/HDpuSbG6WL

— Nick Falato (@nickfalato) October 26, 2026

RB Kaleb Johnson, Green Bay Packers

Josh Jacobs will miss Week 10 with a broken finger, while MarShawn Lloyd’s status is uncertain due to a knee injury.

Even if Lloyd does play, Kaleb Johnson is the likeliest to take on the role of RB1 this weekend. The 23-year-old rushed for 68 yards on 14 carries (4.9 yards per carry) and scored his first-career touchdown against the Patriots last Sunday. 

We expect his volume in Week 10 to be on par, at the very least, with what it was in Week 9. Against a Minnesota Vikings pass defense that puts the clamps on everyone—first in sacks, lowest passer rating allowed, second in passing yards conceded—the Packers could rely on the run, and thus Johnson, more than they typically do.

WR Jordan Watkins, San Francisco 49ers

Don’t get distracted by the 49ers’ splashy trade deadline moves. Keenan Allen may be the new wideout in town, but he’ll slot next to Jordan Watkins who has seen an uptick in production since Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel went down with injuries.

An explosive, vertical threat, Watkins caught his first-career touchdown (a 37-yard strike), led the team in receptions (four), and notched 16.6 fantasy points last week. Over his last three contests, he’s led all 49ers’ wide receivers, Christian McCaffrey too, in total snap count and route runs. 

With Evans likely out, Samuel possibly playing, and Allen adjusting to a new offense, we see Watkins’ boom or bust potential leaning boom this weekend—especially since he lines up against the Cowboys, who yield the sixth-most fantasy points to wide receivers (29.0) and give up 6.3 explosive plays per game, which is bottom-10 in the league. Watkins, meanwhile, averages a ridiculous 22.4 yards per reception.

TE Darnell Washington, Pittsburgh Steelers

Pat Freiermuth is an enticing tight end sleeper option, but here’s an even better one: his teammate, the big guy, Darnell Washington.

Washington has scored in two out of his last three games, compared to none for Freiermuth, while in that same span, he’s amassed more total targets (eight), receptions (12), yards (123), snaps (129), and plays of 30-plus yards (five) than his counterpart.

Cincinnati ranks last in yards per route runs allowed to tight ends, per PFF, and yields the ninth-most fantasy points to the position (12.6 per game). That said, they’ve only given up a single score to tight ends this season, meaning receptions and yardage are particularly key to accumulate fantasy points. Advantage Washington.