New York Giants

With Marquise Brown ruled out by the Baltimore Ravens for Sunday's matchup against the Chicago Bears with a thigh injury, fantasy football players in need of wideouts are scrambling to the waiver wire to identify potential replacements. 

Let's go over a few targets you should have on your radar. 

First, you can stick with Baltimore's roster and consider rookie wideout Rashod Bateman. While he missed the beginning of the season with a groin injury, he's been very solid when healthy, catching 18 passes for 241 yards in four games. He's averaging a solid seven targets per game, so he's already an important part of the Ravens offense. 

The scary thing about prioritizing Bateman, however, is that starting quarterback Lamar Jackson is questionable with an illness. If Jackson couldn't go, Tyler Huntley would get his first NFL start at quarterback. From a fantasy perspective, that would be a worrying situation for Bateman. 

Chances are, Jackson will play. But Bateman doesn't come without his risks. 

A safer choice is Dallas Cowboys wideout Michael Gallup, who should be in line for plenty of targets in the team's high-flying offense with Amari Cooper reportedly out for two games on the reserve/COVID-19 list. 

Gallup missed seven games with calf issues this year, and in his two games (seven catches for 78 yards and 12 targets) he didn't exactly light the world on fire. But Gallup is a talented player (1,107 receiving yards and six scores in 2019, 843 receiving yards and five scores in 2020) who has played third fiddle in the Dallas passing game the past two seasons behind Cooper and CeeDee Lamb. 

With a bigger target share likely coming for the next two weeks, he could be a very savvy pickup for your team. 

Another interesting option in your league is Kenny Golladay if he's been dropped amid a season of injuries and disappointing production. He's been a huge bust in his first season in New York, but he's still the player who caught 65 passes for 1,190 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2019, which at the time was his second straight 1,000-yard campaign. 

Injuries limited him to five games last year, and he's never seemed to find a rhythm with Daniel Jones this season. But if you're looking for a boom-or-bust option, Golladay's past production makes him intriguing.

Finally, Darnell Mooney is worth a look. In PPR leagues he has five double-digit weeks, and he made serious noise in Week 9 against the Pittsburgh Steelers with three receptions for 41 yards and a touchdown to go along with a 15-yard rushing score. 

Allen Robinson II is the bigger name in Chicago's passing game, but Mooney has been the better player this year. 

The New York Giants placed defensive back Logan Ryan on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Saturday, according to Dan Salomone of the team's website. 

Ryan will miss Monday night's showdown with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers unless he is able to register two negative tests within a 24-hour period. 

Per ESPN's Jordan Raanan, Ryan's first positive test was on Friday morning, though "further testing didn't seem to rule out the idea of a false positive."

Ryan told Julian Love—who is expected to start in his place if Ryan can't go—that he was asymptomatic on Friday.

"It's tough," Love said. "It's tough to see. First and foremost, you just want to wish safety to him and everyone he is around, his family and all that. That is kind of what is on my mind for him—his health and safety."

Ryan, 30, leads the Giants in tackles with 72 and has five passes defended, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. 

It's a big loss for the 3-6 Giants, who face the difficult prospect of slowing down legendary quarterback Tom Brady and Tampa Bay's explosive offense.

"I think it's the greatest challenge in football playing [against] him, and it's a lot of fun," Ryan told reporters Thursday about the matchup against Brady. "I love to play the chess match against him, and that's why I'm here—to help us have a good chess game."

"[Ryan's competitive] juices were going this week, for sure," Love added. "It’s tough. You want to have all your tools available and ready versus a team like this. It’s definitely a blow, but we've got some resilient guys who are going to spend some extra time like we did after practice just to get things sharpened up."

If Ryan does miss the game against Brady and the Bucs, his next chance to take the field will be Sunday, November 28, against the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles.

Big NFL injury news broke Saturday as Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Robert Woods (torn ACL) is out for the remainder of the season, while Tennessee Titans wideout Julio Jones (hamstring) will miss at least three games after being placed on injured reserve.

Hopefully, the talented Woods (45 catches, 556 yards, four touchdowns) comes back in time for the beginning of the 2022 season.

As for Jones (21 catches, 336 yards), the hope is that he misses only the three-game minimum before contributing for the Titans during the stretch run.

From a fantasy perspective, anyone who rostered Woods needs a waiver-wire replacement. The same goes for Jones, though that one may be more temporary with the wideout potentially returning in early December.

Here's a look at the best waiver-wire wide receiver options out there. All players listed are available in at least half of Yahoo leagues.

Baltimore Ravens WR Rashod Bateman (Available in 50 Percent of Leagues)

Baltimore Ravens rookie wideout Rashod Bateman isn't an option this week after he played on Thursday Night Football against the Miami Dolphins, but the former Minnesota star should be a popular pickup for the last eight games of the regular season.

Bateman has averaged seven targets in his four games, and he's turned that into 18 catches for 241 yards. He's proved to be an explosive, playmaking wideout that has actually garnered the third-most receptions out of any Ravens pass-catcher since his debut on Oct. 17.

He missed the first chunk of the season to recover from groin surgery, but Bateman has looked great ever since. Bateman also has the added bonus of being available every week with the Ravens' bye in the rearview mirror.

Having one of the game's best offensive talents in quarterback Lamar Jackson also helps matters. He's been dominant with his legs in his four-year NFL career and has proved capable of keeping plays alive and finding his receivers downfield in the face of ferocious pass rushes.

In sum, the best of Bateman is probably yet to arrive, and he's already off to a great start anyway, so he's worth a shot.

New York Jets WR Elijah Moore (Available in 50 Percent of Leagues)

Moore has seen as many targets (20) over his last three games as he did in his first four. The rookie out of Ole Miss has made the most of his looks lately, catching 14 passes for 164 yards and two scores.

He's been the Jets' top wideout with Corey Davis absent, although the Jets' big free-agent acquisition is expected to return Sunday against the Buffalo Bills after a hip injury that sidelined him for two games.

That may mean fewer targets for Moore, especially considering that the team already has a crowded wideout room with Jamison Crowder, Denzel Mims, Keelan Cole and Jeff Smith.

Still, Moore has shown more than enough to earn playing time over the past two weeks. He's a dynamic, shifty, playmaking receiver, someone the Jets desperately need to play consistent snaps.

New York has averaged just 18 points per game this year (27th in the NFL), but Moore's two-game outburst has helped the team post 64 points over its last two contests. The 2-6 Jets can't afford to keep him on the bench.

Like Bateman, Moore is past the bye, so anyone rostering him would have him for the remainder of the season barring unforeseen absences.

New York Giants WR Kadarius Toney (Available in 53 Percent of Leagues)

Adding Giants rookie wideout Kadarius Toney is a boom-or-bust proposition.

He showed what he's capable of when targeted, catching 16 passes for 267 yards on 22 targets over a two-game stretch in October versus the New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys. Toney then started a game against the Los Angeles Rams with three catches for 36 yards in fewer than four minutes of action before leaving with an ankle injury.

However, he's been quiet ever since. Toney missed the Giants' 25-3 win over the Carolina Panthers with the ankle ailment, but he's only amassed five catches for 35 yards on six targets in the two games since.

A short-handed offensive line that hasn't given quarterback Daniel Jones much time to work with hasn't helped, nor has the conservative play-calling of offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.

The latter might be the more serious concern, as Toney somehow only had one target in the Giants' 23-16 win over the Las Vegas Raiders last Sunday. The Giants had 31 rushing attempts versus 20 passes.

Still, if your fantasy team is in a bind, Toney is worth a shot to add to your bench and at least consider as a flex option moving forward.

Five of the Giants' eight remaining games are against losing teams, so the schedule is going to soften up and give Toney chances to do work.

The Giants are in a bye this week but return Monday, Nov. 22, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Through nine games, the New York Giants are averaging under 20 points. However, despite a 3-6 record, Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garrett will remain the offensive play-caller.

According to the New York Daily News, Giants head coach Joe Judge said during a conference call that he isn't considering any play-calling changes at this time.

Entering their bye week, the Giants rank 21st in the NFL in total offense (334.6 yards) and 23rd in scoring offense (19.9 points). They also rank last in red zone touchdown percentage (44 percent) and 28th in touchdowns per game (1.8).

Garrett has tried to diversify the offense with creative and unorthodox formations, but the team lacks the personnel to be successful with the injuries on that side of the ball.

Most notably, New York has been missing star running back Saquon Barkley for the past four games with a sprained left ankle. The Giants have also been without starting left tackle Andrew Thomas for the past three games as he is nursing injuries to his left ankle and right foot.

Injuries have hit the Giants wide receiver corps especially hard, too. A strained quad has limited Sterling Shepard to just five games. Kenny Golladay played in Sunday's win against the Las Vegas Raiders after missing the previous three games with a hyperextended knee. Rookie Kadarius Toney played on Sunday as well but has been dealing with ankle and thumb issues.

Judge said he's "hopeful" to have Barkley and Thomas back for the Giants' return to action in Week 11 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football.

The Cleveland Browns officially placed wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. on waivers on Monday, and at least two teams have already determined they won't be putting in a claim for him.

The 0-8 Detroit Lions have the top waiver priority, but head coach Dan Campbell put an end to any speculation that they would attempt to add the three-time Pro Bowler.

"Uh, no," Campbell said Monday when asked if the Lions would claim Beckham.

Meanwhile, New York Giants coach Joe Judge appeared to shut down any chance of his team reuniting with Beckham, telling reporters that he "wouldn’t expect anything" in terms of notable waiver claims.

Beckham starred for the Giants from 2014-18 and established himself as one of the most prolific receivers in the NFL. He recorded four 1,000-yard seasons in five years and had 10 or more receiving touchdowns three times.

This season's group of Giants receivers has failed to impress. Rookie Kadarius Toney leads the team with 352 receiving yards, followed by Sterling Shepard (324) and Kenny Golladay (310). Tight end Evan Engram leads the team with two receiving touchdowns.

Campbell went on to say that he's had discussions with Lions general manager Brad Holmes about claiming players, and he did the same regarding Beckham.

"He was no different. I would just leave it at that," Campbell said. "Look, our ears and our eyes are open to everything. And if there was a certain way to make things work, we’d be open for just about any player if it made sense."

The Lions' decision not to add Beckham is somewhat surprising, as they could use some help on the outside. They cut veteran receiver Breshad Perriman during training camp, while Tyrell Williams suffered a concussion in Week 1 and was released on Friday. They also placed Quintez Cephus on injured reserve after he suffered a broken collarbone.

In three seasons in Cleveland, Beckham did not perform at the level he did while he was in New York. A torn ACL derailed his 2020 season, and he couldn't find a groove when he returned in Week 3 of this year. Beckham has 17 catches on 34 targets for 232 yards and no touchdowns through six games.

If Beckham clears waivers, he will become a free agent and he can sign with any team he chooses.

The New York Giants announced Friday that running back Saquon Barkley has been removed from the reserve/COVID-19 list.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo added that Barkley's positive COVID-19 test turned out to be a false positive after additional testing was conducted.

Although Barkley's removal from the COVID-19 list means he is eligible to play Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, he missed the past three games with an ankle injury—and he won't play in Week 9, either.

Dating back to last season, Barkley hasn't been available to the Giants much, as he has played in only seven of a possible 24 games. He missed all but two games last season because of a torn ACL, and he has appeared in only five of New York's eight games this season.

He seemed to be finding his groove before suffering an ankle injury early in Week 5 against the Dallas Cowboys, scoring three touchdowns in the previous two games combined.

All told, Barkley has rushed for 195 yards and two touchdowns on 54 carries this season while also catching 14 passes for 130 yards and one score.

Of Barkley's four NFL seasons, the only campaign in which he didn't miss a game was his rookie year in 2018. He looked like the league's next great running back that season, rushing for 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns and making 91 catches for 721 yards and four touchdowns en route to the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

Barkley missed three games the next season but still managed to accrue 1,441 total yards and eight touchdowns.

During Barkley's absence this season, the Giants have turned to Devontae Booker, who has put up solid numbers with 216 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, as well as 17 receptions for 138 yards and one touchdown.

The Giants are 1-2 in games without Barkley this season.  Look for Booker to continue to get the lion's share of the touches out of the backfield with Elijhaa Penny also figuring into the mix.